The Lyon Lamb VAS series (MiniVAS, MiniVAS II, MicroVAS, ProVAS controllers) are connected to your workstation via an RS-232 port. If you are controlling multiple VTRs with your VAS device, you may want to create a configuration entry for each VTR that you want to control.
device video controller name
server_name server
server_id socket
server_host host
buffer buffer
display display
defn
deck deck
format format
ttydev device
codetype type
preroll seconds
enddefn
enddevice
device video controller name
The name is the name you want to assign to this device. If your VAS device is connected to your Sony 1-inch VTR, you may want to call it BVH2500.
server_name server
The server is the name of the executable that controls the VAS device. It resides in the product_bin. The server should be vtcminivas for the VAS device. (If you relocate the server executable, or if the server is running on a different host than your application, you must specify the server as a full UNIX pathname.)
server_id socket
The socket is the socket number through which your application communicates with the VAS device server process. This number must be unique to your UNIX system for each defined device and (Alias|Wavefront and non-Alias|Wavefront) server process. If you are defining multiple VAS device configurations for various VTRs using the same VAS device, you must use the same socket number for each since communication to all of the VTRs is through the same VAS device. Configurations referring to different VAS devices must use different socket numbers.
server_host host
The host is the name of the workstation to which your VAS device is connected. This is typically the workstation on which you are running your application, but can be any of the workstations on your Ethernet network. If you are using one workstation for your application and another for the VAS device, you must install your application on both machines. The host should be localhost if the VAS device is connected to your workstation.
buffer buffer
The buffer is optionally used to specify the name of a frame buffer device that is related to the VAS device being configured. If defined, this corresponding frame buffer is opened whenever the VAS device is opened.
display display
The display entry is optionally used to specify how you want the tape location to be displayed. The default, timecode, displays tape locations using time code. To display tape locations as frame numbers, specify frame.
deck deck
The deck is a two-letter code which identifies the type of VTR being controlled by the VAS device. For example, a deck value of SP is used to control the Sony BVW75, and SD is used to control the Sony BVH2500. This parameter must be specified and it must match the VTR that you are controlling according to your VAS device user manual.
format format
The format indicates whether your VAS device recognizes NTSC or PAL video. If this line is omitted, NTSC is used by default.
ttydev device
The device indicates the name of the UNIX device port through which the workstation communicates with the VAS device. On SGI workstations, it is typically ttyd1, ttyd2, ttyd3, or ttyd4, which corresponds to the RS-232 ports on the back of the machine.
codetype type
The type is one of the following choices:
VITC Vertical Interval Time Code (the VITC reader/generator must reside in the VTR)
VIFC Lyon Lamb proprietary Frame Code
preroll seconds
The seconds value can be any whole number ranging from 1 to 20, representing the number of seconds to preroll the tape prior to recording. If you use the word default for the seconds value, then the hardware default is used. The hardware default is determined by the DIP switch setting on the VAS device.
Tip: Control of the VAS device may be ignored immediately following a recording session. If this occurs, press the Stop button.
| If your VAS device is in a state in which it does not respond, try powering it off and on again. If it still does not respond, enter the command: |
echo Vdd > /dev/tty
| where dd is the two-letter code defining your VTR type and tty is the name of the workstation port to which your VAS device is connected. |