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Zaxcom ERX firmware v2.0 - adds timecode calibration


Mark Orusa

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does not make it easier. I proposed long time ago the idea to be able to change level by holding arrow up or down...

another solution will be more sturdy potentiometer...

​After a drop that damaged the pot I removed it completely and jumped the pot terminals on the board so full signal is always being passed.  I never used the pot in my applications anyway, I like the ERX2 better without the pot, it is too weak and susceptible to damage imo.  The action on the pot always felt cheap as well.  I don't use ERX for ifb or handing off to scripty so no pot needed, the menu based controls work fine.

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As one of not-so-few Nomad&ERX owners who don't have an IFB100 I'd like to ask if there is a chance to make the update process possible from the Nomad, without an IFB. That would make a lot of sense since the Nomad & ERX combination is quite popular and it is not easy for everyone all over the world to get hold of an IFB100.

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​I will check on this tomorrow.

Glenn

Thanks in advance!

If I had my way, the LED by the power switch would also be a low-battery indicator.  Perhaps a blink from green to red every second or so (or red to green as the case may be) if it's beginning to get low (like in the last hour of battery life?). 

E. 

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Seems to be working well for me too, likewise no prolonged sync test, but calibration for each ERX is showing different values.

Who'd have thought that an ERX's timecode was even capable of calibration? Thought that kind of sophistication was only possible with top end timecode specialists  equipment.

Who'd have thought the Nomad was capable of Touch and Oasis with a control screen.

Seems Zaxcom are capable of wrangling a great deal more from our existing investment, which is very nice. :)

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Okay, please bear with me, as this post may be a bit long.

Last night I updated two of my ERXs to firmware v2.0, with the intent of testing out today their accuracy over long periods of time when ZaxNet is not a factor (read turned off or out of range). While this test is by no means “scientific” or translatable as fact, I made them within certain controlled parameters to give me at least some accurate readings from which I can make the deductions made at the bottom of this post. Here’s what I did:

- I updated two ERXs to v2.0. I went through the Extended Menu to ensure that they were in the same group code and frequency, and that auto-calibrate was “on”.
- TC calibration value was “0” for both ERXs at the beginning of this test.
- Turned the ERXs off.
- The Nomad was the timecode master source. Timecode was set to free-run using TOD, and frame rate was set to 23.976.
- Nomad ZaxNet was set to TX, the same group code and frequency as the ERXs.
- Turned the ERXs on.
- I fed one of the ERXs back into the Nomad’s TC input, and using the Nomad’s TC Reader / Generator screen, I could compare the TC of both the internal generator in the Nomad, and that coming from the ERX.
- I added a -1.0 TC delay to the ERXs to compensate for the delay visible in Nomad screen. Now both Reader and Generator read the same TC value.
- I left the ERXs running for about 15 minutes to “calibrate”.
- After the calibration was done (after 15 minutes, as there is no visual confirmation that calibration is done), each ERX displayed a unique TC calibration value. ERX #1 had “-306” and ERX #2 had “275”.
- At this point, Nomad’s ZaxNet was set to “off”, and all three devices were left running independently and continuously.

I took pictures of the Nomad’s TC Reader / Generator screen every hour, to verify that the ERXs did in fact show no drift from the Nomad. Here were my results:
0hr: Right after calibration, all devices displayed the same TC value.
1hr: All devices displayed same TC value.
2hr: Both ERXs displayed +1 frame drift from Nomad’s TC value.
3hr: Both ERXs displayed +1 frame drift from Nomad’s TC value.
4hr: Both ERXs displayed +2 frame drift from Nomad’s TC value.
5hr: Both ERXs displayed +2 frame drift from Nomad’s TC value.
6hr: Both ERXs displayed +3 frame drift from Nomad’s TC value.

In my test, it seems as though the new calibration feature did not correct the drift that ERXs have when not in ZaxNet range, and that they were in fact running faster than the Nomad’s Generator. It actually seems to be exactly the same as always. In my experience, ERXs drifted at a rate of about 1 frame every two hours. I’m unsure if I did something wrong, but I’m positive I followed the manual to the letter. Currently, the Nomad and the ERXs are still running, as I want to figure out what the drift is at the 10 hour mark.

Stray observations:
- At this moment it is pure speculation since I did not have the proper tools to measure them accurately, but it seems, at least to the naked eye, that both ERXs were relatively accurate to each other. They displayed the exact same drift from the Nomad at the noted times.
- I will test again on my next day off (probably tomorrow or monday) with my Betso SBOX-1N, which has a TC offset feature that allows me to measure TC offsets more accurately.
- I do love the new Extended Menu shortcut, as well as the fact that you can manually set a timecode value on the ERX. Now if only I can get the calibration feature to work as advertised… unsure emoticon

 

 

 

 

IMAGES

 

 

Setting up:
IMG_3370.thumb.jpg.c33703c16d7b92924435e

 

Pre-calibration (ERX = READER TC / Nomad = GEN TC):

IMG_3373.thumb.jpg.d7a30452f90448b8d8662

 

Post-calibration (TC Calibration Values):

IMG_3374.thumb.jpg.cff3cadea4cf7590f6d9e

 

Post-calibration / ZaxNet turned off - 0hr (ERX = READER TC / Nomad = GEN TC):

IMG_3375.thumb.jpg.c50ad708347126175f4af

 

1hr post-calibration (ERX = READER TC / Nomad = GEN TC):

IMG_3378.thumb.jpg.0fb39d40dfcef84eb95c3

 

2hr post-calibration (ERX = READER TC / Nomad = GEN TC):

IMG_3385.thumb.jpg.2b1e609d9ed93e2e10f1e

 

3hr post-calibration (ERX = READER TC / Nomad = GEN TC):

IMG_3388.thumb.jpg.c88d8f88c311d91eef9c5

 

4hr post-calibration (ERX = READER TC / Nomad = GEN TC):

IMG_3392.thumb.jpg.08d96abe02a4e0af954dd

 

5hr post-calibration (ERX = READER TC / Nomad = GEN TC):

IMG_3397.thumb.jpg.ed30fdea69238cad27f86

 

6hr post-calibration (ERX = READER TC / Nomad = GEN TC):

IMG_3398.thumb.jpg.5792efbdd64936179346a

Edited by josefrias
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So many things wrong with that test I don't know where to start :-/

​Please, let me know. I wish to find the error(s) in my test. I chose the method shown because I just wanted to get a sense of how accurate the ERX was against the Nomad after time, not really to accurately measure any drifts or offsets. After a few hours I started noticing the ERX was running faster than the Nomad, and that's where I started getting a bit worried.

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Glenn, Howie, and the whole Zax gang.

This is a great advance. I just updated and calibrated my ERXs and they both seem to be set and ready to go.

For the record - my scores were -80 and -266

And highfive for the menu shortcut.

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Using what he has available I would say he did the best that he could. Regardless of what is wrong with his test...It does show forward drift..
the only thing I can think of in regards of result would be latency between nomad and ERX. Probably 100ths of miliseconds for encode and decode of data packets.

 

I haven't done the update yet, but I plan on it. I think its cool none the less. Its nice to see advancement in products already owned.

Edited by mradlauer
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I told Glenn I'd do a writeup about my beta testing experiences with 2.0.  Forgive any redundancy with anything that has already been discussed.

------------------------------------

First of all, while the intent of the ERX was to maintain perfect time code due to occasionally jamming to a Zaxnet source, a few users expressed a desire to use their ERX units as stand alone time code devices.  Well, now you can.

Also added in the 2.0 software is a shortcut into the EXTENDED MENU (press the TIME CODE button rapidly three times) and now there's even a way to manually set the time code.

After beta testing this software, and running some time code tests, I'm happy to report that it seems to be working well.

The bottom line, once calibrated, over a six hour period, time code seems to stay well within a half frame, or better, of the device it was calibrated to -- mostly better.

I've run tests two different ways:

1) Calibrated from the sound cart via a Denecke GR-2, feeding a Deva, which in turn feeds an IFB100.  I ran an initial test with just one unit and found it to have a maximum deviation of less than a half frame in six hours.  The next day I ran a test with two ERXs and the results of another six hour test revealed unit one to be within .25 frames of its starting calibration (which was -.07 frames -- that's 7/100 of a frame), and unit two deviated only .38 frames.

2) Calibrated from a Nomad.  Over a six hour period, in reference to the Nomad, unit one was within .22 frames, unit two within .24 frames, unit three within .20 frames, and a fourth unit was within .06 frames.  So, in this test, in reference to the Nomad, over a six hour period, the worst case deviation was better than a quarter of a frame.  Awesome!

A nifty thing about ERX calibration is that it can be automatic each time you turn on Zaxnet and your ERXs (it takes about eleven or twelve minutes), or, once calibrated, you can turn off TC AUTO CAL and the unit will store the TC CALIBRATION number it arrived at.  You can even enter your own calibration number if you wish.

The version 2.0 software is available via  http://zaxcom.com/support/updates/

This is both an unexpected, and very welcome, update.

 

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John are those results, in relation to the Nomad, using your own personally tweaked/tuned TC Nomad, or an "off the shelf" factory calibrated Nomad?

 

My findings were with Nomad internal TC and not Nomad fed from mozegear which is my usual setup.

Edited by RadoStefanov
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