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Thread: LFG card picture freezes very briefly

  1. #1

    LFG card picture freezes very briefly

    Hello everyone.
    I'm having problems with LFG card. I have several cameras connected to the input, and the signal is stable until it makes a quick movement with the camera, or any object moves fast. The picture freezes very briefly, and then stabilizes.
    I tested with several resolutions, and the highest not seem to freeze, but leave small drops (information failure).

    Mac Pro
    2x2, 66 Mhz
    6GB Ram
    LFG 4 CV Input
    Phoenix D20 HDSDI
    ATI x1900
    Catalyst m329
    T Head 2 go 3840X1024

    Greetings

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Location
    UK - Milton Keynes
    Posts
    807
    can you send a system profile (link in catalyst menu)

    Have you installed the current driver:
    http://downloads.activesilicon.com/l...-v02_00_00.dmg

    Is you Mac in 32bit mode (not 64?... although it sounds like an older mac - so may not be an issue)

    What other PCI cards do you have installed?
    (remove the PE4 if not in use)
    Have you tried with ONLY one camera connected - do you get the same result with only 1 camera?

    need more info about your system to suggest further

    S
    Simon Pugsley

    SNP Productions Ltd. (UK)
    Lighting & Video Control Solutions
    Catalyst|Sales|Hire|Training|Support
    Catalyst Dealer UK Europe & Worldwide...

    Office: +44 (0)1908 410129
    Mobile: +44 (0)7958 390034
    simon@snp-productions.co.uk
    www.snp-productions.co.uk

  3. #3
    Quote Originally Posted by Mr_P View Post
    can you send a system profile (link in catalyst menu)

    Have you installed the current driver:
    http://downloads.activesilicon.com/l...-v02_00_00.dmg

    Is you Mac in 32bit mode (not 64?... although it sounds like an older mac - so may not be an issue)

    What other PCI cards do you have installed?
    (remove the PE4 if not in use)
    Have you tried with ONLY one camera connected - do you get the same result with only 1 camera?

    need more info about your system to suggest further

    S

    Ok, am sending the profile of the system.
    The Mac Pro is in 32 bits, is a bit old.
    The driver installed is the most current v02_00_00.dmg.
    I have proven with a single camera, putting off the other imputs.
    There is another card, a Phoenix D20 HDSDI.

    Thanks.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Location
    UK - Milton Keynes
    Posts
    807
    If a single camera works ok with no problems - it may be a PCI bus speed issue when you have multiple cameras connected.

    This may be due to a slow / busy PCI bus - due to other cards, or amount of data when connecting 4 cameras to an older hardware revision 1,1 / 2,1 MacPros - with slower PCI Bus

    Depending upon hardware version, bluetooth, wi-fi and raid can share PCI bus if installed.
    Try moving the LFG card to another PCI slot

    Would suggest removing Phoenix card if not in use.

    Try these things one at a time to see what works...

    S
    Simon Pugsley

    SNP Productions Ltd. (UK)
    Lighting & Video Control Solutions
    Catalyst|Sales|Hire|Training|Support
    Catalyst Dealer UK Europe & Worldwide...

    Office: +44 (0)1908 410129
    Mobile: +44 (0)7958 390034
    simon@snp-productions.co.uk
    www.snp-productions.co.uk

  5. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by Mr_P View Post
    If a single camera works ok with no problems - it may be a PCI bus speed issue when you have multiple cameras connected.

    This may be due to a slow / busy PCI bus - due to other cards, or amount of data when connecting 4 cameras to an older hardware revision 1,1 / 2,1 MacPros - with slower PCI Bus

    Depending upon hardware version, bluetooth, wi-fi and raid can share PCI bus if installed.
    Try moving the LFG card to another PCI slot

    Would suggest removing Phoenix card if not in use.

    Try these things one at a time to see what works...

    S

    I pass the profile system.
    I tried to leave only a camera, but also fails (a little off).

    I can not remove the card Phoenix, because I often use.

    Greetings
    Attached Files Attached Files

  6. #6
    Since my Mac Pro is 2007 and I have installed OSX 10.6.7, I have proposed to dowgrade to Leopard.
    Think you get more performance with Leopard¿

    Greetings

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Location
    UK - Milton Keynes
    Posts
    807
    Usually get more performance with 10.6.x ...

    If it is a PCI Bus speed issue - it probably wont make any difference.

    But do try installing on a separate partition/drive and see if it works for you.

    I would still remove the Phoenix PE4 if you are not using it for this show...

    Simon
    Simon Pugsley

    SNP Productions Ltd. (UK)
    Lighting & Video Control Solutions
    Catalyst|Sales|Hire|Training|Support
    Catalyst Dealer UK Europe & Worldwide...

    Office: +44 (0)1908 410129
    Mobile: +44 (0)7958 390034
    simon@snp-productions.co.uk
    www.snp-productions.co.uk

  8. #8
    Thanks, but you comment, I can not remove the Phoenix, that for this event, we need to capture VGA Power point (TVOne+Phoenix) and 2 cameras captured by the LFG CV.
    But if you do not recommend going downgrade to Leopard, I will not do.

    Thanks for your help, now I will try to lower the resolution, the Matrox to 3072X768, and then click the LFG in another slot.

    Thanks

  9. #9
    On two occasions with the 2006/2007 Mac Pros I have been hosed using a Phoenix and LFG at the same time. They work fine in 2008 or 2009 machines. However, the PCI lane assignments don't play nice with these two different cards in the 2006/2006 Mac Pros. Unfortunately, the PCI bus on the older Mac Pros was technically only 2 16x lanes and those lanes were shared with all slots and internal devices such as the I/O Controllers.

    This is okay as long as the hardware takes reasonable priority with respect to other devices. Unfortunately, the way the Active Silicon capture cards are designed, they are not always aware of each other. In the case of the Phoenix, it tells the system that it is priority so the system tends to ignore the LFG card which is why you see freezing frames.

    I had the same issue true using different models of the Phoenix cards in the same machine where the capture wouldn't work and would send frame buffer errors.

    Simon is right, currently 10.6.7 is working fine and working faster than 10.5.x. There are also better PCI algorithms in 10.6.x. I am not even sure the LFG and Phoenix would function together at all in 10.5.x.

    A suggestion:

    Since you need a VGA capture and you need two Composite I would suggest using an Epiphan VGA to USB capture device as your VGA and then using the LFG4 Card for the two cameras.

    Technically I would say use two Phoenix cards to capture your two cameras and VGA. This is the better practice but would require converting three devices to SDI (or HDSDI).

    You could also try using a Decklink Intensity card in combination with the LFG4 card. This would give you DVI capture and the 4 LFG composites. I do not know how this would work though so you should test it extensively if you are able to try.
    SourceChild
    TODD SCRUTCHFIELD

    ...if it ain't broke...
    gimme 5 and then don't act surprised

  10. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by SourceChild View Post
    On two occasions with the 2006/2007 Mac Pros I have been hosed using a Phoenix and LFG at the same time. They work fine in 2008 or 2009 machines. However, the PCI lane assignments don't play nice with these two different cards in the 2006/2006 Mac Pros. Unfortunately, the PCI bus on the older Mac Pros was technically only 2 16x lanes and those lanes were shared with all slots and internal devices such as the I/O Controllers.

    This is okay as long as the hardware takes reasonable priority with respect to other devices. Unfortunately, the way the Active Silicon capture cards are designed, they are not always aware of each other. In the case of the Phoenix, it tells the system that it is priority so the system tends to ignore the LFG card which is why you see freezing frames.

    I had the same issue true using different models of the Phoenix cards in the same machine where the capture wouldn't work and would send frame buffer errors.

    Simon is right, currently 10.6.7 is working fine and working faster than 10.5.x. There are also better PCI algorithms in 10.6.x. I am not even sure the LFG and Phoenix would function together at all in 10.5.x.

    A suggestion:

    Since you need a VGA capture and you need two Composite I would suggest using an Epiphan VGA to USB capture device as your VGA and then using the LFG4 Card for the two cameras.

    Technically I would say use two Phoenix cards to capture your two cameras and VGA. This is the better practice but would require converting three devices to SDI (or HDSDI).

    You could also try using a Decklink Intensity card in combination with the LFG4 card. This would give you DVI capture and the 4 LFG composites. I do not know how this would work though so you should test it extensively if you are able to try.
    Thank you very much for your help-

    E. Cueto

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