# Presentation: 542641

## Access Grid Hardware

- Ti Leggett

## Access Grid Nodes

- Access Grid 2.0 reference platforms:
- Advanced Node – Tiled Display, Multiple Video Streams, Localized Audio
- _Room Node_ – Shared Display, Multiple Video Streams, Single Audio Stream (AG 1.x Node)
- _Desktop Node_ – Desktop Monitor, Multiple Video Streams, Single Audio Stream (AG 1.X PIG)
- _Laptop Node_ – Laptop Display, Single Video Stream, Single Audio Stream
- Minimal Node – Compact Display, Single Video Stream, Single Audio Stream

**Notes:**
Could show the UI here, pointing out that hosts can be added and removed.

## Room Node

- Display/Control Machine – Receives and displays remote video streams and manages echo cancellation hardware
- Audio Machine – Captures, transmits, and receives audio streams
- Video Machine – Captures and transmits local video streams

## Display/Control Machine

- Multi-headed video card(s) to support 3+ outputs
- 1 output should be used for console access and have a monitor attached
- Remaining outputs used for collaborative displays and usually attached to projectors
- Matrox G450 AGP and PCI, Matrox Parhelia, NVidia Quadro 200 NVS AGP and PCI*
- *NVidia cards not yet tested

## Display/Control Machine

- Fast, multiprocessor machine
- At least dual 1GHz, recommended dual 2+GHz
- Healthy dose of RAM
- At least 512MB, recommended 1+GB
- If using ClearOne* echo canceling products, must be running Microsoft Windows
- *ClearOne was formerly Gentner

## Display/Control Machine

- ClearOne echo canceling control software
- APware for AP series of products (AP400, AP800, AP10)
- Gware for XAP series of products (XAP400, XAP800, TH1, TH2)

## Brief Introduction to Gware

## Gware Matrix

## Gware Inputs

## Audio Machine

- Relatively low system requirements
- Single 500+MHz processor
- 256+MB RAM
- Full Duplex Sound Card
- Creative Labs ES137x or Live!, Intel 8x0 onboard, etc.
- Usually runs linux
- Have used with commercial OSS drivers and ALSA drivers

## Video Machine

- Relatively low system requirements
- Single 500+MHz processor
- 256+MB RAM
- Video capture cards
- Hauppauge BT8x8 chipset cards
- ViewCast Osprey 100 series cards
- FALCONquattro or EAGLEquattro cards
- Usually runs linux

## Desktop Node

- All the Room Node requirements packed into one desktop machine
- Significant hardware requirements
- Dual 2.5+GHz processors
- 1+GB RAM
- 2 or 3 LCD Panels (for space)
- Can run linux or Windows

## Desktop Node

- Video Requirements
- Can use Room Node hardware
- Can also use USB or IEEE 1394 (Firewire) cameras

## Desktop Node

- Audio Requirements
- Head set or echo canceling table top hardware
- Polycom SoundStation Premier

## Laptop Node

- Because hardware is limited and resources are not as powerful, a full session can’t be participated in
- Usually uses a USB or Firewire camera
- Usually uses onboard audio and a head set to handle echo cancellation
- Can run linux or Windows

## Caveats and Problems

- Video Capture cards are usually 5V cards, many motherboards built today are including only 3.3V slots
- Only one USB or Firewire video capture device can be used at a time on Windows
- Gentner produced a table top echo canceling platform. There have been mixed reviews on whether it performs as advertised
- Some audio cards under linux do not or cannot separate line in from line out
- If you need stereo sound, an unbalanced to balanced audio converter must be used between the audio machine and echo canceling device

## Links

- _[http://www.hauppage.com](http://www.hauppage.com/)_
- _[http://www.viewcast.com](http://www.viewcast.com/)_
- _[http://www.polycom.com](http://www.polycom.com/)_
- _[http://www.iste.com](http://www.iste.com/)_
- _[http://www.clearone.com](http://www.clearone.com/)_
- _[http://www.alsa-project.org](http://www.alsa-project.org/)_
- _[http://www.opensound.com](http://www.opensound.com/)_
- _[http://www.quickcam.com](http://www.quickcam.com/)_