At the front of the frame are the processing blades (up to 4 per frame). Each blade handles the IP connections plus the SDI conversion and signal processing.

The processing blades are hot-pluggable and so it is possible to add or replace a blade while the frame is powered. See Fitting a Processing Blade for instructions.

Useful to Know

  • Each processing blade is an independent entity and can be addressed separately.
  • The processing blades are numbered from 1 to 4, starting at the top of the frame.
  • Physically, the highest blade is always the master (e.g. slot 1 in a fully-populated frame).
  • The master blade determines the fan activity and error reporting.

Internal Components

Internally, each processing blade is based on the latest generation of high-performance FPGAs, featuring high-bandwidth memory (HBM) for high-density, high-performance 100Gbps operation.

External Connections

Externally, each processing blade is equipped with 8 network interfaces: 6 media + 2 management ports.

  • The six media ports handle the IP streaming to the media network(s): 4 x 25GbE (via SFP28) and 2 x 100GbE (via QSFP28).
  • The two MGMT ports handle the administration and control: 2 x 1GbE (via SFP).

Media Ports

The active media ports are determined by the operating mode of the processing blade: 25G (only), 100G (only) or 100G+proxy (all six ports are active: the 100G ports handle the original signals; the 25G ports handle the proxy flows). 
  • 25G comes as standard; 100G requires an optional license.
  • 25Gbps is fine for SD and HD; 100Gbps is required for 3G and UHD.

Please note: a 100G license is required to support the 100G and 100G+proxy modes. If a 100G license is not available, then the blade runs in 25G (only) mode and the 100G ports are inactive.

For each stream, you can decide whether it will be transmitted or received via the primary or secondary port. To achieve redundant streaming, you must use both interfaces. The image below shows the location of the primary and secondary interfaces.

The connections are made as follows:

  • SFP 1 to 4 - 4 x 25GbE (via SFP28). Active if the operating mode = 25G or 100G+proxy:
  • QSFP 1 & 2 - 2 x 100GbE (via QSFP28). Active if the operating mode = 100G or 100G+proxy.

Management Ports

The two management ports handle the administration and control. They can be addressed in one of two ways, depending on which is more convenient:
  • Out-of-band - control data arrives via the MGMT ports: 2 x 1GbE (via SFP). This scheme requires a dedicated management network. To achieve redundant control, you must use both interfaces.
  • In-band - control data arrives via the media ports. This scheme can be used if there is no separate management network.

Optical Transceivers

To use the network ports, you must fit the correct optical transceivers. These must be Lawo-certified (as described earlier). The optical transceiver determines the cable type, maximum distance and connector.

For more information about how to connect a processing blade, see .edge - Wiring.

Each network port has a Link Status LED that can be used to check the Ethernet connection.
Link Status LEDMeaningRecommended Actions

Green

Link up (ok).No action required.

Yellow

Link down: optical transceiver detected but no connection.Check the connection to the network switch.

Off

Link down: optical transceiver missing.

Check the fitting of the optical transceiver.

The link status and IP settings can also be interrogated using HOME's Network Ports tab.

Other Controls & Indicators

On the right of each processing blade are the following controls and indicators:

  • Call Home (button) and ID (LED) - can be used to identify the hardware in the HOME Web UI.
  • Reset (recessed button) - can be used to power cycle the processing blade.
  • USB-C (port) - can be connected to perform diagnostics from a service computer.
  • Card Status (LED) - shows the health of the processing blade (and chassis on the master blade).

For more information, see .edge - Controls, Connectors and Indicators.

Ordering Information

A processing blade can be ordered using the part numbers .edge_gateway (for a complete SDI I/O package) or A00/40 (for a replacement blade). See .edge - Ordering Information.

Further Information

For information about the supported IP standards, see .edge - Technical Specification.

Additional information such as mechanical drawings and data sheets can be located using the type number: A00/40.