AMX HDMI-UTPRO-0808 instruction manual Appendix A – EDID Programmer, EDID Overview

Appendix A – EDID Programmer

Appendix A – EDID Programmer

Applicability

EDID Programmer software is provided for re-programming the EDID EEPROM chips on the HDMI UTPro if necessary. This software is available at www.amx.com.

EDID Overview

EDID (Extended Display Identification Data) is a data structure established by the Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) to enable plug-and-play support by enabling easy configuration of a computer’s graphics subsystem based on the capabilities of the attached display device.

EDID information includes items such as the following: Manufacturer’s name

Product type

Supported video resolutions and refresh rates Color space and filter chromaticity Detailed timing

When a computer is directly connected to a display device, it can use the display device’s EDID information to determine an initial compatible video signal to send. With the computer’s display controls, the user can modify this selection to another compatible signal based on the provided EDID information.

With High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) (which requires EDID on the display devices) using EDID information has extended beyond computers to other source devices, such as DVD players. As long as the source device sends a compatible signal, the plug-and-play feature will work.

Matrix Switchers and EDID

Matrix switchers, such as the HDMI UTPro, provide the ability to route one source signal to many potentially different types of display devices. As long as the source signal being routed is supported by all of the display devices, the result would be a good image on each display. If the source signal being routed is not supported by a display device, the result would be either a badly distorted image or no image at all.

To address these issues, the HDMI UTPro comes with one EDID EEPROM chip per input connector, which has been pre-loaded with an AMX AutoPatch EDID set. This EDID set consists of some of the most common EDID settings in use today, including VESA Established Timings encompassing 8 resolutions at a variety of refresh rates and 8 additional Standard Timings encompassing 8 resolutions and refresh rate combinations. In many cases, the matrix switcher can be used straight out of the box with no adjustments (see “Determining the Need for EDID Programming” on page 102).

The EDID Programmer software has been provided for cases where additional in-field programming of the EDID chips is needed. The EDID Programmer can be used for the following:

Reading and saving EDID data in Hexadecimal from a device

Writing EDID data to the HDMI UTPro input connector’s associated EDID EEPROM

Note: Any analysis or editing of the EDID data necessary to support the equipment specific to your installation will need to be done separately prior to using the EDID Programmer. A variety of freeware tools can be found on the web to help with these tasks.

Keep in mind that the EDID information for some equipment may not be compatible with the remaining equipment even with programming. In those cases, the signals will have limited routing options.

Tip: If the signal from some of the equipment can only be routed to part of the destinations due to incompatible EDIDs, control for the system can be simplified by creating a separate virtual matrix (level) for the inputs and outputs involved.

The remaining sections in this appendix provide information on:

Determining the need for EDID programming Installing the EDID Programmer

Reading and saving EDID data from a destination device Writing EDID data to an HDMI input connector

Instruction Manual – HDMI-UTPRO-0808 101