A fundamental property of any Automation System is the Machine Control. Whether you are Acquiring, Preparing or otherwise Playing, you must have a machine to do it with and you must have some way to control that machine. 'Machines' can be a wide variety of devices. These devices could be a tape machine, video server, cart machine, etc. There could be a A/V router, an effects generator or Master Control switcher. Basically, machines are any device that you might want to control. Normally each machine has its own unique set of commands, or its own interpretation of a set of standardized commands, and a unique interface to each is required.
The better automation systems provide means where multiple software modules can control the same machines, when possible. This is normally accomplished via a network, using a network based control protocol going out to individual computers which are then connected to the machines. The computers take the network messages, translate them into the machines particular protocol, and sends the translated message to the machine. Status from the machine is accomplished in a similar 'reverse process'. The use of a network based machine control protocol allows for unlimited expansion and multiple control to be done from anywhere to anywhere.
NVerzion's solution is EMC-NT. The following graphic shows an actual EMC-16. Generally there is little user interfacing with the actual GUI. Most work is accomplished across the network. This particular instance has Machine Delegation enable for two of the VTRs. This gives you the power to assign who can control a device at a given moment. This delegation can be scheduled from certain applications such as NTime Gold.
EMC-NT is sold in three different configurations. EMC-16, EMC-8 and EMC-4. The number at the end indicates how many devices the particular EMC is configured to control. Under most circumstances EMC acts as an interface between the NVerzion control protocol and a serially controlled device. Sometimes the device control is relay / opto based and other times the device being controlled is also network controlled. There is no limitation to how many EMCs you can add to any network. If you would like more detailed information on how EMC works click the following link The EMC Architecture.
NVerzion separates its Router Control from its Machine Control and uses an application called ECM-Router to accomplish its network based router interfaces. Again, a network based switch protocol allows all applications to share a single EMC-Router. Just like EMC-NT, there is not much direct user interface with the EMC-Router GUI.
The GUI is designed to be used by NVerzion and customer Engineering staff to check the status of the application when needed. A list of clients connected to the application is shown. An optional output status is available but is dependent on the router manufacturer that EMC-Router is configured to control. If you would like more detailed information on how EMC works click the following link The EMC Architecture.
Under almost all circumstances, EMC-Router communicates to the router it is configured to control via network or serially. If the particular router you are controlling can handle more than one controller, you can add multiple EMC-Routers. This redundant control is automatically handled for you by all of our applications.
The video industry is very dynamic and new devices, as well as modifications to existing devices, is the only constant. NVerzion provides a wide variety of different forms of machine control as well as routers, Master Controls, effects and devices. For a list of some of the devices we control click the following link. Devices That NVerzion Interfaces With.
>Control multiple machines along a distributive network
>Allow multiple applications to utilize any machine in a shared network
>Backward compatible with existing legacy machine control systems
>Perform delegation of control for each device
>Each EMC-NT instance controls four, eight, and up to sixteen devices
>Optional EMC-NT loop-through is available for master control/machine control interfaces
