The CTS-3200 is a large-scale conference room TelePresence system that enables TelePresence technology for large room venues, supporting up to 18 users at a single location. Although the number of displays and cameras are unchanged (as compared to the CTS-3000), you can add additional microphones to the CTS-3200 to support additional participants. The minimum room dimensions to support a CTS-3200 are 8 x 24 x 23 feet.
Specifically, the CTS-3000 includes the following:
- One Cisco TelePresence primary codec
- Two Cisco TelePresence secondary codecs
- One Cisco Unified 7975G IP Phone
- Three 65-inch plasma displays
- Three high-definition cameras
- Nine microphones
- Three speakers
- One input for auxiliary audio
- One input for auxiliary video or another optional secondary codec for high-speed auxiliary video that you can use for a document camera or PC
As with the previously discussed CTS systems, the primary codec is the central part of the CTS-3200 system to which all other components interconnect.
Explicitly, the Cisco Unified 7975G IP Phone connects to the TelePresence primary codec via an RJ-45 cable that provides it with network connectivity and 802.3af PoE.
A video cable connects the primary codec to the center 65-inch plasma display, another cable connects the right display to the (right) secondary codec, and a third connects the left display to the (left) secondary codec. As with the CTS-3000 system, this cable is essentially an HDMI cable but with a proprietary element for carrying management information instead of audio signals (because the master codec independently processes the audio signals). Each of these secondary codecs, in turn, connects to the primary codec via an RJ-45 cable; however, no 802.3af PoE is required over these Ethernet links because the secondary codecs have independent power supplies.
Three cameras are mounted on the central display, and each camera connects to its respective codec:
- The left camera connects to the (left) secondary codec.
- The center camera connects to the primary codec.
- The right camera connects to the (right) secondary codec.
Each camera connects to its respective codec through two cables:
- An RJ-45 cable, which provides 802.3af PoE and network connectivity to the camera
- A video cable to carry the video signals to the codec
Additionally, three speaker cables connect the (left, center, and right) speakers to the primary codec, respectively.
One microphone cable connects the center microphone to the primary codec. The remaining eight microphones connect to the audio extension box, which is, in turn, connected to the primary codec. The audio extension box also houses the HDMI splitter. The HDMI splitter connects to the auxiliary video output of the primary codec. You can connect up to four displays or a projector and three displays to the HDMI ports on the audio extension box.
The primary codec also has inputs for low-speed (5 frames per second) auxiliary audio and video inputs, such as for sharing documents or slide-based presentations. Video input can come from a PC or optional document camera. An IPS provides control for the on/off function of the document camera, attached projector, and lighting shroud of the CTS unit through an Ethernet connection.
Optionally, you can connect another secondary codec to the primary codec to provide high-speed (30 frames per second) auxiliary audio and video input, such as for sharing high-quality video presentations. The auxiliary codec connects to the primary codec via the RJ-45 cable from the Ethernet port normally used for the document camera. Auxiliary audio still connects to the primary codec.
The primary codec of the CTS-3200 provides a connection for an optional headset.
Finally, an RJ-45 cable provides 10/100/1000 Ethernet connectivity from the primary codec to the network infrastructure. Figure 1 illustrates the interconnections for a CTS-3200 system.
In summary, a basic pattern of connectivity is in each of these TelePresence systems. Specifically, the primary codec is the heart of all TelePresence systems; all other components connect (directly or indirectly) to the primary codec, which provides power, connectivity, and control to all subcomponents. Larger systems, such as the CTS-3000/3200, leverage secondary codecs to distribute processing. And finally, all TelePresence systems connect to the network through a single RJ-45 cable from the primary codec (not including optional accessories, such as the DMP). In this manner, all TelePresence system subcomponents are abstracted from the network, and the system appears as a single unit from the network’s perspective.
