Media Expander

Overview

The Media Expander allows Ember to record to hot-swappable external media in the form of U.2 NVMe SSDs. This can greatly speed up workflows where offloading the internal SSD would normally be a bottleneck. Three external SSD options are available:

• 4TB

• 2.56TB pSLC (Pre-Record capable)

• 1.28TB pSLC (Pre-Record capable)

These SSDs also feature a built-in 40Gbps USB4 / Thunderbolt reader for fast offloading. They can be connected directly to a host computer with a suitable USB-C cable (one is included).

The Media Expander also provides an HD-SDI (1080p24/25/30) output for video preview and playback. The SDI output can be a clean feed or include the camera UI, based on the setting configured in the Display Menu.

Installation

1. Ensure the camera is powered off.

2. Remove any battery mount hardware from the back of the camera.

3. Remove the rubber expansion port cover.

4. Align the Media Expander with the expansion port and push it flush with the back of the camera. Very little force should be required.

5. Install the three included M3 screws to hold the Media Expander to the back of the camera.

6. Re-install battery mount hardware to the back of the Media Expander. If necessary, use the four shorter M3 screws included with the Media Expander for this.

Usage

When an external SSD is inserted into the Media Expander, it will automatically mount and become the active disk for recording and playback. The current active disk is indicated with an icon in the status bar and at the top of the Disk Menu. The active disk can also be formatted from that menu.

To switch back to the internal disk, select "Eject External" from the Disk Menu. This is also good practice before removing the external SSD, although not required. Do not remove the external SSD while Armed (for Pre-Record), Recording, or Formatting.

The external SSD must be removed from the camera in order to access files using its USB-C port. They cannot be accessed while the SSD is inserted in the Media Expander. Once removed from the camera, plug the external SSD into a suitable USB 4 / Thunderbolt port on a host computer for fast offloading.

FAQ

Will it work with all Embers?

Yes, the Media Expander is compatible with all existing and new Ember S5K and S2.5K.

Does it support all frame rates and resolutions?

Yes, the resolution and frame rate capabilities are the same as for internal recording. See Resolutions and Frame Rates for more details.

Can the external media be hot-swapped?

Yes, the camera can remain powered on when inserting and removing external media. Using the "Eject External" option in the Disk Menu before removing the external SSD is recommended, but not required. Do not remove the external SSD while Armed (for Pre-Record), Recording, or Formatting.

What is the offload speed of the external SSDs?

When connected to a suitable USB4 / Thunderbolt host, the link speed is 40Gbps and practical file transfer speed is around 2GB/s. This is approximately equal to the maximum recording data rate. For example, a 30s (real-time) clip at maximum frame rate would take about 30s to offload.

Can I use other U.2 SSDs?

We only recommend using our media, which we’ve tested to meet the write speed and power requirements of Ember.

Can I copy files between the internal and external SSDs?

No, the camera only mounts one drive at a time.

Can I have the camera UI on the SDI output and clean feed on HDMI?

Yes, this configuration is also possible via the Display Menu. The clean feed can be selected as SDI, HDMI, none, or both (App control).

Will there be higher data rate SDI support in the future?

The hardware does support higher rates, but we're currently limited by FPGA resources available - most of the programmable logic is used for high-speed ProRes encoding. If we are able to optimize more in the future, higher resolution and/or frame rate SDI and HDMI options may become available. But for now, both are limited to 1080p24/25/30.

What are the micro-BNC inputs on the side for?

These inputs may be used for additional sync and trigger features in future firmware updates.