I’m starting to build a cadet system and wanted to try to create something I could run multiple of my Micca Speck G2 video players, which has composite out, into through multiple Cadet III’s. Is it possible to do this with two of these players without sync problems and if so how?
I’d also be interested in trying to use these to input different color channels to achieve color from component as discussed in this post ( Making a component RGB video input module ) where Lars mentions:
“You would need to modify the secondary units to share the sync signals generated by the first, but you could definitely use 3x Cadet IIIs to get component video (YPbPr and RGsB) into your Cadet rig!”
What modifications would these be and would I need to use a video distribution amplifier/splitter to split the 1 rca input from the media player into 3 before going into the Cadet III’s?
If you want more than 1 video input you need to mix the signals before they go into the Cadet III
3x Cadet III won’t work. The sync generator can only clock to 1 sync signal. 3x Cadet III would mean 3x sync signals.
The RGB input mod works with 1 (RGB) input signal that is connected to 3x Cadet modules. The sync is the same, shared across the video inputs.
The sync busboard is also intended for 1 sync source (which is the master).
it has 10x 14pin headers for output + 1 or 2 RCA outputs. (the slaves)
You can look at a video modular system like this too. (in a normal, non-glitch operation method)
There is 1 master sync, and all other modules get synced by this.
If you use a Cadet III, this will become the Master instead of the Cadet I and all other modules that use the sync signal adapt to this. (like VCO’s, Ramps, RGB output etc.)
I use several Cadet III modules in my setup, with an external TBC to sync separate video signals first (a DataVideo TBC-4000, which is perfect for this purpose). I chain the RCA out from one of the Cadet IIIs into the Cadet I sync generator for convenience.
The Cadet III module just converts composite video luma (brightness) to LZX standard 0-1V, and only uses the LM1881 to extract back porch timing information and ground the output at that time. It doesn’t generate any sync information for the rest of the system.
If you use unsynced video sources it would work, but the images will be out of sync and you’ll see a horizontally and vertically shifted image with the sync bars as “black” output.
If you’re using synced separate R G and B (or Y Pb Pr) signals into three Cadet III I don’t see why that wouldn’t work just fine. I’ll give it a try on the weekend.
I run 4 Cadet IIIs in sync by plugging in 3 genlocked cameras and using an Extron VSC 700 to genlock anything else as long as I convert the video signal to VGA before it can enter the VSC 700. Just plugging your media players into three Cadet IIIs will almost certainly result in horizontal scrolling on all images and the Cadet I will only sync to one composite input at a time. Reading up on TBCs, frame synchronizers, and genlocking will be helpful in understanding the inherent synchronization problem with combining multiple video sources.
You could solve this by running one of your Micca Speck G2s into the sync input of Cadet I, then running its buffered out into one Cadet III which you can then patch the Luma out to wherever. Then run the output of your other two G2s into the inputs of two Extron VSC 700s (you’ll need to convert composite to VGA and then get an adapter cable for the RGBHV BNC inputs on it instead of the typical D-sub VGA connector). Use the buffered output from your first Cadet III into the genlock input of the first VSC 700 and then chain its genlock output to the genlock input of the second VSC 700. Both composite signals from those two VSC 700s can then go into your 2nd/3rd Cadet III inputs and you should be all synced up!
