[AG-TECH] Combining two Systems

[Tom Coffin]

We've been pushing rgb screens into the polycom
like Micheal mentions below for a while now. It
takes a bit of monitoring but very useful.


At 12:21 PM 10/15/2001 -0500, Michael Gay wrote:
   >Date sent:      	Mon, 15 Oct 2001 11:19:37 -0500
   >To:             	ag-tech at mcs.anl.gov
   >From:           	Mustafa Varank <varank at csit.fsu.edu>
   >Subject:        	[AG-TECH] Combining two Systems
   >
   >> Hello,
   >> Did anybody tried to combine polycom systems with Access 
   >Grid. Would 
   >> you have any suggestions for this?
   >> 
   >> Thank you,
   >> mustafa
   >
   >We have not tried this at Purdue as we don not have a node yet.  
   >As we design our node, I have put some thought in this very thing.  
   >We might be required to use a room already polycom equipped, so 
   >I have been trying to think of how to best integrate the two 
   >technologies thereby creating an H.323 to Access Grid Gateway.
   >
   >Scenario 1--The cheapest
   >Scenario 1 would  interface a Polycom to an existing node by scan 
   >converting two of the VGA outputs from the display machine, and 
   >inserting them into the S-Video input of a polycom Viewstation or 
   >FX.  Unfortunately, this means the remote polycom end user only 
   >sees one screen at a time. The AG operator would need to make 
   >sure all pertinent information is on the screen currently feeding the 
   >Polycom.  Unfortunately, this might disrupt the monitoring in the 
   >local AG room.   However, if two of the same video feeds could be 
   >displayed simultaneously on different vga outputs, a separate vga 
   >output of the display machine could be used as an input to the 
   >Polycom, therby not disrupting the screens siaplayed in the room. 
   >
   >Scenario 2 -- More Expensive
   >Scenario 2 sets up a separate node without a room.  Of course it 
   >would need an operator so it might be set up where there is already 
   >a room.  I call this model the Access Grid to H.323 Gateway Node. 
   > This node would be set up with one or two vga outputs which are 
   >scan converted and converted to S-Video and then input to a 
   >polycom such as a VS 4000.  This system requires no cameras 
   >and does not require use of the AG room except for the control 
   >area.  The operator would need video monitoring of the remote 
   >polycom video and the AG video.  There may be no need for the 
   >Gentner equipment as the polycom has built in echo cancellation.  
   >For future development, a web interface could be implimented to 
   >give the  Polycom user remote control over some of the Node 
   >fucntions such as sites to connect to and placement of video 
   >images.  This would potentially make the Gateway node semi-
   >autonomous thereby not requiring a local operator.
   >
   >WARNING:  None of these scenarios have been tested...They are 
   >merely wild visions floating inside my head at this point.  There is 
   >no warranty expressed or implied.  I may have more ideas when we 
   >get a node up and running.
   >
   >
   >Michael Gay
   >Purdue University
   >Manager, Engineering Services
   >Divison of Instructional Services
   >1092 Stewart Center
   >W. Lafayette, IN 47907
   >765 494 5100
   >
   >
   >


___________________________________________________________
Tom Coffin .......................... tcoffin at ncsa.uiuc.edu