KEYPAD
SOLOIST-2S VERSION 1.0 MPEG 2 PLAYBACK SYSTEM
4/18/01 V1.0-1
ADTEC, Inc. USA
INTRODUCTION
ADTEC’s SOLOIST-2S MPEG 2 Playback System with built-in switcher is the ideal local origination
playback solution. The SOLOIST-2S incorporates a built-in video and balanced audio switcher that
automatically switches “On Air” when the MPEG 2 decoder is running, when playback is finished, the switch
is automatically routed back to the “Network Input”. An Auxiliary input is provided too; this enables the
switching of an alternate audio and video source for live events. ADTEC is pleased to offer the SOLOIST-2S
to the video professional and is confident that it will provide years of maintenance free broadcast quality
MPEG 2 playback.
SOLOIST-2S (Front View)
A B C D E F G H
Identifier Description
A Recessed Reset switch. Must be held for one second to initiate reset.
B Power LED, illuminates when AC power is applied to unit.
C Video LED illuminates during video playback.
D Drive LED, illuminates during either SCSI or IDE host controller activity.
E Link LED, illuminates when the electrical 10 Base T Ethernet connections are
made correctly to a hub or server.
F Busy LED illuminates when Ethernet activity occurs.
G IDE Drive bay
H SOLOIST-2S Control and Switching Module
SOLOIST-2S (Rear View)
KEYPAD
SOLOIST-2S VERSION 1.0 MPEG 2 PLAYBACK SYSTEM
4/18/01 V1.0-2
ADTEC, Inc. USA
Typical MPEG 2 Playback System Schematic
KEY PAD
The SOLOIST-2S provides for simple, intuitive configuration and status through the front panel Key Pad and
LCD display. A PC running ADTEC’s Symphony-Pro in Windows NT4.0 or 2000 is required for detailed
configuration and scheduling.
SOLOIST-2S KEY PAD and LCD
KEYPAD
SOLOIST-2S VERSION 1.0 MPEG 2 PLAYBACK SYSTEM
4/18/01 V1.0-3
ADTEC, Inc. USA
Summary Table of Keys
Key Use
MODE To sequence through the menus.
ENTER To accept changes or new data.
ESCAPE To exit a menu with out accepting data or return to the
main menu
SELECT To edit data.
UP To scroll through a menu or change data after the select
key has been pressed. (Increases LCD brightness)
RIGHT To move right in a menu to select a field for editing.
LEFT To move left in a menu to select a field for editing.
DOWN To scroll through a menu or change data after the select
key has been pressed. (Decreases LCD brightness)
HOW TO USE THE KEYPAD
1) Press the MODE key to scroll through the menus.
2) Press the LEFT or RIGHT arrow key to display the different sections of the currently displayed
menu.
3) Press the UP or DOWN arrow key to display the setting options of the currently displayed section.
4) If you want to change a currently selected menu:
A) Press the SELECT key to activate the editing mode (this will display a flashing cursor).
B) Use the LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to highlight the setting you want to change.
C) Use the UP and DOWN keys to change the value of the setting.
D) Press the ENTER key to save the setting to the new value.
5) Press the ESC key to return to the main menu.
MENUS
The SOLOIST-2S menus are as follows: Main, Source, Audio Level, Date &
Time, Serial Port, UNIT Name, Network Name, Network
Channel, Host Mode, EMT Setting, DUP Drive.
KEYPAD
SOLOIST-2S VERSION 1.0 MPEG 2 PLAYBACK SYSTEM
4/18/01 V1.0-4
ADTEC, Inc. USA
MENU TREE
Initialize Modem (Manually Enter Modem string)
Main Menu Status
Date and Time
PC Serial Port Settings (Baud, Data, Stop, Parity)
Modem Presets (Modem strings)
Unit Name (Twenty Digit Alphanumeric Unit ID used for communications)
Network Channel (Three Digit numeric Cable System or T&B Channel Number)
Audio (Current audio setting for Network, Insert level set in Conductor)
-16 through +14 dB in 2 dB increments
Source (Test utility for Video Audio Multiplexer for Network)
Network (NET), Soloist (SOL), Auxiliary (AUX), Off Air (OFF)
Date- mm/dd/yyyy, Weekday, hh:mm:ss, Daylight Savings (DS in field is on
and a blank field equals NO DS)
Network Name (Four Digit Alphanumeric Network ID)
Host Mode (Ethernet host mode)
IP Address (Unit IP Address)
IP Mask (Unit IP Mask)
Gateway IP Address (Unit Gateway IP Address(s))
EMT Setting (Ethernet Multicast Transfer)
Duplicate Drive (Automatic copy source drive ID)
KEYPAD
SOLOIST-2S VERSION 1.0 MPEG 2 PLAYBACK SYSTEM
4/18/01 V1.0-5
ADTEC, Inc. USA
MENU FUNCTIONS
MAIN MENU
The main menu is a non-editable display. It displays the Date and Time. During playback the
Spot ID along with the network and a spot running time code with percentage complete will
be displayed.
Main Menu Messages
Message Description
xxxxxxxx PreRoll
xxxxxxxxx Pre Rolling (x represents Spot ID)
xxxxxxxx ON yyyy
hh:mm:ss.ff pp%
xxxxxxxx ON yyyy (x represents Spot ID and y represents the Network
Name). Displayed on the top row during playback.
Spot running time code in hours, minutes, second and frames and
percentage of playback completed. Displayed on the bottom row
during playback.
Main Menu KEY Functions
Key Display
UP Increases LCD brightness
DOWN Decreases LCD brightness
Hold SELECT and UP
Firmware version and Date Code
RIGHT
Reserved
Left
Reserved
Hold RIGHT, ESCAPE and MODE keys
simultaneously to reset the unit.
(Pressing the reset button on the front panel also
resets the Soloist 2)
This key function provides a soft reset of the Soloist 2 and
SOLOIST-2S.
!!!!!!!!!!!! RESET SEQUENCE !!!!!!!!!
KEYPAD
SOLOIST-2S VERSION 1.0 MPEG 2 PLAYBACK SYSTEM
4/18/01 V1.0-6
ADTEC, Inc. USA
Source
The SOLOIST-2S’s built in 4 by 1 A/V router can be manually changed with the Source menu.
NET- Network video and audio routed. Default.
SOL- Soloist-2 MPEG 2 video and audio routed. Automatically routes during playback.
AUX- Auxiliary video and audio routed. Manually routed on latching GPI (Contact Closure).
OFF- No video and audio routed, off air.
Audio
The SOLOIST-2S provides attenuation or gain capabilities for the Network, Soloist (MPEG 2 insertion
material) and Auxiliary sources. Settings: -16dB to +14 dB in 2 dB increments. This setting is momentary
and will revert to the current NetSet once a break starts.
For Balanced 600 Ohm systems
A) The Network setting is factory defaulted to –6dB. The – 6dB setting provides active termination
equal to 600-Ohms. This provides a balanced input during power on for the receiver. The internal
gain circuit provides a multiplier of 2. This limits the maximum input voltage to 1 V peak to peak. In
the event of a power loss to the SOLOIST-2S the active –6 dB termination is disabled and the
receiver will see the 600-Ohm load on the modulator. This eliminates the possibility of dual
termination.
B) The use of a 600-Ohm resistor on the audio input provides passive termination and will require that
the Network audio be set to +0 dB in the network setting. In this scenario, when power is lost, the
network audio will become doubly terminated (once at the SOLOIST-2S input and again at the
modulator).
C) If the 600-Ohm termination can be disabled on the modulator, the use of a passive 600-Ohm resistor
on the SOLOIST-2S input will provide proper termination in both power on and off states.
It is recommended to integrate the audio using A or C. If the audio still sounds distorted in either of these
scenarios, the input level to the SOLOIST-2S must be lowered to 1 V P-P.
KEYPAD
SOLOIST-2S VERSION 1.0 MPEG 2 PLAYBACK SYSTEM
4/18/01 V1.0-7
ADTEC, Inc. USA
For Un-Balanced Hi-Z systems
A) Typically Hi-z audio has input impedance of 10K-Ohms or higher. There is no need for passive
termination in the form of a resistor or active termination in the form of a –6 dB network setting.
Connect the positive and ground wires only to the input and output of the SOLOIST-2S.
DATE & TIME
The SOLOIST-2S keeps accurate time once it has been set. A lithium battery maintains accurate time and
date information during power failures. The battery can provide for many years of accurate time backup. The
SOLOIST-2S has the ability to adjust for Daylight Savings if the option is set to YES.
Date- MM/DD/YYYY
WD HH:MM:SS DS
This is the Date and Time format where, MM= Month, DD= Date, YY= Year, WD= Weekday,
HH= Hours MM= Minutes, SS= Seconds (24 hour clock), DS= Daylight Savings= Y, N.
The Soloist 2S can synchronize to Network Time protocol (NTP) servers. For more information, refer to the
networking section of the API manual.
SERIAL PORT
The SOLOIST-2S has one serial port setting that must be properly configured in order to communicate with
a communications port or modem. If a modem is used press the up key to edit the modem initialization
string.
The PC (personal computer) serial port communicates with a computer or modem and is used
for data communications including scheduling and verification logs. It consists of a pair of RJ-
11 / RS-232 plugs located on the rear panel of the SOLOIST-2S labeled THRU/COMM IN. The
right port (facing the rear) is the “IN” plug and has an arrow pointing up. The left port (facing the
rear) is the “THRU” plug and has an arrow pointing down. The “IN” plug connects to a computer
or modem.
The “THRU” plug is provided so that multiple (unlimited) SOLOIST-2S’s can daisy chain off a
single host computer or modem. When multiple SOLOIST-2S units are daisy chained together,
the “THRU” connection of the upstream unit connects to the “IN” connection of the downstream
unit. No termination is required on the last SOLOIST-2S in the chain.
KEYPAD
SOLOIST-2S VERSION 1.0 MPEG 2 PLAYBACK SYSTEM
4/18/01 V1.0-8
ADTEC, Inc. USA
The PC (COMM IN) on the SOLOIST-2S and the host PC (personal computer) must have
matching BAUD, DATA BITS, STOP BITS and PARITY settings to ensure proper
communications.
The format of the serial port settings is BBBBB,D,S,P where:
BBBBB = Baud: Data transfer rate between SOLOIST-2S and host computer.
300 – 1,036,800 baud (bits per second)
D = Data Bits: Number of data bits. 5 – 8
S = Stop Bits: Number of stop bits. 1 – 2
P = Parity: A standardized procedure for verifying proper data formats during serial
communications. N = No parity, O = ODD parity, E = Even parity.
Note: When the select key is pressed to edit the PC serial port, the cursor defaults to the baud field. To
edit other fields use the left or right key to enter the field.
Note: If more than one SOLOIST-2S is connected to a PC or modem (via a daisy chain connection), all the
SOLOIST-2S’s must have identical PC SERIAL PORT settings. When communicating with
SOLOIST-2S's use of 38,400, 8, 1, N is recommended.
MODEM Presets
The SOLOIST-2S has several modems that we recommend for use. These modems have their initialization
strings pre-loaded. If you are using any of the modems listed below, select the model modem from the list.
The initialization string will be automatically set and sent to the modem. If you are not using one of these
modems then continue to the Modem Initialization menu and program the Initialization string of your modem
into the SOLOIST-2S.
MODEM Presets table
Manufacturer Model Number Initialization String
Generic Generic ATE0V0&K4S0=1
Best Data Smart One 336FLX (36.6 Kbs) ATE0V0&K4&D0&R1&S0%C3S0=1
Best Data Smart One 56SXV.90 (57.6 Kbs) ATE0V0&K4&D0&R1&S0%C3S0=1
C-Net (Rockwell) 5614XE (57.6 Kbs) ATE0V0&K4&D0&S0%C1S0=1
Hi-Val V1456VQE (57.6 Kbs) ATE0V0&K4&D0&S0%C3S0=1
Practical
Peripherals
PM144T (14.4 Kbs) ATE0V0&K4S0=1
Practical
Peripherals
PM336T (36.6 Kbs) ATE0V0&K4S0=1
USR Sportster 56K Sportster (57.6 Kbs) ATE0V0&H2&D0&R1&S0&K2&M4SO=1
User Defined None User entered string.
KEYPAD
SOLOIST-2S VERSION 1.0 MPEG 2 PLAYBACK SYSTEM
4/18/01 V1.0-9
ADTEC, Inc. USA
The 0’s in the initialization strings are zero’s!
INITIALIZE MODEM
The modem initialization is an alphanumeric string up to forty characters long that configures an external
modem connected to a SOLOIST-2S. Modem initialization strings are a constant source of anguish for
computer users everywhere. There are thousands of different models of modems with various baud,
compression, and error correction capabilities. It seems each one requires a different initialization string to
function optimally. This being the case, providence dictates using a modem for which the initialization string
is already known. The easiest way to do this is to purchase a modem from Adtec.
To enter the initialization string, press the mode key until the Serial Port screen appears then press UP.
Enter the characters by pressing Select and the up or down key then us the right or left key to move to the
next field. Press enter once the characters are entered.
Note: If multiple SOLOIST-2S's are daisy chained together, they must all have identical Serial Port
settings. Only one SOLOIST-2S in the chain (preferably the one connected to the modem) should
have a modem initialization string.
NEVER ENTER THE MODEM INITIALIZATION STRING
INTO MORE THAN ONE SOLOIST-2S.
UNIT NAME
The name is a unique identifier (20 character alphanumeric ID) for each SOLOIST-2S. When multiple
SOLOIST-2SS’ are daisy chained together, a unique unit name must be set for each unit so each unit in the
chain can be uniquely addressed for communication. An example of a SOLOIST-2S Name might be CNN.
The factory default name for each SOLOIST-2S unit is “SOLOIST-2S”. If the default name is not changed
and multiple SOLOIST-2S units are daisy chained together to a computer or modem, there will be no way to
individually communicate with a specific unit in the chain. Each SOLOIST-2S must have a unique
unit name!
KEYPAD
SOLOIST-2S VERSION 1.0 MPEG 2 PLAYBACK SYSTEM
4/18/01 V1.0-10
ADTEC, Inc. USA
NETWORK NAME
The network name helps the user identify the broadcast network connected to the SOLOIST-2S’s network
input. It is a four character alphanumeric field that can also be used for billing purposes. The field is
automatically left justified for names less than 4 characters. Typically the Network Name and SOLOIST-2S
Name are the same.
NETWORK CHANNEL
The network channel number is associated with the SOLOIST-2S’s network channel input. It can represent
either the cable system broadcast channel number or billing system channel number. Examples would be
12, 32, 105, etc. The field is automatically right justified for three digit channel numbers.
HOST MODE
The SOLOIST-2S integrates industry standard 10 Base Ethernet utilizing the TCP/IP protocol. The HOST
MODE defines whether the SOLOIST-2S will function as a server or client in the networked environment.
Typically all SOLOIST-2S’s are configured as Server’s since ADTEC’s Server Host Mode can also be a
client. The SOLOIST-2S also supports Mirroring via Server or Client for automatic FTP retrievals of data.
SERVER- Server Host mode. (Servers can also act as Clients)
CLIENT- Client Host mode.
IP ADDRESS- Unique address required for TCP/IP. Ex. 192.168.10.48 (Factory Default)
IP MASK-
All units on a given network must have identical IP Mask settings.
Ex. 255.255.255.0 (Factory Default)
GATE IP ADDRESS- IP address of Gateway if used. Ex. 192.168.255.10 (0.0.0.0 is the
Factory Default)
KEYPAD
SOLOIST-2S VERSION 1.0 MPEG 2 PLAYBACK SYSTEM
4/18/01 V1.0-11
ADTEC, Inc. USA
EMT
The Ethernet Multicast Transfer (EMT) is a proprietary protocol designed by ADTEC for high-speed
distribution of files. It is used when two or more units reside on a LAN and require the same MPEG files.
EMT resides at the physical layer of the Ethernet Protocol and operates by multicasting files from a
designated solicitor to all subscribers on the network. The solicitor will accomplish this by using one of two
modes. In half duplex mode the solicitor will continuously multicast all files in its directory without requiring
acknowledgments from subscribers. In full duplex mode the solicitor will broadcast a solicitation every three
seconds to see if any subscriber needs the file. If the solicitor receives any subscriptions it will then begin
multicasting the file. The subscribers will then be required to send periodic acknowledgements until the file
is finished multicasting.
******************WARNING******************
In order to distribute files in the least amount of time EMT has been highly optimized and will use
in excess of 90% of the available bandwidth on a 10baseT network. If your ADTEC equipment is
connected to the rest of your LAN or a WAN it is highly recommended that a router/bridge be used
to either block all broadcast or EMT transmissions only. EMT uses a proprietary packet type of
ADEC (hex). Please see your network administrator for more details on how to set up a
router/bridge. In the absence of a router/bridge the amount of bandwidth used by EMT can be
constrained by lowering the Upper Bit Rate of the EMT Setting at the expense of slower file
distribution.
Duplicate Drive
Allows the user to assign a specific Hard Drive as a source drive to automatically copy files. This is useful in
situations where a JAZ drive is used to update files. The spots are copied from an encoder to a JAZ disc
and carried (Sneaker-Net) to the remote Jaz drive connected to the SOLOIST-2S Solicitor. Upon insertion of
the new JAZ disc the automatic copy process will copy the new file to the Solicitors Hard Drive. Automatic
overwrite is handled by the most current file date. To assign a Duplicate Drive, input the ID number of the
hard drive into the Duplicate Drive Setting.
******************WARNING******************
Never load a Jaz disk into the Jaz drive while the Soloist-2S is on air. The disk logging process
will cause the unit to macro block. The unit will recover in approximately 10 seconds if a disk is
accidentally loaded.
KEYPAD
SOLOIST-2S VERSION 1.0 MPEG 2 PLAYBACK SYSTEM
4/18/01 V1.0-12
ADTEC, Inc. USA
SCSI ID Dup Drive Table
SCSI ID Duplicate Drive Number SCSI ID Duplicate Drive Number
0 8 4 12
1 9 5 13
2 10 6 14
3 11 7
SCSI Host ID number (reserved)
IDE ID Dup Drive Table
ID Duplicate Drive Number Duplicate Drive Number
3 3
All IDE CD or DVD Rom drives are placed on the IDE Bus number
3
KEYPAD
SOLOIST-2S VERSION 1.0 MPEG 2 PLAYBACK SYSTEM
4/18/01 V1.0-13
ADTEC, Inc. USA
SOLOIST-2S (Rear View)
I J K L M N O
A B C D E F G H
Connector Description
A Chassis ground.
B AC line input, 3-pin computer power plug. Includes 6’ cable. (Auto range 70-240 VAC input)
C Ethernet and External SCSI 2 or IDE drive expansion port.
D Network Audio in/out, Tally out and Auxiliary Audio/Video and GPI in.
E RS422A. Used internally by the SOLOIST-2S motherboard.
***************************Warning: DO NOT CONNECT*************************
F Parallel. Used internally by the SOLOIST-2S motherboard.
***************************Warning: DO NOT CONNECT*************************
G RS-232 communications port THRU. (Unlimited loop-through capabilities)
H RS-232 communications port IN. (Unlimited loop-through capabilities)
I Product label area.
J 10 Base T Ethernet RJ-45 jack.
K IP address. 192.168.10.48 Factory Default
L Video output number 1, 75 Ohm. Relay bypass on this output only, connect this to the
Modulator.
M Video output number 2, 75 Ohm. No relay bypass, preview video output only.
**********Warning, DO NOT connect this output to the modulator************
N Network Video In (From IRD/IRT)
O Unbalanced LEFT and RIGHT MPEG 2 audio output, 56K Ohm output impedance.
(Preview audio typically used in conjunction with video output 2 (M)).
KEYPAD
SOLOIST-2S VERSION 1.0 MPEG 2 PLAYBACK SYSTEM
4/18/01 V1.0-14
ADTEC, Inc. USA
Exploded SOLOIST-2S Audio In/Auxiliary In/Tally IO
J K L M
A B C D E F G H I
Connector Description
A Network audio out. If monaural audio is used, make certain the output connections
match the input. IE. If the left side is used for in use the left side for out. 600-Ohm
output impedance.
B DTMF audible cue tone positive signal, low Z unbalanced. Range –20 dB to +0 dB
C DTMF audible cue tone and GPI ground.
D GPI (Contact Closure) input.
E “On Air” Normally Open contact closure. Closes during insert.
F Relay common.
G “On Air” Normally Closed contact closure. Opens during insert.
H “On Air” Open collector circuit. Ground during insert.
I Auxiliary GPI (Contact Closure) input. Connect the ground to input C. Use this in a
Latching mode to take the Auxiliary source to air.
J Network audio in. If monaural audio is used, make certain the input connections match
the output. IE. If the left side is used for in use the left side for out. Non-terminating
input. Connect an external resistor or select –6 dB in the NetSet to terminate. See
page 8 for more details.
K Not used for Local origination.
L Auxiliary video in. Terminates to 75 Ohms.
M Auxiliary audio in. If monaural audio is used, make certain the input connections match
the Network output. IE. If the left side is used for in use the left side for out. Non-
terminating input. Connect an external resistor or select –6 dB in the NetSet to
terminate. See page 8 for more details.
KEYPAD
SOLOIST-2S VERSION 1.0 MPEG 2 PLAYBACK SYSTEM
4/18/01 V1.0-15
ADTEC, Inc. USA
Technical
Communications Port
The SOLOIST-2S supports an RS232 communications loop. The IN is provided to make a direct connection
to a PC communications port. The THRU is provided to communicate with additional devices, there is no
limitation to the number of devices that can be connected to a single PC Communications port. The default
baud, data, parity and stop parameters are: 38,400, 8, 1, N.
COMM IN and COMM THRU
RJ-11 Function Notes
1 NC No Connect
2 TRX Transmit
3 GND Ground
4 GND Ground
5 RCV Receive
6 NC No Connect
PC Communications Port Interface Adapter
DB9F to RJ-11
DB9 Female DB25 Function RJ-11 RJ-11 Function Notes
1 DCD NC NC Short to 7 inside 9 pin
housing
2 TRX 2 TRX Transmit
3 RCV 5 RCV Receive
4 DTR NC NC No Connect
5 GND 3 GND Ground
6 DSR NC NC No Connect
7 RTS NC NC Short to 1 inside 9 pin
housing
8 CTS NC NC No Connect
KEYPAD
SOLOIST-2S VERSION 1.0 MPEG 2 PLAYBACK SYSTEM
4/18/01 V1.0-16
ADTEC, Inc. USA
Modem Adapter
DB25M to RJ-11
DB25 Male DB25 Function RJ-11 RJ-11 Function Notes
1 GND 4 GND Ground
2 TRX 5 TRX Transmit
3 RCV 2 RCV Receive
4 RTS NC NC Short 4 to 5 and 20
inside 25 pin housing
5 CTS NC NC Short to 4 and 5 inside
25 pin housing
6 DSR NC NC No Connect
7 GND 3 GND Ground
8 DCD NC NC
9-19 NC NC No Connect
20 DTR NC Short to 4 and 20 inside
25 pin housing
21 NC NC No Connect
22 RI NC No Connect
23-25 NC NC No Connect
Communications Cable
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