Network Video Analyzer, Net-X-Code, and FlowCaster software support Rivermax for software based SMPTE 2110/2022 I/O with Mellanox/NVIDIA ConnectX-6 and BlueField network adapters. This article outlines the appropriate driver, firmware and software setup for Rivermax. It also includes links to articles on optimizing your system to best make use of Rivermax as a virtual I/O system.
NVIDIA Rivermax Hardware
The Rivermax-ConnectX-5/6/BlueField2 adapter card combination fully enables compliance with M&E specifications, such as the SMPTE 2110-21; reduces CPU utilization for video data streaming; and removes bottlenecks for the highest throughput. It can reach 82 Gbps of streamed video with a single CPU core.
Rivermax-accelerated applications stream not only video, audio, and ancillary data but other data stream formats as well, enabling the Rivermax accelerations and CPU savings required for high bandwidth applications such as broadcast and production quality video streaming.
Installing Rivermax
Once your ConnectX-6 or BlueField network card is installed in the system, you will need to load the correct drivers, firmware, and enable Rivermax.
Driver
- Install the Mellanox/NVIDIA driver (current Rivermax is 1.9 so WinOF2 2.80.xxx)
- https://www.mellanox.com/products/adapter-software/ethernet/windows/winof-2
- Select "WinOF-2 Download", "Archive Versions" and "2.80" for your OS
To install for Rivermax, you must specify it on the command line:
MLNX_WinOF2-2_80_50000_All_x64.exe /v"MT_RIVERMAX=1 /l*vx log.txt
Firmware
- Get the correct firmware and burning tools
Find your card with
mdevices status
It should return something like "mt4125_pciconf0". This can then be used to burn the firmware with
mlxburn -dev mt4125_pciconf0 -image fw-ConnectX6Dx-rel-22_32_2004-MCX623102AN-ADA_Ax-UEFI-14.25.18-FlexBoot-3.6.502.bin
If the firmware is newer, it will be installed on your card. Once it completes, power down the machine completely, and then restart.
Hardware Settings
There are two important settings for the ConnectX/BlueField hardware:
Loopback - disable unicast and multicast
and FlowControl - disabled
BlueField Setup
Follow the instructions in
DPU_Deployment_Guide_1_09.pdf
to setup the DPU's PTP reader for hardware PTP handling. Please contact us for more information.
License
- To use Rivermax. you will need a license from Drastic. Please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to get the license.
- Install it here: C:\Program Files\Mellanox\Rivermax\lib\rivermax.lic
Setup
FlowCaster
Run the FlowCaster application and select Rivermax 2110 to use it to send, or NIC IP Video to used it as a board. The flows can then be set up by NMOS or manually with ipVideoConfig
Net-X-Code/videoQC
In Net-X-Code, Rivermax shows up as a 'video board' called NIC IP Video.
Network Video Analyzer
In Network Video Analyzer, you will select NIC IP Video and it can then be set up by NMOS or manually in the IP Video Config dialog.
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