Tascam CG-2000 Master Clock Generator with BNC Inputs/Outputs, Alarm Outputs For Professional Recording

 

The CG Series includes  three distinct models tailored to different types of studios.The CG-2000 is designed for the needs of broadcasting and post production, the CG-1800 for small to large-scale video/audio synchronization systems, and the CG-1000 for recording studios, live sound applications and professional musicians.

 

The crystal oscillator is the heart of the clock generator. In each model of the CG Series, an OCXO (oven-controlled crystal oscillator) is used for its high precision, and the fact it is not influenced by the temperature of the environment. Boasting a clock frequency precision of 0.01 ppm*1, which exceeds that of a TCXO (temperature-compensated crystal oscillator), this unit is key in the creation of high-precision synchronization systems - with word output frequency stability of ±0.005ppm or less per day.

 

The CG-2000 is equipped with an external input connector that supports a 10MHz signal.  This allows it to be connected to a rubidium clock or GPS clock for even higher precision.

 

External clock jitter is reduced using an original TASCAM circuit design that incorporates a high-performance video clock generator engineered with a FPGA*2 and a PLL (phase-locked loop) circuit with a discrete filter. This enables a stable clock signal to be provided to the video/word outputs - improving system stability. The glitch-free relock circuit prevents noise and skipping sounds caused by master clock dropouts.

 

In addition to (12) word clock outputs and (4) video outputs, the digital outputs include (2) AES3/AES11 and (2) S/PDIF outputs, making this unit useful for large-scale audio/video synchronization systems, and a wide variety of other applications. Of the (12) word outputs, two also support x2Fs, x4Fs and 256Fs output - enabling them to be used in systems with ProTools and other DAW software.

 

The CG Series has multiple functions to support maintenance, and the identification of issues if problems occur. The analyzer function measures output device termination, input level measurement (for CG-2000 and CG-1800), and the measurement of input frequencies. These built-in features enable the devices to provide troubleshooting support. Additionally, a logging function enables issues to be listed, and saved to a CSV file format on a USB flash drive.

 

Since crystal oscillators change over time, regular calibration is necessary. In order to avoid possible sync problems, timely inspections – along with regular maintenance is required. The CG Series has a self-correction function, enabling users to conduct maintenance using an external signal input*3 and simple operations.

 

Amphenol BNC connectors on the chassis use nuts for coupling – making them very durable, Also, a single circuit board is used for each connector - providing excellent resistance to the twisting and pulling of cables, and the suppression of interference between connectors.

 

The CG Series is the latest in the line of innovative TASCAM professional digital products – engineered with the latest digital clocking technology.

 

*1 Factory default value

*2 FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array)

*3 Use of the self-calibration function requires preparation of a separate PPS-output 10MHz oscillator with a built-in GPS antenna.

 

 

With two power supply circuits, the CG-2000 features redundancy to prevent mishaps caused by power outages.

 

With two inputs each for video reference and world clock signals, there is redundancy to prevent problems due to external clock interruption.

 

External clock jitter is reduced using an original TASCAM circuit design that incorporates a high-performance video clock generator device, featuring an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) and a PLL (phase-locked loop) circuit with a discrete filter. This enables a stable clock signal to be provided to the video/word outputs, improving system stability.

 

The CG-2000 constantly measures the external reference clock. In devices that do not have built-in countermeasures, and the master clock signal drops out, the video reference and word clock signals could become out of phase, and sound might skip during the dropout - and again during recovery. In the CG-2000, if the clock drops out, a substitute reference clock signal is maintained with a high-performance holdover. During this time, the video reference and word clock signals are kept in-phase, so restoration of synchronization to the reference signal can occur without glitches - preventing video/audio noise and skipping sounds when recovering from a dropout.

 

 

The crystal oscillator is the heart of the clock generator, In the CG-2000, an OCXO (oven-controlled crystal oscillator) is used for its high precision, and the fact it is not influenced by the temperature of the environment. Boasting a clock frequency precision of 0.01 ppm*, which exceeds that of a TCXO (temperature-compensated crystal oscillator), this unit is key in the creation of high-precision synchronization systems - with word output frequency stability of +/-0.005ppm or less per day.

*factory default value.

 

An external input connector that supports a 10MHz signal enables the CG-2000 to be connected to a rubidium clock or GPS clock for even higher precision.

 

 

In addition to (12) word clock outputs and (4) video outputs, the digital outputs include (2) AES3/AES11 and (2) S/PDIF outputs, making this unit useful for large-scale audio/video synchronization systems, and a wide variety of other applications. Of the (12) word outputs, two also support x2Fs, x4Fs and 256Fs output - enabling them to be used in systems with ProTools and other DAW software.

 

Analog NTSC/PAL and digital HD Tri-level video signal formats are supported.

 

 

In the installation of broadcasting and large-scale post-production studios, numerous connected devices and complicated wiring are common. The CG-2000 has an analyzer function that allows it to measure phase difference, input frequencies, input levels and the terminations of output devices - enabling it to provide support when troubleshooting problems should they occur.

 

Depending on the routing of wiring and the receiving devices, signal levels could be reduced - resulting in proper reception failures. Since the output of the CG-2000 can be set to multiple levels, it can provide optimal signal levels to connected devices.

 

One function that enables identification of the causes of trouble is the logging function. In addition to being able to check the log on the CG-2000 display, you can also capture the log as a CSV-format file on a USB flash drive. Moreover, you can also monitor the conditions of trouble occurrence by using GPO parallel output.

 

Since crystal oscillators change over time, regular calibration is necessary. In order to avoid problems that could lead to broadcast trouble, timely inspections and regular maintenance are required. The CG-2000 has a self-correction function, enabling users to conduct maintenance using external signal input* and simple operations. 

*Use of the self-calibration function requires preparation of a separate PPS-output 10MHz oscillator with a built-in GPS antenna.

 

 

Since the Amphenol BNC connectors use nuts for coupling, they are extremely resistant to pulling, twisting and multiple connect-disconnect cycles.

 

The construction uses a single circuit board for each connector. This provides excellent resistance to the twisting and pulling of cables and suppresses interference between connectors.

 

• Two power supply circuits for redundancy [CG-2000 only]
• Supports video reference/word clock redundancy [CG-2000 only]
• Internal clock uses a high-precision OCXO (oven-controlled crystal oscillator) that is not influenced by the temperature of the environment
• External input connector that supports 10MHz, allowing creation of systems with even higher precision
• Jitter management circuit provides stable clock
• Glitch-free relocking circuit prevents noise and skipping during clock dropouts and recovery
• Numerous output connectors, including (12) word clock outputs, enabling the use in large-scale video/audio synchronization systems
• Supports input and output of a variety of video signal formats, including NTSC, PAL and HD Tri-level
• AES3 and AES11 signals can also be used for external master clock input sources
• Analyzer function that can measure output device termination
• Optimal levels can be provided to other devices by adjusting wordclock output levels
• Error status can be outputted using GPO parallel output, allowing the monitoring of error occurrence
• Self-calibration function using an external oscillator (Atomic/GPS 10MHz, GPS PPS)
• *Use of the self-calibration function requires the use of a separate PPS-output 10MHz oscillator with a built-in GPS antenna.
• Word clock performance up to 192 kHz
• 0.1% pull-up/down for 24F(Film) and 29.97F(NTSC), and 4% pull-up/down for 24F(Film) and 25F(PAL)
• Up to (4) system settings can be saved to buttons for recall, and saved settings can be imported and exported via USB
• Durable nut-coupling BNC connectors made by Amphenol
• Independent circuit boards for each connector prevents contact failures due to twisting
• Three-prong IEC power cable included
• Panel-lock switch can be used to prevent inadvertent changes to unit operation
• 128x64-pixel organic EL display with a wide viewing angle
• Firmware updates possible using the USB port
• EIA 1U rack mount size
• RoHS-compliant product

Inputs
Video Inputs
Connector:	BNC
Input level:	0.5Vp-p to 2.0Vp-p
Input impedance:	75ohm (ON/OFF selectable by menu)
Input signal
SD video black burst:	NTSC(29.97), NTSC B/W(30), PAL(25)
HD video tri-level
720p:	50, 59.97, 60
1080p:	23.976, 24, 25, 29.97, 30, 59.94, 60
1080i/psf:	23.976, 24, 25, 29.97, 30
Allowable frequency deviation:	+/-10ppm
Word/Ext Inputs
Connector:	BNC×2(A/B)
Input level:	0.5Vp-p to 5.0Vp-p
Input impedance:	75ohm/50ohm(75/50/OFF selectable by menu)
Supported frequencies
Word Clock:	32kHz, 44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz, 96kHz, 176.4kHz, 192kHz
ATOM:	10.0 MHz
GPS:	10.0MHz
Allowable frequency deviation:	+/-50ppm
AES3/11 Input
Connector:	XLR-3-31(1:GND, 2:HOT, 3:COLD)
Input level:	0.2Vp-p to 10Vp-p
Input impedance:	110ohm
Format:	AES11-2003, AES3-2003, IEC60958-4
Supported frequencies:	32kHz, 44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz, 96kHz, 176.4kHz, 192kHz
Allowable frequency deviation:	+/-50ppm
Caliblation Input
Connector:	BNC
Input level:	0.5 to 5.0 Vp-p
Input impedance:	50ohm(ON/OFF selectable by menu)
Supported frequencies
ATOM:	10.0 MHz
GPS:	10.0MHz, PPS
Outputs
Video Outputs
Connector:	BNC×4(1-4)
Output level:	1.3Vp-p
Output impedance:	75ohm
Output signal
SD video black burst:	NTSC(29.97), NTSC B/W(30), PAL(25)
HD video tri-level
720p:	50, 59.97, 60
1080p:	23.976, 24, 25, 29.97, 30, 50, 59.94, 60
1080i/psf:	23.976, 24, 25, 29.97, 30
Word Outputs
Connector:	BNC×12(1-12)
Output level:	1.0Vp-p to 3.5Vp-p (adjustable in 0.5V steps by menu)
Output impedance:	75ohm
Supported frequencies:	32kHz, 44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz, 96kHz, 176.4kHz, 192kHz 1/4xFs, 1/2xFs, 1xFs, 2xFs, 4xFs, 256xFs (Only OUTPUTS 11-12)
AES3/11 Outputs
Connector:	XLR-3-31(1:GND, 2:HOT, 3:COLD)×2(1-2)
Output level:	2.5Vp-p
Output impedance:	110ohm
Format:	AES11-2003, AES3-2003, IEC60958-4
Supported frequencies:	32kHz, 44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz, 96kHz, 176.4kHz, 192kHz
S/PDIF Outputs
Connector:	RCA pin jacks ×2(1-2)
Output level:	0.5Vp-p
Output impedance:	75ohm
Format:	IEC60958-3
Alarm Output
Connector:	6-pin Euroblock connector
Output level:	Open collector
Transmission method:	Parallel
Output impedance:	10ohm
Withstand voltage:	20V
Maximum current:	35mA
USB:	A data transfer use by a USB flash drive
Connector:	4-pin type B
Protocol:	USB2.0 High Speed (480Mbps)
Power supply rating:	DC5.0V, 0.2A
Internal oscillator performance
Type:	OCXO
frequency accuracy:	+/-0.01ppm(factory default value)
frequency stability:	+/-0.005ppm / day
Power:	AC100V to 240V, 50/60Hz
Power consumption:	14W
Dimensions:	483(W)×45(H)×310(D)mm
Weight:	3.3kg
Operating temperature range:	0˚C to 40˚C
Included accessories:	Power cords×2, rackmounting screw kit, operation manual (with warranty)