TOC DX1-K Operations Manual

Transcription

1 TOC DX1-K Operations Manual - 1 -

2 General Description The TOC DX1-K is a single channel wireless lens control system. The system can be used on most broadcast or cinema lenses. The TOC DX1-K includes a hand held controller/transmitter, rechargeable battery, lens drive motor, single channel receiver, universal gear set (not pictured), and battery charger (not pictured) Major Components Transmitter/hand controller (DX1-K hand unit differs from the one pictured below - includes hand knob) Receiver/Motor driver Dovetail clamp Battery Lens Motor LEDs: Flashing = no connection; 1 st & 2 nd LED = connection to hand unit; 3 rd 4 th & 5 th LEDs = signal strength meter LEDs: 1 st LED = connection to receiver; 2 nd LED = hand unit transmitting; 3 rd 4 th & 5 th LEDs = signal strength meter - 2 -

3 1. Basic Setup The TOC is provided with various gears to fit almost any broadcast or cinema lens. Select the proper gear pitch for the proper lens ring. The gears can also be switched to either side of the motor if needed. Warning: If you are using the TOC with a servo powered lens, make absolutely sure that the lens servo for the function you re trying to control is always deactivated, otherwise the lens servos can end up fighting the TOC motors resulting in severe damage to either the lens or the TOC system. Please be aware that some full auto modes may override the lens servo switches. POWERING THE RECEIVER: Only use a VariZoom-supplied cable to power the TOC receiver. It is very important that you power the receiver with a maximum of 24VDC regulated (actual measured voltage some nominal unregulated 24VDC sources can actually go as high as 34VDC). The acceptable range for voltage is VDC if you go higher, the unit will be damaged severely. Before connecting power, mount the TOC motors onto 15mm or 19mm mattebox rods. The motors can be mounted either vertically or horizontally. Side view of TOC motor mounted vertically Front view of TOC motor mounted horizontally Dovetail clamp position example 1 Dovetail clamp position example 2-3 -

4 After the motors have been mounted on the rods, secure the gear against the proper lens ring and tighten the dovetail clamp. Mount your TOC receiver and attach the antenna. First plug lens motor into TOC receiver (yellow to yellow) Then plug power from camera into TOC receiver (red to red). Do not plug lens motor into receiver while it is already powered up this is called hot swapping and it can lead to minor malfunctions always plug power into receiver LAST. Now put the battery in the hand unit, attach the antenna and turn on the power. Assuming your lens has mechanical end stops (like most broadcast or cine lenses), the TOC motors will calibrate most accurately in Auto mode. Note: If using a lens that doesn t have end stops (e.g., DSLR lenses), you must manually calibrate the lens motors. This will be addressed in chapter 4. To execute auto calibration from the hand unit, select Calibrate from the main menu, hit Enter and then select Auto and hit Enter. The motor will start moving automatically, and will also automatically stop once resistance is met. Do not touch the lens motor during calibration. The lens motor will then move to the position at which the knob is set. The lens motor is now ready for use, and will move according to the position of the knob on the hand controller. Note: If you turn off power to the receiver, it will store the calibration set in the last use. As long as you don t move the motor or lens, the calibration will be valid. If you have to move the motor and lens from their last position, recalibrate. Basic Operation To reset the TOC parameters to their defaults, hold the top and bottom select buttons while turning power on. All adjustments and menu navigations are made by the four corner buttons on the top of the controller next to the antenna (see below, fifth button not currently used). Top view of hand controller Main screen / Back button Bottom select button Enter button Top select button Screen Antenna - 4 -

5 The enter button, bottom select button, and top select button correspond according to the current menu screen as shown below. Enter Top Select Bottom Select The main screen will always return the TOC hand controller to the main display screen. This screen will show the position for both the motor and the knob or slider. TOC main display screen - 5 -

6 1. Main Menu From the main display screen, press either the enter button, or the main screen button to enter the setup menu. From here you can select the menu to adjust the following parameters. Lens control, controller input, motor calibrate, motor power, and backlash adjustment. Use the top select and bottom select buttons to move the cursor to the screen that you need to enter. Press the enter button to select the desired screen. 2. Lens Menu Lens position Knob/Slider position Smoothing Motor direction Knob/Slider direction The lens menu is where you can set lens limits, knob limits, adjust smoothing, or change motor direction. The column on the left will show the position of the lens, and the column on the right will show the position of the slider (or knob)

7 Lens Limits To set limits on the lens range, move the slider up (away from infinity) to the desired end of focus range. Press the top select button to set lens limit 1. If a limit needs to be set in the other direction, then move the slider back (towards infinity) until the desired range is reached. Press the bottom select button to set lens limit 2. Once lens limits are set, the motor will not move the lens past the set points. The slider will enter a dead zone once it is moved past the newly set limits. The top select and bottom select buttons will now reset the knob range if you wish to remove the dead zones. This way the full length of the slider will be used to operate the full range of the recently set limits. Pressing these buttons again will clear the lens limits, and the lens will be returned to its full range Knob Limits From the lens menu the enter button will allow you to enter the knob limits screen. This will basically set what portion of the slider will move the motor

8 Move the slider up to the desired top of the knob range. Press the top select button to set limit 1. Move the slider down to the desired end of the range. Press the bottom select button to set limit 2. Pressing the top select or bottom select buttons again will clear the limits, and the slider will then be active for the full range. Smoothing Pressing the enter button again will enter the smoothing screen. Smoothing will change how quickly the motor will respond to the slider. The top select button will decrease smoothness making the motor respond quicker. The bottom select button will increase smoothness making the motor respond later. The higher the smoothing, the more the Motor or Lens arrow will lag behind the Knob arrow. Reverse Pressing the enter button again will enter the motor/knob polarity screen. Press the bottom select button, and the slider will respond in the opposite direction than it is moved. Press the top select button, and the motor will respond in the opposite direction (this is to be used if the motor is mounted on the lens facing the opposite direction). 3. Input Menu The input menu will activate either the slider or focus knob. Using the top select and bottom select buttons move the cursor to the desired controller. Press the enter button the select the controller

9 4. Calibrate Menu The calibrate menu is primarily used to switch to manual calibrate mode or reset calibration for auto calibrate. Use the Auto Calibrate mode if your lens has mechanical end stops (like most Cinema and Broadcast lenses). Only use the Manual Calibrate mode if your focus ring does not have end stops (it spins infinitely, like a DSLR lens or some video cameras with fixed lenses), or if the Auto Calibrate feature is not functioning properly. Manual Focus Menu: This is where you can manually calibrate the lens motors when using a lens that has a focus ring without stopping points (e.g., DSLR lenses). 1. When the arrow is pointed to manual focus, press the enter button. You will then enter the manual calibration screen. 2. Move the slider to the center position as indicated on the screen a center mark will appear and the instructions on the screen will change. This will then activate manual calibration. 3. The slider will now be used to run the motor until the first end point of the lens is reached. The farther you move the slider, the faster the motor will go, so when you get close to the stopping point, slows the motor down by moving the slider back toward the center position the motor stops moving when the slider is at the center position. If you move the motor too far, you can reverse it by moving the slider in the opposite direction past the center position this will move the lens back (stop the motor by returning slider to center position). 4. When the first end point is reached on the lens, press Set (the top select button). 5. Now move the slider in the opposite direction to find the other end point for the lens. Stop the motor at the right end point for the lens, and press Set (the top select button). The motor will now be calibrated. Note: at any time during calibration, if the desired lens limit has been passed, you can move the slider to past the mid point in the opposite direction, and back the motor up to the desired point

10 Auto Focus Menu: Selecting the Auto Focus menu will return the TOC to auto calibrate mode. As soon as this is selected, the motors will automatically find the lens range in each direction. * You can reset the receiver to redo the auto calibration sequence by hitting the small recessed white button on the side of the receiver. If you have manually calibrated, do not use the reset button (it sends it into auto mode ). Note: If you turn off power to the receiver, it will store the calibration set in the last use. As long as you don t move the motor or lens, the calibration will be valid. If you have to move the motor and lens from their last position, recalibrate. Calibrate Knobs Menu: THIS FEATURE IS NOT NEEDED UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES DO NOT RECALIBRATE KNOBS UNLESS SPECIFICALLY INSTRUCTED TO DO SO BY A VARIZOOM TECH. In case calibration is lost for either the slider or the knob, or you want to change the input range, this is where you will recalibrate. From the main menu, select the calibrate option. Move the slider, or knob to both extremes, then use the top select button to set the new calibration. 5. Motor Power Menu The motor power screen will allow you to adjust the motor output power during auto calibration. Some lenses require more force to move the lens rings than others. If the motor power is set too low, then the motor will not have enough force to push the lens gear to its limits, and result in incorrect calibration. If the motor power is set too high, the motor will exert too much force, and potentially slip off the lens ring, resulting in incorrect calibration. From this screen the top select button will increase motor power and the bottom select button will decrease motor power. 6. Backlash Menu DO NOT ADJUST BACKLASH ABOVE ZERO UNLESS NECESSARY. Because some lenses have slight movement in the focus ring before the focus mechanism is engaged, the TOC has a backlash adjustment feature to take out this play if needed. From the motor backlash menu press the top select button to increase backlash compensation, and press

11 the bottom select button decrease backlash compensation. If the lens is pretty tight, you do not need to increase the backlash above zero. ONLY ADJUST THE BACKLASH ABOVE ZERO IF YOUR LENS LURCHES WHEN THE MOTOR CHANGES DIRECTION. Troubleshooting To reset the TOC parameters to their defaults, hold the top and bottom select buttons while turning power on. A) Knob is not responding: Solution 1: Make sure the Input Select is set to Knob (page 7) Solution 2: Disconnect power from hand unit and receiver, then reconnect Solution 3: The knob may have been accidentally calibrated to zero range (Under the Calibrate Knobs menu, if you press Set without moving the knob, it will set the range to zero) try recalibrating the knob and make sure you move it to both extremes before pressing Set. Solution 4: The knob limits and/or lens limits may have been set to zero range or limited in one direction. Under the Lens menu, hit next item until you get to knob limits clear the knob limits. Also go to the next item and clear the lens limits. B) -General Malfunctions: The most common cause of malfunctions is hot swapping the motors (i.e., plugging the motor (yellow plug) into the receiver while it is already connected to its power source (red plug)) Solution = Don t hot swap the motors unplug and replug the power to the receiver (red plug) in other words, always make sure the motor is plugged in before the power. C) -Auto Calibrate Mode not functioning properly: Solution 1 = Using an AC adapter? If so, try switching to battery power. Solution 2 = Unplug the power cable (red) and replug. Solution 3 = Use Manual Calibrate Mode (page 7) D) -Motor Moves in Wrong Direction: Solution = Reverse the Motor/Knob (page 7) E) The Motor arrow is lagging behind the Knob arrow on the LCD: This is not a problem - it is a feature. The higher the smoothing is set, the greater the lag will be. F) The Motor has stopped responding: If the red light on the side of the receiver is fully illuminated with no green light, the motor has stalled. Solution 1 = Try disconnecting and reconnecting power to the receiver. Solution 2 = If that doesn t work, you may need to disengage the motor from the lens ring, move the lens ring to the middle of its range and cycle the power again. Re-engage the motor to the lens ring and recalibrate this should always solve the issue, but if this is the only solution, you may want to consider turning the motor power down a bit. G) Motor Moves on its own or Unwanted Jitter in the motor movement Turn the backlash setting down and try turning up the smoothing level

12 Warning: If you are using the TOC with a servo powered lens, make absolutely sure that the lens servo for the function you re trying to control is always deactivated, otherwise the lens servos can end up fighting the TOC motors resulting in severe damage to either the lens or the TOC system. Please be aware that some full auto modes may override the lens servo switches. More questions? Give us a call at or visit the website for updated instruction manuals