Operation and Setup Notes

When setting up and using Graphite there are a few things that you should keep in mind. These notes will help you better set up the system to meet your production needs, as well as achieve the best audio and video performance.

  • Ethernet Connections — Graphite requires two ethernet connections to operate. One to Windows® that supports XPression and a second to the switcher card to support Carbonite. Out of the box you can directly connect one ethernet port to the other with the supplied ethernet cable and run DashBoard on the Graphite server. Wiring information is provided in the QuickStart poster included in the box.
  • Digital Audio Reference Lock — All digital audio must be reference locked (timed) to the same reference that the switcher subsystem is using. This includes both SDI embedded audio and AES audio inputs on the 1RU Audio Breakout Unit.
  • XPression Project Video Format — XPression projects must be in the same video format as the switcher subsystem is operating in. If there is a video format mismatch the performance meter in the XPression project will not be accurate.
  • XPression Clips Video Format — XPression clips must be in the same video format as the switcher subsystem is operating in. If there is a video format mismatch the output audio for a clip will be choppy.
  • XPression Mutes Audio — If the performance meter in XPression approaches 100%, and/or playout channels start dropping frames, audio playout will be muted automatically. This is normal operation.
  • Remote Control — If you use TeamViewer or some other similar remote desktop application to control Graphite from an external computer the PC audio source and monitoring output will not be available. Remote control applications re-route Windows® audio sources to the remote PC, disconnecting it from the Graphite audio mixer.
  • Dedicated USB — The USB port on the Graphite card is controlled by the Carbonite software and is not connected to the Windows® OS. You can transfer files between the two over the network, but you cannot use the USB port on the Graphite card to connect a keyboard or mouse to the system.
  • Errors on HDMI™ Input in 3G — If you use the HDMI™ input for 3G video signals, minor CRC errors may be detected by monitoring equipment. These errors are minor and do not visibly degrade the video quality.