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How to Distribute a Tri-Level Sync

Electronic equipment used to record and transmit television content -- such as cameras, mixers and radio transmitters -- operates on narrow tolerances and at high signal frequencies. Signals may deviate from their intended frequencies because of component overheating or miscalibration. Some TV equipment needs to be recalibrated periodically. A video signal generator outputs the waveforms and frequencies where TV equipment needs to function; it serves as a tuning fork, by providing an accurate reference that can be compared to the equipment's current bands. TV equipment for high-definition TV relies on tri-level sync signals that encode the horizontal and vertical sync pulses for the image stream.

Things You'll Need

  • Video signal generator
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Instructions

    • 1

      Configure the generator for the type of signal used by the TV equipment; the most common choices are NTSC or PAL. The specific way of performing this operation depends on the make and model of the generator. For example, on a yellobrik SPG 1707 (a widely-used standalone generator), you configure the type of signal by setting the six DIP switches in the "Settings" section of the front panel. For a basic tri-level sync NTSC signal on the SPG 1707, set the first two DIP switches to the left, and the remaining four switches to the right.

    • 2

      Configure the generator for the number of lines and refresh rate used by the TV equipment. For example, to have the SPG 1707 output a 720p signal with 29.97 frames per second, set the "Genlock" knob to the "29.97 Hz" position in the "720p" section of the front panel.

    • 3

      Connect the generator output to the TV equipment inputs for the reference tri-level sync signal. Turn on the generator.

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