Matrox PowerDesk-HF and Sparkology GL6 genlock system

Notes, problems, and limitations

• For more information on your Matrox display driver and Matrox PowerDesk software, see the help included with this software.
• To install your Matrox display driver and Matrox PowerDesk software, run the setup program included with this software.
• For Matrox software updates that may fix problems listed here, see the Matrox Web site (www.matrox.com/mga/).
• To use Matrox PowerDesk-HF software, Microsoft .NET Framework software needs to be installed in your system. This software is included on the installation CD-ROM included with Matrox products and is automatically installed by the main setup program on the CD-ROM.
• To get the most of your Matrox product, we recommend using the highest color palette setting (a 32-bit color palette) for all your displays. An 8-bit color palette may be unavailable or certain features may be unavailable while using an 8-bit color palette.
• The PixelTOUCH feature is unavailable with multiple displays in stretched mode or with a TV used to view your Windows desktop.
• Under certain conditions the Matrox GigaColor feature (over 1 billion simultaneous colors) may not be used even though the feature may be enabled in the software interface. This may happen if:
• Matrox PowerDesk-HF is configured to use 2 displays at a time, each with very high display resolutions.
• Matrox PowerDesk-HF is configured to use 3 displays at a time.
• Windows XP -- With the Windows Fast User Switching feature, PowerDesk-HF is unavailable if another user is already logged on to Windows. To keep PowerDesk-HF available, users can log off from Windows normally and shouldn't use the Windows Switch User control. For more information on Fast User Switching, see Windows documentation.
• Full-screen programs (typically games) designed for versions of DirectX earlier than 8.0 may not support horizontal display resolutions higher than 2048. While using multiple displays in stretched mode, the horizontal resolution of each display is combined (for example, a combined TripleHead resolution could be as high as 3840 x 1024). As a result, the stretched mode resolutions you can use with such programs may be limited to resolutions lower than what your graphics hardware and display driver can support. Selecting an unsupported resolution within a program may cause the program to quit unexpectedly.
• Matrox Millennium P750 | Millennium P650 -- Accumulation buffers may not be available for 3D programs. As a result, certain advanced 3D programs may not work properly (for example, Maya and Lightwave).
• Matrox Parhelia -- The game Soldier of Fortune II may not properly detect Matrox Parhelia graphics cards. As a result, this game may use unoptimized default settings that result in low frame rates with these cards. For better frame rates with Parhelia cards, make sure texture compression is enabled from the main menu of this game: click Options > Video Settings > Advanced Options > Image Format, then select DXT1 Compressed.

Sparkology Genlock system notes

• For best results with multiple monitors, run desktop in stretch mode.
• Use the monitor adjustments panel to select the refresh rate for the monitor.
• Avoid using the sizing controls if you are running multiple monitors and want them in sync.
• The ColorReal program is for adjusting the color balance of the monitors.

Install the Matrox Parhelia board using their installation drivers. I reccomend downloading the latest drivers from Matrox. You should also install the other utilities from the Parhelia installation disk, their ColorReal program is very useful as well as the manual and help files. (Like this one)

Install the BNC I/O panel in an adjacent slot to the Parhelia board.

Install the Front control panel in an empty drive bay. The 3 pin connector connects to the genlock board with the Red wire to the rear of the board. The two pin connector may need to be flipped so the front LED matches the rear LED. I usually install the front panel so it is a little recessed from the front of the computer to protect the switch.

Once the system is up and running you should familiarize yourself with the Matrox PowerDesk panels and features. This is where you will set the refresh rate of the monitor. Fine speed adjustments can be made with the screen size controls on the monitor adjustment panel. The vertical adjustments make small adjustments in the rate and the horizontal makes large jumps. The centering adjustments make no change in the rate. Once you have set the monitor refresh rate you can then turn on the sync generator or connect an external sync source.

Now you are ready to start using the Genlock system.

Basic theory of operation: The genlock board will fine tune the vertical rate of the monitor 1 output to match the phase and speed of the sync generator or external sync source. The computer's rate must be set to within  1Hz or less. I recommend the use of a frequency counter for testing. The system can take up to 1 minute to settle down after syncing up. If it is having a hard time locking you may not be close enough in speed. Don't trust the rate display in a monitor, it can be several Hz off. The software does not know about the genlock board so it can't make any changes to it's settings based on the sync source.

The external rates are always in the 48 to 60Hz range. The internal rate of the monitor can be at 48 to 60 or 96 to 120. You can mix both rates on a set, but not in a single computer.

Monitor outputs 2 and 3 will follow the rate of monitor 1 if they have the same settings as monitor 1.

The genlock board will only lock the Monitor 1 output if it is running at a rate that is within 1Hz of the desired speed. That means the software must be set to the right speed before you switch on the internal sync generator.

On the panel you will find:

A - The Sync Generator mode selector switch. The modes are:

B - The  Pulse Out BNC connector. This outputs a TTL pulse that goes from +5VDC to Ground. The pulse width is approx 250μS. This can be run to another computer's input or to the sync input of a Film Video Frame Synchronizer. You can also read this with a frequency counter.

The Pulse Output Modes:
When the Mode switch is in 0 or 7 and there is no external sync signal, the output is the vertical rate of the monitor.
When the Mode Switch is in 1-6 and there is no external sync signal, the output is from the internal sync generator.
When there is an external sync source the output is a pulse that matches the external signal.
When the computer power is off, the output connector is connected to the input connector by a relay.

C - The Sync Input switch for connector E:
Pulse mode will only lock to a TTL type pulse, like the one from another computer.
Video mode is for video type sources. (currently this switch position is not functional.)
75 Ohm is for composite video signals with a 75 Ohm terminator.

D - The Red/Green status LED. This can also be remoted to the front of the computer.
When the LED is off the VGA system is running free and not at a precision speed.
When the LED is Red there is a sync source but the system is not locked to it.
When the LED is Green the system is locked to the sync source.
If the LED is flickering at a steady fast rate, there is an external sync source connected.
If the LED is solid, the internal generator is the sync source.
If the LED is flashing Red sporadically, the system is trying to lock. This means the software is not set to a speed that matches the sync source.
If the LED is flashing Red/Green, the Genlock Mute switch is activated on the front panel.

The external sync signals for this system will always be in the range of 48 to 60 Hz. The computer can lock at that rate, or at double the rate. i.e. you can feed 48 Hz to a machine running 96Hz. This allows the mixing of 48Hz video and 96Hz monitors on the same set.

The Front Control panel

There is a 3 pin connector at the top of the GL6 board, this gets connected to a 3 position switch on the front panel.. In the center position the VGA output will work normally. Switched up it will activate RED FLASH mode, this will flash the red channel of the VGA output at a 180-degree rate to facilitate the phasing of the camera. Switched down will shut off (MUTE) the GL6 system to stabilize the monitor when booting or adjusting the refresh rate.. We call this the Genlock Mute switch.

At the top of the GL6 board is a two-pin header sticking up. The front panel LED connects to this header and will match the rear panel LED. If the colors don't match try reversing the 2 pin connector.

Working with Monitors

Before you take this out on the set, hook it up in the shop with 3 monitors.Work your way through all of the Matrox Power Desk panels so you know how to adjust the refresh rate and color balance of the monitors.

Set the system to refresh rate to 60 Hz and the sync switch to position 5. This will run the system at 59.94 FPS, or feed the video from the camera into the genlock input and lock the computer to the camera. Aim the camera so it sees the screens of all 3 monitors. Set the shutter on it so you only see a band of the image on the screens. (250th works well.) You can now make adjustments and see how it affects the screens and the sync.

I find it is better to work at the double speed rates of 96 to 120 Hz if the monitor will support it. Plasma screens will prefer the lower rates of 48 to 60.

If you have a monitor that does not work at 48 Hz right away, try starting at 60Hz and sneaking down on the rate. You may need to adjust the sizing controls to get the H rate up to something the monitor can handle. I always start with 60 and work my way into the target rate for the monitor.

If the genlock system is unstable you may need to adjust the sizing controls on the powerdesk monitor adjustment panel. This will adjust the rate in smaller increments. It is best to adjust the refresh rate with a frequency counter connected to the v sync line of a VGA breakout cable. You should also have the genlock system set to 0 when making adjustments to keep a stable image. You can also use the mute switch, but the frequency will be at the lowest frequency of the available range.

That is all the wisdom I have for now. Thanks for reading this.

Marty Brenneis
415-485-4478

Visit my website at http://www.sparkology.com

For a cool simple text screen program you can download my Fakey program at http://www.sparkology.com/xtras.exe I use this for quick BG text screens.