NUTMEG II 8 CHANNEL AUDIO-VIDEO INTERFACE
Video controller. Audio mixer. Protocol diplomat. Multitasking computer network server.
Describing the most innovative idea ever perfected for planetarium control isn't easy. Perhaps we should call it "Sky-Skan's answer to the Digital Age." NUTMEG II is a flexible controller which accepts a wide—and growing—variety of option cards to accomplish specific functions. But NUTMEG II is far more than a mere card cage. By means of a sophisticated, multiplane motherboard at the base of the unit, individual NUTMEG II option cards can communicate with one another, sharing signals and exchanging data. We've exploited this power in ways critical to the planetarium, as the following pages show. But perhaps its most exciting aspect is its future. New cards and expanded capabilities are continually under development. They, along with ideas yet to be imagined, will propel planetarium media control into the next century.
These pictures show just one of thousands of possible NUTMEG configurations. You can, of course, have as many NUTMEGs as you need to handle your theater's equipment.
Specifications
(Note—these specifications apply only to the NUTMEG chassis, Power Supply card, and Host Processor II card. Specifications for NUTMEG option cards may be found alongside the catalog descriptions for specific cards.)
INPUT/OUTPUT CONNECTIONS
A.C. POWER - mains power input
SPICE DATA IN/OUT - (RS-485, 25-pin) links NUTMEGs, SUGARs, THYME, and other controllers on common data line.
PANEL CONTROLS
POWER - Main Power (on back panel)
INTERFACE SELECT - used when downloading device configuration
RESET - resets internal microcomputer
PANEL DISPLAYS
POWER - on
ON-LINE - data being received
READY - microcomputer ready
STATUS - 4-digit LED display for option card status and messages
MAXIMUM CABLE RUNS
RS-485 - 4000 ft. (total daisy chain)
POWER REQUIREMENTS
110v/60Hz or 220v/50Hz (specify when ordering); 2 amp quick-blow fuse
DIMENSIONS
Height: 5.22', Depth: 8.35", Width: 16.82", front Panel: 19"
Fits standard 19" rack, 3 rack units high
Requires minimum 3" clearance for connections
SS 276 - NUTMEG II Control Chassis with power supply and processor card
SS 276 E - international version
(NOTE: A NUTMEG II is normally ordered with the necessary option cards factory installed, with appropriate firmware and device drivers preloaded. Furnished software utilities allow users to change option card configurations at will)