Operator's Manual
for the VueTech VueFinder
Transport Control Panel

Introduction
The VueFinder transport control panel provides basic transport control for video tape recorders and harddrive-based video recorders. One version of the control panel plugs into any 9-pin remote control connector that supports the industry-standard RS-422 protocol. Many video machines support this protocol, including Sony, JVC, Panasonic, and some video disks units. Other versions of the VueFinder connect into the 25-pin remote control connector found on many Panasonic and some Sony VTRs.

The control knob enables the operator to have fingertip control over the Reverse Shuttle, Forward Shuttle, Reverse Jog, and Forward Jog functions. Switching is automatic between the shuttle and jog modes.

Installation
A single 9-conductor cable connects the control panel to the transport. This cable transfers power to the control panel and control data back to the deck. Simply plug one end of the supplied cable into the VueFinder control panel and the other end into the video deck. Set the remote control switch on your video transport to "REMOTE" or "9-pin" to enable the serial port. The VueFinder should be active at this point.

Many VTR connectors use metric thread (2.6mm or 3.0mm) rather than the more familiar #4-40 SAE thread. VueTech includes the 2.6mm metric screws with all orders. All metric-threaded screws are colored on the caps to help distinguish them from SAE-threaded screws (red for 2.6mm, blue for 3.0mm). Be sure to install the cable with the colored jack screws, if the cable is so equipped, towards the VTR for proper thread matching.

Panel Layout and Operation
The control panel includes five pushbuttons for direct control of the Pause, Stop, Play, Record, Rewind, and Fast Forward functions. Pushing any of these buttons causes the appropriate serial command to be sent to the transport.

Stop and Pause share the button labeled Stop. One press of the Stop button causes the video transport to go into still frame mode. In the case of VTRs, the tape is still against the video playback heads. A quick, double press of the Stop button causes the video transport to stop and go into Standby Off mode. In the case of VTRs, the tape unthreads from the playback heads; some VTRs also turn off the rotary head motor.

A simultaneous push of Stop and Record buttons causes the tape cassette to eject. A simultaneous push of Stop and Rewind buttons causes the tape counter to reset to zero. This supports the Preroll option on some tape machines.

The Record button, by itself, does nothing. To record video, the Record button must be held down while pushing the Play button. This two-button lockout is intended to prevent undesired media erasures. Once a Record or Play operation has been commanded, the jog/shuttle knob is disabled so that any inadvertent bumps to the knob will not abort a record operation. As soon as the Record is terminated with a Pause or Stop, the jog/shuttle knob becomes active again for awhile. Starting with firmware version 5.1, after about 2 minutes, the jog/shuttle knob will go inactive to prevent inadvertent deck actions.

Jog/Shuttle Knob
The jog/shuttle knob works differently than any other jog/shuttle on the market today. To provide a wide latitude of control, the jog/shuttle knob has two speed ranges and always starts off in the low range. To access the high range, press the << (Rewind )or >> (Fast Forward) buttons. Once PLAY or STOP are pressed, the speed range reverts back to slow speed. The low range includes tape jogs plus shuttle speeds to 2x play speed; the high range accesses only the shuttle speeds, up to 32x play speed.

The jog/shuttle knob is active only when in Pause, Rewind, Fast Forward, Jog, or Shuttle modes. This prevents an inadvertent bump to the jog/shuttle knob from interrupting a VTR Play or Record function. Starting with firmware version 5.1, after about 2 minutes, the jog/shuttle knob will go inactive to prevent inadvertent deck actions.

In the low-speed range, starting from its most counter-clockwise rotation, the one knob covers the range from 2x reverse, to still, through 12 jog steps, to 2x forward speed. The cross-over between jog and shuttle is automatic and intuitive for the operator. The operator doesn't need to keep track of which mode is active, he just keeps his eyes on the video display monitor as the video is searched.

The low-speed shuttles use the following tape speeds: 1/30, 1/20, 1/14, 1/8, 1/6, 1/4, 1/3, 1/2, 3/4, 1, and 2, in both forward and reverse directions. The high-speed shuttles use the following tape speeds: 1/10, 1/4, 1/2, 1, 1.5, 2.2, 3.2, 4.5, 6.5, 9.3, 13, 20, and 32, in both forward and reverse directions.

Low Speed Jog/Shuttle Ranges

High Speed Shuttle Ranges

 

Option Jumpers
Four options are currently selectable with the VueFinder panel: Insert edits, Preroll, Eject, and Single Speed. Four shorting jumpers on the VueFinder's circuit board select the optional functions. Three options change the commands sent to the VTR when the button silk-screened Record is pushed. Only one of these options can be selected at a time.

Locate the four shorting jumper positions on the circuit board. Simple 0.1" shorting jumpers are used to select an option. (Some boards may not have the jumper pins installed, in which case a small wire may be soldered in to select an option.) The shorting jumpers are installed such that they connect only one pair of pins. The shorting jumpers should be oriented crosswise, not lengthwise, on the 2x4 grouping of pins. (On some circuit boards, Option 4 contacts may be located apart from the other option contacts.) Units shipped from the factory are shipped with no option jumpers installed.

Insert Edit Option
With a jumper installed in position #1, the Record button sends an INSERT EDIT command rather than the normal RECORD command. The insert type is fixed at VA1A2 (Video, Audio1, Audio 2 channels); other insert types, such as Audio Only, are available upon request.

Preroll Option
With a jumper installed in position #2, the Record button sends a PREROLL command rather than the normal RECORD command. The operator will need to preset the desired In Point at the machine prior to performing the preroll. While the Sony UVW1600/1800 will always perform a 5 second preroll from the current position, all other machines need to have the In Point explicitly set on the VTR's front panel. Those VTR's without sufficient control buttons will not be able to preroll.

A simultaneous push of STOP + REWIND buttons causes the tape counter to reset to zero. This supports the Preroll option on some tape machines.

Eject Option
With jumper installed in both positions #1 and #2, the Record button send an EJECT command rather than the normal RECORD command. The STOP+RECORD combination also will continue to work.

Single Speed Option
The maximum forward and reverse shuttle speed is a user-selectable option. Inside the VueFinder panel, the # 4 option jumper selects between high-speed shuttle only (jumper in) and both speed ranges available (jumper out).

Hardware Alignment
The most recent VueFinder circuit boards also have a selectable jog/shuttle range. While the intent of the range selection is to accommodate the 10% tolerance of the knob potentiometer, the range selection can also be used to expand the jog/shuttle range. The trade-off to an expanded range, of course, is less precise control.

There are two jumper selections near the RV2 trim pot on the VueFinder circuit board. Labeled "A" and "B", these two selections each add 5% more range when jumpers are installed. Prior to adding jumpers, though, one should first center the jog/shuttle knob such that the detent position causes a Still shuttle action when in the high speed or single speed ranges. Since there is some interaction between the range selection jumpers and the trimpot, it may be necessary to reset the trimpot after adding a jumper.

The "A" and "B" jumpers will add to the maximum high speed, with 56x normal play speed possible on some decks. The "A" and "B" jumpers will also compress the entire speed range, perhaps to the detriment of fine, low-speed control.

Cabling
All VueFinder control panels are shipped with cables suitable for direct connection to the VTR. Should you wish to use custom cables (e.g. - to increase length), use the following wiring charts:

 

Panel 9 pin D:

 

Direction:

 

VTR 9 pin D:

 

 

Mandatory Signals:

pin 2

 

<=

 

pin 2

 

Receive -

 

pin 3

 

=>

 

pin 3

 

Transmit +

 

pin 4

 

--

 

pin 4

 

Ground

 

pin 7

 

<=

 

pin 7

 

Receive +

 

pin 8

 

=>

 

pin 8

 

Transmit -

 

 

Panel 9 pin D:

 

Direction:

 

VTR 9 pin D:

 

 

Optional Signals:

pin 1

 

--

 

pin 1

 

Shield

 

pin 5

 

--

 

pin 5

 

Undefined

 

pin 6

 

--

 

pin 6

 

Ground

 

pin 9

 

--

 

pin 9

 

Shield

For the edit pass-through connector, an identical pin-for-pin cable is used between the edit controller and the VueFinder panel.

GPI Connections
The GPI Switch pins need to be connected to ground via a switch for the assigned function to occur. Use only as long a GPI cable as necessary; longer cables are more susceptible to noise than shorter cables. The use of shielded cabling will also help reduce the effects of electrical noise. Intermittent and unexplained deck control might be due to electrical noise. If the VueFinder control panel works well only without the GPI cable attached, the GPI cable is likely at fault.

The pin assignments are as follows:

Pin

 

 

 

Function

1:

 

 

 

Fast Forward

2:

 

 

 

Reverse

3:

 

 

 

Record (or preroll or insert, if enabled)

4:

 

 

 

Play

5:

 

 

 

Stop

6:

 

 

 

Ground

7:

 

 

 

undefined

8:

 

 

 

enables Preroll function instead of Record

9:

 

 

 

enables Insert Edits instead of Record

(Both the Preroll and Insert Edit options cannot be enabled at the same time.)

 

NOTE: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference when the equipment is operated in a commercial environment. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instruction manual, may cause harmful interference in which case the user will be required to correct the interference at his own expense.

 

Should you encounter any troubles or have any suggestions, please contact the technical service number listed below.