Sierra Video G.R.I.P. V3.1.0 User Manual

SIERRA VIDEO SYSTEMS

G.R.I.P. Router Software V3.1.0

User’s Manual

G . R. I. P . R O U T E R S O F T W A R E

User’s Manual

 Sierra Video Systems

P.O. Box 2462 Grass Valley, CA 95945

Tel: [phone]

Fax: [phone]

Email: [e-mail]

For Software Version 3.1.0

Publication Date: August 2006

The information contained in this manual is subject to change by Sierra Video System

© Sierra Video Systems

Table of
Contents

Introduction 1

Overview 1

Installation 3

Operating system requirements 3

GRIP Upgrades 3
PC Com Port Connection 5

Router Setup 7

Starting for the first time 7
New Systems 8

Upgrades 8

Communications Setup 9

Names Setup 10

Category Setup 11
Names 12

Control Panel Settings – General
Settings 13
SCP Series Setup (Other than the
SCP-200) 17

Programming a SCP series panel 18

Panel Properties 20

Audio Gain Setup 21

Adjusting Audio Gain 22
A/V Delay 23
Sync Rate Reporting 25
Sync Termination 26

Software Upgrades 28

Before you start 28

Control panel upgrades 29

Router Upgrades 29

Operation 37

Introduction 37

Main Screen 37
Graphic View 38

Alternate switching method 39
Status Router 39
Salvos 39

Overview 39

Salvo Setup 39
Locks 42

Utilities 43

Introduction 43
Router Setup 44

Special Functions 45

Sequoia Setup 46

PIK Software Upgrades 46

Virtual Mapping 49

Introduction 49

Planning the Router Size and the Mapping
Tables 53

Mapping Your Router Using GRIP 56

Names 60

GRIP Configuration 31

Database Management 31
Options 33
Group Setup 35

Overview 35

Contents I

Sierra Video Systems

Chapter

1

Introduction

Overview

G.R.I.P. (Graphical Router Interface Program) is a Graphics User Interface, (GUI), based
control system which can program and control most functions in Sierra Video Systems’
(SVS) serial controlled routing switchers. This includes switchers from the Manzanita
family (with serial control) through the large-scale Sequoia switchers.

G.R.I.P. allows users the ability to name sources and destinations, levels, router
configuration, router “mapping”, and set up personalities of individual control panels.
Likewise, G.R.I.P. provides graphical communication with the router processor
eliminating the need for antiquated terminal communication.

G.R.I.P. allows users to build and execute up to 40 “salvos” that can be accessed using
SVS programmable control panels, as well as access from the G.R.I.P. screen itself.

A router database is built in G.R.I.P. and copies can be stored and reinstalled in case of
catastrophic failure of the router or PC.

All routing switchers are simple devices in concept but once a system is developed,
control and configuration can be a tedious and confusing task. G.R.I.P. simplifies the
configuration and control of your switcher as well as retaining data stored in the switcher
in case of failure or processor software updates.

The G.R.I.P. functions are spread throughout the PC environment including the Window
registry and systems directory.

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Chapter

2

Installation

Operating system requirements

P III or better
128 M Ram
1024x768 monitor and video card
Windows 98 or newer
100 M disk space
Set the PC video display to 1024 by 768 pixels, High color (16 bit), small fonts.
If large fonts are used, many GRIP labels will be clipped.

G.R.I.P. requires router software version 7.01 or newer to be installed
version is installed and running, please contact the factory for help in the installation or
you may experience the loss of user data such as Input/Output names. Older versions of
router software do not support all G.R.I.P. functions.

Insert CD ROM (or download exe from the Sierra Video.com web site) and Double-Click
on the “Setup.EXE” icon. Read and accept the software license. Please browse the
“Read Me” file for information on the installation.

For G.R.I.P. to work properly, an RS232 serial Comport is required to interface to the
routing switcher. Earlier versions of switchers may not have the standard RS232
connector to plug into the “PC” serial port using a standard cable. Please check the
router’s manual for the RS232 pin connections of your switcher.

If there is difficulty in Comport selection, please call technical support at SVS. Comport
parameters can be modified at any time within G.R.I.P. under “Routing switcher
Configuration”, “Communications Setup” or by running Regedit.exe and modifying the
“Comport” parameters.

. If an earlier

GRIP Upgrades

It is recommended that you save a copy of your current database before installing a
newer version of GRIP over an earlier version. See the section on Database
Management of this manual, or contact the factory for assistance on locating the
database in GRIP versions 2.1.5 or earlier.

Pay close attention to installations over earlier versions of G.R.I.P. as changes may
require different tables in the database. If an “ODBC” error is displayed, the earlier
version of GRIP that was installed has a different database path than the newer version
you have installed. This can be corrected by editing the data path in the PC’s registry.
First, select “Run” from the start menu and type “regedit” in the window.

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Select “OK”. The Registry Editor will open.

Click on the “+” next to HKEY_CURRENT_USER.

Click on the “+” next to Software.

Click on the “+” next to VB and VBA Program Settings.

Click on the “+” next to Eureka.

Click on the folder “Setup”.

In the window on the right, locate “DataPath” in the Name column. If the datapath shown
on the right (in the Data column) does not say C:\Program Files\SVS\GRIP, double click
on the ICON next to “DataPath” and the correct path in the Value data window.

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GRIP 3.1.0

PC Com Port Connection

SVS routing switchers are shipped from the factory with the baud rate set at 9600 Baud.
The Serial cable should be installed into the “Host” port on the back of the switcher and
Com Port 1 on the PC.

The router’s processor is shipped from the factory with the default settings. Please see
the router’s manual for more information regarding processor dipswitch settings.

SVS routing switchers use only 3 pins of a standard 9 pin D serial cable. In most cases
an “off the shelf” one-to-one cable may be used. Refer to the router’s user’s guide for
correct serial connection on the router host port.

PC Serial Cable Connections

Pin RS-232

1 Not Used
2 Transmit
3 Receive
4 Not Used
5 Ground
6 Not Used
7 Not Used
8 Not Used
9 Not Used

Note:

Some versions of Windows do not allow GRIP to turn off the function of pin 8 on your PC. It may
be necessary to remove pin 8 from the serial cable in order for GRIP to perform adequately.

If pin 8 is an issue, the following message will display;

Cabling problem with Pin 8 RS232, please check cabling, exiting Grip & switching to
AutoBaud Check.

* On the computer side, only pins 2, 3, and 5 are used.

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Chapter

3

Router Setup

Starting for the first time

Double click on the GRIP icon. The program will start.
If the following message appears, and your PC cabling is correct, click on “Demo Mode”
and proceed to the Communications Setup section of this manual before continuing.

If the communications setups and serial cable wiring are correct, upon startup, this
Message Box may be displayed:

This message will only appear if the database in GRIP differs from the configuration of
the router.

This dialog box will be displayed for each level of the switching system.

*Warning; If you choose “NO”, the GRIP database will not reflect
the current configuration of your router!
Only select “NO” if you are sure that your router is incorrectly
configured. Proceed to the “Utilities” section to configure your
router. Do not attempt to re-configure your router without
factory assistance.

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New Systems

The GRIP database contains default settings and must be updated to reflect the size of
you router. You must say “Yes” to the message box so that the GRIP database will reflect
the current size of your router.

If your routing switcher is new, it has the default setup as you ordered unless we have
made other arrangements. Select “Yes” to the message box, the database in G.R.I.P. will
be updated to reflect the current system configuration.

If the routing switcher is currently installed in an operating facility, by selecting “Yes” to
the message box, the database in G.R.I.P. will be updated to reflect the current system
configuration; the settings in the database will be overwritten.

Routing switchers with software version 5.07 or later will update the database with all
routing switcher details including partially stuffed switchers with “Offsets” and/or mapped
systems.

Note:

To verify the database in GRIP matches the information in the router, close GRIP and re-open it
again. When the database is correct and the communication settings are correct, there will be no
messages and the program’s “main screen” will be displayed.

If your router is correctly configured, and you selected “yes” to the message box, proceed to the
Names section.

Upgrades

If you are upgrading your router, such as adding a new level or expanding the I/O size,
select “NO” and proceed to the “Utilities” chapter of this manual.

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GRIP 3.1.0

Communications Setup

If the following message is displayed, you may need to set the communication
parameters of the software program to match the settings of the router

If the above message appears, click on “Demo Mode” and the program’s “main screen”
will appear.

Select “Communications Setup” in Router Configuration menu.

RS232 serial communications Baud rate and Com Port is selected in the following menu.
The factory default is Com 1, 9600 Baud.

.

Note:

*It is recommended that you set the router’s Host port baud rate and GRIP to 115200 Baud for
optimum performance. Otherwise operation of GRIP may be sluggish.

Be sure that the Baud rate matches the value set in your router. See your specific
router’s manual for details on setting the router’s Baud rate.

Any changes to these settings will cause a message to be displayed asking you to close
and reopen the program. This will initiate the changes.

Once communication has been established with the router and the Program’s database
concurs with the router settings, you may proceed.

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Names Setup

The program comes with default names “Src” and “Dst”. These names are not the names
stored in the router’s processor, they are the names in the GRIP database only. You may
want to change these names to meet your needs.

Names in the GRIP program consist of a prefix and suffix, such as VTR 1. VTR (short for
video tape recorder) as the prefix with the number 1 as the suffix. All VTRs would have
the same prefix (VTR) with a different suffix for each video tape recorder.

This method allows you to categorize common inputs or outputs, making naming and
switching of inputs and outputs simpler with the programmable SCP series of remote
control panels.

Select “Names Setup” from the Router Configuration drop down menu.

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GRIP 3.1.0

Category Setup

The first step in this process is to setup categories.

Categories are the user defined prefix and suffix.

Select “Category Setup” from the Names Setup screen menu:

The Following screen will be displayed:

This window creates and manages the Categories that are used in the Names window
and the Control Panel setup screen.

Two pages of 10 categories are available to be entered. Page 1 is for the Prefix; page 2
is for the Suffix. Select the button number to be entered in the text input grid and type the
name into the field. This utility is useful when naming Sources and Destinations in the
router. See “Names Setup.”

Entering new text in the excel-like display modifies categories. All changes are immediate
and are set in the Database upon any mouse or tab action.

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Names

After entering your prefix and suffix, you are ready to name the inputs and outputs. Exit
the Category Setup screen.

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“Field Entry Options” determines how many fields in the spreadsheet get changed after
an entry. Normally all “Levels” of a source or destination have the same name with a
suffix added to the name, such as, VTR1 – (virtual) Dest Name, VTR1Aud R – (Level 2
VTR Audio Right), etc. The Field entry has the following three options:

Change ONLY Source (input) Names or Dest (output) Names Cell – this modifies only
the selected cell.

Change ALL Source Names OR Dest Names Cells – this modifies every other cell,
which corresponds to Sources OR Destinations.

Change ALL row Cells – this modifies every cell, which corresponds to both Sources
AND Destinations.

To enter a name, click on the name cell to be changed, highlighting the cell. Click on the
category button of the Prefix you want to use. The category buttons will change to page 2
allowing entry of a Suffix. Click on a Suffix button. The buttons will stay on page 2 until
you click on a different cell completing your name entry.

As an example, if you wanted to enter “VTR 11”, click on the cell to be named. Click on
the category button “VTR”. “VTR” will be entered in the selected cell. The buttons will
change to page 2. Click on The button programmed 1 twice. The cell should now display
“VTR 11”.

GRIP 3.1.0

The names window is an Excel type display for easy alphanumeric name entry.
Downloading names to a large routing switcher can take up to a couple of minutes,
depending on the switcher size. A status bar with a cancel button is displayed as
downloading begins. All downloads are happening in the background mode in the routing
switcher, with routing given the highest priority, hence adding delays to the name
download.

This window has the ability to accept a “Paste” from an Excel spreadsheet.

Enter the Dst (Destination), Src (Source), and level names.

“Save to Database” Saves the names to the GRIP database only (This is for working
offline”.

“Transmit to Router” Sends the names to the router’s processor and saves the
information to the GRIP database.

Control Panel Settings – General Settings

This section applies to all control panels using RS-485 (3 pin mini XLR connector)
communication.

Clicking on the “Control Panel Setup/ General Settings” displays the following window
and causes G.R.I.P. to poll the routing switcher for all panels, which are connected on the
SVS control panel bus.

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The “Control Panel Setup” window sets and reads the control panel settings of the routing
switcher. Under the “Control Panel Number” list, ** denotes panels detected on the
system.

Select the panel ID number for the panel whose status you want to view.

By pressing the “Poll Current Panel” button, G.R.I.P. sends to the routing switcher a
request for panel output and level control status of the currently selected panel.

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