V-PACK VIRTUAL BELTPACK INSTRUCTION MANUAL
V-Pack Instruction Manual ©2004 Vitec Group Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved Part Number 810304 Vitec Group Communicatons Inc. 4065 Hollis Street Emeryville, CA 94608-3505 U.S.A Clear-Com is a registered trademark of Vitec Group Communications Inc. The Clear-Com Logo is a registered trademark of Vitec Group Communications Inc. Matrix Plus is a registered trademark of Vitec Group Communications Inc. Windows is a registered trademarks of Microsoft Corp.
CONTENTS GETTING STARTED 1-1 What is V-Pack™? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1 About this Manual. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2 Minimum System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2 Installing V-Pack™ on Your Computer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3 Starting Up V-Pack™ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
CHOOSING HEADSET OPTIONS 5-1 Options for a Single-Channel Beltpack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-1 Main Headset Microphone Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2 Auxiliary Headset Microphone Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2 Main Headphone Options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3 Auxiliary Headphone Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Call Tone Access . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5 Electret/Dynamic Microphone Access . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5 Channel Exclusive Access. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5 Call on Talk Access . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5 Mic Gain Access . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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1 GETTING STARTED WHAT IS V-PACK™? With V-Pack™, you can create a custom setup of desired beltpack features on a computer, and transfer the setup to a connected beltpack. The computer’s V-Pack Windows interface becomes, in effect, a “virtual” beltpack, allowing you to operate and program a connected beltpack remotely. With V-Pack you can: With V-Pack™ software, you can create, edit, and store beltpack setup options on a computer, and then transfer the custom setups to a connected beltpack..
• Send and receive 24 kHz RMK signals. • Contour the audio for maximum intelligibility in noisy environments. • Reduce background noise with full-function Noise Gate. • Select the earphone level for an auxiliary headset. When the VPC-1 cable is connected, and V-Pack started, you can select beltpack features in V-Pack and upload them to the beltpack. • Choose how a call signal occurs—as a steady, flashing, or dimmed light; as an AC or DC signal; and/or as an audible tone in the headset.
PIN When you start V-Pack, you can program a beltpack online or offline. See Chapter 3 for details. FUNCTION 3 ring 5 sleeve Table 1: Pin Configuration for VPC-1 Programming Cable NOTE: Cable wiring should only be performed by qualified personnel. The cable used should be shielded, twisted pair. INSTALLING V-PACK ON YOUR COMPUTER To install V-Pack from a CD-ROM: 1. Insert the CD-ROM into the computer’s CD-ROM drive. The V-Pack installation starts.
Once you have started the program, you can choose to either operate the program online or offline to the beltpack. See Chapter 3 for details. To exit the program, click the Exit button. You can also click the V-Pack Close button in the upper right corner of the title bar. GETTING HELP Once you have started V-Pack, you can use the Help files to explain settings and procedures in the program. You can access the Help files by clicking the Help button that appears on each screen in V-Pack.
2 QUICK START NAVIGATING V-PACK: AN OVERVIEW For readers who want to get started quickly, this chapter gives an overview of V-Pack. For readers who want to get started quickly, this chapter gives an overview of V-Pack. Subsequent chapters explain V-Pack in more detail. To begin navigating the interface, decide whether you want to select features for a beltpack online in real time, or offline, to download to the beltpack later.
To create a custom setup for your beltpack: When you are online to V-Pack, the changes you make onscreen to a beltpack’s operating features take effect immediately at the connected beltpack. . 1. From the Virtual Beltpack dialog box, do one of the following: •Click Go Online to select and activate beltpack operating features in real time. •Click Setup to select beltpack operating features offline, so that you can download the features to the beltpack later. The Beltpack Setup dialog box appears. 2.
3 THE VIRTUAL BELTPACK GOING ONLINE TO V-PACK When you first start V-Pack, the Virtual Beltpack Control Panel appears. Figure 1 shows a control panel for both a single-channel beltpack and for a dual-channel beltpack. 2-Channel Beltpack 1-Channel Beltpack The Virtual Beltpack Control Panel takes you either online to V-Pack or lets you create setups offline.
Note: When you are using V-Pack, the volume controls on the beltpack do not function. They are replaced by the slider buttons in V-Pack. WORKING OFFLINE WITH V-PACK The beltpack must be connected to a Clear-Com channel with proper power and terminations. You can also create beltpack setups while a beltpack is “offline”—or not connected—to the computer. Then, when you connect the beltpack to the computer and go online, you can upload the entire custom setup to the beltpack at one time.
V-Pack lets you customize each mode for your specific needs. You select custom options for a mode in the V-Pack software, and upload the new mode to a beltpack connected to the computer. You can rename a mode to reflect its function. You go “online” or stay “offline” through the Virtual Beltpack Control Panel. Customized settings help a beltpack user to quickly adapt to the needs of an operating environment.
Figure 3: Mode Button Names Dialog Box To restore the original mode name: 1. Right-click a mode button. The Mode Button Names dialog box appears. (See Figure 3.) 2. Delete the mode name and leave the space blank. 3. Click OK. The original default name is restored. It appears in the Mode area of the Beltpack Setup screen and on all other V-Pack screens whenever that mode is referred to.
The next three chapters explain these settings: • Chapter 4 describes Operations Options; • Chapter 5 describes Headset Options; • Chapter 6 describes Advanced Options. • Chapter 7 describes other helpful tasks you can accomplish with V-Pack, such as saving custom setups to a computer file, and “cloning” custom setups for quick uploading to one or more beltpacks. USING V-PACK ONLINE To program your beltpack directly in real time: 1. Attach the VPC-1 cable to the beltpack’s 3.
USING V-PACK OFFLINE To program a beltpack offline: 1. Start V-Pack. From the Windows Start menu, select Programs, then 600-Series Beltpack, then V-Pack. The Virtual Beltpack Control Panel appears. 2. Click Setup on the Virtual Beltpack Control Panel. The Beltpack Setup dialog box appears. 3. In the Model area of the Beltpack Setup dialog box, click the correct beltpack model type. 4. In the Mode area of the Beltpack Setup dialog box, click the desired Mode for which you are selecting options. 5.
4 CHOOSING OPERATIONS OPTIONS With V-Pack, you can customize how your beltpack operates. For example, you can decide how a call signal appears on your beltpack, or how a talk button latches. Single-channel beltpacks offer a different set of customizing options than dual-channel beltpacks. The following sections first discuss the options available for single-channel beltpacks, and then discuss the options available for dual-channel beltpacks.
CALL SIGNALING OPTIONS FOR A SINGLE-CHANNEL BELTPACK When you press a beltpack’s call button, the beltpack sends an electronic signal on the intercom line that causes a visual or audible signal to occur on the other beltpacks on that intercom line. The signal can be sent to cue other beltpack users to perform an action, or it can be sent to activate a device such as a relay or radio transmitter.
channel. To use this feature, in most situations set the beltpack’s talk button to non-latching. Option Compatibility Note that some options are mutually exclusive. You cannot select “Steady Call Light” and “Flashing Call Light” at the same time. When you click the check box for one of these options, the check boxes for the other options automatically clear to show that they are unavailable. Many options, however, are not mutually exclusive.
Tap Latch When you select Tap Latch, the beltpack’s microphone latches when you simply tap the talk button once. The microphone “locks” on, so that even after you release the talk button, the microphone is on. To turn the microphone off, quickly press and release the talk button again. Double-Tap Latch When you select Double-Tap Latch, the beltpack’s microphone latches when you tap the talk button twice in quick succession. To turn the microphone off, press and release the talk button again.
OPTIONS FOR A DUAL-CHANNEL BELTPACK For a dual-channel beltpack there are seven categories of beltpack options to choose from: • Call Signaling Options • Talk Button Options • Talk Function Options • Listen Function Options • Remote Mic Kill (RMK) Options • Channel Exclusive Options • Channel Position Options Figure 5 shows the Operations Options dialog box for a dual-channel beltpack. Note that the mode you select appears in the screen’s title area.
Figure 6 shows the call signaling options for a dual-channel beltpack, with the two default options for Mode 1, “Call Button,” and “Steady Call Light,” selected. The factory programs these options into all dual-channel beltpacks, so that you can operate a beltpack immediately when you receive it. Figure 6: Call Signaling Options for a Dual-Channel Beltpack On dual-channel beltpacks, you can send and receive both AC and DC call signals on a channel simultaneously.
Steady Call Light When you select the Steady Call Light check box, the beltpack’s call light remains on for the duration of the call signal. You can select this option for one or both channels. • If you select the AC check box for a channel, an incoming AC call signal for that channel appears a as a steady call light at the beltpack. If you click to clear the AC check box, you cannot receive an AC call signal on that channel at the beltpack.
• If you select the AC check box for a channel, an incoming AC call signal for that channel produces a beeping tone in the beltpack’s headphone. If you click to clear the AC check box, you cannot receive an AC call signal on that channel at the beltpack. • If you select the DC check box for a channel, an incoming DC call signal on that channel produces a beeping tone in the beltpack’s headphone. If you click to clear the DC check box, you cannot receive a DC call signal on that channel at the beltpack.
Figure 7 shows the talk button options for a dual-channel beltpack, with the default option, “Tap Latch,” selected for both channels. The factory programs this option into all dual-channel beltpacks, so that you can operate your beltpack immediately when you receive it. Figure 7: Talk Button Options for a Dual-Channel Beltpack You can activate an option for one or both channels. To activate an option, click the check box next to it. To shut off an option, clear its check box by clicking it.
Always Latched When you select Always Latched for a channel, the beltpack’s microphone locks on permanently for that channel. Pressing the talk button has no effect. As in the previous option, you should use this option only for environments in which you know that headsets are not left connected at power down, because acoustic leakage and feedback can result when the system is powered back up. You cannot use the remote-mic kill option if you activate Always Latched for a channel.
LISTEN FUNCTION OPTIONS FOR A DUAL-CHANNEL BELTPACK Figure 9 shows the options for a beltpack’s listen function. You select an option by clicking it. Figure 9: Listen Function Options for a 2-Channel Beltpack Listen Active on Both Channels When you select this option, you can listen on both channels simultaneously regardless of whether the talk buttons for those channels are pressed or latched. This is the default setting for all modes.
You usually send a remote-mic kill signal from the main station, but you can also send an AC remote-mic kill signal from a dual-channel beltpack. The signal releases every latched talk button on every beltpack on the channel that is set to receive AC RMK. Figure 10 shows the Remote Mic Kill area of the Operations Options dialog box. By default, this feature is turned on. To turn off the Remote Mic Kill feature, clear the check box by clicking it.
Figure 11: Channel Exclusive Option for 2-Channel Beltpacks Channel A Exclusive When you select this option, only Channel A operates on the beltpack. Both channels’ call and talk buttons operate for Channel A only. Channel B’s listen level knob and call light do not operate. Channel B Exclusive When you select this option, only Channel B operates on the beltpack. Both channels’ call and talk buttons operate for the Channel B only. Channel A’s listen level knob and call light do not operate.
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5 CHOOSING HEADSET OPTIONS With V-Pack, you can customize how your beltpack’s main and auxiliary headphones and microphones operate. To navigate to headset options, click Headset on the Beltpack Setup screen, as shown in Figure 1. The Headset Options screen appears on your computer display. The options that appear differ based on the beltpack model that you are using or that you have selected on the Setup screen. Each beltpack model offers its own set of options.
Figure 2: Headset options for a single-channel beltpack MAIN HEADSET MICROPHONE OPTIONS You can select either a dynamic or an electret microphone as the main microphone, as shown in Figure 3. When you select an option, the beltpack sets the appropriate audio levels for that option. Most standard XLR-terminated intercom headsets use dynamic microphones. An electret microphone produces a stronger audio signal than most dynamic microphones, and does not pick up hum from surrounding equipment.
AUXILIARY HEADSET MICROPHONE OPTIONS All RS-600 series beltpacks provide a 2.5 mm jack for connecting a Clear-Com CC-25 headset or similiar ultra-light headset. The gain of this circuit is optimized to match the Clear-Com CC-25 headset’s microphone. The auxiliary headset jack may work with some cell phone-type headsets, but problems with audio response, nulling, acoustic feedback, and noise leakage may result.
AUXILIARY HEADPHONE OPTIONS You can select to limit the headphone audio on an auxiliary headphone just as you can limit it on the main headphone. Clearing the check box turns off this feature. Figure 6: Auxiliary headphone option for a single-channel beltpack OPTIONS FOR A DUAL-CHANNEL BELTPACK For dual-channel beltpacks, the Headset Options screen displays the following headset options, shown in Figure 7.
ratio in high-noise environments. This setting reduces the amount of ambient noise that travels to the intercom channel when a beltpack’s microphone is on. Typically, you choose “low gain” for an electret microphone because of the microphone’s stronger audio signal. A dynamic microphone requires the high-gain setting, which is the default.
The auxiliary headset jack may work with some cell phone-type headsets, but problems with audio response, nulling, acoustic feedback, and noise leakage may result. You have the same options for the auxiliary headset microphone that you have for the main headset microphone. Figure 9 shows the auxiliary headset microphone options. The default setting for an auxiliary headset is for the microphone’s audio frequency response to be flat rather than contoured.
This option is used for RTS-configured beltpacks. You can use the High Cut option with any system that has reduced frequency response and only noise present in the audio band above 8 kHz or for headsets that sound too bright or “tinny.” MONAURAL (MONO) AND BINARUAL OPERATION By default, a dual-channel beltpack operates monaurally. The two audio channels (A and B) are mixed equally into one signal that goes either to the one headphone of a single-ear headset, or both headphones of dual-ear headset.
Similarly, if you move the L-to-R slider up towards the All value, a percentage of the left earphone’s audio (Channel B) mixes in with the left earphone’s audio (Channel B). If both sliders are moved to the All value on the scale, the beltpack operates in monaural mode: both earphones receive both audio channels on one audio pathway. The audio is not separated into two separate pathways at all. If you do not wish to separate the two audio channels, click Mono.
MICROPHONE NOISE GATE The RS-600 Series are the first beltpacks to offer an onboard full-function Microphone Noise Gate. The Microphone Noise Gate allows you to restrict or “gate” background noise at the beltpack’s microphone, so that it does not transmit to the intercom line. With Noise Gate activated, the beltpack microphone operates as a very flexible voice-operated switch, which only transmits sound when it detects your voice.
When you set the threshold value to “minimum,” the gate opens when it detects low-level sounds, and all sounds above that level transmit through the microphone to the intercom line. When you set the value to “maximum,” only very loud sounds open the gate, and only sounds above that level transmit through the microphone to the intercom line. When you set the value at any midpoint on the scale, only the sounds above that midpoint transmit through the microphone to the intercom line.
When you set the range value to “maximum,” the noise gate filters most or all of the background noise. When you set the range value to “minimum,” the noise gate filters out only a portion of the background noise. At midpoint, fifty percent is filtered out. The optimum value on this scale depends on the conditions in your operating environment. Adjust this value so that it offers the best mix for your particular environment.
When the “detect” light goes out, the microphone has gated noise below the threshold level, so that you no longer hear it. 5. Speak into the microphone. The detect light illuminates when the microphone detects your voice, or any sound above the threshold. 6. Readjust the threshold value so that the detect light just comes on when you are not speaking, without cutting off the beginning of the first word. 7. Set the attack value depending on how quickly you want the noise gate to open and transmit your voice.
6 CHOOSING ADVANCED SETUP OPTIONS Advanced beltpack setup options give you even more flexibility in operating a beltpack. For example: • You can limit a beltpack user’s access to the beltpack’s onboard functions. Locked out functions are not available on the beltpack until they are restored through V-Pack. • You can select among available computer ports for connecting the VPC-1 programming cable. • On dual-channel beltpacks, you can select between RTS-compatible and ClearCom-compatible line levels.
SETUP ACCESSIBILITY OPTIONS The Setup Accessibility area of the screen presents a list of the onboard beltpack options from which you can restrict a beltpack user’s access. By default these options are available. To make an option unavailable, clear its check box by clicking it. To restore an option, click the option’s check box, or restore the factory default settings. You can restrict a beltpack user’s access to onboard programming options.
This feature differs from a beltpack’s onboard lockout ability because with V-Pack you can also disable Mode Select. PC COMMUNICATIONS PORT In the PC Communications Port area of the screen, you can select among eight PC Communications (“COM”) port settings for connecting the VPC-1 cable and beltpack to a PC. Click a COM port number to select that port.
SETUP ACCESSIBILITY OPTIONS The Setup Accessibility area of the screen presents a list of several onboard beltpack options for which you can restrict a beltpack user’s access. By default these options are available. To make an option unavailable, clear its check box by clicking it. To restore an option, click the option’s check box, or restore the factory default settings.
MIC GAIN ACCESS When you clear the Mic Gain Access check box, a beltpack user cannot change the microphone’s outgoing volume levels from the beltpack’s onboard controls. A beltpack user can adjust incoming headset volume with the beltpack’s volume control knob. MONAURAL (MONO)/BINARUAL ACCESS When you clear the Mono/Binaural Access check box, a beltpack user cannot select between monaural and binaural headset audio by using the beltpack’s onboard controls. Only the default monaural audio is available.
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7 SAVING AND CLONING SETUPS AND OTHER V-PACK FEATURES V-Pack offers additional features for making creating and editing setups quicker and more efficient: • After you create a beltpack setup, you can save the setup for future use, or copy the setup to quickly upload it to one or more beltpacks. • To keep track of multiple beltpacks, you can create and assign unique identification numbers to them. A complete beltpack setup consists of four modes.
To retrieve a beltpack mode or setup to V-Pack for viewing and editing: 1. Start V-Pack in Windows. 2. From the Virtual Beltpack dialog box, click Setup. The Beltpack Setup dialog box appears. 3. From the Beltpack Setup dialog box, click Open File. The Open dialog box appears. 4. Navigate to the desired file and double-click it. The settings from the selected file appear in V-Pack on the Operation Options, Headset Options and Advanced Options screens. 5. Edit the Operation, Headset, and Advanced options.
NOTE: When you “clone” a beltpack’s settings, you automatically clone all four modes. You can save settings or restore defaults to selected modes within a setup, however. 1 Create a beltpack setup in V-Pack, either online or offline. 2 Click ON to turn on Beltpack Cloning. 3 Connect a beltpack to the computer. (Disconnect the first beltpack, if you created the setup online.) Click COPY. The beltpack setup uploads to the beltpack. Repeat for as many beltpacks as needed.
The Beltpack Setup dialog box appears. The beltpack’s current identification number appears in the Beltpack ID area of the screen, as shown in Figure 3. Figure 3 shows the default ID “C-C.” Figure 3: Beltpack ID area of the Beltpack Setup Screen 4. In the Beltpack ID area of the Beltpack Setup dialog box, click Change. 5. Type in a new three-digit alphanumeric code. 6. Click Enter. The new beltpack ID number appears on the screen. It also uploads to the connected beltpack.
3. Click OK. The default settings for the selected mode or modes are restored. If a beltpack is connected to the computer and online, the default settings upload to the beltpack.
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8 GLOSSARY BINAURAL On a dual-channel beltpack, each ear of a dual-muff headphone receives one of two separate audio pathways. For example, Channel A transmits to the right earphone, while Channel B transmits to the left earphone. Alternatively, a mix of Channel A and Channel B may transmit to each earphone. DOWNLOAD To transfer data via the VPC-1 cable, from a connected beltpack to V-Pack. LATCH To “lock.” Commonly used to refer to locking a talk button to “on.
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9 CLEAR-COM LIMITED WARRANTY This product is guaranteed by Clear-Com Communication Systems to be free of manufacturing defects in material and workmanship under normal use for two years from the date of purchase.
WARRANTY REPAIR If in warranty, no charge will be made for the repairs. Equipment being returned for warranty repair must be sent prepaid and will be returned prepaid. NON-WARRANTY REPAIR Equipment that is not under warranty must be sent prepaid to Clear-Com. If requested, an estimate of repair costs will be issued prior to service. Once repair is approved and repair of equipment is completed, the equipment will be shipped freight collect from the factory.
