Genlock Adapter
Genlock Adapter
The Genlock Adapter allows you to capture frame synchronized videos where the camera are separated by more than 25 feet. In general, you need one Genlock Adapter per camera, unless you are routing the cabling through wiring closets, then you may need additional powered Genlock Adapters in each wiring closet.
Specs
Dimensions (exclusive of cables) are 108.5mm x 87.5mm x 30.5mm
Ports
The Genlock Adapter has the following ports:
You must connect one, but not both of the following inputs:
- IN - Genlock Input from an upstream Genlock Adapter. Connect using up to 1000' of Cat-5 or Cat-6 cable. This is NOT an Ethernet port. DO NOT connect to network hardware (POE Injectors, switches, routers etc.).
- SOURCE IN - Genlock Input from genlock source camera. Set one camera to Genlock source mode and connect using the supplied 2.5mm male to male cable. As a special case, when a genlock source camera is connected to the SOURCE IN port, you can also connect a wired or wireless trigger to the TRIGGER IN port.
One or more of the following Genlock outputs can be connected:
- OUT1 - OUT4 - Genlock outputs to downstream Genlock Adapters. Connect using up to 1000' of Cat-5 or Cat-6 cable. This is NOT an Ethernet port. DO NOT connect to network hardware (POE Injectors, switches, routers etc.).
- RECEIVER OUT / TRIGGER IN - Genlock Output to genlock receiver camera. Set the intended Receiver camera to Genlock Receiver mode and connect using the supplied 2.5mm male to male cable. As a special case, when a genlock source camera is connected to the SOURCE IN port, you can also connect a wired or wireless trigger to the TRIGGER IN port.
The Genlock Adapter requires 5V @ 500mA
- POWER - Connect one of the POWER ports to an edgertronic camera USB port, or an external USB charger, using the supplied USB male A to USB male A cable. You may use the second POWER port to daisy-chain power to a second Genlock Adapter box.
Wiring
After you design your cabling layout, verify all of the following assertions are true:
- Each camera has one Genlock Adapter
- Each camera has one CAT5 cable used for Ethernet that goes to an Ethernet switch
- Each genlock receiver camera has one CAT5 cable going from the camera's Genlock Adapter to another camera's Genlock Adapter
- The genlock source camera has no more than four CAT 5 cables from genlock receiver camera's Genlock Adapters
- Each Genlock Adapter that is not next to a camera has a USB power supply and a power source for the USB power supply
- Maximum genlock CAT5 segment length is 1000 ft.
- No network cable extenders being used for the genlock CAT5 wiring.
Genlock source camera
- Using a 2.5mm male/male cable, connect the IO port, on the back of the genlock source camera, to the SOURCE IN port on the front of the Genlock Adapter
- Using a USB A to A cable, connect one of the USB ports, on the back of genlock source camera, to one of the POWER ports on the front of the Genlock Adapter
- Using CAT5 or CAT6 cable(s), connect one or more the the OUT1-OUT4 ports, on the back of the Genlock Adapter, to the IN port(s) on the front of one or more downstream Genlock Adapters.
- Using the supplied power adapter or POE splitter, connect 12V to the power jack on the back of the genlock source camera.
- Connect ethernet to the back of the genlock source camera.
- Optionally, connect a wired or wireless trigger to the TRIGGER IN port, on the front of the Genlock Adapter, to trigger the genlock source camera and all downstream receiver cameras.
The Genlock adapter is NOT an ethernet network device. To prevent severe damage, DO NOT connect the Genlock Adapter to any ethernet network port (switches, routers, POE, servers, computers etc).
Genlock receiver camera
- Using a 2.5mm male/male cable, connect the IO port, on the back of the genlock receiver camera, to the RECEIVER OUT port on the front of the Genlock Adapter
- Using a USB A to A cable, connect one of the USB ports, on the back of genlock receiver camera, to one of the POWER ports on the front of the Genlock Adapter
- Using a CAT5 or CAT6 cable, connect the IN port, on the front of the Genlock Adapter, to one of the OUT1-OUT4 port(s) on the back of an upstream Genlock Adapter.
- Optionally, using CAT5 or CAT6 cable(s), connect one or more the the OUT1-OUT4 ports, on the back of the Genlock Adapter, to the IN port(s) on the front of one or more downstream Genlock Adapters.
- Using the supplied power adapter or POE splitter, connect 12V to the power jack on the back of the genlock receiver camera.
- Connect ethernet to the back of the genlock receiver camera.
The Genlock adapter is NOT an ethernet network device. To prevent severe damage, DO NOT connect the Genlock Adapter to any ethernet network port (switches, routers, POE, servers, computers etc).
Genlock Adapter connection examples
The Genlock Adapter supports several different wiring deployments.
The most important fact to keep in mind is not to confuse the cable – CAT5 – with the signaling protocol; ethernet signaling for camera control and genlock signaling for, well, genlock. CAT5 cabling with RJ45 connectors was chosen because it is inexpensive, well designed, and ubiquitous. However, using CAT5 cabling for two incompatible purposes can easily lead to confusion. CAT6 is a higher quality cable, and can be used in place of CAT5.
The diagrams below are more readable if you click on them to expand their size.
Diagram wire color list:
| Color | Example | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| Medium Slate Blue | Camera power, 12v 2.5A. Included with camera. | |
| Laser Lemon | Ethernet network cable for camera configuration, monitoring and control. 2 meter cable included with camera. | |
| Lime Green | 2.5mm cable for connecting genlock source camera genlock signal to Genlock Adapter SOURCE IN port. 1 meter cable included with Genlock Adapter. | |
| Violet | USB A to USB B cable for powering Genlock Adapter. 1 meter cable included with Genlock Adapter. | |
| Scarlet Red | CAT5 with RJ45 connectors for connecting two Genlock Adapters together. Maximum CAT5 length between two Genlock Adapters is 1.5 kilometers. | |
| Dark Green | 2.5mm cable for connecting Genlock Adapter RECEIVER OUT to genlock receiver camera. 1 meter cable included with Genlock Adapter. |
Genlock cable extender
If you have two camera more than 25 feet apart, you can extend the distance by using two Genlock Adapters, as shown in the diagram.
If the camera are more than 1000 ft apart you can put additional genlock adapters at least every 1000 ft. Power each Genlock Adapter, except the first and last, with a USB power supply.
Star or home run topology
If your cabling is going to follow typical small installation ethernet wiring, there will be one wiring closet that contains the ethernet network switch. This wiring topology is call star or alternately home run topology.
For example, if you have one genlock source camera and 3 genlock receiver cameras, the following equipment would be needed for star topology.
- 4 cameras, one configured as genlock source camera and 3 cameras configured as genlock receiver.
- 5 Genlock Adapters, one for each camera and one for the wiring closet. One USB power supply is needed for the Genlock Adapter in the closet.
- 4 genlock CAT5 cables, going from the wiring closet to each camera.
- 4 2.5mm cables that are included with the Genlock Adapter.
- 5 USB-A to USB-A cables that are included with the Genlock Adapter.
- 1 USB charger.
- If you have a second wiring closet, with more cameras to connect, the pattern repeats. The figure show a second wiring closet with an additional Genlock Adapter and USB charger.
Daisy chain topology
One Genlock Adapter per camera, each camera having 3 CAT5 cables (1 Ethernet, 2 genlock), except for genlock source camera and the last receiver camera only needing 2 CAT5 cables (1 Ethernet, 1 genlock).
