Installation manual Max A8

Please read this manual carefully, it will help you to install and set up your Digital Devices product properly. To download the latest drivers and updated manuals check out our website www.digitaldevices.de. For further contact details please browse to the end of this manual. Note: We reserve the right for technical changes as well as changes in form, color and weight.

Table of contents

SafetyInstructions Product features

 Technical Data

 Scope of supply

Initialization

 Installation

 Connections

Driver installation

 Driver installation Windows

 Driver installation Linux

Digital Devices Control Center Software and applications

 Digital Devices TV

 TV software support

Technical illustrations Extensions Troubleshooting

Safety instructions and hazard notices

The product is suited for use in PC-systems only. Please read the following safety instructions carefully to avoid damage to persons or the product during use. Also obey the instructions in your PC manual. Please provide the manual to people who carry out an upgrade or upgrade (also in case of resale). Important safety instructions  Installation requires knowledge with PC systems and may only be carried out by experienced users and trained staff.

 Never allow children to play with electrical appliances. They can not recognize hazards. Disconnect your PC from the power supply before doing any work, and then wait a few minutes for all components to cool down before performing any work. There is a risk of electric shock when connecting to the power supply, which can be fatal.  The power plug must be accessible in order to allow disconnection from the power supply in case of danger.

 Never bridge connections in the system or the power supply fuse, as there is a risk of electric shock. Hazard information to work on your PC  Do not plug or unplug any cables when the PC is switched on (not even the antenna cable).

 You should statically discharge prior to any work, for example by touching a grounded object.

 Use only components and cables in perfect original condition. Defective devices and cables must be replaced.

 Use the card only at the intended connections (PCI Express or data port) and do not apply force during installation

 The card / module must not come into contact with moisture or chemical solvents. Cards / modules which come into contact with liquid are to be sorted out.

 On no account use tools (e.g. screwdrivers) to reach hardly accessible places in the PC. Power supplies carry voltage even after being switched off, therefore there is a risk of (lethal) electric shock.

 Small parts such as screws can cause short circuits and should therefore not be located inside the PC.

 Do not use the card / module and PC outdoors. Cables for indoor use must not be used outdoors.In the event of problems, defects or questions, please contact your supplier. Disclaimer of liability The following points will result in the loss of liability, guarantee and warranty claims:  Use of defective or modified parts and cables. Or parts and cables which have come in contact with liquids

 Failure to comply to safety instructions or installation by non-qualified persons

 Use of non-approved replacement parts Electromagnetic compatibility and disposal  The guidelines for electromagnetic compatibility must be adhered to when connecting the TV card / module.  Electrical components must be disposed properly and do not belong in the household refuse.

Product features

The Max A8 is a 8-tuner UHD/HD-TV-card, which allows hassle-free TV and radio reception according to the latest standards. Additional tuners and CI modules can be incorporated seamlessly due to Digital Devices' focus on modular design solutions. Designed and produced in Germany in addition to proprietary support by the manufacturer ensure a continual advancement of many software products. Particular emphasis has been placed on environmentally friendly Green IT with low energy consumption and without environmental hazardous components. Technical data Max A8

Identification

 EAN: 4260217681034

 Part No.: 820018

Product category

 8-tuner card for DVB-C2 and DVB-T2

 Single card application (standalone)

 No connection for expansion modules, extension via PCI Express possible

DVB-C characteristics

 Frequency range: 51-858 MHz

 All modulations and coderates according to DVB-C specification

 Symbolrates from 0,87 up to 6,9 MBaud

 Sensitivity: 47dbµV (64QAM), 47dbµV (256QAM)

DVB-C2 specifications

 QAM: 16, 64, 256, 1024, 4096

 Code Rates: 2/3, 3/4, 4/5, 5/6, 8/9, 9/10

 Guard Intervals: 1/64 and 1/128

 Channel bandwidths: 8 MHz and 6 MHz

 Data Slice Types: 1 & 2 supported

 Data Slice Width: up to 7.61 MHz  Stream processor for automatic common-PLP and data-PLP combination

 FEC Header Type

 Robust mode

 High Efficiency mode

 Notch Support

 Narrowband and broadband notches

 Reception of narrow channels down to 2 MHz between broadband notches

 Time interleaving modes 4, 8 symbols and ,best fit'

DVB-T/T2 specifications

 Frequency range: 49-861MHz, 2k&8k OFDM

 All modulations and coderates according to DVB-T and DVB-T2 specification

 Sensitivity: -83,0dBm at 16-QAM&3/4

ISDB-T specifications

 6 MHz,7 MHz and 8 MHz BW support

 Excellent phase noise resistance

 Excellent multipath equalization performance

 Automatic detection of mode/guard interval lengths

 EWS (Emergency Warning System)

Unicable

 Master/Slave-Unicable System for DVB-C/T, one antenna cable supports all tuners

Standard connections

 PCI Express (x1-x16)

 IEC connector (Input)

 20-pin data connector for utilizing the Max A8 with an Octopus Net.

 Sherlock connector facilitating power supply when used in an Octopus Net

Dimensions

 H 104 mm, L 111 mm, D 15 mm

Power consumption

 PCIe compliant

 DVB-T2: 16,2 watts (worst case -80dBm QAM256 7/8)

 DVB-C: 13 watts *Notice: active cooling required, passive cooling is not enough

Supported operating systems

 Linux (Kernel 2.6.34 or higher)

 Microsoft Windows® XP(SP3), 7, 8, 8.1, 10; (32/64 Bit)

 Windows® Media Center

System requirements

 Dual Core Intel® oder AMD® CPU

 512 MB RAM

 1x free PCIe port (x1 to x16)

Enviroment and safety

 RoHS compliant

 WEEE compliant

 Manufactured and designed according to European ISO / DIN guidelines and environmental standards.

Scope of supply

 Max A8 PCI Express card

 Quick Install Guide

 Manual (on CD)

 Driver (on CD)

 DD-TV Software (on CD)

 Slot bracket full-profile

Initialization

Note: Make sure to follow the safety instructions in this manual and in the user manual of your PC. Initial preparation  Carry out a backup prior to the installation process.  Switch off the PC and disconnect the power supply. Now other external cables can be disconnected.

 Put the PC on a stable surface in order to access the backside easily.

 Wait a few minutes until all parts have cooled down before opening your PC and continuing the installation process. Note: To prevent an electrical short circuit, newly acquired equipment and cards should not be put into operation until they have reached the surrounding temperature.  Attach the slot bracket to the card or module if necessary and use the screws provided with the product. Note: Depending on the measurements the card comes with two slot brackets (Full Profile and Low Profile). Slot brackets in various designs are available separately. Installing the card Note: Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) can damage internal components of the PC. Hence, you should discharge before working on the system, for example by touching a grounded object.  Open the housing as described in the operating instructions of your PC.

 Locate a suitable PCIe slot and remove the slot cover.

 Keep the TV card at the slot bracket and plug it vertically into a free PCI Express slot (x1-x16) until the TV card is locked into place firmly. Be careful not to damage any surrounding components.

 Tighten the screws of the slot bracket until the card is fastened.

 (Optional, when using a Cine-S2): Connect the power connector to your power supply if your LNB requires that (> 5 watts of power consumption). LNBs with a power consumption of up to 20 Watts can be utilized.

 Close the housing

 Reconnect any disconnected cables

 Connect the antenna cable to an antenna input port of your TV card or to your tuner module

 Finally, connect the power cord to the PC and turn it on. Connection diagram Max A8

Driver installation

Driver installation on Windows PCs Preparation:

1. Start your web browser and go to www.digital-devices.com. 2. Now click on "Downloads" and download the appropriate driver for your individual operating system.

Drivers are available for the following versions of Windows:  Microsoft Windows® XP (SP3), 7, 8, 8.1, 10, in 32 and 64 bits

 Windows Media Center is fully supported. Driver installation Caution: When installing new drivers or programs, existing data can be overwritten or changed. Hence, you should create a backup copy of your hard drive before proceeding with the installation. Compensation claims for loss of data and resulting damages are excluded.

Note: For Windows® XP, please log in with a user account which has been granted administrator rights.

1. Start the setup program by (double) clicking the downloaded file: "DigitalDevices DVB Driver X.msi". 2. Now please follow the instructions on the screen.

Note: If you select an installation directory other than the suggested installation directory, the DD Control Center for managing the cards and modules can only be accessed from the installation directory and not from the control panel. 3. After completing the installation, restart the computer.

Note: The message "The driver to be installed has not passed the test..." is no indication for a malfunctioning driver, but rather for a missing Microsoft signature. The error message can be ignored, thus clicking the "Next" button.

After successful driver installation, three new entries are displayed in the Windows device manager (In case of additional modules installed more entries may appear). The following image is an example of Windows® 10.

Driver installation on Linux Current drivers are available here: https://github.com/DigitalDevices/dddvb/releases In the following it is assumed Ubuntu/Debian, OpenSUSE, and Fedora Linux are being utilized. Other distributions may work in a similar way. Installation of the components Ubuntu/Debian: sudo apt-get install mercurial build-essential libproc-processtable-perl linux-headers-$(uname -r) OpenSUSE: sudo zypper install -t pattern devel-basis sudo zypper install mercurial perl-Proc-ProcessTable kernel-devel kernel-source Fedora: sudo yum groupinstall "Development Tools" "Development Libraries" sudo yum install mercurial perl-Proc-ProcessTable kernel-devel kernel-headers Operation (execution in a console / terminal) Download and unzip the current dddvb drivers cd /usr/src sudo wget https://github.com/DigitalDevices/dddvb/archive/0.9.28.tar.gz sudo tar -xf 0.9.28.tar.gz Build drivers cd dddvb-0.9.28 sudo make Installing modules sudo make install Specify the sequence for loading the modules sudo mkdir -p /etc/depmod.d echo 'search extra updates built-in' | sudo tee /etc/depmod.d/extra.conf Announce the new modules and their dependencies to the system sudo depmod -a When using a Max S8, create the ddbridge.conf file echo 'options ddbridge fmode=x' | sudo tee /etc/modprobe.d/ddbridge.conf (Substitute X with mode of operation / fmode) Note: If I2C timeouts occur, please disable MSI for ddbridge: echo 'options ddbridge fmode=x msi=0' | sudo tee /etc/modprobe.d/ddbridge.conf Load driver sudo modprobe ddbridge Operating modes for the Max S8: Fmode=0 4-tuner mode(Internal multiswitch deactivated) fmode=1 Quad-LNB / normal outputs of the multiswitch Fmode=2 Quattro- LNB / cascade outputs of the multiswitch fmode=3 Unicable or JESS LNB / Unicable- exit of the multiswitches Settings in the Linux driver Set the following ddbridge parameters for fmode:  fmode = 0

 fmode = 1

 fmode = 2

 fmode = 3 Demod 0 & 4 at input 1 Demod 1 & 5 at input 2, etc.

The input for each frontend can be changed using: ioct DTV_INPUT All cables are connected via a Quad LNB All cables are connected via a quattro LNB or multiswitch cascade output: Input 1=VL, 2=HL, 3=VH, 4=HH All demods are connected to Input 1 and send JESS or SCR (Single Cable Routing) commands from the application

Digital Devices Control Center

Driver 2.7.0.108 or higher includes the Digital Devices Control Center, which is used to manage internal DD DVB products in Windows systems. Network configurations can be set via WebInterface or Octopus CastTool.

Table of contents & Cheat sheet

Product features Notes, access Menu structure Menus Homescreen  Driver Version

 Ignore NIT

 Tunerlog Menu tasks  UniCable® system

 Transponder list

 CI assignment Menu devices  Hardware info

 CI bitrate Menu tuner  DVB-C / C2: reception mode specification

 Signal data (level / quality / signal, noise / bit error rate)

 DVB-S / S2 (display tuner)

 DVB-S / S2: Operating mode Max S8 Menu CAM  CAM menu Additions regarding CI and CAM Notes on the Max S8 Additions regarding the Windows Media Center Imprint, contact

Accessing the DD Control Center Launch the DD Control Center in the Windows Control Panel (Full View)

Note: The Control Center is linked in the Control Panel and is not displayed in the Start menu. If the standard directory is not used during installation, launching is only possible from the installation folder.

DD Control Center menu configuration

The central settings of your internally installed Digital Devices products can be accessed in the Control Center Network tuner configurations can be customized via the Web interface and, if necessary, in the Octopus Cast tool.

DD Control Center Menu items

Homescreen The homescreen displays basic information and configuration options.

Driver version Discloses the version of the installed driver Ignore NIT in Windows Media Center (This option is only available on systems with Windows Media Center) Enable the option to use a DVB-C card or a Max S8 in Windows ® Media Center Create a Tunerlog Creates a detailed event list of the last seven days for the installed cards and modules. A report shows, among other things, the signal values and offers support in case of problems in the analysis. Menu `Tasks` Provides configuration options for inserted cards and modules (non-relevant options are hidden).

UniCable® reception - (For DVB-S / S2 reception only)

Settings for cable receiver systems according to EN50494 and EN50607 for DVB-S cards and modules (except Max S8) can be configured here.  Select normal mode when using a standard SAT system/wiring.

 Select the option UniCable® system according to DIN 50494/50607 when using an appropriate UniCable® receiver.

Select manufacturer selection for selecting the manufacturer of your LNBs or multiswitch and choose your specific model in the LNB / multiswitch selection. If it is not in the list, select a model that uses the same frequencies and is not pin-protected. You could select other manufacturers from the selection box as well. Tuner displays all tuner configurable for UniCable® reception. You can use Slot to assign the frequencies to individual tuners. Note: Common names for UniCable® receivers are: UniCable ®-UniCable II ® Jess ®-SCR (single cable routing) single cable solution. Pin Protected If your UniCable® multiswitch / LNB is equipped with the Pin Protected feature, devices exchange a PIN with each other so that no other frequencies are used which are not intended for the respective receiver. PINs must be registered in the Control Center for the corresponding ports. This option is only available if your multiswitch or LNB is specifically designed for that purpose. Usually the PIN specifications are defined by the LNB or multiswitch and can be found in the respective operating instructions.

Transponder list Windows® Media Center

Only available on systems with Windows ® Media Center and DVB-S/S2 as well as DVB-C/C2 hardware in order to enable individual configurations of channel lists.

Common Interface mapping (If CI interface is present)

Assign your Digital Devices CI modules to one or more tuners by activating the checkboxes. If your CAM supports MTD technology, you can assign several tuners (up to four).

Menu *Devices* Detected Digital Devices cards and modules are displayed as menu items. Detail information is presented upon selecting. The bit rate for the Octopus CI S2 Pro and Octopus CI can be adjusted.

Menu *Tuner* Detected tuners are displayed as menu items with the option to adjust settings. If the tuner has been assigned to a specific CI, the CI assignment is displayed. During operation, reception data for the tuner is displayed (level / quality / signal, noise)

Tuner type DVB-C/C2, definition of the reception mode(s)

By selecting the checkbox you can specify which reception type is used and displayed.  DVB-T/T2

 DVB-C/C2

 DVB-C/C2 WMC: (Identifies the tuner as DVB-S/S2 for use in Windows® Media Center) For alternating utilization of different programs and reception modes several options are at your disposal. Each assigned type of reception is shown as a separate tuner; hence the number of tuners in the TV applications depends on the number of assignments to the respective operating mode. Example: Alternating tuner utilization in DVBViewer® and Windows® MediaCenter (options "DVB-C/C2" and "DVB-C/C2 WMC) Access to a tuner that is already in use by another program is not possible.

Tuner type DVB-S/S2

No options are available for this tuner type (except for Max S8). In case CI assignments were carried out previously they are displayed here. The operating mode (DVB-S or DVB-S2) can be selected specifically for the Max S8 if the program does not recognize the transponder type automatically. Menu *CAM* Shows the CA modules (CAM) present in the system and provides access to the respective CAM menu.

Select the CAM module whose menu you want to get displayed. If your TV software does not allow access to the CAM menu, you can let it run in the background and then use the DD Control Center. This allows, for example, to view current status reports or debug information (function depending on the CA module utilized). Multi Transponder Decryption (MTD) Digital Devices MTD stands for Multi Transponder Decryption. If multiple tuners are assigned to a CI slot, the CI will automatically run in MTD mode. If only one tuner is assigned to a CI, the CI is automatically operating in STD mode Single Transponder Decryption. Overview of the differences:

CI Cascading The assignments for the CIs are made and displayed in the Tasks menu. You can assign multiple CIs to a tuner, for example to use a tuner for two different Pay- TV providers. Accessing the CAM menu The CAM menu can be accessed from the Menu CAM.

Bitrate (Octopus CI S2 Pro and Octopus Duo CI) For integrated CIs like Octopus CI S2 Pro and Octopus Duo CI, the bitrate can be configurated in the Devices menu.

Select the CAM module whose menu you want to get displayed. If your TV software does not allow access to the CAM menu, you can let it run in the background and then use the DD Control Center. This allows, for example, to view current status reports or debug information (function depending on the CA module utilized).

How to set the Max S8

Operating mode configuration Select the menu entry on the left side of the window:

Operating mode configuration

Set the operating mode and the settings for unicable systems according to EN50494 and EN50607. (Note: In the case of cards other than the Max S8, the UniCable® configuration is located under the "Tasks" menu item.) Select your Max S8 from the menu - you can now set the operating mode in the right-hand part of the window.

Unicable System according to DIN50494/50607

Select this option if you want to use a Max S8 to receive on a unicable system. The settings for unicable receivers according to EN50494 and EN50607 are configured for the Max S8 exclusively in this menu. (The menu item "Tasks - > unicable reception can't be used for the Max S8.)

Choose the manufacturer of your LNB or multiswitch from the list„. Then select your model under “LNB / multiswitch“. If your manufacturer or model is not listed, you can also choose a different model, if it uses the same frequencies and is not “ Pin Protected “ or select the option “Other manufacturers“ from the selection field. All 8 tuners are listed under Tuner“. Via “ Slot “ you can assign the corresponding frequencies to the individual tuners. »Note: Unicable reception systems are known under names such as: UniCable® - UniCable II® Jess® - SCR (Single Cable Routing) Unicable solution. If your unicable “ Multiswitch/LNB has the option Pin Protected, the devices exchange a PIN for each other so that no other frequencies are used which are not intended for the respective receiver. These PINs must be entered in the Control Center at the corresponding ports. This option is available only if your multicast or LNB has the option “Pin Protected “. Usually the PIN specifications of the LNB or multi-switch are permanently defined and can be found in the respective operating instructions.

Tuner Type DVB-S / S2 (Max S8 Series)

Some programs (e.g., Windows® Media Center) do not recognize the transponder type automatically (DVB-S / DVB-S2). In this rare case, the tuners can be selectively switched to the required operating mode.

Additions for the Windows Media Center

The DD Control Center provides several options for operating the Windows® Media Center. Ignore NIT in Windows Media Center Enable this option to use a DVB-C card or a Max S8 in Windows® Media Center. DVB-C in Windows Media Center Select the DVB-C/C2 WMC option in the Tuner menu in order to make it visible in the Windows Media Center. (It's a DVB-C feature) Transponder list Windows® Media Center (DVB-S/S2 and DVB-C/C2 only) This menu item is available on systems running Windows® Windows Media Center.

Transponder lists for DVB-S/S2 and DVB-C/C2 reception paths can be loaded into the Windows® Media Center. Select the desired lists under the Files tab by activating the appropriate checkboxes and load them into the Media Center with creat. You can then select and load one or more predefined station assignments in the "Preset" tab. Note: You can customize the lists to your own requirements and download updates from our support area. For easy creation and editing of transponder lists, the DD Channel Sorter is available on our website. Note: For DVB-C/C2 cards, do not use the Windows® MediaCenter internal lists. DVB-S/S2 cards are used to set up like DVB-C/C2 cards, however in the Tuner menu, the DVB-C WMC mode must be adjusted for the tuners.

Software and applications

The Digital Devices TV software is included in your TV card package and is compatible with various applications. Digital Devices TV The digital devices TV software is included in your TV card. In addition to the internal DVB-S, DVB-C and DVB-C cards you can also integrate networks such as the Octopus NET. The latest version can be downloaded from: Digital Devices – DD-TV Download The application manual is available from: DDTV-Handbuch Third party TV software providers: The TV card supports many TV applications like Microsoft Windows® MediaCenter 7/8, DVBViewer, Media Portal, Gen2VDR, MythTV Instructions for various applications are available on our website www.digital- devices.de.

Technical drawing Max A8

Extensions

Digital Devices TV cards and modules can be expanded and combined easily thanks to the modular design of Digital Devices solutions. Each DuoFlex module can be connected to any TV card or bridge via an expansion connector. Even cards without expansion connectors can be integrated since the PCIe system bus is able to establish a connection. In either case additional modules are seamlessly integrated into the Digital Devices Control Center. Utilization of a Common Interface module with the Max A8 / S8 The Digital Devices Max DVB card can also incorporate a Digital Devices CI module. The following CIs are approved:  Digital Devices Octopus Single CI (1x CI Slot)

 Digital Devices Octopus Twin CI (2x CI Slot) The CI requires an additional PCIe slot. Note: Digital Devices Max A8 and Max S8 TV cards are equipped with a 20 pin header. This port is not designed for connecting expansion modules such as the Digital Devices Flex CI or Digital Devices DuoFlex Tuner expansion modules. Exclusively for Windows® a CI module MTD feature is offered, however limited to 4 tuners per CI slot for the Max series (A8 & S8). Troubleshooting

Please consider the following advice, once a problem regarding your card occurs. Please access our knowledge base for more information and assistance at: http://support.digital-devices.de/ Basic prerequisites / testing for errors Turn off the PC and disconnect the power cord before carrying out any checks.

Now perform the following checks:

 Are all cables and connectors properly connected?

 Is the card firmly plugged into the PCIe slot? If the card is not recognized by the system, please try another PCI Express slot. Since some motherboards don't recognize cards plugged into a PCIe X16 slot properly. Utilizing the X4 or X1 slot should be considered.  Make sure using original equipment only. Do not interchange cables from different devices, even though they appear identical. They may differ in pin configuration.

 Does the antenna provide adequate antenna power?

 Make sure to implement a minimum distance of one meter to high-frequency and magnetic interference sources (TV set, mobile phone, speaker boxes, etc.).

Turn the PC back on and carry out the following checks:

 Does the card show up in the device manager or in case of a Windows PC in the Digital Devices control Center?

 Inside BIOS, "PCI Express overclocking" should be set to 100 and not into "auto" mode.

 Does the DD Control Center or your application display a signal?

 Does the problem occur in one application only? Try it out in Digital Devices TV as well.

 Is the installed driver up-to-date? Does the problem still occur when a different one is used?

 Did you install the required codecs for playback on your system? Disable DXVA if block graphics occur with HD stations. DVB-C specific tests Is a signal detectable at the connector and is the signal unencrypted? Many provider utilize basic encryption, which makes a CI module with CAM mandatory for many stations. Tests:  Can you watch the channels with other devices?

 Can you watch the television program of public broadcasters, which tend to be transmitted without encryption. EMV-Measurement

EN 55032 B - 30 MHz - 1 GHz

EN 55032 B - 1 GHz - 6 GHz

I