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Name: Grass Valley K2
Version: 6.7.2
Available for: Manager V7 and Manager V6 (Lite & Pro), Showmaster (Mini, ST, Pro, LE, XS & iPro)
Limitation In:
Device Brand: Grass Valley Group
Positrack Compatible: Yes (available for some commands: see command description)
Resources type: TCP/IP Network, Serial
Compatible hardware interfaces - available resource modules (MRC):
[Serial]AMX
[Serial]Comtrol Device Master
[Serial]Global Cache
[Serial]Sealevel SeaLINK
[Serial]Showmaster LE
[Serial]Showmaster Serial
[Serial]Windows COM

Overview

The Grass Valley K2 is a video server which supports 4 playback/record streams. This MxM allows controlling a Grass Valley K2 with the AMP protocol either via Ethernet or RS–422.

The Grass Valley K2 must be setup to be controlled via the AMP protocol using the front panel or the Grass Valley AppCenter.

MxM Installation

No special installation required.

Device Setup

Device Setup Window:

Connection Type: Defines the way the Grass Valley K2 is connected.

Server Address: Network address of the Grass Valley K2 used in Ethernet mode.

Controlled Channel: Grass Valley K2 channel which is controlled via Ethernet mode:

COM Port: Com port number used to communicate with the Device in serial port mode.

Start Time Code: Timecode value of the first available image on the Device. This value is used for positrack purpose.

Time Code Type: Type of Time Code used for this device.

Default Working Bin: Name of the K2 “Bin” which will be used on device startup. The current K2 default bin will be used if this field is left empty.

Graphical User Interface

Device Control Panel

This MxM provides a Device Control Panel which can be displayed either as a stand alone window or inside a User Screen Contenair object with the “Device Control” Manager command. Note: See the Manager Help menu for details about using this command.

Thumbnails of the current clip and the next clip are displayed. Click on a thumbnail (or on the “Load…” button) to load a new clip, then select a clip from the clip selection window.

The “Clips” button opens a window which allows clip management.

The “Upload…” and “Download…” buttons allows transferring file from or to the K2 Server via the Transfer Clip dialog. The example below shows how to transfer a clip from the default bin of the K2 Server to another volume of the K2 Server in GXF format.

Device Commands

Stop

Causes the device to stop.

Mode: [Enum] Stop mode.

Note: This command is positracked

Play

Starts playing video. Plays the list of clips to play (PendingClipList) if any.

Note: This command is positracked

Record

Starts recording video.

Fast Forward

Performs a fast forward play on the device at the maximum speed.

Fast Reverse

Performs a fast reverse play on the device at the maximum speed.

Pause

Pauses the device.

Note: This command is positracked

Locate

Sets the device time position to the specified position.

Usage: If the current TimeCodeMode is “Timer”, the TimeCode parameter is relative to the beginning of the clip and must be between 00:00:00/00 and the duration of the current clip.

If the current TimeCodeMode is “LTC” or “VITC”, the TimeCode parameter is absolute must be between the first frame timecode and the last frame timecode of the current clip.

Note: This command is positracked

Variable Speed

Causes the device to play in variable speed, forward or reverse.

Set Loop Mode

Sets the playback loop mode of the device.

Get Clip List

Gets the list of existing clips in the Video Disc Recorder. The list is returned in the ClipList system variable as a string. Clip names are separated by CR/LF character.

Create Clip

Creates a clip in the Video Disc Recorder. This command may be followed by a “Record” command to start the recording.

Usage: If the current TimeCodeMode is “Timer”, the “TimeCode In” parameter can be used to locate an existing clip to the specified position prior recording.

If the current TimeCodeMode is “LTC” or “VITC”, the “TimeCode In” parameter must be set to “00:00:00/00”.

Load Clip

Loads part of a clip in the Video Disc Recorder. A subsequent “Play” command will play the specified part of the clip. This command also clears the list of clips to play (PendingClipList).

Usage: The “TimeCode In” parameter can be used to locate an existing clip to the specified position prior playing.

If the current TimeCodeMode is “Timer”: The “TimeCode In” defines a point relative to the beginning of the clip regardless of the clip In Point and Out Point.

If the current TimeCodeMode is “LTC” or “VITC”, the “TimeCode In” parameter is absolute and must be set to a value between the In Point and the Out Point of the clip.

Load Next Clip

Adds a clip to the list of clips to play (PendingClipList). A subsequent “Play” command will play all of the clips of the pending clip list.

Usage: The “TimeCode In” parameter can be used to locate an existing clip to the specified position prior playing.

If the current TimeCodeMode is “Timer”:The “TimeCode In” defines a point relative to the beginning of the clip regardless of the clip In Point and Out Point.

If the current TimeCodeMode is “LTC” or “VITC”, the “TimeCode In” parameter is absolute and must be set to a value between the In Point and the Out Point of the clip.

Delete Clip

Deletes a clip in the Video Disc Recorder.

Get Clip Info

Gets the duration and the timecode in point of the specified clip.

Usage: Use this command to get information about a clip even if the clip is not currently playing

Eject

Unloads the currently loaded clip.

Transfer Clip

Transfers and converts a clip to or from the Grass Valley K2.

Usage: Use this command to transfer video files to or from a Grass Valley K2.

Example1

To transfer an MPEG file named “Clip1.mpg” located in a shared directory named “Videos” of a workstation called “VideoSource” to the default bin of a Grass Valley K2 machine called “K2”, use the following parameters:

Abort Transfer

Aborts the file transfer currently in progress.

Clear Pending Clip List

Resets the preview clip and clears the pending clip list.

Set Time Code Mode

Specifies the Time Code reference used by the K2 channel related to the device.

Usage: The time code mode of a K2 channel modifies the usage for time related parameters of several commands like Locate, Load Clip, Load Next Clip. The time code mode has also an impact on “Deferred Execution” parameters.

See each command description for more details.

Deferred Stop

Stops the current clip at the specified K2 server time.

Usage: A deferred command is triggered when the “Time Source” of the K2 channel is equal to the “Exec Time” parameter.

For example: if the “Time Source” is “Timer” (that is, using the internal system clock of the K2 server) and the “Exec Time” is “00:01:00/00”, the command will be triggered by the K2 server when its internal system clock reaches “00:01:00/00”.

The “Time Source” of a K2 channel is selectable via the “SetTimeCodeMode” command.

Deferred commands are useful when a frame accurate synchronisation between several K2 servers (or K2 server channels) is needed and when several servers share the same time source, for example the same LTC clock.

Example of Manager programming for deferred commands

Algorithm:

  1. Get the value of the common source clock (either from a variable of a K2 device or via a TimeCode device)
  2. Add a “preroll” time value to this value.
  3. Execute deferred commands using the computed execution time

Pseudo Code: (ExecuteTime is a user variable)

Expression( ExecuteTime=TC.TimeCode+"00:00:01/00")
K2A_Channel1.DeferredStop( ExecuteTime )
K2A_Channel2.DeferredStop( ExecuteTime ) 
K2B_Channel1.DeferredStop( ExecuteTime )
K2B_Channel2.DeferredStop( ExecuteTime )

Note that no positrack is performed for deferred commands.

Deferred Play

Starts playing the current clip at the specified K2 server time.

Usage: see “Deferred Stop”.

Deferred Record

Starts recording at the specified K2 server time.

Usage: see “Deferred Stop”.

Device Variables

TimeCode

[Time] Current time position of the device.

StartTimeCode

[Time] Timecode of the first availabe frame (image) on the device.

CurrentStatus

[Enum] Current status of the device.

CurrentError

[Enum] Last occured error.

Current Clip

[String] Name of the current clip.

Current clip is the last clip loaded with the LoadClip command.

Current Clip Duration

[Time] Duration of the current clip.

Current clip is the last clip loaded with the LoadClip command.

Clip List

[String] List of existing clips in the Video Digital Recorder as retrieved by the GetClipList() command. Clip names are separated by CR/LF.

Clip Count

[Integer] Count of existing clips in the Video Digital Recorder as retrieved by the GetClipList() command.

Pending Clip List

[String] List of remaining clips to play. Clip names are separated by CR/LF.

Pending Clip Count

[String] Number of clips in the pending clip list.

In Time

[Time] “TimeCode In” value of the current clip.

Out Time

[Time] “Time Code Out” value of the current clip.

Usage: A value of 00:00:00/00 means that the current clip will play up to its end.

Remaining Time

[Time] Available time left for record.

TransferStatus

[Enum] Current status of the file transfer.

Transfer Progress

[Integer] Transfer progress in percent.

SystemTimeMode

[Enum] Current Time Code Mode of the K2 channel.

SystemTimeCode

[Time] Value of the currently selected TimeCode reference of the K2 channel.

LoopMode

[Enum] Current playback loop mode of the device.

Revisions

V 1.0.1

V 1.0.2

V 1.0.3

V 1.0.4

V 1.0.5

V 6.0.0

V 6.0.1

V 6.0.2

V 6.0.3

V 6.1.0

V 6.1.1

V 6.1.2

V 6.1.3

V 6.1.4

V 6.2.0

V 6.7.0