Chapter 2

Installing Optional Hardware

Overview

This chapter briefly outlines the installation of optional hardware commonly used with Communique!. For complete information on installing and using specific video and audio equipment, please refer to the documentation included with the item. The following equipment is discussed:

Audio Input Devices

The Communique! Audio Tool Plugin allows workstations with audio support to transmit audio to other conference members. Typically a microphone or VCR will be used as your audio input device.

The Audio Tool Plugin supplied with Communique! Lite is designed only to receive audio. You will not be able to send audio to conference participants with Communique! Lite.

Line-Level vs. Microphone-Level

Most audio devices can be classified as producing either a microphone-level or a line-level output signal. A microphone-level signal is one which is essentially unamplified, producing output levels of less than 1 millivolt. Most microphones produce a microphone-level output signal. VCR's on the other hand typically produce line-level output signals. Line-level signals typically produce output levels up to 1 volt.

When connecting audio equipment to your workstation, you need to select the correct input port based on its type of output signal. Most workstations offer both microphone-in and line-in jacks.

Connecting a microphone to a line-in jack or a VCR to a microphone-in jack produces distorted or non-existent audio from Communique!, and could potentially damage your equipment.

Connecting a Call Port

The MDL Call Port audio system provides with both a microphone and an external speaker. It also includes digital signal processing technology that provides excellent echo cancellation. The Call Port comes with two cables, one which allows users to connect to the Line-In and Line-Out ports on their workstation, the other allows them to connect to the Microphone and Headphones ports. Depending on the ports available on your workstation, you should choose the proper cable and connect the Call Port using it.

Once the Call Port is installed, it will act as your workstation’s audio input and output device.

Connecting a Microphone

To connect a microphone or other device which produces a microphone-level output signal to your workstation, insert the phono plug from the microphone into the microphone-in jack on your workstation. For best results use a high-quality unidirectional noise cancelling microphone, such as the one available directly from MDL. It is also important that you adjust the Audio Tool's Silence Sensor to a value appropriate for the environment and microphone. (Refer to the Communique! User's Guide for information on the Silence Sensor.)

Connecting a VCR

To connect a VCR or other device which produces a line-level output signal to your workstation, connect a phono or RCA cable from the audio output of the VCR into the line-in jack on your workstation. Most line-level output devices require an inexpensive RCA-to-miniplug converter to facilitate connection to your workstation.

Not all workstations provide support for a line-in device.

Audio Output Devices

All versions of the Communique! Audio Tool Plugin will allow the reception of audio transmitted by other conference members. You can play back the audio received through the workstation's internal speaker (if available), the headphone jack, or the line-out jack. You will probably want to connect a set of external speakers or quality headphones to your workstation for the best quality audio with Communique!.

Connecting External Speakers

There are two basic types of external speaker systems available. Most external speaker systems connect to your headphone jack, the others connect to the line-out jack. To connect a pair of external speakers to your workstation, insert the speaker set's phono plug into the appropriate jack on your workstation. If your speakers feature tonal control or an equalizer, you can usually improve the audio quality by reducing the treble control setting.

Not all workstations provide support for a line-out device.

Video Input Devices

The Communique! Video Tool and TV Tool Plugins allow workstations that support video to capture video frames or transmit live video to other conference members. To do so, you need a video input device such as a camera or VCR.

The TV Tool Plugin supplied with Communique! Lite and Communique! AudioGraph only supports receiving video. You will not be able to send video to conference participants with Communique! Lite or Communique! AudioGraph.

Connecting a Camera or VCR

Your workstation's video capturing card should have an input appropriate to your video source's output. Connect the video source's output jack to this input.

If your card supports multiple inputs, you can connect several video sources and use Communique! to switch between them.

Hardware Setup

If your video capture card supports multiple inputs or signal formats, each user must select the appropriate input and signal format from the Hardware Setup options in the Video and TV Tool Plugins. Refer to those Plugins' sections in the Communique! User's Guide for more information.

Not all video capture cards support the same types of video signal or number of inputs. Refer to your video card's documentation for more information.

SunVideo Cards

Installation

The SunVideo card is supported only on Sun SPARCstation compatibles running the Solaris 2.5.1 or higher. Install the SunVideo card in an SBus or PCI slot inside your workstation according to the directions in the SunVideo Users Guide included with the card.

If you are using a SunVideo compatible card, make sure that you are running in SunVideo mode.

Required Software

You need the following system packages installed on your workstation to use a SunVideo card:

Use the following command to find which packages have been installed on your system

# pkginfo -x

After installing the SunVideo card and the necessary system packages, verify its correct operation as discussed in the SunVideo Users Guide.

Configuring Environment Variables

You need to set the following environment variables properly to use the SunVideo card with Communique!:

LD_LIBRARY_PATH—specifies the paths the system must search to locate special libraries. Usually it is set to /usr/openwin/lib:/usr/lib. However, it must also point to the XIL libraries, so it should be defined as /usr/openwin/lib:/usr/lib:$XILHOME/lib. If you are running Communique! under the Motif environment, be sure that the Motif libraries are located in your LD_LIBRARY_PATH environment variable; typically, these are located in the directory /opt/SUNWmotif/lib or /opt/lib.

XILHOME—specifies the directory in which the XIL packages are installed. The directory where these packages are installed varies according to your workstation's configuration but is normally /opt/SUNWits/Graphics-sw/xil.

Parallax XVideo & PowerVideo Cards

Installation

The Parallax XVideo 24SVC, XVideo 24SVC-VIO, and PowerVideo video cards are supported on SPARCstations running the Solaris 2.5.1 or higher operating systems. Install the Parallax video card in an SBus slot inside your workstation according to the directions in the Parallax Installation Guide included with the card. Connect your monitor directly to the frame buffer on the Parallax card.

Required Software for Solaris 2.5.1 or Higher

Solaris 2.5.1 and higher systems need the following set of Parallax software installed on the workstation in order to use a Parallax video card:

You must install the XVideo driver and the OpenWindows device support module as outlined in the Parallax documentation. Use the standard X-Server, but direct it to use the Parallax card as your workstation's frame buffer. Refer to your Parallax documentation for information on installing and starting OpenWindows or Motif using the Parallax card. To verify that your XVideo driver has been installed properly, issue the following command and look for the tvtwo0 or tvthree0 entry:

# modinfo

After installing the Parallax video card and the necessary system packages, verify its correct operation as discussed in the Parallax Installation Guide included with your card.

Users will need to install the proper version of the Parallax drivers based on which version of Solaris they are running.

Parallax PowerVideo 700 Video Card

Installation

The Parallax PowerVideo 700 video card is supported on HP workstations running the HP-UX operating systems. Install the Parallax video card in an EISA slot inside your workstation according to the directions in the Parallax Installation Guide included with the card. Connect your monitor directly to the frame buffer on the Parallax card.

Required Software

Your system needs the following set of Parallax software installed in order to use a Parallax video card:

Parallax PowerVideo 700 Toolkit v 9.1 or higher

You must install the XVideo driver and kernel modification included with the Toolkit. Refer to your Parallax documentation for information on installing the Parallax driver and kernel modification.

After installing the Parallax video card and the necessary system packages, verify its correct operation as discussed in the Parallax Installation Guide included with your card.

Digital Video Options Cards

Installation

The Digital Video Options cards (including the AV321, AV301 and J300) are supported on Digital Alpha AXP workstations running Digital UNIX 3.x operating system. Install the Digital Video Options card in a TURBOchannel or PCI slot inside your workstation according to the directions in the manual included with the card.

Required Software

Your system needs the following software installed in order to use a Digital Video Options card:

MultiMedia Services for Digital v1.6 or higher

Refer to your documentation for information on installing and starting MultiMedia Services. Use the following command to verify that MultiMedia Services are running:

# /usr/sbin/setld -i| grep MMERT

After installing the Digital Video Options card and the necessary system packages, verify its correct operation as discussed in the manual included with your card.

Ultimedia Video and Audio Adapters

Installation

The Ultimedia Video I/O and Audio Adapters are supported on IBM RS/6000 and compatible workstations running the AIX 4.1 or higher operating system. Install the adapters in an internal slot inside your workstation according to the directions included with the cards.

Required Software

Your system needs the following software installed in order to use the Ultimedia adapters:

Ultimedia Services, UMS/6000 v2.1 or higher

Refer to the Ultimedia documentation for information on installing and starting Ultimedia Services. Use the following command to verify that Ultimedia Services are running:

# /usr/bin/lslpp -h UMS*

After installing the adapters and the necessary system packages, verify their correct operation as discussed in the Ultimedia Services documentation.

Configuring Environment Variables

You need to set the following environment variables properly to use the Ultimedia cards with Communique!:

LIBPATH—the paths that the system must search to locate special libraries. Ultimedia Services requires the use of its own libraries, so its directory must be included in this searchpath. Be sure this variable includes the following path:

/usr/lpp/UMS/lib

UMSDIR—the directory in which the Ultimedia Services package is installed. This should normally be set to the following:

/usr/lpp/UMS

SOMIR—the paths used by Ultimedia Services for Interface Repository. This must include UMS.ir and som.ir, and thus would normally be set to

/usr/lpp/UMS/etc/UMS.ir:/usr/lpp/UMS/etc/som.ir

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