Technicolor COM2000 Integrator's Manual
DIRECTV COM2000
Integrator's Manual
Software Version
ST03.02.09
REV. 0.10
Contents
1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................... 10
2 COM2000 PRODUCT DESCRIPTION .................................................... 14
3 MECHANICAL OVERVIEW .................................................................. 18
3.1 COM360 Chassis ...................................................................................................... 18
3.1.1 COM360 Front View ................................................................................................... 18
3.1.2 COM360 Rear View .................................................................................................... 19
3.2 COM46 Card ............................................................................................................ 19
3.3 COM46-FLX Card ..................................................................................................... 21
3.4 GbE Card ................................................................................................................. 22
3.5 XDR24 Card ............................................................................................................. 22
3.6 QAM6 Board ........................................................................................................... 22
4 GETTING STARTED ........................................................................... 24
4.1 Setting up Multiple Chassis ...................................................................................... 24
4.2 Installation Requirement Guidelines ........................................................................ 27
4.2.1 General System Guidelines ........................................................................................ 27
4.2.2 System Integrator Guidelines ..................................................................................... 27
4.2.3 System Operator Guidelines ...................................................................................... 27
5 CONFIGURING THE SYSTEM ................................................................ 28
5.1 Useful tools ............................................................................................................. 28
5.1.1 Configuration tool ...................................................................................................... 28
5.1.2 DHCP Server ............................................................................................................... 29
5.1.3 Video Playback ........................................................................................................... 30
5.1.4 System Logging .......................................................................................................... 30
5.1.5 TFTP/FTP Server ......................................................................................................... 30
5.1.6 IP Address Discovery .................................................................................................. 31
©2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 Technicolor. All rights reserved.
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5.2 Connecting to the COM2000 .................................................................................... 32
5.2.1 Preparing Your Computer’s Network Connections .................................................... 32
5.2.2 Avoiding IP Address conflicts ..................................................................................... 35
5.3 Using a TFTP Server ................................................................................................. 35
5.3.1 Determining Your IP Address ..................................................................................... 35
5.3.2 Configuring Your TFTP Server .................................................................................... 37
6 USING THE COM2000 WEB INTERFACE ............................................... 43
6.1 Discovery of COM46 and COM46-FLX Cards ............................................................ 43
6.1.1 Fields in Discover page ............................................................................................... 44
6.2 The Tune Command ................................................................................................ 46
6.2.1 Tuning COM46 Cards using the Advanced Tune screen ............................................ 47
6.2.2 Evaluating COM46 Informational Status ................................................................... 51
6.2.3 Using the COM46 LED Control Feature ...................................................................... 52
6.2.4 Reading the COM46 CAM Log Data ........................................................................... 53
6.2.5 Using the COM46 Software Reset Feature ................................................................ 56
6.2.6 Using the COM46 File Transfer Utility ....................................................................... 57
6.2.7 Setting the COM46 User Configuration Options ........................................................ 59
6.2.8 Using the COM46 “Direct Tune” Feature ................................................................... 62
6.2.9 Using the COM46 “Simulcrypt” Feature .................................................................... 63
6.3 The Overview Page .................................................................................................. 64
6.4 Displaying COM2000 Status ..................................................................................... 70
6.5 Evaluating COM46 Authorization Status .................................................................. 70
6.6 Using the COM2000 TuneAll Command ................................................................... 75
6.7 Refreshing the COM2000 Display ............................................................................. 78
6.8 Evaluating COM2000 System Status ......................................................................... 78
6.9 Evaluating COM2000 Health Status ......................................................................... 81
6.10 Using the DIRECTV Electronic Program Guide (EPG) ................................................. 83
6.10.1 Starting Out ........................................................................................................... 85
6.10.2 Configuring the EPG .............................................................................................. 89
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6.10.3 Adding a Logo to the EPG ..................................................................................... 91
6.11 Using the COM46 Syslog Command ......................................................................... 92
6.12 Locking the Configuration ........................................................................................ 93
6.13 Using the COM46 ATSC Command ........................................................................... 94
6.14 Using the COM46 401 Command ............................................................................. 97
6.15 Using the COM46 QAM Command ........................................................................... 99
7 COM2000 FIRMWARE UPGRADE PROCEDURES ................................... 101
7.1 Preparing for a Firmware Upgrade ......................................................................... 102
7.2 Using the COM46 as a TFTP server ......................................................................... 102
7.3 Upgrading COM46 Firmware ................................................................................. 103
7.4 Upgrading a COM46-FLX from SD to HD ................................................................. 106
7.5 Upgrading QAM6 Firmware ................................................................................... 106
8 COM2000 DIAGNOSTIC CAPABILITIES ............................................... 109
8.1 Indicator lights ...................................................................................................... 109
8.1.1 Power Supply Issues ................................................................................................. 109
8.1.2 System Startup ......................................................................................................... 110
8.1.3 Normal Operation .................................................................................................... 111
8.1.4 Software Upgrade .................................................................................................... 112
8.2 Network Connectivity Indicators ........................................................................... 114
9 DIRECTV AUTHORIZATION ............................................................. 115
10 GENERAL TROUBLESHOOTING TIPS .................................................... 116
10.1 Testing Video without Pro:Idiom Encryption .......................................................... 116
10.1.1 Streaming Video to a Standard Television .......................................................... 116
10.1.2 Streaming Video to your PC ................................................................................ 117
10.2 Preventing Pro:Idiom key loss ............................................................................... 119
10.3 Changing the Input ................................................................................................ 119
10.4 Verifying Card Authorization ................................................................................. 120
10.5 Fixing a Doorstop ................................................................................................. 121
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Appendix A COM2000 IP CONFIGURATION CONSIDERATIONS ................ 124
Appendix B RF SANITY CHECK .......................................................... 125
Appendix C TROUBLESHOOTING THE COM2000 .................................. 126
List of Figures
Figure 1 – COM2000 System Overview ...................................................................................... 15
Figure 2 – COM360 Front View ................................................................................................... 18
Figure 3 – COM360 Rear View .................................................................................................... 19
Figure 4 - COM46 card ................................................................................................................. 20
Figure 5 - COM46 Card ................................................................................................................ 20
Figure 6 - COM46-FLX Card ....................................................................................................... 21
Figure 7 – QAM6 Front View ...................................................................................................... 22
Figure 8 – QAM6 board being installed in COM360 ................................................................... 23
Figure 9 – COM200 Chassis ID Configuration Switch Location ................................................. 25
Figure 10 – COM200 Chassis ID Configuration Switch Closeup ................................................ 25
Figure 11 – COM46 to SWM Module connections ...................................................................... 28
Figure 12 – Results from the COM24 Discovery Tool................................................................. 31
Figure 13 – Network Connections Window ................................................................................. 32
Figure 14 – Local Area Connection Status window ..................................................................... 33
Figure 15 – Internet Protocol Configuration ................................................................................. 34
Figure 16 – Accessing the Command Prompt window ................................................................ 36
Figure 17 – Running ipconfig ....................................................................................................... 36
Figure 18 – Tftpd32 Startup Screen .............................................................................................. 38
Figure 19 – Tftpd32 Settings Window (Global Settings).............................................................. 39
Figure 20 – Tftpd32 Settings Window (TFTP Settings) ............................................................... 40
Figure 21– Tftpd32 Settings Window (Syslog Settings) .............................................................. 41
Figure 22 – Tftpd32 File Transfer Progress Screen ...................................................................... 42
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Figure 23 – Tftpd32 Completed Transfer Screen .......................................................................... 42
Figure 24 – COM2000 Web Based User Interface Introduction Page ......................................... 43
Figure 25 - COM46 Discover Page .............................................................................................. 44
Figure 26 – COM46 Basic Tune Screen ....................................................................................... 46
Figure 27 – Advanced Tune screen portion of Advanced Edit page ............................................ 48
Figure 28 – “Info” Section on Advanced Edit Page. .................................................................... 51
Figure 29 – “LED Control” Interface on Advanced Edit page ..................................................... 53
Figure 30 – “CAM Log” Interface on Advanced Edit page ......................................................... 54
Figure 31 – CAM Log Report ....................................................................................................... 54
Figure 32 – “Reset” Interface on Advanced Edit page ................................................................. 56
Figure 33 – “File Transfer” Interface on Advanced Edit page ..................................................... 57
Figure 34 – “User Config” Interface on Advanced Edit page ...................................................... 59
Figure 35 – “Direct Tune” Interface on Advanced Edit page ....................................................... 62
Figure 36 – Simulcrypt feature ..................................................................................................... 63
Figure 37 – Overview Page ........................................................................................................... 64
Figure 38 – Selecting IP mode as the default display for video destination ................................. 66
Figure 39 – Choosing the DRM .................................................................................................... 67
Figure 40 – Choosing the channel ................................................................................................ 68
Figure 41 – Choosing the destination mode ................................................................................. 69
Figure 42 – COM2000 Display Page ............................................................................................ 70
Figure 43 – COM2000 Pairing Info Page ..................................................................................... 71
Figure 44 – COM46 Multi-card Upgrade Feature ........................................................................ 73
Figure 45 – COM46 Multi-card Upgrade Results Page................................................................ 74
Figure 46 – COM2000 TuneAll Page............................................................................................ 75
Figure 47 – COM2000 Refresh Page ............................................................................................ 78
Figure 48 – COM2000 SysInfo Page ............................................................................................ 79
Figure 49 – COM2000 HealthInfo Page ....................................................................................... 81
Figure 50 – COM2000 EPG Page ................................................................................................ 85
Figure 51 – COM2000 EPG Page (Configured) ........................................................................... 88
Figure 52 – COM46 EPGLoad Result .......................................................................................... 89
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Figure 53 – Guide Channel (EPG) ................................................................................................ 91
Figure 54 – EPG Logo Adjustments ............................................................................................. 92
Figure 55 – Guide Channel (EPG) with Custom Logo ................................................................. 92
Figure 56 – COM46 Syslog Report .............................................................................................. 93
Figure 57 – Locking the configuration ......................................................................................... 94
Figure 58 – ATSC Command ....................................................................................................... 95
Figure 59 – DCI401MCS command ............................................................................................. 97
Figure 60 – QAM6 Command Screen (top portion) ..................................................................... 99
Figure 61 – QAM6 Command Screen (bottom portion) ............................................................. 100
Figure 62 – COM46 Multi-card Upgrade Feature ...................................................................... 103
Figure 63 – Multi-card COM46 SW Upgrade ............................................................................ 104
Figure 64 – Multi-card COM46 SW Upgrade Results ............................................................... 105
Figure 65 – Applying a license file to enable features................................................................ 106
Figure 66 – QAM6 SW Upgrade ................................................................................................ 107
Figure 67 – QAM6 SW Upgrade Results ................................................................................... 108
Figure 68 – Network Connectivity Indicator LEDs .................................................................... 114
Figure 69 – Configuring VLC Media Player .............................................................................. 117
Figure 70 – Opening a Network Stream ..................................................................................... 118
Figure 71 – Streaming Video from a COM46 Card ................................................................... 119
Figure 72 – Tftpd32 Home Page ................................................................................................. 121
Figure 73 – BOOTP file setting .................................................................................................. 122
Figure 74 – Enabling the BOOTP server .................................................................................... 123
List of Tables
Table 1 – Definition of Terms ...................................................................................................... 10
Table 2 – COM200 Chassis ID Configuration ............................................................................. 26
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Table 3 – LED States .................................................................................................................. 109
Table 4 – LED Startup and Operating Behavior ......................................................................... 110
Table 5 – FIXME LED Upgrade Behavior ....................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
Table 6 – RF Spot Check Values ................................................................................................ 125
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REVISION RECORD
Revision
Date
Revision Editor
Revision Description
0.90
1 Jan – 2
May 2014
Mark Anderson
Rob Rhodes
First Draft
Term
Definition
ATSC8
An optional eight channel off-air ATSC receiver that may be connected to
and configured from a COM2000 system.
COM200
A legacy chassis that can support up to 12 receiver cards. This chassis
contains an integrated gigabit Ethernet switch and Ethernet Card, but
does not include other necessary equipment such as an edge QAM device
or RF distribution and signaling electronics. This chassis is forward
compatible with the COM360 chassis and can be used with both COM24
and COM46 cards, however COM46 HD cards should not be used with all
8 tuners enabled in any card slot except the slot marked 1 as the
integrated Ethernet switch is limited to 100 Mbps in all except the first
slot.
1 INTRODUCTION
This document describes the processes and procedures for configuring the new Technicolor
COM2000 system. Users familiar with the previous generation COM1000 system will find most
of the screens and controls in the new system familiar as they are carried over from the
COM1000 with some minor adjustments for the increase from 2 to 8 tuners per receiver card.
There is also a new “Overview” tab in the GUI described in Section 6.3 which aggregates and
simplifies the controls for initial configuration of the system on site.
For new users and installers, the following sections will provide a brief overview of the system
hardware, an in-depth guide to the COM46 user interface, and descriptions of certain system
processes. Also included are several indices that cover common troubleshooting problems.
It is recommended that you read through the entirety of the manual, or at least review the main
sections before working with the system, as it contains some important pointers that may come in
handy during setup and maintenance.
The table below provides an explanation of some useful terms and device names that will be
referred to throughout the manual. You should use these terms to familiarize yourself with the
different aspects of the system before proceeding any further.
Table 1 – Definition of Terms
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Term
Definition
COM2000
This is the complete system, consisting of the following: one or more
COM100 (now discontinued) or COM200 chassis, COM120 or SWM units,
an optional gigabit Ethernet switch, and QAM6 cards or alternatively
comercial edge QAMs.
COM24
Legacy individual DIRECTV receiver card that fits within a COM200 or
COM360 chassis and is capable of sourcing 2 DIRECTV HD or SD channels.
COM24FLX
Legacy individual DIRECTV receiver card that fits within a COM200 chassis
or COM360 and is capable of sourcing 3 DIRECTV SD channels. Software
upgradeable to 2 HD channels with a software upgrade license purchase.
COM360
A chassis that can support up to 6 receiver cards and two QAM6 QAM
modulators. This chassis contains an integrated 14 port gigabit Ethernet
switch but does not include other necessary equipment such as edge
QAM devices or RF distribution and signaling electronics. The chassis is
backward compatible with the COM200 chassis used in the COM1000
system and can support both COM24 and COM46 receivers.
COM46
Individual DIRECTV receiver card that fits within a COM200 or COM360
chassis and is capable of sourcing 8 DIRECTV HD or SD channels.
COM46-FLX
Individual DIRECTV receiver card that fits within a COM200 or COM360
chassis and is capable of sourcing 8 DIRECTV SD channels. Software
upgradeable to 8 HD channels with a software upgrade license purchase.
Edge QAM
QAM (Quadrature Amplitude Modulation) is the format by which digital
cable channels are encoded and transmitted. An edge QAM is a device
built to carry both video-on-demand and switched digital video streams.
Makers include Technicolor, Arris, Harmonic Inc., Motorola, and
Scientific-Atlanta/Cisco.
11
Term
Definition
GbE
The Gigabit Ethernet card (GbE) is a card that when installed in slot 1 of a
COM200 chassis provides a gigabit speed Ethernet port for use in
stacking multiple chassis or for injecting ATSC signals into a QAM6 or
QAM6.
HD
High Definition
“Hot-swappable”
The unit or device this term describes may be added to, removed from,
or replaced within the system it is a part of without powering anything
down.
Pro:Idiom
An encryption technology used in the hospitality industry for the delivery
of digital television signals of which Zenith Electronics LLC is the license
holder. This is the encryption standard around which the COM2000
system is designed.
Pseudo code
The first five characters of the COM200 and COM360 Chassis serial
number (e.g., BC009). Identifies the version of the chassis. The serial
number is found on the label on the rear of the chassis (see Figure 3).
QAM6
The QAM6 is an optional circuit board (i.e., internal Edge QAM) that
replaces the Ethernet Card of a COM200 or plugs into a dedicated slot in
a COM360 on the upper left side of Chassis. The board provides 6 QAM
channels in addition to a system management 100 Mbps Ethernet port.
Each QAM channel can carry 2-3 HD or 8 SD video channels. The QAM6
can be expanded up to 12 QAM channels, 2 at a time, by purchasing a
SWQAM2.
SD
Standard Definition
SWQAM2
The SWQAM2 is a software key that will enable 2 QAM channels per key
on a QAM6 card. By purchasing 3 SWQAM2 keys a QAM6 can be
expanded to 12 QAM channels.
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Term
Definition
System
Integrator
The person or company that performs the onsite installation.
System
Operator
The company or organization that typically holds the “right of entry” and
is responsible for installation and all onsite support on a daily basis.
SWM
a.k.a. SWiM
“Single Wire Multiswitch” - DirecTV Module used for selecting up to 8
satellite transponders for TV programs and 1 network transponder.
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2 COM2000 PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
A COM360 chassis fully populated with COM46 receivers is capable of tuning and transcrypting
up to 48 DIRECTV channels. The satellite signal is tuned and demodulated resulting in a
DIRECTV Legacy or MPEG-2 transport stream. This transport stream is then IP-encapsulated
using standard Internet protocols and RFCs and is sent out via the Ethernet interface over the
chassis backplane. The data can then either be routed to an internal QAM6 modulator or sent to
an external edge QAM device or for distribution on an IPTV network. The original DIRECTV
broadcast video encoding format (MPEG-2 or MPEG-4 compression) is preserved and the output
transport stream is encrypted with the Pro:Idiom (or other optional) encryption standard.
Multiple COM360 chassis can be “stacked” in order to provide more than 48 output channels.
While there is no technical limit to the number of COM360 chassis that can be configured in this
manner, the DIP switches used for setting individual chassis IDs are only capable of providing
16 unique identifiers. Refer to Section 4.1 for more information on this topic.
The COM46 receiver cards are controlled and managed via an Ethernet connection and do not
contain an internal video decoder for viewing the currently tuned channels. The COM46 card
does not operate like a traditional DIRECTV receiver. Specifically, COM46 cards do not
perform any MPEG video or audio decoding. They do not provide a traditional Middleware
based User Interface, and do not require a remote control device. The COM46 card includes a
built-in web interface and must be configured using a web browser. The video output of a
COM46 receiver can be viewed on a properly equipped commercial Pro:Idiom television or
Pro:Idiom capable set-top box. Manufacturers of this equipment include but are not limited to
LG, Phillips, Samsung, Sony, Enseo, and Technicolor.
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. . .
TV TV
External Edge QAM
. . .
COM360 Chassis
Admin PC
(Optional)
Pro:Idiom enabled
Digital TVs with tuners
QAM6
OR
SWM32
(Single Wire Multi-switch)
RF Distribution
TV
TV
HDMI Digital TVs
and/or analog TVs
DCI401
MCS
DCI401
MCS
•••
•••
•••
Up to 6 Receiver cards
Up to 2 QAM6 cards
RF Signal Level:
-50dBm to -30dBm
per Transponder
LNB 101
LNB 99
LNB 103
LNB 110
LNB 119
99B; 101; 99A Left
Bands
Ka B; Ku; Ka A
99B; 101; 99A Right
103B; 110/119; 103A Left
103B; 110/119; 103A Right
RF Signal Level:
-55dBm to
-25dBm per
Transponder
Refer to Figure 1 below for a diagram illustrating a complete COM2000 system.
Figure 1 – COM2000 System Overview
COM2000 System – This describes the entire video distribution system setup as seen above,
including all devices and connections that work together to stream DIRECTV HD video
programming.
LNB (Low-Noise Block) – This is a device that acts as the electronics package of your satellite
dish. It receives incoming signals, amplifies and frequency shifts them, and sends them
to the RF distribution panel. Each one is capable of providing two outputs. Several LNBs
may be combined in the antenna package.
15
COM120 (RF Distribution Panel) – This legacy device receives the incoming satellite feed via
your dish receiver and distributes the signals using a series of multiswitches. It then
sends these signals into the COM46 cards via the RF Inputs (labeled “Tuner 1” and
“Tuner 2”).
COM200 Chassis – This legacy device houses the COM24 or COM46 and FLX cards. All
video traffic is routed through the Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) port on the rear of the chassis
or to the QAM6. System management and control can be done by connecting a computer
to one of the management ports on the Ethernet Card or QAM6 card (i.e., front of the
chassis).
COM360 Chassis – This device houses the COM24 or COM46 and FLX cards. All video
traffic is routed through the two Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) ports on the front of the chassis
or to one of the two QAM6 slots. System management and control can be done by
connecting a computer to one of the management ports on the front panel or QAM6 cards
if installed.
Admin PC – This is an optional device and is nonessential to normal system operation. It is
recommended, however, as it can be useful in maintaining desired programming and
monitoring system function. This can be a desktop or laptop computer equipped with an
Ethernet port (or a USB port with Ethernet adapter), any of the recommended
applications listed in Section 5.1, and a web browser of your choice.
COM46 and COM46-FLX Cards – The bulk of this manual is dedicated to these cards. They
are the means by which the property will be able to receive the desired television
programming for their network and control the entire COM2000 system.
QAM6 Cards – An optional board that installs in the upper left side of a COM360 Chassis It
converts the COM46’s IP-packetized streams to QAM-modulated RF for distribution
throughout a property. The board provides up to 12 QAM modulator channels in addition
to a 10/100 Ethernet port. Each QAM channel can carry two to three HD or eight SD
video channels.
Edge QAM – In a typical installation, the COM46 cards will be configured to stream to a
QAM6 modulator. Alternatively the COM46 IP streams can feed an external edge QAM.
Property Distribution Network – This network, set up and maintained by the System Operator,
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will distribute any channels provided by the property. It may consist of any configuration
of devices as defined by the System Operator.
Pro:Idiom Enabled Televisions – Televisions with built in Pro:Idiom encryption system
decoders. It is important to note that some Pro:Idiom compliant televisions only support
MPEG-2 video compression. The COM46 card is agnostic to the content compression
type and it will stream either MPEG-2 or MPEG-4 encoded transport streams.
17
Card Slots #1 – 6
Ventilation
Grates
Ethernet Ports
external input)
3 MECHANICAL OVERVIEW
The following sections contain a brief overview of the devices that you will be interacting with
along with the associated hardware. The intent is to give you a working knowledge of how the
system operates under normal circumstances so that you will be able to recognize it when
something goes wrong.
3.1 COM360 Chassis
3.1.1 COM360 Front View
(Daisy chain or
Figure 2 – COM360 Front View
Figure 2 above shows the faceplate of the COM360 chassis.
The AC input connection shown at the bottom left provides power to the COM360 chassis.
The two Ethernet ports on the right of the power cord allow for direct connections to other
devices such as an edge QAM, Ethernet switch, and/or a management PC (optional) and allows
any additional chassis in the system to be interconnected.
Along the sides of each card is a ventilation grate, which, combined with the exhaust fans in the
back, allow air to flow over the internal system, cooling it.
The majority of the face shows the 6 available card slots, each corresponding to a unique Slot ID,
capable of supporting 6 individual cards.
18
Exhaust Fan 1
Exhaust Fan 2
3.1.2 COM360 Rear View
Figure 3 – COM360 Rear View
Figure 3 above shows the rear of the COM360 chassis.
The COM360 chassis also contains two 5-inch exhaust fans to provide cooling to the system.
Airflow is pulled through the ventilation grates on the front of the COM360 chassis across the
COM46 cards and out the back. In the case of an equipment failure, a broken fan should be
serviced and/or replaced as soon as possible.
3.2 COM46 Card
The COM46 card is a customized DIRECTV receiver with a built-in smart card and has been
specifically designed to meet the unique requirements of the Lodging and Hospitality markets.
The COM46 is an 8 channel receiver capable of receiving up to 8 HD or SD streams from a
single SWiM output, removing the NDS conditional access system, and adding the Pro:Idiom
content protection DRM. The output from the card is delivered over an internal Ethernet
connection to the integrated Ethernet switch on the backplane of the COM360 chassis. Figure 4
below shows a detailed picture of the COM46 card.
19
Upper Thumbscrew
Reset Button
Indicator Lights
SWiM Input
Lower Thumbscrew
Each COM46 card contains an RF input, 12 indicator lights, a recessed reset button, and
thumbscrews on either end. The cards are hot-swappable, allowing one card to be serviced
independently of the other cards. In order to remove a card, simply loosen the thumbscrews that
secure the card in place and pull it straight out of its slot.
The RF input on a COM46 card feeds a dedicated DIRECTV tuner bank which is capable of
streaming up to eight Pro:Idiom encrypted HD channels simultaneously over the internal
COM360 GbE backplane to an installed QAM6 modulator or one of the two GbE ports on the
COM360 front panel. The COM46 is designed such that each tuner on a card only needs to be
set once. Once configured, the cards should remain locked unless there is a disruption in the
signal due to weather, dish misalignment, or other RF distribution issues. However, the cards
will automatically recover when the disruption to the RF is removed.
The COM46 card only works with DIRECTV input signals in the range of 950 - 2150 MHz as
supplied by a DIRECTV SWiM module. Unlike the legacy COM24 receiver, the COM46 does
not support legacy LNB and multiswitch installations. The RF input system must be built with
SWiM modules.
Figure 4 - COM46 card
20
See Section 8.1 for an explanation of indicator light diagnostic capabilities.
SWiM Input
3.3 COM46-FLX Card
The COM46-FLX card is a variant of the standard COM46 card that is only capable of receiving
SD programming as shipped from the factory. It can be upgraded to receive HD programming
through installation of an upgrade license key which may be purchased from Technicolor.
Almost all of the information regarding identification and configuration of the COM46 cards
applies to the COM46-FLX. The only exception is the upgrade of a COM46-FLX from SD to
HD. The COM46-FLX tuners are configured exactly the same way as the COM46 tuners
although if an HD channel is selected the card will return a channel number of 0 in the Discovery
page. See Section 6.5 for tuning instructions. See Section7.4 for upgrade instructions.
Figure 6 - COM46-FLX Card
21
Card Edge Connector
Ethernet Port
RF Output
LEDs
Recessed Reset Button
3.4 GbE Card
The COM360 chassis has an integrated 14 port Ethernet switch on the backplane. This switch
provides gigabit speed on two external ports as well as all card slots. The GbE card was designed
for the legacy COM200 chassis which only had one external GbE port that is not available once
a QAM6 is installed. Since two GbE ports are always available on a COM360 the GbE card is
not needed to interconnect multiple COM360 chassis.
3.5 XDR24 Card
Deprecated. This card is no longer supported.
3.6 QAM6 Board
The QAM6 card is an Edge QAM that can be installed directly into a COM360 chassis. It
connects to the COM46 cards via a GigE connection on the back edge of the card. This optional
card replaces the Ethernet Card in the upper left side of a COM200 Chassis. The board provides
12 QAM modulators in addition to the front Ethernet port, which can be used to manage the
COM2000 system. Each QAM channel can carry 2 - 3 HD or 8 SD video channels. A COM360
chassis fully populated with COM46 receivers (48 channels total) requires 2 QAM6 modulators
updated to 12 channels with SWQAM2 upgrade licenses. A front view of the QAM6 can be seen
in Figure 7.
The QAM6 outputs three unique channel-grouping of four channels each according to the EIA
North American Cable Television Frequency Plan (see EIA-542B) from the front RF connector.
The four channels within each channel-grouping must be adjacent to one another and within the
22
Figure 7 – QAM6 Front View
same band.
The QAM6 card contains six (6) green LEDs on its front panel that indicate power, GbE Link/
Activity, and QAM status, as well as the link-status for each channel group.
The QAM6 card’s bottom-right LED represents the board’s power (PWR) state, lighting up
once all on-board power regulators report the “good” state, and going dark when power is
removed from the chassis or when a problem is detected on one of the regulators.
The QAM6 card’s middle- right LED represents the link and activity of the GbE interface
on the back of the card.
The QAM6 card’s top- right LED represents the status of the QAM6 card. It is solidly-lit
when the card is performing a software update. It is flashing if an over-temperature
condition is detected on the card.
The QAM6 card’s left LEDs represent the link-status for each of the 3 channel groupings.
The QAM6 card contains a recessed button on its front panel to be used as a dedicated hardware
reset for the FPGA processor. To complete an upgrade of the FPGA firmware a power cycle is
required.
The 10/100 Ethernet Interface on the front can be used to manage the COM2000 System.
Figure 8 – QAM6 board being installed in COM360
The QAM6 board plugs into one of the two available card slots on the left side of the chassis.
23
The COM360 chassis has one full and one partial card guide; the board is retained by the front
panel screws, which MUST be installed.
Install the QAM6 Board as follows:
1. Remove power from the chassis.
2. Install the QAM6.
3. Tighten front panel retaining screws.
4. Plug power cable back into the chassis.
4 GETTING STARTED
The COM2000 System is quite different from the stacked DIRECTV set-top box (STB) receivers
traditionally used in L&I rack installations. This is because the COM2000 does not natively
decode any audio or video, instead relying upon other devices in the system to decode and
display the MPEG streams it produces. Furthermore, the COM2000 does not have a native user
interface although it can be controlled and configured through the built in web server.
Controlling and monitoring the COM2000 requires a device with an Ethernet connection and a
web browser of your choice. The COM2000 only supports a direct wired Ethernet connection.
4.1 Setting up Multiple Chassis
For installations that require more than one COM360 chassis each chassis will need to be
assigned a unique chassis ID. This can be done by removing the back cover of the COM360 and
setting the DIP switches located on the backplane as shown in Figure 9. The chassis will ship
preconfigured from the TCH factory as chassis #1. If there are multiple COM360 chassis in a
system, they must be configured with different IDs or several of the IP addressing schemes will
work improperly possibly creating strange and unexplainable video routing and decoding
behavior.
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Chassis ID
Configuration
Figure 9 – COM360 Chassis ID Configuration Switch Location
Figure 10 – COM360 Chassis ID Configuration Switch Closeup
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Chassis ID
Switch #1
Switch #2
Switch #3
Switch #4
0
DOWN
DOWN
DOWN
DOWN
1
UP
DOWN
DOWN
DOWN
2
DOWN
UP
DOWN
DOWN
3
UP
UP
DOWN
DOWN
4
DOWN
DOWN
UP
DOWN
5
UP
DOWN
UP
DOWN
6
DOWN
UP
UP
DOWN
7
UP
UP
UP
DOWN
8
DOWN
DOWN
DOWN
UP 9 UP
DOWN
DOWN
UP
10
DOWN
UP
DOWN
UP
11
UP
UP
DOWN
UP
12
DOWN
DOWN
UP
UP
13
UP
DOWN
UP
UP
14
DOWN
UP
UP
UP
15
UP
UP
UP
UP
The DIP switch pictured above will allow you to assign the chassis a unique ID between 0 and
15 by setting the switches as described in Table 2.
Note: The photo above and the table below are written as if you are standing with the rear of the
COM360 facing you and are looking at the upper right quadrant of the backplane.
Table 2 – COM200 Chassis ID Configuration
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4.2 Installation Requirement Guidelines
Here are a few guidelines to keep in mind when installing the COM2000 system that will
minimize the potential problems that the system could be expected to encounter.
4.2.1 General System Guidelines
The optimum RF levels at the input of a SWM module are -30 to -50 dBm per
transponder.
The optimum RF input levels for the COM46 cards are -25 to -45 dBm per transponder.
COM46 cards can only be connected to a SWM module, they will not support a
multiswitch.
COM46 and COM46-FLX cards contain 8 tuners and must be supplied with a dedicated
SWiM output.
The COM2000 system is designed to operate properly in ambient environments of 104 °F
(40°C) or less.
The system will not be capable of streaming any video on any channel besides 100 until
the COM46 cards have been authorized by DIRECTV.
4.2.2 System Integrator Guidelines
The system integrator must provide a mapping of TV channels to COM46 slots and
tuners.
The COM2000 will generally be preconfigured, including the appropriate RF and IP
connections to a QAM6 edgeQAM device.
Any necessary DIRECTV SWiM units should be supplied by the System Integrator.
4.2.3 System Operator Guidelines
It is recommended to use the StarRoute SRSN4 Normalizer within the property’s RF
plant before the distribution panel in order to normalize the B band Ka signals with the
traditional Ku satellite signal levels. B band signals are generally higher-powered and
tend to saturate the converters unless the installer is very careful regarding input signal
levels going into the distribution network.
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SWM1
SWM2
SWM4
SWM3
SWM1
SWM2
The operator must take care not to block the front and rear air passageways of the
COM360 chassis. Racks containing doors and/or rear panels are not recommended.
SWM32
Figure 11 – COM46 to SWM Module connections
SWM16
5 CONFIGURING THE SYSTEM
This section will guide the integrator through the process of configuring a COM2000 to meet the
needs of the system operator.
5.1 Useful tools
You should be aware that the firewall on your PC might prevent some of the following tools
from working correctly. This is particularly true when attempting to execute file transfers to a
COM46 card via a TFTP server.
5.1.1 Configuration tool
Each COM46 card contains an embedded web-based user interface that can be used to configure
all key parameters for all the components of the system, as well as providing access to crucial
operating conditions like RF levels and authorization status. These controls can be accessed
using your choice of web browser. Details on accessing the user interface are included in
Section 5.1.6 below.
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5.1.2 DHCP Server
Because the COM46 cards have the ability to remember their settings, once the system has been
properly configured, the cards will retain whichever IP addresses were used last and will not
need to obtain new ones from a DHCP server.
Even if the cards are assigned new IP addresses, they will continue to operate normally, but
communicating with them after this happens can become somewhat problematic, especially if
you are used to interfacing with a card at a specific IP address. Refer to Section 5.1.6 below for
recommendations on how to avoid this particular difficulty.
If you find that you need a DHCP server in your system, a useful multi-function tool that also
provides access to a TFTP server and a syslogger is Tftpd32, which can be found at the
following URL: http://tftpd32.jounin.net/.
See 10.5 for more information on IP settings.
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5.1.3 Video Playback
During the configuration and installation process, it may be necessary to verify the COM46
video streams in the absence of a Pro:Idiom enabled television.
The COM46 card can facilitate this type of debug activity by allowing the user to bypass the
Pro:Idiom encryption process temporarily. It should be noted that this feature is only available
when tuning to DIRECTV channel 100. Please refer to Section 1.1 (“Security_Mode” setting)
for additional information on this feature.
If you wish to take advantage of this feature, you will need a video player on the PC that is
capable of decoding MPEG video transferred via IP Packets. VLC Media Player, which is a free
download, can decode MPEG video and can be found at the following URL:
http://www.videolan.org/vlc/.
5.1.4 System Logging
The COM46 cards have the ability to send logging data to a remote destination. This is
especially useful in situations where a management PC will remain with the COM2000 systems
at all times, but it can also prove helpful when setting up and troubleshooting a system.
One simple solution is the syslog feature of the previously referenced Tftpd32, but it is limited in
terms of features. A more feature-rich option might be considered for a more robust debugging
capability. One alternative solution is an offering from Kiwi Enterprises (available at
http://www.kiwisyslog.com/), but this option carries a licensing fee for a full version of the
software, so it may not be a viable option for the casual user.
Each COM46 card provides a limited syslog capability. The cards are only capable of displaying
500 lines worth of log-data, so this may not be an appropriate tool for long-term system
troubleshooting. However, the syslog feature can be quite useful if the system operator is able to
access it within that window of time after a card begins to exhibit some unexpected behavior.
Each COM46 also includes a SOAP event monitor and an automatic, periodically generated,
SOAP status message that can be configured to be transmitted from the card. Both types of
messages can be configured to be sent to either a local or web server with appropriate firewall
settings of the network. See Section 6.2.7 for more details on configuring these messages.
5.1.5 TFTP/FTP Server
The COM46 cards have the ability to transfer data to and from an external source via either an
FTP (File Transfer Protocol) or a TFTP (Trivial File Transfer Protocol) server. The data
transferred will typically take the form of software upgrades, but it is also possible to configure
the system to log system status messages remotely for troubleshooting.
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