TSL Control Solutions

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Anything to anything (machine control routing)

A broadcaster may wish to have an array (or pool) of devices that can be dynamically allocated or routed flexibly on a production-by-production basis. These devices may be from different manufacturers (EVS, Evertz, Grass Valley, Black Magic etc) and have different control panels, interfaces, and protocols.

Professional equipment is expensive. Often there is a control surface or device that operators interact with that is connected to a processing device that is located somewhere else. The processing devices are bought as required, however having a dedicated controlling device for each processor is expensive and limits the operational environment. 

TSL Control can form a virtual control router, allowing for control of any of the devices to be routed to the appropriate operator. The system can also act as a “Protocol Translator” allowing devices from different manufacturers to be controlled from the same control surface or interface. Furthermore, this virtual router can be controlled from the customer's broadcast control system, allowing Control to be routed alongside media.

Trusted by: Leading National American Broadcast Networks, Ross and Riedel

Use Case: A Leading National American Broadcast Network

A Leading National American Broadcast Network uses TSL Control to route video server control between their Sony XVS mixers and Evertz Dreamcatcher video servers.

At the software level, the system is comprised of several input and emulator protocols and a separate number of output and controller protocols.

Each production control room (PCR) has a dedicated TSL general purpose interface tally processor (GTP).

The mixer is trying to control 4 channels of the video server, so it sends 4 separate instances of AMP protocol to that dedicated TSL GTP.

The GTP is emulating an AMP-based video server so that it can receive AMP protocol and respond to it as the mixer would expect.

On the back end, a group of TSL GTPs connect to the available video servers, again using AMP protocol.

Additionally, there are two separate GTPs that are known as the Router GTPs. These two act as a primary/backup redundant pair running in active/active mode.

The two router GTPs create a virtual routable matrix that any router control system can control, using standard protocols like Quartz or Snell SW-P08.

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Within this virtual matrix, each incoming connection from a mixer is assigned an input number and each connection to a video server is assigned an output number.

The router GTPs receive cross-point commands from the router control system and then respond to them by telling the GTPs in the PCRs to connect to the appropriate GTPs that connect to the video server.

This particular system utilises hardware GTP’s but there is no reason why these could not be virtualised.

Anything to anything diagram:

Device ControlMachine Control Routing Diagram

Benefits of Anything to anything:

  • Allows for a pool of resources to be shared across an entire facility, allowing for greater utilisation, and reducing the quantity of devices that would have to be used if they were dedicated.

  • Allows for easy switching of equipment in the case of failure or maintenance.
Control Applications scroller (1)