Ross NK Series, NK-VRC User Manual
NK-VRC User Guide
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NK-VRC · User Guide
• Ross Part Number: 9807DR-1009-05
• Release Date: December 4, 2017.
The information contained in this Guide is subject to change without notice or obligation.
Copyright
©2017 Ross Video Limited, Ross®, and any related marks are trademarks or registered trademarks of Ross Video
Limited. All other trademarks are the property of their respective companies. PATENTS ISSUED and PENDING.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any
form or by any means, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of
Ross Video. While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this document, Ross Video assumes no
responsibility for errors or omissions. Neither is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of the
information contained herein.
Patents
Patent numbers US 7,034,886; US 7,508,455; US 7,602,446; US 7,802,802 B2; US 7,834,886; US 7,914,332; US
8,307,284; US 8,407,374 B2; US 8,499,019 B2; US 8,519,949 B2; US 8,743,292 B2; GB 2,419,119 B; GB
2,447,380 B; and other patents pending.
Notice
The material in this manual is furnished for informational use only. It is subject to change without notice and should
not be construed as commitment by Ross Video Limited. Ross Video Limited assumes no responsibility or liability
for errors or inaccuracies that may appear in this manual.
Safety Notices
Refer to the “Important Regulatory and Safety Notices” document that accompanied your product.
Statement of Compliance
This product has been determined to be compliant with the applicable standards, regulations, and directives for the
countries where the product is marketed.
Compliance documentation, such as certification or Declaration of Compliance for the product is available upon
request by contacting techsupport@rossvideo.com. Please include the product; model number identifiers and serial
number and country that compliance information is needed in request.
EMC Notices
US FCC Part 15
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a class A Digital device, pursuant to part 15
of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference when the
equipment is operated in a Commercial environment. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio
frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instruction manual, may cause harmful
interference to radio communications. Operation of this equipment in a residential area is likely to cause harmful
Type of Equipment User’s Guide
A
(߶הࡈ ؏ܞݦࢢ)
Class A Equipment
(Industrial Broadcasting &
Communication Equipment)
ࢇ Е ߶הࡈ(A) ࢷળࢶଢԻ۰ શ
ӖЕ یࡈЕ ࢇ ࢺࡶ ࣯ࢂଜݤ Ԃ
ֲ, ɼࢽ࠹ࢂ ࠇ߾۰ یࡈଜЕ ʨࡶ ּࢶࡳԻ
ଢТЬ.
This equipment is Industrial (Class A)
electromagnetic wave suitability equipment and
seller or user should take notice of it, and this
equipment is to be used in the places except for home.
interference in which case the user will be required to correct the interference at his own expense.
Notice — Changes or modifications to this equipment not expressly approved by Ross Video Limited
could void the user’s authority to operate this equipment.
Canada
This Class A device complies with Canadian ICES-003 rules.
Cet appariel numerique de la classe “A” est conforme a la norme NMB-003 du Canada.
European Union
This equipment is in compliance with the essential requirements and other relevant provisions established under
regulation (EC) No 765/2008 and Decision No 768/2008/EC referred to as the “New Legislative Framework”.
Warning — This equipment is compliant with Class A of CISPR 32. In a residential environment this
equipment may cause radio interference.
Australia/New Zealand
This equipment is in compliance with the provisions established under the Radiocommunications Act 1992 and
Radiocommunications Labeling (Electromagnetic Compatibility) Notice 2008.
Korea
This equipment is in compliance with the provisions established under the Radio Waves Act.
Class A equipment (Broadcasting and communications service for business use).
This device is a business-use (Class A) EMC-compliant device. The seller and user are advised to be aware of this
fact. This device is intended for use in areas outside home.
International
This equipment has been tested under the requirements of CISPR 22:2008 or CISPR 32:2015 and found to comply
with the limits for a Class A Digital device.
Notice — This is a Class A product. In domestic environments, this product may cause radio
interference, in which case the user may have to take adequate measures.
Warranty and Repair Policy
The product is backed by a comprehensive one-year warranty on all components.
If an item becomes defective within the warranty period Ross will repair or replace the defective item, as
determined solely by Ross.
Warranty repairs will be conducted at Ross, with all shipping FOB Ross dock. If repairs are conducted at the
customer site, reasonable out-of-pocket charges will apply. At the discretion of Ross, and on a temporary loan basis,
plug in circuit boards or other replacement parts may be supplied free of charge while defective items undergo
repair. Return packing, shipping, and special handling costs are the responsibility of the customer.
This warranty is void if products are subjected to misuse, neglect, accident, improper installation or application, or
unauthorized modification.
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(including loss of profit). Implied warranties, including that of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose,
are expressly limited to the duration of this warranty.
This warranty is TRANSFERABLE to subsequent owners, subject to Ross’ notification of change of ownership.
Extended Warranty
For customers that require a longer warranty period, Ross offers an extended warranty plan to extend the standard
warranty period by one year increments. For more information, contact your regional sales manager.
Environmental Information
The equipment may contain hazardous substances that could impact health and the environment.
To avoid the potential release of those substances into the environment and to diminish the need for the extraction
of natural resources, Ross Video encourages you to use the appropriate take-back systems. These systems will reuse
or recycle most of the materials from your end-of-life equipment in an environmentally friendly and health
conscious manner.
The crossed-out wheeled bin symbol invites you to use these systems.
If you need more information on the collection, reuse, and recycling systems, please contact your local or regional
waste administration. You can also contact Ross Video for more information on the environmental performances of
our products.
Company Address
Ross Video Limited
8 John Street
Iroquois, Ontario
Canada, K0E 1K0
General Business Office:
Technical Support:
After Hours Emergency:
E-mail (Technical Support): techsupport@rossvideo.com
E-mail (General Information): solutions@rossvideo.com
Website: http://www.rossvideo.com
Ross Video Incorporated
P.O. Box 880
Ogdensburg, New York
USA 13669-0880
Fax:
(+1) 613
(+1) 613
(+1) 613
(+1) 613
652 4886
652 4425
652 4886
349 0006
Contents
Introduction 9
Documentation Conventions.....................................................................................................................................9
Getting Started 11
Features and Components .......................................................................................................................................11
Typical System Equipment .....................................................................................................................................11
System Overview ....................................................................................................................................................11
Resource Management............................................................................................................................................13
Implementing Your System Plan ............................................................................................................................14
Communication Overview ....................................................................................................................................14
Physical Installation 15
Unpacking the Equipment....................................................................................................................................... 15
General....................................................................................................................................................................15
Hardware Overview ................................................................................................................................................15
Installing the NK-VRC into a Routing Switcher System ....................................................................................... 16
Connecting the NK-VRC to a Power Supply .........................................................................................................17
Checking the Software Version of the NK-VRC.................................................................................................... 17
Upgrading the NK-VRC Software.......................................................................................................................... 18
Setting Up the NK-VRC 19
Before You Begin ................................................................................................................................................... 19
Accessing the NK-VRC Interface in DashBoard....................................................................................................19
Connecting to the NK-IPS in the Routing Switcher System ..................................................................................20
NK-VRC Interface Overview ................................................................................................................................. 20
Sending the Configuration to a Device...................................................................................................................21
SmartPaste...............................................................................................................................................................22
Setting Up Virtual Routing ..................................................................................................................................... 23
Creating Labels for Virtual Sources and Destinations............................................................................................23
Mapping Physical Inputs/Outputs to Virtual Sources/Destinations and Defining Classes.....................................23
Configuring Resources............................................................................................................................................ 28
Configuring Park Sources ....................................................................................................................................... 29
Configuring Resource Rules ...................................................................................................................................29
Configuring Control Panel/Device Priorities..........................................................................................................30
Setting Up the Log for Diagnostics ........................................................................................................................31
Setting Up Carbonite eXtreme Compatibility.........................................................................................................31
Setting Up Machine Control ................................................................................................................................... 32
Saving the NK-VRC Configuration ........................................................................................................................32
Resource Management Setup Examples 33
Single Router Configuration ...................................................................................................................................33
Two Router Configuration......................................................................................................................................35
Operating the NK-VRC 37
General....................................................................................................................................................................37
Resource and Panel Priorities .................................................................................................................................37
LED Indicators........................................................................................................................................................ 37
Resource Usage.......................................................................................................................................................38
Resetting the NK-VRC ........................................................................................................................................... 38
Troubleshooting ......................................................................................................................................................39
Glossary 41
NK-VRC User Guide (v05) Contents • i
ii • Contents NK-VRC User Guide (v05)
Introduction
This guide is for system administrators, installers, and operators of the Ross Video NK-VRC. It provides
instructions on how to connect the NK-VRC to your routing switcher system, how to configure the NK-VRC using
DashBoard software, and how to operate it. It assumes that you are experienced with general broadcast concepts,
and that you are familiar with the planning requirements for a routing switcher system.
The following chapters are included:
•“Introduction” summarizes the guide and provides important terms, and conventions.
•“Getting Started” provides general information to keep in mind before configuring your NK-VRC within a
routing system.
•“Physical Installation” provides instructions for physically installing the NK-VRC.
•“Setting Up the NK-VRC” outlines basic tasks for setting up your NK-VRC.
•“Resource Management Setup Examples” provides an overview of resource management.
•“Operating the NK-VRC” provides general information on monitoring and troubleshooting the NK-VRC.
•“Glossary” provides a definitions of commonly used terms and conventions for this guide.
If you have questions pertaining to the operation of the NK-VRC, contact us at the numbers listed in the section
“Contacting Technical Support”. Our technical staff is always available for consultation, training, or service.
Documentation Conventions
Special text formats are used in this guide to identify parts of the user interface, text that a user must enter, or a
sequence of menus and sub-menus that must be followed to reach a particular command.
Interface Elements
Bold text is used to identify a user interface element such as a dialog box, menu item, or button. For example:
In the Save As dialog, click
OK.
User Entered Text
Courier text is used to identify text that a user must enter. For example:
In the Language box, enter
English.
Referenced Guides
Italic text is to identify the titles of referenced guides, manuals, or documents. For example:
For more information, refer to the DashBoard User Guide.
Menu Sequences
Menu arrows are used in procedures to identify a sequence of menu items that you must follow. For example, if a
step reads “File > Save As,” you would click the File menu and then click Save As.
Important Instructions
Star icons are used to identify important instructions or features. For example:
An error message displays when an object overlaps a tile or when one tile overlaps another in the workspace.
NK-VRC User Guide (v05) Introduction • 9
Contacting Technical Support
At Ross Video, we take pride in the quality of our products, but if problems occur, help is as close as the nearest
telephone.
Our 24-hour Hot Line service ensures you have access to technical expertise around the clock. After-sales service
and technical support is provided directly by Ross Video personnel. During business hours (Eastern Time),
technical support personnel are available by telephone. After hours and on weekends, a direct emergency technical
support phone line is available. If the technical support person who is on call does not answer this line immediately,
a voice message can be left and the call will be returned shortly. This team of highly trained staff is available to
react to any problem and to do whatever is necessary to ensure customer satisfaction.
• Technical Support: (+1) 613-652-4886
• After Hours Emergency: (+1) 613-349-0006
• E-mail: techsupport@rossvideo.com
• Web site: http://www.rossvideo.com
10 • Introduction NK-VRC User Guide (v05)
Getting Started
The NK-VRC Virtual Routing Core provides virtual routing and resource management capability to an NK Series
routing switcher system.
Features and Components
The NK-VRC provides the following features:
• virtual routing for a complex NK Series routing switcher system
• up to 1000 virtual source mappings to physical inputs
• up to 1000 virtual destination mappings to physical outputs
• resource management
• four status LEDs for status/error indications
• compact 1 RU design
• software is fully upgradeable using DashBoard.
• slim modular design integrates with NK Series devices via T-Bus using straight CAT5 Ethernet cables
Typical System Equipment
The NK-VRC is used when you require virtual routing or resource management. Using DashBoard, you can map
inputs and outputs from routing switchers through to the NK-VRC for control via any remote control panel. These
parameters can be saved in a configuration file (.cbd) and sent to an NK-VRC at any time using DashBoard. The
SmartPaste function can also be used to quickly duplicate a configuration file or device configuration to another
device. Therefore, if an NK-VRC is used in a number of different operating scenarios, the configuration can be
changed easily and quickly.
Typical equipment in an NK Series routing switcher system where an NK-VRC would be used includes:
• one or more NK Series routing switchers
• an NK-IPS Network Bridge
• control panels and devices (i.e. RCP-NKM, RCP-NKQ, NK-3RD)
• a PC running DashBoard
• standard source and destination equipment (i.e. cameras, VTRs, servers)
• optionally, one or more external resources (i.e. openGear DA card, GearLite up-converter)
If you are connecting the PC directly to the NK-IPS, use a crossover CAT5 Ethernet cable.
If you are connecting the PC indirectly via an Ethernet switch to the NK-IPS, use a straight-through CAT5
Ethernet cable.
The NK-IPS and PC with DashBoard are only required for setting up the configuration file, then sending this to
the device. However, you can use the NK Switchboard feature in DashBoard to control and monitor a routing
switcher system.
System Overview
A routing switcher system may use distributed control across the Internet, a LAN, or a VPN. The routing switcher
system shown in Figure 2.1 has been simplified. The NK-VRC enables you to map physical inputs and outputs
across multiple router levels to a virtual source or destination. For example, in Figure 2.1, Camera 1 provides
inputs to the SDI router level and the AES/EBU router level. If you map these two inputs to the same virtual source
(call this Camera 1), you can switch both levels with a single switch request. Without virtual routing, this can be
NK-VRC User Guide (v05) Getting Started • 11
achieved with breakaways, but only if all routers have their inputs and outputs mapped 1:1. This is a simple
Ethernet Communication
T-Bus Communication (via CAT5 straight-through cables)
Router Inputs
Router Outputs
NK-IPS
Network Bridge
ETHERNET
POWER
Service
Port
T-BUS
NK-VRC
Virtual Routing Core
POWER
T-BUS
RCP-NKQ
Remote Control Panel
PSU
T-BUS
NK-3G64
64X64 3G/HD/SD SDI Router
VIDREF
T-BUS
NK-D32-75
AES/EBU Digital Audio Router
VID REF
25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32
17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
INPUTS
9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32
17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
OUTPUTS
T-BUS
Network Switch
PORT 2 PORT 3 PORT 4 PORT 5 PORT 6 PORT 7 PORT 8PORT 1
PC running DashBoard
Internet / LAN / VPN
Server 1
Camera 2
Server 3
Monitor
VTR 2
Camera 1
Virtual SRC 1
Virtual SRC 2
Virtual SRC 3
Server 2
Virtual SRC 4
VTR 1
Virtual SRC 5
Virtual DEST 1
Virtual DEST 2
Virtual DEST 3
Appropriate NK Series
Power Supply
Appropriate NK Series
Power Supply
Appropriate NK Series
Power Supply
Appropriate NK Series
Power Supply
Appropriate NK Series
Power Supply
example of virtual routing. You can build up a complex map of several different physical devices that become one
virtual device. When a switch request is made for a virtual device, all the physical devices that are mapped to the
virtual device are switched.
Figure 2.1 Layout showing a simplified routing switcher system with an NK-VRC
When changes are made to the configuration of a device, the changes are not activated in the device until the
configuration file containing the changes is sent to the device. You can save a configuration file, but it will not be
loaded to the device until it is sent to the device. Once a configuration file has been sent to the device, the NK-VRC
operates transparently, mapping virtual switch requests from a remote control panel to physical switch requests for
the routing switchers.
12 • Getting Started NK-VRC User Guide (v05)
Resource Management
Resource management is a function of a router control system that enables routing of signals between different
router types (such as analog and digital). This is done by using resources to convert from one format to another
(such as an analog to digital converter).
Resource management simplifies the operation of a router system by routing signals through a resource from one
router to another, without requiring the user to know which source and destination to which the resource is
connected. Once configured, the system will be able to automatically find the path between routers. Another
application for resource management is when a limited number of tie lines are to be shared between routers.
Multiple resources can be managed to enable more than one signal path between routers.
Analog
SRC
Analog
Silence
NK-D16 AES/EBU Router
Analog Audio to AES/EBU Converter
ADC-9532
ANALOG AUDIO TO
AES/EBU CONVERTER
Level 1 Level 2
ADC-9532
NK-A16 Analog Audio Router
NK-VRC Virtual Routing Core
Analog
DEST
A B C DRESET
Digital
SRC
Digital
Silence
AES/EBU Digital Audio Router
AES/EBU to Analog Audio Converter
DAC-9516
AES/EBU TO A NALOG
AUDIO CONVERTER
DAC-9516
16x16 Stereo Analog Audio Router
Virtual Routing Core
Remote Control Panel
Ross Routing Systems
1234
RCP-NKM
NK-D16
Digital
DEST
NK-A16-HQ
NK-VRC
RCP-NKM
RCP-NKQ
NK-IPS
Network Bridge
Ross Routing Systems
RCP-NKQ
NK-IPS Network Bridge
Remote Control Panel
ETHERNET
T-BUS
RESET
LINK ACT1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
T-Bus
Ethernet
Internet / LAN / VPN
Analog Audio
Digital Audio
PC running DashBoard
Figure 2.2 Example of Resource Management Workflow
NK-VRC User Guide (v05) Getting Started • 13
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