AJA GEN10: rack reference, formats and checks with FS4

GEN10 and FS4 do different jobs

Generating a shared reference and synchronizing video sources are different tasks. GEN10 and a frame synchronizer serve different purposes.

The GEN10 Mini-Converter manual v1.0r2, dated July 3, 2014, pp. 4–5, describes a generator with six video-reference outputs in two groups and one AES-11 output, all from a common timebase. Its connection diagram shows no input for processing a camera's or computer's content. Generating reference does not add frame-synchronizer processing.

The FS4 manual v3.1r1, p. 24, says Ref Loop accepts SD blackburst or HD tri-level sync. Its two BNC connectors form a passive loop: one receives reference and the other continues the chain or is terminated. The second BNC does not generate a new reference. For source processing, see the FS4 format, audio and synchronization guide.

Start with the symptom: missing reference at a device, an unsynchronized video source, or an incompatible format. Record whether the source has a reference input and which formats it accepts. Carbonite resources and licenses depend on the exact model and manual; no one frame-synchronizer count applies across the whole family.

Identify the output group, signal and rate before changing DIP settings

In GEN10 v1.0r2, pp. 5 and 8, SW1 selects SD or HD for OUT 1–4, and SW2 does the same for OUT 5–6. Left selects SD; right selects HD. AES-11 is a separate output. Do not mistake it for one of the six video-reference BNC connectors.

SW4–SW8 select the HD family and format according to the matrix on p. 9. Record the BNC and group in use before comparing signals. If both groups output HD, do not assume that each connector has an independent HD format; the format controls are shared. Selecting SD or HD for a group does not, by itself, establish the exact rate.

The following table shows four combinations documented on p. 9. For a group to output the HD signal in a row, its SW1 or SW2 must be set to HD. Read the column heading carefully: the matrix lists SW8, SW7, SW6, not SW6, SW7, SW8. Zero means left and one means right, following the orientation printed on the device.

The installation instructions, p. 6, say to disconnect +5 VDC before setting DIP switches and connecting devices, then apply power last. Schedule this change outside the show because the generator may feed several devices. Photograph or record the initial settings, configure the agreed format and verify what each branch receives before returning to the event.

SW3, p. 8, selects Color Black or bars on the SD outputs and, at the same time, silence or tone on AES-11. Check that effect if the rack uses the audio output. The internal jumper, p. 7, relates to the NTSC pedestal; the manual does not require changing it to generate HD or NTSC with Setup. Do not treat it as a 59.94-versus-60 selector.

For a 1080p59.94 system, check the reference accepted by each receiver

This guide does not establish which receivers in a particular setup accepted the reference or how much latency changed.

The list in GEN10 v1.0r2, p. 10, includes 1080i50/59.94/60, 720p at the listed rates and 1080p through 30; it does not list 1080p59.94 or 2160p reference. That list describes what GEN10 generates. Show content format and reference format are separate facts. Check the exact receiver manual for compatibility; a shared “1080” label is not enough.

For FS4, manual v3.1r1, p. 14, requires a reference compatible with the output frame-rate family: 59.94/29.97/23.98, 50/25 or 60/30/24. VIDEO > 1 Output Frame Rate and 2 Genlock Source, p. 53, select the family and source; changing the family recalls a stored Output Format. Record the final format after making that change.

Build a list for each receiver: model, version, connector, accepted references and received signal. Documented compatibility for FS4 does not verify the other devices. The Canon C400 guide (Spanish guide) now covers its connector, detection and lock using manual v1.6. The actual unit's rate combination and the exact ATEM and DeckLink models and manuals still need checking.

There is a picture, but FS4 shows No Ref, No Input or Incompat for GEN

The FS4 manual v3.1r1, p. 22, shows a valid video input with missing reference, and another example with incompatible reference. In STATUS, pp. 48–49, IN, GEN and OUT are read for each processor. Record the alarm and format on each path: seeing content does not validate reference.

If VIDEO > 2 Genlock Source is set to Reference and GEN detects no signal, trace the path from the GEN10 BNC to Ref Loop. Check the SD/HD group, DIP settings, power and cable. Page 24 requires a stable reference and 75-ohm termination at the FS4's unused BNC or at the last device in the chain. Identify where the branch is terminated; do not add another terminator without checking the next device's configuration.

If GEN shows Incompat, record the detected format and compare it with the selected frame-rate family and Output Format. If there is no signal, the format table cannot replace a check of the physical path. For a controlled test, compare a known-good cable and reference output while keeping the agreed format; record the result before changing another variable.

Free run uses the FS4's own timebase. If you compare it outside the show, record the change and what the switcher receives. An alarm disappearing does not prove lock to the shared generator. Restore the required mode afterward and check switching and every destination.

Complete the blank GEN10/FS4 reference worksheet. Record reference, picture and audio states separately. It contains no tests performed by GLMedia.

Complete the event's reference and content paths

Connect this check with FS4: ATC, AES audio and synchronization, FS2: format and video reference and AV-HS410: input frame sync and reference. Each model has its own controls; keep that distinction when building the rack.

For a conference with screens, recording and streaming, record what each branch receives. That list helps plan video processing and distribution and choose setup checks without attributing unmeasured results to the generator.