Zephyr Wiring

[Dave Wowchuk]

Wondering if anyone (besides Michael Craig @ Tiffen) knows what the wiring is like inside the Zephyr? They've made spaces available in the top stage for expansion, but I'm not sure if the wiring inside is. Here's my dilemma: I have a live event shoot coming up where the camera only has one HD-SDI output and a HDMI output. I need two feeds - one to my monitor and one to production. Any suggestions? Here's what I've received so far:

 

- take a cable from the monitor loop-through back out to production

- use an external HD-SDI splitter

- take the HDMI output to a HDMI-SDI mini-converter, then split the feeds

- take the HD-SDI loop through from the monitor and send the signal back through the BNC dedicated for SD video up to the top stage (weird, can you actually run SDI through standard SD wiring?)

[Erik Brul]

Wondering if anyone (besides Michael Craig @ Tiffen) knows what the wiring is like inside the Zephyr? They've made spaces available in the top stage for expansion, but I'm not sure if the wiring inside is.

 

I think just by (re)checking the online manual that those 2 expansion ports are just for 1 extra power port and some sort of tally port.

You should be able to simply open the topstage and check if there is 'extra' wiring in there.. it is one of those selling points i remember

Peter Abraham mentioned in many videoclips about the Zephyr.. (open the stage and switch sdi / sd port if you wish)

 

btw: that last 'option' seems weird or impossible imho :(

[Mark Schlicher]

I've had some confusing answers to the question of the "extra" wiring in the post for the empty ports, but the most recent I heard from Michael is that the wiring for the tally and for another power connector are present. When the tally upgrade is done (or a tally-equipped new Zephyr is sold), existing wires are used and terminated in those empty ports on the stage.

 

However, I looked and couldn't see the "extra" wires inside the topstage. They may be tucked underneath where not easily seen.

 

Yes you can move the wiring around inside the topstage. I moved a power connector to be more convenient for my BFD receiver. Just be careful not to pinch the wires when reassembling the plastic shell.

 

HD-SDI requires a wire that will pass the high frequencies of that signal. I don't have a camera to test it with but my guess is that if they aren't advertising 2 HD lines, then the "Video" SD line probably can't handle HD-SDI.

[Alan Rencher]

Wondering if anyone (besides Michael Craig @ Tiffen) knows what the wiring is like inside the Zephyr? They've made spaces available in the top stage for expansion, but I'm not sure if the wiring inside is. Here's my dilemma: I have a live event shoot coming up where the camera only has one HD-SDI output and a HDMI output. I need two feeds - one to my monitor and one to production. Any suggestions? Here's what I've received so far:

 

- take a cable from the monitor loop-through back out to production

- use an external HD-SDI splitter

- take the HDMI output to a HDMI-SDI mini-converter, then split the feeds

- take the HD-SDI loop through from the monitor and send the signal back through the BNC dedicated for SD video up to the top stage (weird, can you actually run SDI through standard SD wiring?)

 

I actually have run the HD-SDI signal from a Red One through the SD BNC connectors, through the loop-through on the monitor, then back up the HD connectors to the top stage.

 

From all the research I've done, all co-ax video cabling that terminates to BNC use the same 75 OHM wiring.

[Mark Schlicher]

Good to have some positive experience on this, thanks Alan.

 

It's not correct to suggest that all 75 OHM wiring is the same. Impedence is only part of what makes a cable HD-capable. I'm not an engineer so I can't give a concise technical description, but...

 

The ability of a cable to handle a digital HD signal is a combination of cable design/construction, number and design of connectors, and cable length. It's about signal attenuation (specifically high frequency attenuation)...So a non-HD-rated cable could work for a short run, but may fail in a longer run. Attenuation is cumulative, I believe...so a weak link will limit your cable distance.

 

Here's some geeky info: http://www.extron.com/company/article.aspx?id=demystifyingcables1

Belden cable guide (with a good technical intro): http://www.belden.com/pdfs/Techbull/TB65.pdf

[Brian Freesh]

I actually have run the HD-SDI signal from a Red One through the SD BNC connectors, through the loop-through on the monitor, then back up the HD connectors to the top stage.

 

I'm curious why. Just testing, or a specific on-set application? If the latter, I'm really curious what it was.

[Alan Rencher]

I actually have run the HD-SDI signal from a Red One through the SD BNC connectors, through the loop-through on the monitor, then back up the HD connectors to the top stage.

 

I'm curious why. Just testing, or a specific on-set application? If the latter, I'm really curious what it was.

 

I think we were having trouble with the ET breakout box and only had one DIN adapter, but we still needed a feed to video village.

 

Mark, you may be right on cable length and attenuation, but as far as I know all modern professional BNC cable is made to handle the highest bandwidth. I could be wrong, but that's just what I've encountered.

[Mark Schlicher]

Mark, you may be right on cable length and attenuation, but as far as I know all modern professional BNC cable is made to handle the highest bandwidth. I could be wrong, but that's just what I've encountered.

 

It's probably true that most BNC in professional use is HD-SDI capable. But that's different from saying "all co-ax video cabling that terminates to BNC use the same 75 OHM wiring." Without adding important qualifiers, that statement is not accurate.

 

It's been awhile but I have run into rental house's BNC cable that wasn't up to HD-SDI snuff.