Remote control of PTZ cameras and robotic heads is a robust subject with many options, including hardware and software controllers, IP and serial transmission methods, and numerous protocols for compatibility with just about any PTZ camera or robotic head on the market. Blackmagic Design's popular ATEM switchers are used throughout the globe, and many models have interfaces to enable remote control of PTZ cameras.
Support used to be more limited for PTZ camera control using Blackmagic Design switchers and panels, and many broadcast engineers might recommend you save yourself a lot of trial and error (and potential soldering) and use a specific PTZ controller for this type of setup. However, a new feature has recently been released to enable VISCA over IP control from the newer ATEM Constellation switchers, which was great news for Blackmagic ATEM users with IP PTZ setups.
But what if you already own a legacy Blackmagic switcher and control panel, can those be used to remotely control PTZ cameras or robotic heads? Well, yes and no, depending on which hardware you own.
To enable PTZ camera/head control using a legacy Blackmagic ATEM switcher, you have three communication options: VISCA over IP, VISCA over RS-422, and VISCA PTZ control over SDI return.
First, some definitions, then let's get into how these methods work.
VISCA – A camera protocol designed by Sony that carries commands back and forth between controllers and PTZ cameras. These commands can be transmitted via serial or IP communication methods.
RS-232 - A serial communications standard that carries control signals between computers and peripheral devices. It has a slower transmission speed (up to 20 Kbps) and has shorter maximum cable length than later protocols.
RS-422 – A newer serial communications standard than RS-232 that has a longer maximum cable length and higher data rate support (up to 10 Mbps).
IP – Internet Protocol is the standard protocol of the modern Internet, allowing data (such as VISCA protocol signaling) to flow with high data rates over long distances and allowing data to be easily routed between IP-enabled devices for a highly stable connection.
SDI - The Serial Digital Interface is a broadcast standard connection that provides embedded data along with uncompressed video for stable transmissions. SDI has a longer cable length range than HDMI.
VISCA over IP
The latest firmware update (9.6.2 or later) of the ATEM Constellation production switchers has enabled VISCA over IP to control PTZ cameras and heads, and it provides a quick and easy setup over a local network. The Constellation switcher enables the VISCA over IP commands, and you will still have to utilize a hardware controller for the PTZ movements, such as an ATEM Advanced Panel, as listed below.
Compatible Constellation models:
-
ATEM 1 M/E Constellation 4K/HD
-
ATEM 2 M/E Constellation 4K/HD
-
ATEM 4 M/E Constellation 4K/HD
Compatible control panels:
-
ATEM 2 M/E Broadcast Panel
To enable PTZ cameras and heads in the Constellation switcher, in the ATEM Control Software you can simply add the camera to an input in the Camera Control menu by selecting “Any Camera Type/VISCA IP Camera” and entering its IP address.
VISCA over RS-422 PTZ Control
Several legacy and production Blackmagic Design switchers support the VISCA serial control protocol, which is a common protocol across PTZ cameras on the market. This Blackmagic hardware only supports VISCA over RS-422, so that is an important consideration when choosing which PTZ cameras will be compatible with your Blackmagic hardware, as not all VISCA implementations are compatible.
Control PTZ Cameras via VISCA over RS-422
First, you need to determine whether your Blackmagic switcher model supports VISCA over RS-422:
-
ATEM 1 M/E Legacy
-
ATEM 2 M/E Legacy
-
ATEM 1 M/E Production Studio 4K
-
ATEM 2 M/E Production Studio 4K
-
ATEM 2/4 M/E Broadcast Studio 4K
-
ATEM TVS HD
-
ATEM TVS HD Pro
-
ATEM TVS 4K Pro
-
ATEM 4 M/E Constellation
These switchers allow translation of the VISCA commands, but you must have an external controller with a joystick to control the camera movements, such as the Blackmagic Broadcast Panel. It is possible to use the trackball on one of the ATEM Television Studio Pro (HD or 4K) models to control the cameras, but a trackball is not recommended for fine camera movements.
Compatible control panel models:
-
ATEM 1 M/E Legacy Broadcast Panel
-
ATEM 1 M/E Advanced Panel 10
-
ATEM 2 M/E Advanced Panel 20
-
ATEM 4 M/E Advanced Panel 40
-
ATEM 2 M/E Broadcast Panel
A setup example:
Using the ATEM 1 M/E Advanced Panel connected to an ATEM switcher, you can connect to your camera using the VISCA RS-422 port on the panel and the camera. If you are using Canon PTZ cameras, they have an RS-422 connector for direct connection and should be a straightforward setup. However, if you have a VISCA RS-232 camera, such as a Panasonic SRG model, you will need to purchase an RS-232 to RS-422 converter.
Other things to note about this basic setup:
-
You can run RS-422 cable for long-hauls up to 1000'
-
The RS-422 protocol allows you to daisy-chain up to seven cameras
-
The control port you are using must be set to PTZ “Remote” in the ATEM menu in order to send the appropriate VISCA RS-422 commands
-
Baud rates on ATEM control port and the PTZ cameras must match (e.g., 9600 for long runs)
-
The ATEM must utilize the detect button to initially detect the cameras
-
The ATEM panels do not necessarily honor camera presets or shading depending on your model, but you can set macros on the ATEM side
-
Ensure your ATEM Panel is updated to version 6.6 or later for VISCA control support
-
Make sure the pinout is correct for cable runs and daisy-chaining, wiring is key to smooth setups
-
Other camera brands that should support your VISCA setup: Lumens, Marshall, Sony, Canon
Robotic Head Control over SDI Using the Micro Studio Camera
The second RS-422 serial option allows you to control the cameras via SDI return using ancillary data, but this can only be achieved using an SDI end device such as the original Blackmagic Micro Studio Camera to translate the VISCA commands to a companion robotic head.
ATEM switchers and panels can be used to transmit PTZ movements to a PTZ robotic head, providing there is a device on the camera end to translate and output the PTZ data. A hardware panel such as the ATEM 1 M/E Production Studio 4K can send VISCA commands via the switcher's SDI program return output.
By connecting a compatible SDI camera such as the Micro Studio to the switcher via a single SDI connection, you can send camera video and data as well as translate the commands to VISCA via the camera's expansion cable to a motorized pan/tilt head. This makes it easy to run the Micro Studio camera feed as well as control an external head over a single connection to control pan and tilt motion.
Devices that can extract VISCA commands from the SDI feed include:
-
The original Blackmagic Micro Studio Camera 4K via the Expansion Port
-
Blackmagic Camera Fiber Converter via the DE-9 PTZ Port
Blackmagic tested and supported motorized camera heads:
-
KXWell KT-PH180BMD
-
PTZOptics PT-Broadcaster
-
RUSHWORKS PTX Model 1
Supported Switchers for SDI VISCA control:
-
ATEM Production Studio 4K
-
ATEM 1 M/E Production Studio 4K
-
ATEM 2 M/E Production Studio 4K
-
ATEM 2/4 M/E Broadcast Studio 4K
-
ATEM TVS HD
-
ATEM TVS HD Pro
-
ATEM TVS 4K Pro
-
ATEM Constellation
A control panel with a joystick is also required, and you can also utilize these panels for control:
-
ATEM 1M/E Legacy Broadcast Panel
-
ATEM 1M/E Advanced Panel
-
ATEM 2M/E Broadcast Panel with Joystick
You can also utilize the Blackmagic Arduino Shield to output VISCA commands to a head or camera for pan/tilt operation, as well as control iris, focus, and zoom commands to the camera's lens over the same SDI cable.
A separately available joystick controller would be required for control with the Shield, such as a SKAARHOJ PTZ Pro model, which needs to be compatible with the ATEM VISCA RS-422. Advanced broadcast engineers may want to make their own joystick/select button setup custom to their operation.
Commands that the Micro Studio Camera supports to control robotic PTZ heads:
-
Lens Zoom
-
Lens Focus
-
Lens Iris
-
Pan Tilt
-
Memory Set
-
Memory Recall
-
Memory Reset
We hope this general guide can give you ideas about what you need to implement PTZ camera control using ATEM broadcast switchers, but a lot of additional research on compatible equipment, cable runs, and what your production requires will need to be done to ensure a smooth setup.
