Existing Content + Signal Types + Connector compatability

[CharlesD]

I am creating a topic to discuss both signal type modeling and the existing device content in ConnectCAD.

What signal type should default content come with?

Take for example an AJA Ki Pro Ultra Plus. If I insert the default device info into my drawing I get a device with BNC connections with a signal type of HD-SDI. While this device is capable of accepting HD-SDI, it's also capable of 3G-SDI, 6G-SDI, and 12G-SDI.

 

Wouldn't it make more sense for this device to come with the 12GV signal type?

How are users modeling signal compatability?

Let's say I have the same AJA Ki Pro Ultra Plus, capable of accepting 12G-SDI, and I set the connector as a signal of 12GV. Then I connect a 3G-SDI camera, with the appropriate 3G-SDI signal type, to this recorder? ConnectCAD would tell me this is an error because the signal types are not compatible. How are folks handling this? It seems like we might need to model a compatability matrix of signals?

How are users modeling connector compatability?

Some connectors connect in weird ways. For instance, a USB2-B Cable can plug into a USB3-B port, but not the other way around. Is there any utility in modeling a connector compatability matrix?

[Conrad Preen]

@CharlesD I'm still a step ahead it seems 🙂. Signal compatibility is in development as we speak. When the source and destination signals are different but compatible error indications will be suppressed and the circuit will take the source signal type.

 

Agree with your point about content. It's a question of resources.

 

Connector compatibility. Connector types multiply constantly so this would become another thing to keep up to date. I think most designers know this stuff anyway.

 

Conrad

[CharlesD]

Thanks Conrad! I'll be excited to try out the signal compatability.

Fair enough in regards to resources for content.

For connector compatability, maybe it's something to revisit after signal compatability.

[CharlesD]

I've been thinking about this... compatability is a bit of a can of worms!

For a LAN port... you might set:

-Physical: RJ45 / SFP / QSFP

-Speed: 10mbps/100mbps/1gbps/2.5gps/5gbps/10gbps/25gbps/40gbps/100gbps
-POE: POE, POE+, POE++

For HDMI you might want to track HDMI1.4 vs HDMI2.0 vs HDMI2.1 etc... What if you want to track another paremeter, such as HDCP?

There's lot of factors to consider, I'd love to hear from others in the community what you might care about in regards to signal compatibility.

[Conrad Preen]

I think you've answered yourself in a way. There are limits to how much ConnectCAD should 'know' about what you are doing. Its job is to help you design, not act like some annoying back-seat driver. The sheer constantly expanding and changing range of options mean that this stuff is what designers get paid the big bucks for. So for me signal compatibility comes down to telling ConnectCAD that a particular signal type mismatch is OK. That's as deep into the weeds as we go.

 

C  

[CharlesD]

I am inclined to agree with you, but I wonder... would this be directional with sockets?

For instance a 12GV input can probably accept a 3GV signal on a cable... But not the other way around...

 

Would this definition be done at the signal level? Or at the device level?

[Conrad Preen]

You will be able to define which signals are compatible with a given signal type. i.e. an input (or I/O) with a particular signal type will accept incoming signals on its compatibility list. The scope here is just to suppress unwanted warnings in the Status palette.