Cue encoding and decoding

GEP100 - HEP100

Cue tone encoding and decoding with Dolby E module 3Gb/s, HD, SD embedded domain the HSI12to PCM decoder with audio shuffler

product application note

Quad speed

Upgradable to

3Gb/s
Metadata
S2020

Embedded

COPYRIGHT2012 COPYRIGHT2011 AXON DIGITAL DESIGN B.V. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED NO PART OF THIS DOCUMENT MAY BE REPRODUCED IN ANY FORM WITHOUT THE PERMISSION OF AXON DIGITAL DESIGN B.V.

Cue encoding and PROCESSING EMBEDDED AUDIOdecoding

Introduction
It is often necessary for broadcast operations to send simple commands to remotely located equipment. Common examples of this are to signal when cable head-end systems should insert local advertising (known as Opt-Out avails), to indicate when local Newsrooms should opt into a network feed or to instruct transmitters to switch to a alternate feed. Sometimes it is also a requirement for the central broadcast operation to receive signaling from another location. For instance an OB vehicle may want to trigger the central Playout Automation System to insert a commercial break into the live program feed. There are several possible methods of generating and carrying signals to/from remote locations; an original approach was to generate audio cue tones and send Broadcast or Remote Outside these over a separate audio circuit or an audio channel associated with the program video. Studio This method was reliable but the reaction time of theStudio/ decoders often meant that the system was Cue Tone not frame accurate. The name, however did stick OB Video Generator and the process of sending triggers, whether using audio signals or not, is often called Cue Tones. An approach commonlyfrom Break GPI adopted by broadcasters to convey simpleOperator triggering signals between one location and another is to use spare capacity within the video signal, the VBI in SD signals and VANC in HD. The triggers are encoded as a data packet and carried along with the video signal; with this
Commercial

method the triggers do not occupy an audio channel and triggering systems are capable of being frame accurate. The data packets need to be capable of passing through video processing equipment such as Frame Synchronizers and telecommunications circuits. Teletext is the most widely used carrier for SD operations, with only a single video line being required to carry a robust signal containing 6 triggers. Similarly an OP47 data packet can carry 6 trigger signals in HD systems. In both cases the trigger signals can successfully be carried over compressed satellite and terrestrial links. Normally Teletext data packets carry information relating to particular page, with many packets Broadcast Center - Playout being required to make-up a whole page, e.g. page 199, which is commonly used for carrying the menu page for an on-screen data service, may require Cue Tone Presentation Network 25 Decoder packets System a whole page. These separate to form Video normal packets cannot carry ad-hoc data which is not associated with a designated page. There is, however, a Server Automation Video specific Teletext packet, Packet-31, which is defined as page independent and can be transmitted at any time without affecting the correct operation of the basic Teletext service. It is this packet type which is used to carry Cue information

Example 1: Cue Tone system to trigger insertion of local content at cable head-end

Outside Broadcast or Remote Studio Network Video Cue Tone Generator

Cable Head-end Cue Tone Decoder Local Distribution

Local avail GPI from Automation or Operator

Local Video

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Example 2: Cue Tone system used to trigger a Playout Automation System from a remote studio or OB vehicle
Outside Broadcast or Remote Studio Studio/ OB Video Cue Tone Generator Broadcast Center - Playout Cue Tone Decoder Presentation System Network Video

Commercial Break GPI from Operator

Automation

Video Server

The HSI12 module

HSI12

Outside Broadcast1 or Remote HD/SD-SDI IN EQ Studio Network Video Cue Tone Generator

CUE TONE (PACKET 31) DECODER CUE TONE (PACKET 31) ENCODER

HD/SD-SDI OUTPUT

Cable Head-end Cue Tone Decoder

HD/SD-SDI OUTPUT

MONITOR HD/SD-SDI OUTPUT

Local Distribution

Local avail GPI from Automation or Operator SOFTEL VFLEX POWERED

ETHERNET GPI IN ENCODER CVBS

Local Video
PREVIEW CVBS OUTPUT

RACK CONTROLLER INTERNAL SYNAPSE BUS

Within the Synapse range is a dual function Cue Trigger encoder/decoder module HSI12. The HSI12 uses Softels proven Oliver Cue technology to encode 6 GPI inputs as either Teletext (SD) or OP47 data (HD) and embed it onto a SDI stream. The HSI12 module can also be used to de-embed the data from a SDI stream and drive GPOs on a GPI16 module. Because the HSI12 uses technology compatible with the SE3067 Oliver cue system it can both encode cues for legacy equipment to decode, or decode cues originating from an existing system. The HSI12s rear I/O panel (model number BPH04)

has a HD15 D-Type connector, connecting the relevant GPI line to Ground will cause a trigger to be generated. The HSI12 utilizes the GPI16 module to provide output GPI (GPO) connections. Communications between the modules uses either the Synapse Bus where one HSI12 communicated directly with an adjacent GPI16 module or it uses Synapse Event Messages which travel across the back-plane of a Synapse frame. This allows multiple HSI12 modules to access a single GPI16 located within the same frame. Details of the configuration of the HSI12 and GPI16 modules for both modes of operation are given below.

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Cue encoding and PROCESSING EMBEDDED AUDIOdecoding

The HSI12 configuration

Cortex control screen for HSI12 showing X31 (packet 31) configuration
X31-Cues: Controls insertion of X31 data On/Off Packet Format: The data carried in packet 31 can be encrypted to prevent unauthorized detection and changes, or Plain-View allowing the data to be viewed by a standard Teletext decoder. X31-Ln: Selects the line on which the X31 data packets will be inserted in a SD signal X31-Data: If Packet Format is set to Plain-View (unencrypted) user definable ASCII text can be included in the data packet. For example it could show the Channel Name of the source of the SDI stream. Channel: Used with Address to form the ID of the sending unit, the decoder has to set to the same value for successful exchange of trigger information. Note the default Channel = B, this is the value required for the HSI12 to be used with legacy triggering equipment Address: Used with Channel to form the ID of the sending unit

Cortex control screen for HSI12 showing the HD inserter configuration

HD Transmission: Controls insertion of OP47 data into a HDSDI stream. This can also be set to OP47-split. In OP47 split mode the original field dependencies of the SD data (ANC packets etc.) that is being carried is preserved. Field 1/2 Line: Selects the line(s) in the HD-SDI stream where the trigger information, contained in OP47 packets, will be inserted

HSI12 and GPI16 Configuration for Output Trigger GPIs (GPO) The HSI12 does not have local General Purpose Outputs (GPO) connections, when the HSI12 is configured as a trigger decoder and physical outputs are required these can be provided by a GPI16 module. GPI16 modules can be configured to operate in one of two modes; MasterCard where it is directly associated with a single HSI12 module located next to it or Frame mode where Synapse Event Messages are used to communicate between HSI12 modules located in any slot and a GPI16 module in the same frame. Configuration of HSI12 and GPI16 in Master Card mode Synapse frames have a patented inter-module connection system called Synapse Bus, this is

commonly used to link audio Add-On modules to video MasterCards. In this application the HSI12 is the MasterCard and the GPI16 receives the GPO information via the Synapse Bus. The GPI16 module has to be located in the frame slot directly to the right (as viewed from the front) of the HSI12 module. The GPOs are connected on a 1 to 1 basis, for example when GPO1 is active on the HSI12 module GPO1 operates on the GPI16. The information passes directly between modules with no intermediate processing so GPI timing is repeatable.

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Cue encoding and PROCESSING EMBEDDED AUDIOdecoding

The HSI12 configuration

Cortex control screen for GPI16 showing the GPO configuration
Source: MasterCard configures the GPI16 to directly communicate with the HSI12 module directly to the left in the frame. GPI Input Mode: Defines if the relay latches or is nonlatching. For normal operations this should be configured as Non_Latch Debounce: Provides debouncing of the mechanical relay outputs GPO Configuration: In MasterCard mode the module has a simple 1-to-1 relationship with the GPI information received from the HSI12 module and therefore Card = All Cards and Tag = 0 Default: OFF = The relay is connected to the Normally Closed NC contact. The module can be configured such that the relay common is connected to the Normally Open NO contact by default, the achieve this Default should be set to On.

Configuration of HSI12 and GPI16 in Frame mode A GPI16 module has 16 output relays, these can be shared by a number of HSI12 modules using data messages, called Events, sent via the Synapse frames internal communications bus. Event messages are asynchronously generated on a card and not in response to a request, the aim of Events to inform the environment about a change of condition on the card, in this instance they are used by the HSI12 module to inform the GPI16 that a trigger has been received. Each Event message is made up of: A message string to indicate what has happened, for example GPO_ON-1 , A Tag which is a numerical value representing the text string e.g. GPO_ON_1 = Tag 52, GPO_ OFF_1 = Tag 180 (52 + 128). A priority between 1 and 255. Priority 0 is message disabled The slot number of the originating card. The values for the Tags associated with the 6 GPO on the HSI12 are given below.

HSI12 Event Message tag values for GPO For each GPO relay output the GPI16 module requires information about which slot in the frame the HSI12 has been installed in and to which relay the GPO should be assigned too. The HSI12 module also requires a configuration to enable it to send event messages to the GPI16. When used in this mode a single GPI16 module can receive GPO trigger information from more than one HSI12 module. Also more than one GPI16 module can be installed, therefore two GPI16 modules could be used to provide the physical connections for five HSI12 modules Output
GPO1 GPO2 GPO3 GPO4 GPO5 GPO6

GPO Off
180 181 182 183 184 185

GPO On
52 53 54 55 56 57

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Cue encoding and PROCESSING EMBEDDED AUDIOdecoding Cortex control screen for HSI12 GPO messages
Selecting the box next to the GPO number enables the event message to be sent on the frames communication bus.

Cortex control screen for GPI16 showing the GPO configuration

Source: Frame configures the GPI16 to listen for Event messages from cards in its local frame GPI Input Mode: Defines if the relay latches or is nonlatching. For this use it is normal to configure the relays to be Non_Latch Debounce: Provides debouncing of the mechanical relay outputs GPO Configuration: Card: Selects the Slot in which the HSI12 is located which will control the specified GPO relay. This configuration shows that GPO relays 1-6 are to react to Events from the HSI12 in Slot 1 and GPO relays 7-12 react to Event messages from the HSI12 in Slot2. Tag: Defines which of the six GPO event messages will activate the relay. In this example GPO 1 will turn on when an Event message with Tag 52 (GPO_ON_1) is detected from the HSI12 in Slot 1. Because the GPI16 is configured in Non_Latch mode it will turn off again once the message has cleared.

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