HP sv6 manual Compositor cards

hp scalable visualization digital compositor

compositor cards

rack mountable box containing a fourteen-slot backplane. Into the backplane, three types of cards can be inserted: a controller card, an input card and output cards.

compositor cards

The compositor must contain one controller card. It is responsible for initializing the system, updating firmware, and communicating with the master Workstation to update state information (mode, video rates, video stream state, etc.). This card also accepts the stereo sync signal from the graphics card on the master Workstation and produces the stereo sync needed by active stereo emitters. It also controls the power switch, fan, and status LEDs. After initialization, it only monitors the fan, power supply, and sets the LEDs.

The input card has connections for two video input streams. In a scalable visualization system, one input is used for the 2D stream while the second input on that card is used for 3D. Some number of additional input cards are used for 3D streams. The input card is responsible for taking in digital video streams, down-sampling the data (in super-sample scene anti-aliasing mode) and inserting the data into the appropriate location of an internal frame buffer (in all modes) while summing the data with the original frame buffer contents (in jitter scene anti-aliasing mode). This frame buffer is then sent to the next input card for insertion of its data. The final stage is for the 2D channel to optionally average the data (divide by the number of 3D input streams when in jitter mode), overlay its 2D rendering stream data and mask off the non-3D data from the previous input cards.

The output card takes the composited image and produces a digital or analog output signal that is appropriate for the display on a flat panel or monitor. For a given display there can be two output cards. Two are used to convert the sequential left/right image data from active stereo into a parallel left image and a right image needed for passive stereo. To support this, output card #1 has a frame buffer for holding the left image while output card #2 receives the right image. When the correct left and right images are completely received they are displayed simultaneously while new left/right images are received.

98 Appendix A