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The TG-5120 Multi-Format SD/HD-SDI Pattern Generator from Maxtron is a multi-pattern test signal generator with embedded 16-channel voice IDs and audio tones. It supports two SD and eight HD formats and has outputs for SMPTE 259M/292M standards.
The TG-5120 offers audio channel voice IDs and tone combinations for all 16 stereo channels allotted in the SD/HD-SDI specifications. When the voice IDs are enabled, they repeat a specific channel ID every 15 seconds, making it clear which audio channel is being monitored. Between the voice IDs, there are standard level audio tones for the right and left channels within each group. Both the US -20 dBFS and the European -18 dBFS full-scale levels are supported.
There are ten basic patterns available in the TG-5120, increasing to 19 when including the A/B modifier. These are some of the classic patterns: SMPTE RP 219 color bars, 75% full-field color bars, projector alignment & convergence grid, RGB color fields, and color difference ramps. There is also a four-pixel checkerboard pattern for checking 3D image alignment. Other patterns include the moving zoneplate which is used to expose video compression and scaling artifacts, and the pathological pattern which is used to stress the SDI receiver PLLs in the signal path. There is a traveling wizard that moves in a ping-pong fashion about the screen to help reveal dropped or repeated fields/frames as well as frozen video in frame stores and MPEG encoders. Also included is an A/V test pattern used to measure the video-to-audio delay. A user-selectable circle overlay can be added to some patterns to check for proper display aspect ratios.
This test signal generator has two push-wheel controls: a format control to select the video output standard and a pattern control to select the pattern to be displayed in the selected format.