How to sync 9 projectors mapping with 3 Quadro RTX 5000 in two servers?

Bro, does your rig even lift?
Post Reply
ahmadaiuby
Met Resolume in a bar the other day
Posts: 1
Joined: Mon Nov 01, 2021 09:12

How to sync 9 projectors mapping with 3 Quadro RTX 5000 in two servers?

Post by ahmadaiuby »

I'm working on a permanent setup for an art space. We have:

1. 9 projectors
2. 3 Quadro RTX 5000
3. 2 Quadro Sync II
4. 2 servers (each server has Resolume Arena and both are in sync via Ethernet - one server has one Quadro and the other one has two Quadro).

My questions are:
1. How to sync the frames between the two servers? Do I need to connect each server with a Quadro Sync and then connect both Quadro sync with each other?
2. Do I need extra hardware to do the sync or the framelock?
3. How to connect the two Quadro sync together?


Thank you!

triphase
Met Resolume in a bar the other day
Posts: 3
Joined: Sun Dec 27, 2020 04:21

Re: How to sync 9 projectors mapping with 3 Quadro RTX 5000 in two servers?

Post by triphase »

For "only" 9 outputs, is there a very compelling reason (other than 12 separate non-genlocked outputs) for using two computers?

Having two RTX5000 has more than enough active screen area to cover this install. I would do it with a datapath FX4 extender (especially since you are edge blending, you won't have to worry about genlocking all those outputs to prevent tearing at the seams). I feel like the synchronization between two PC's for an install of this size creates another layer of unreliability and hassle for a permanent install. I primarily use Barco projectors for these type of jobs. It's really more about the seamless actual screen area in pixels and refresh rate more than the number of projectors/outputs you need.

Another option would be to use a Genlocked SDI output card (pick your flavor AJA, Blackmagic, etc) if you needed a single card.

But overall performance will be better if you use the former solution with an extender, since you aren't sending all that video data back and forth across the PCIe bus between the GPU and SDI cards (which will introduce delay between the GPU outputs and the SDI outputs).

My solution of choice for these jobs is usually a single high power PC (typically Threadripper 3060X) with a heavy duty single GPU (I typically favor RTX3000 series, Quadro has an advantage if you are hardware genlocking multiple boards using Quadro Sync, but outside of that, I have found Geforce RTX to be plenty good enough at DXV3 playback).

There are a lot of really experienced people on this forum, so I'm sure you will get lots of differing opinions, but this has been my experience.
Last edited by triphase on Mon Nov 01, 2021 19:19, edited 6 times in total.

Post Reply