Crystal introduced version 7 of their CrystalVision product in March 2003 and called it CrystalVision NMC. Some of the most important features added to CrystalVision in this release were requested by customers and have already been tested and installed at a number of facilities:

• Remote control through web interface
• Enhanced automation tools
• Alarm manager
• SNMP connectivity
• ODBC database interface with graphing and trending analysis
• Microsoft Windows GUI
• Smart router
• On-line graphics and configuration tools

We have also introduced some add-on features for CrystalVision NMC:

CrystalRecorder

A Spectrum Analyzer History Player that Archives Spectrum Data and Retrieves for Playback on Demand. Identify anomalies in the digital carrier - discover interferences, isolate outages, and capture dual illumination.


Simple in operation - just like watching a movie with fast forward, play, stop, rewind, and fast rewind options. Users can also specify how many seconds per frame and move forward and backward by frame. Date and timestamps on the pull-down list make it quick and easy to locate the exact spectrum needed. Screen captures are easy to print on any networked printer.

This feature can be used across a WAN, enabling viewing from remote or centralized locations. It can work with any of Crystal's many spectrum analyzer drivers, including HP, Tektronix, Advantest, Agilent, and Avcom.

Features:
* Archives all spectrum analyzer data
* Retrieves and plays data back on demand
* Always-on connection means no lost data
* Centralized or remote viewing via network
* Works with most spectrum analyzers


When used with CrystalVision's Carrier Monitoring (CMS) Feature, users can review any of the carriers, including those with user-defined tolerances. With CrystalVision's Automation Module, the CrystalRecorder can be scheduled on an ad-hoc basis at any intervals throughout the day, on a recurring schedule, or continuous record.

Download CrystalRecorder Datasheet

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CrystalRecorder^SA

The CrystalRecorder^SA features a spectrum analyzer that combines real-time data measurements with capture analysis capability all in a single 1RU package. The analyzer’s automatic functions are able to cue recordings and generate accelerated data graphs that can be exported for review. Signals are seamlessly captured into compact flash memory with capability for storing up to 300 hours of data. The spectrum data can be retrieved at the user’s convenience by playing back time-stamped data with fast forward, play, stop, rewind, and fast rewind options. This high performance analyzer is compact and light-weight with dual hot swappable power supplies.

Download CrystalRecorder^SA Datasheet

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Avcom Spectrum Analyzer

Crystal is pleased to provide its customers with convenient, one stop access to the complete catalog of Avcom spectrum analyzers. Crystal Computer continuously strives to offer our customers top-of-the-line products at competitive prices. Our agreement to become a value added reseller of Avcom spectrum analyzers is a continuation of that approach. The Avcom family of spectrum analyzers is an excellent balance of capability and price and includes portable and rack-mounted units for broadcast, satellite, HDTV, CATV and wireless monitoring.

Download Avcom's Spectrum Analyzer Datasheet

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Crystal Content Ingest System

Crystal is excited to now offer Crystal Content Ingest System!

CCIS does just about everything for just about everyone who brings in feeds on a scheduled basis. It improves ingest reliability, relieves tedium, keeps logs, and gives your operators more time for tasks best suited to live people.

CCIS schedules and supports satellite feeds and is designed to detect equipment conflicts. It seamlessly integrates with CrystalVision NMC to execute the feeds.

Crystal Content Ingest System (CCIS) has the following features:

1.  Enables users to send commands to equipment using only start times, without specific command syntax:

• Points satellite antennas
• Controls L-Band routers
• Controls receivers or IRDs
• Controls base band routers
• Rolls tape or video disc recorder with up to two backups
• Accepts fiber or alternative distribution means

2.  Uses video disc recorder file names that your on-air automation system understands

3.  Automatically schedules backup feeds if the primary feeds fail

4.  Performs device conflict detection when ingest clips are defined, scheduled, and executed

5.  Permits last-minute device reassignments with conflict detection

6.  Dwells on a computer running the LINUX operating system with:

• Real-time IP interface to CrystalVision NMC
• Web browser interfaces for content programming, tape operations, and setup and maintenance
• Supports clip start dates, stop dates, and skip dates (e.g. holidays)

7.  Allows each instance of a regularly scheduled clip to be modified without having to change the clip

CCIS setup associates router input/output ports with devices. This lets a content programmer or videotape operator select devices for clips and CCIS implicitly and automatically controls the router(s). Your content programmer can set up clips and leave the device assignment up to the tape/video disc operator.

CCIS alerts the tape operator when the content programmer has failed to provide the appropriate episode number for an imminently scheduled clip. CCIS also alerts the operator when both primary and backup feeds have failed, and can even create an emergency tape order request.

CCIS functions as a third party software to CrystalVision NMC. The system reads information from CrystalVision NMC such as device status and identities and sends device commands back to CrystalVision NMC. Your CrystalVision NMC software does not know, and does not need to know, that Crystal Ingest exists. Crystal Ingest is connected to CrystalVision NMC via TCP/IP and UDP/IP.

CCIS queries its databases using MySQL. Linux supports the most advanced features of MySQL.

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DVB Bitrate Calculator

One of the many new functions included with CrystalVision NMC is the web-based DVB Calculator. This operations aid was developed to help simplify the setup of digital encoding and decoding devices.

Since setup parameters vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, it is often difficult to quickly and efficiently set up digital circuits when using a combination of manufacturers’ equipment. For example, one IRD may require the Information Rate while another uses the transport rate. Add to this varying forward error correction settings, alpha factors and symbol rates, and you've got a less than trivial problem on your hands. With a downlink feed to receive in mere moments, there is no time to frantically rummage through binders of "lookup tables" or online help.

Crystal understands this problem and has designed the DVB Calculator to assist your operations. Simply select the DVB Calculator from the menu bar of CrystalVision and enter the known parameters. The DVB Calculator will calculate the other parameters for you. (For increased efficiency, the FEC and alpha factors are “remembered” from your last session, so if you frequently use the same FEC and alpha factors, you will not have to re-select them each time.)

These parameters may then be immediately entered into CrystalVision and voila! - you are locked onto the digital signal! This handy utility calculates symbol rates from QPSK to 64QAM and lets you know the satellite bandwidth at -30 dB and the bandwidth that is occupied and allocated on the satellite transponder.

This tool can be accessed from any recently-released web browser, including IE 6.0, Netscape 6.2, Mozilla 1.0, and Voyager 2.10. To see a demo of the DVB Calculator or CrystalVision NMC, please contact one of our sales representatives.

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HPA Maintenance Report

If you're doing uplink with multiple HPAs, you may be required by the FCC to keep maintenance records of the HPAs' operating parameters.

We've made compliance with this regulation easy with our new HPA Maintenance Report, accessed from the Tools Menu.

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Cue Tone Monitoring

Would you like to be able to prove that you actually sent the proper cue tones? Crystal's new feature, Cue Tone Monitoring, provides an automated, objective means of verifying that each cue tone was in fact sent.

CrystalVision can log the precise time that each cue tone is sent and/or the precise time that each cue tone is received. It can also display an alarm if a cue tone does not arrive within a specified amount of time. These tones can be monitored based on a regular schedule or ad hoc times. (This feature requires a DTMF cue signal generator to be provided by the customer.)

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