Vicon Vantage and other current Vicon cameras can synchronize themselves over their Ethernet network. A Vicon Lock unit provides additional synchronization in systems that use Vicon Vantage and other current Vicon capture cameras. The Lock unit can synchronize all Vicon cameras as well as being able to synchronize to external sources itself, and also to provide synchronization to third-party devices.
Except where noted, references to Vicon Lock, Lock units, and Lock apply to all current models of the Vicon Lock unit (at the time of publication, this includes Vicon Lock+, Vicon Lock Studio and Vicon Lock Lab).
A Lock unit provides the following functionality in a Vicon Vantage system:
- Synchronization to connected Vicon cameras.
- Interface between the Vicon system and third-party analog sources for capture, such as force plates, electromyography (EMG) equipment, and other analog devices. (Lock, Lock+ and Lock Lab only)
- Synchronization/trigger out functionality for up to eight third-party peripheral devices.
- Interface to external hardware to allow remote data capture by the Vicon system.
- Synchronizes to external industry-standard video sources as used by the broadcast industry. (Lock, Lock+ and Lock Studio only)
- Triggers capture and timestamps captured data in accordance with the input timecode, LTC and VITC. (Lock, Lock+ and Lock Studio only)
- Synchronizes to VESA Stereo source signals used in stereoscopic vision systems. (Lock+, Lock Studio and Lock Lab only)
- VESA stereo output used to synchronize multi-GPU display walls. (Lock Studio only)
- Synchronizes to SDI broadcast digital video signals (Lock Studio only)
- Synchronization to Vicon MX T-Series–Giganet systems.
- Synchronizes to another Lock.
Synchronization and remote triggering functionality are application-dependent. For details of supported functionality, see your Vicon application software documentation.
Systems that require Lock functionality generally only require one Lock unit. However, if additional functionality is required, you can add a further unit.
When connecting a second Lock:
- If possible, connect both devices to the primary PoE+ switch via an additional Gigabit PoE+ switch.
- If one Lock connects to a broadcast genlock or VESA genlock device, this is the primary Lock and must connect to the primary PoE+ switch.
- If neither one of the Lock units is connected to a genlock source, both must connect to the primary PoE+ switch.
The Lock unit connects to the Vicon system (via a Gigabit PoE+ switch) to the PoE+ switch. All data, power, and camera synchronization are carried over this Gigabit Ethernet interface. The unit does not function over 100 baseT PoE. For more information, see Extended Vicon Vantage system (add cameras and third-party devices).
In any system that contains a Lock unit, the Lock is automatically made the sync master by the system application software. This is also the case when connecting to an MX T-Series–Giganet system. Lock can also synchronize with other video systems.
The Lock unit is 1U high and can be rack-, wall-, or floor-mounted and stacked either horizontally or vertically. The unit contains no convection fans, but it should still be sited so that it is not overheated by other external equipment.
