GV Expo: Telecast Brings New Configurable Rattler

Telecast Fiber Systems will be at Government Video Expo with upgrades to its line of connectivity and interfacing tools.

Telecast Rattler 3G First, there’s a whole new family of 3G transmitter and receiver modules, the TeleCube Modular Media Interface. Previewed at IBC 2009 and designed for OEM applications, the TeleCube MMI system offers broadcasters a highly flexible, cost-effective I/O solution for distribution of HD-SDI signals via fiber optics as well as copper cable. Combining a number of features such as lasers, detectors, EQ, and state-of-the-art line drivers and receivers in a compact, integrated package, each TeleCube MMI module allows a single I/O port to be configured as an input or output for either fiber or copper. Simply by plugging a TeleCube onto any FPGA-based device, engineers can instantly configure the device for 3Gbps optical or electrical input and/or output.

Based on that technology, the Rattler 3G family of pocket-sized 3Gbps HD/SDI transmitter and receiver modules has a new twist. The three-inch-long modules can be configured using the red transmitter cubes and blue receiver cubes, which act as either fiber (ST) or 75 ohm coaxial (BNC) inputs or outputs. By plugging different configurations of cubes into a central green "pit" connector, broadcasters can quickly configure a wide range of conversion devices—a fiber transmitter or receiver, an inline coaxial equalizer, a fiber-to-fiber repeater, an optical wavelength shifter, a fiber optic mode converter, or a CWDM transport link. TeleCubes are available in several optical power levels and 16 CWDM wavelengths.

Next, there’s a new fiber-optic transceiver in the rugged Viper I Mussel Shell tradition. The new transceiver provides bidirectional uncompressed 1.5Gbps HD-SDI video paths and 10/100 Ethernet functionality over single mode fiber, using Neutrik opticalCON, MX, or ST connectors.

Power is provided by an XLR-4 12 volt connector or by battery power via an Anton/Bauer or V-Mount battery plate attached to the lid. Extending the feature set is a four-character display showing monitoring of optical and electrical signal status. This is the first of many system configurations that will employ Telecast’s compact T-Block form factor in the new family of Mini-Mussel Shell enclosures.

Telecast will also show the CopperHead 3000 Series, the newest addition to its family of camera-mountable fiber optic camera transceivers. It provides a cost-effective solution for a variety of applications and users, and will provide a single fiber optic link between any professional camera or camcorder and the broadcaster's truck, control room, or "video village" position.

Also, Telecast’s SHED (SMPTE hybrid elimination device) and HDX units now provide support for the Hitachi SK-HD1000 camera. The SHED adapters enable production crews using SMPTE fiber-ready Hitachi cameras to replace hybrid optical fiber/copper cabling with low-cost single-mode fiber, while the HDX units provide the ability to power the cameras remotely. The Hitachi SK-HD1000 is the latest high-end HD camera to be supported by the SHED/HDX combination, which enables long-distance communications between the camera and base station via two single-mode fibers. The SHED-HDX family reduces the bulk and expense associated with hybrid cabling and extends the distance capabilities of the camera.

Telecast Fiber Systems will be at Government Video Expo, Dec. 2-3 in Washington, in Booth No. 437.

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