TransForm A system overview
Processing power plus multimedia speedway
- An open architecture and the extensive use of industry standards providing ultimate scalability
- Flexible and economical support for any system size and any input demand
- Future-proof investment thanks to upgradable Processor/OmniBus approach, starting from Processor-only systems up to multi-OmniBus configurations for virtually any system size
TransForm A Processor
- State-of-the-art Core™ 2 Duo or Dual Xeon® processing power combined with the integration flexibility of a standard PCI bus based PC
- Extensively evaluated PC components combined with redundancy options guaranteeing optimal reliability and performance
TransForm A OmniBus
- TransForm A OmniBus forms the backbone of the graphic and Video subsystem
- Designed to integrate and display all kinds of data sources
- Quality of Service (QoS) by separating graphic data and network traffic from bandwidth-demanding Input data
- Switch Fabric based with up to 6.4 GB/s of bandwidth capacity for huge systems
- Non-proprietary, standard PCI 64/66 expansion Card interface ensures compatibility
TransForm A configuration types
TransForm A is flexibly configurable according to the requirements of the application. The entry level system TransForm A4/AX6, with all Input and output Cards inserted into the TransForm A Processor, can easily be expanded to either a TransForm A12 system integrating up to five OmniBus A12 devices. Typically, adding Inputs or outputs to a system merely means adding an Input Card or an output Card and possibly an OmniBus to the system. TransForm A covers the complete range of today’s Video wall controller requirements and scales perfectly with the growing demands in a quickly evolving world.
Best-in-class connectivity for any display size
The rich set of configurable TransForm A Input Cards provides dedicated input capabilities for the widest range of source types to be found in typical control room scenarios. Managed by the TransForm A driver level software, multiple TransForm A output Cards on the matrix of display devices generate one giant desktop for all standard user applications, and OmniScaler cards scale, combine and display all sources in true digital quality on the display devices.
Input Cards
The Quad Analog Video Card and the Quad SDI Video Card fulfill the demand for analog and digital standard definition Video types, whereas the Dual RGB Input Card connects economically to all types of computers with an analog output. The Dual DVI Input Card is the allrounder that covers standard analog Video and computer signals and distinguishes itself with the support for High Definition and DVI signal sources. Characterized by the widest encoder support and a fully digital processing path the Streaming Video Card opens the gate to all types of networked streaming sources.
OmniScaler technology
TransForm A distinguishes itself from other Video wall controllers by the consequent realization of the all-digital concept. Quality reducing analog paths and matrix switchers inside the system are kept out by design. The signals are immediately digitized when entering the system and subsequently digitally processed in the OmniScaler. Unlike other controllers the OmniScaler features individual scaling factors for every single data source, even if there are many on one channel. This results in superior signal quality for all windows on the Video wall.
Output cards
The 4-channel UGX Graphic Card is able to drive all types of digital and analog display devices with native resolution up to WUXGA that are used to build tiled video walls. As the perfect companion to the graphic card, the OmniScaler offers the highest degree of quality and flexibility for video data insertion on the video wall:
- Digital and analog video and RGB/DVI windows can be placed anywhere on the video wall
- Multiple different scaling factors on one module and on the whole wall are processed naturally without any quality loss, at any window size
- Scaling factors range from fingerprint size up to full video wall size.
Operating systems
With Windows® 2000/XP and X Window System TransForm A has native support for the major existing operating systems. Together with the RGB input capability for integrating workstations running other operating systems, almost every integration requirement can be met.
Windows 2000/XP
- The display is operated as one giant Windows 2000/XP desktop
- Transparent, unrestricted use of the entire wall for standard Windows 2000/XP applications
- All applications can be operated by the local keyboard or by any other Windows 2000/XP computer (with optional Apollo software package)
- Powerful Windows 2000/XP drivers tuned and optimized for large multiscreen video walls
X Window System
- Non-Emulation, native X Server
- Transparent, unrestricted use of the entire wall for standard X clients
- Simultaneous multiple color modes for X applications and input source windows
- Powerful extensions available like multicursor, blinking, …
- For huge wall sizes, Barco’s unique distributed X Server technology provides multiplied rendering power
- Support for multiple logical screens for subdividing the whole display wall into logically separated areas
Wall management software
Barco’s wall management software enables operators to control and manage the video wall layout and content in a user-friendly way, both for remote and local applications. Depending on the operating system two versions exist: Apollo is for Windows 2000/XP systems whereas Osiris is for X Windows.
Reliability and redundancy
For uninterrupted system operation TransForm A provides several redundancy options:
- Redundant hot-swap power supplies
- Redundant hot-swap RAID Level 1 or RAID Level 5 harddisk
- Redundant Ethernet adapter
- The redundancy components are continuously monitored; audio and video alarms are triggered in case of failure
Order number
AGS-3359-01
Related press releases
Monday, September 12, 2005
Barco and DVTel offer integrated video streaming solution (en)
