Router control systems
Jul 1, 2010 9:29 AM, By Scott Bosen
Router systems should minimize interruptionsand maximize flexibility.
Nearly all modern TV facilities are built around a central routing switcher, and in recent years, these routers have been growing in size. Where just a few years ago a normal routing system would have been 128 inputs and 128 outputs, routers now are commonly 256 x 256 and larger. Specialized systems in large production facilities, uplink facilities and mobile production units often use routers that are at least 528 x 528, and systems of 1000 x 1000 and up are becoming more common.
As routing systems become larger, the design of the control system becomes more important. Large routers often require more frequent reprogramming, and the task of presenting source and destination labels to the operators in a useful and helpful way becomes quite challenging when thousands of labels are involved.
Well-designed control systems are crucial for another reason. Unlike other types of broadcast equipment, routing systems have a long service life. A typical routing system is expected to be in service for at least 10 years and often longer. This means that the router will serve multiple generations of source and destination equipment, a fact that makes it crucial that the router is readily upgradable to suit the working environment as it evolves.
Figure 1. Shown here is a typical routing system block diagram.
The complexity of contemporary broadcast requires that today’s routers, regardless of size, offer a wide range of features for improved signal-handling flexibility and greatly enhanced operational reliability. Features that are considered essential include 3G operation; control, crosspoint and power supply redundancy; a compact, space-saving physical design; and low power consumption for reduced heat loading and prolonged service life. (See Figure 1.)
As facilities’ needs continue to evolve, equipment is added and removed from the routing system, and the technical crew must reconfigure it — usually while it remains online. Each configuration change requires sources and destinations to be relabeled or reconfigured, and control panels in all areas of the system have to be reprogrammed. (See Figure 2.)
Figure 2. Equipment additions to a control system require router reconfiguration.
Size, complexity and evolution combine to make a well-designed control system a key component of the routing system and for the technical staff, which keeps the overall operation running smoothly. Such a control system automates repeated steps and performs error checking to ensure, for example, that a typing error doesn’t have disproportionate consequences. The following control system features will make router setup and operation easier.
Offline configuration
In most cases, the technical crew receives advance notice of changes to be made to the system. If the router control system allows for offline editing of configuration files, the entire system configuration can be prepared in advance and installed at the time of the changeover. This will not, of course, prevent the last-minute changes that will always occur, but it will give the technical crew a basis for testing the new configuration.
Minimizing interruptions
In every router control system, normal operation is interrupted when the system must be reprogrammed. In some systems, this process is quick enough that operators are not inconvenienced by the interruption. In other systems, the full reprogramming cycle means an interruption of several minutes. One way to reduce system downtime is to remove control-panel reprogramming from the system configuration process. The best systems do this by making it possible to reprogram individual panels or groups of panels, while the rest of the operation hums along unaffected. This is a big plus in reducing complaints from the production crew.
Customizable GUI
The most time-consuming part of setup is reprogramming dozens of control panels to reflect the new system configuration. This is where the design of the router control system is potentially helpful. Most control systems offer a GUI for panel programming, and the best ones allow the GUI to be customized, for example, to allow separate views of certain parts of the system, reducing on-screen clutter so the operator can focus on specific devices.
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