Integrator Guide
Learn how multi-camera control actually works
A modular control system for live production of every kind: sports, broadcast, house of worship, concerts, corporate, cinema and more. This guide maps how the pieces interconnect through three use cases.
Foundations
Multi-camera shading, without the matched-camera tax
Traditional CCUs only control their own brand of camera. Cyanview decouples the control surface from the camera: one RCP speaks dozens of protocols, so a single operator can paint a Sony system camera, an FX3 on a gimbal, a PTZ, a RED and a Marshall POV, side by side, on the same panel.
Every Cyanview rig is built from three jobs, no matter how big the show:
Job 1 · Control
A surface to shade from
The RCP or RCP-J (physical knobs, joystick and touchscreen): this is where a human turns iris, black, gain and colour. The browser Multi-Cam Dashboard handles configuration and live monitoring alongside it.
Job 2 · Interface
A bridge for non-IP cameras
Only for cameras that don't already speak IP. The CI0 (serial) or RIO (serial + USB + Wi-Fi) converts network commands into whatever the camera actually speaks: RS-485, LANC, VISCA, SBUS, B4 lens, USB-C.
Job 3 · Transport
A network between them
Plain IP. On one switch in a truck or across a building, the RCP, its CI0s and the cameras all share a single network. Taking that link remote (over Wi-Fi or 4G/5G through the REMI cloud) is covered in Part 2.
128
Cameras from one RCP (MSU licence)
Mixed
Brands and protocols on one panel
1
Operator shading the entire floor
2
Cables per camera (power + control)
Foundations · The cast
A handful of modules, freely combined
Cyanview is modular. Learn what each module does and every topology in this guide clicks into place.
Control surface
RCP & RCP-J
CY-RCP · CY-RCP-J
The Remote Control Panel. Touchscreen, exposure encoder, white/black trackball-style knobs and assignable buttons. The RCP-J adds a lens joystick for PTZ and ENG work. Configured from its built-in web UI; runs camera protocols itself.
PoE or 12V · 10/100 Ethernet · Web UI config · Up to 128 cams
Camera interface · serial
CI0
CY-CI0 · CY-CI03P · CY-CI0BM
A tiny serial bridge: Ethernet in, two (or three) Hirose serial ports out. No config UI of its own, configured from the RCP. Auto-discovers on the network; IP derived from serial number. Turns a serial camera into a managed one.
RS-232/422/485 · LANC · VISCA · SBUS · B4 lens · PoE+ or 12V
Camera interface · everything
RIO
CY-RIO (LAN / WAN)
"A CI0 with a brain." Two serial ports plus the full RCP protocol stack, including USB-C for mirrorless and Wi-Fi. Holds camera control even if the RCP link drops. The natural choice for gimbals, polecams, Steadicam and remote-camera work.
Serial + USB-C + Wi-Fi · Runs standalone · 12V (D-Tap) · REMI cloud
Config & monitoring · software
Multi-Cam Dashboard
http://[device-ip]:4000
A browser companion: a grid of every camera with the parameters that matter, plus full configuration and a live mirror of the RCP. Organise cameras into scenes and groups, build custom layout templates, export/import as JSON.
Monitoring grid · Config & mirror · Scenes & groups · Templates
Processing layer · colour & LUT
The colour layer: VP4 & beyond
Current VP4 discontinued · next-gen in development
The layer that makes mixed fleets match. Add a colour device on the same RCP channel and you get real shading: black, multi-matrix, detail. The RCP drives Cyanview's VP4 and third-party correctors (Teranex, AJA ColorBox, Flanders BoxIO, EVS Neuron, FOR-A) plus 3D LUT boxes.
VP4 · Teranex · ColorBox · BoxIO · 3D LUT: grade then shade live
Gateway · tally & GPIO
NIO tally & GPIO gateway
CY-NIO
The quiet glue of a real installation. 16 GPIO on the network, auto-detected by the RCP. Take tally in from the switcher and drive tally lights at the edge, or fire preview/touch-down pulses on any camera. Stackable and auto-discovering.
16 GPI/GPO over IP · Tally · Touch-down · Stackable
Foundations · The mental model
Control → Network → Camera
Read every Cyanview diagram left to right. Control, network and camera are always there. A CI0 or RIO interface slots in between the network and the camera only when the camera doesn't already speak IP, so an all-IP floor may carry no interface at all.
So where do I plug in, and what do I configure?
The single most useful question on any job: how is this camera connected?
- It speaks IP (PTZ, system cam, NDI) → Connect to the RCP directly. Configure with the camera's IP address in the web UI.
- It speaks serial (RS-485, LANC, VISCA, B4) → Use a CI0 or RIO. Configure the port from the RCP web UI.
- USB-C / Wi-Fi (mirrorless, wireless) → Use a RIO. USB-C / Wi-Fi LAN, then import it on the RCP.
Part one
01 Multi-camera
Many cameras of mixed brands, controlled by one operator on one panel, all on a single local network. The core Cyanview use case.
Step by step
From unboxing to a green icon
The goal of the first session: get one camera under control, confirm it's green, then repeat.
- Find the device's IP address. The RCP/RCP-J prints its IP on the boot screen, or under Menu → System → Info. The RIO shows its IP via the arrow keys. The CI0 auto-discovers.
- Get your laptop onto the same network. Cyanview ships on the factory range 10.192.0.0/16. Set your computer to a static IP in that range to reach the panel first time.
- Open the web UI and add your own network. In LAN, click + to add a second address in your production range. The factory 10.192.x.y address always stays.
- Add a camera: General first. Click + to add a camera. Set number, name, manufacturer and model.
- Point it at the right interface. IP camera: enter the camera's IP. Serial camera: pick the CI0/RIO port.
- Confirm the green icon. Green = camera detected and under control. Red = configured but no communication, check cable/IP/power.
Part two
02 Remote control
A separate use case: control a camera from somewhere it isn't (another desk, the truck, or the other side of the world) over REMI and the free cloud.
The remote-control use case
The same camera, controlled from anywhere
REMI is how Cyanview devices pair and share cameras: across a truck, a building, or the open internet. A camera lives on one device; any number of panels can import it.
How pairing works
- Configure the camera on its host device. Set up the camera on the RIO (or RCP) exactly as you would locally.
- Put the same tag on both devices. In the REMI tab, under Shared Camera Control, type a tag and click +. Repeat on the importing panel. A green cloud icon confirms the connection.
- Import the camera. On the panel, tick the camera in the REMI list. It appears as Imported, keeping its number and name.
Licence · local
RIO LAN
Up to 2 cameras, REMI control on the local network only. Ideal for lens control, Wi-Fi, USB and polecam rigs that stay in the building.
Licence · remote
RIO WAN
Unlimited cameras and full cloud access: beauty shots, gimbals, Steadicam over 4G/5G. Same hardware as LAN; the licence unlocks WAN features. Cloud control is included and free.
Part three
03 Multi-camera + remote
The two use cases joined: a local multi-camera floor on one panel, plus remote cameras imported over REMI, shaded side by side.
Use cases · across the industry
Workflows by production type
The same handful of modules recompose for very different productions. What changes is rarely the kit; it's the topology and the control surface.
| Production | Typical cameras | Topology | Control surface |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sports & live events | System IP + POV mini-cams (CI0) + PTZ | Local → combined | RCP-J panel |
| College / university sports | Mixed affordable bodies + PTZ, central hub | REMI combined | Panel or software |
| Broadcast & TV channels | System cameras, CCU / router / tally, IP | Local | RCP panel |
| Reality TV | Large mixed rig, fixed + roaming | Local (gallery) | RCP panel |
| House of worship | PTZ over IP + mirrorless, paired with colour/LUT | Local | Set-and-forget |
| Concerts & festivals | Gimbal / Steadicam on RIO, long lenses | Combined | RCP-J panel |
| Corporate & conferences | PTZ multi-room, multi-site town-halls | REMI / combined | Set-and-forget |
| Cinema / episodic | Cine bodies (Venice, RED, Arri) + mirrorless | Local | Panel or software |
| Fashion / runway | Mirrorless + broadcast mix, jib / slider | Local | Panel or software |
| Extreme / action | POV (CI0) + RIO on athletes / drones, 4G | Combined / remote | RCP (at the truck) |
Panel a dedicated shader rides the image · Either panel for big jobs, software for the rest · Set-and-forget configure once, no live shader needed
You are leaving the 101
Expert Zone
Everything past this line assumes you know the basics cold: IP architecture, REMI direction, firewall ports, serial pinouts, power budgets and colour matching.
◆ Expert · networking
IP architecture & persistence
Every Cyanview device keeps a permanent factory address on 10.192.0.0/16, derived from its serial number. You cannot remove it. Add your production network as a second IP on the same LAN interface. One physical port can hold several networks at once.
- Persistent: a technical IP that survives a config reset.
- Non-persistent: a temporary IP to reach cameras in another range. Disappears on reset.
◆ Expert · REMI
REMI direction: exporter / importer / both
By default a RIO only exports cameras and an RCP does both. To make a RIO import a camera, flip its direction in the engineering page: http://[ip]/dev/app.html → Cloud block → set direction.
◆ Expert · serial
Serial: per-port protocol matrix
Not every CI0/RIO port speaks every protocol. Connector: Hirose HR10A-7R-6S(73); cable plug: HR10A-7P-6P(73).
Port × protocol support
| Port | RS485 | RS232 | RS422 | LANC | SBUS | VISCA | B4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P1 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | — | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| P2 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| P3 | — | — | — | — | ✓ | — | — |
P1 and P2 both carry RS-232/422/485, VISCA and B4 lens; LANC needs P2, and SBUS runs on P2 or P3.
6-pin pinout by protocol
| Pin | RS232 | RS422 | RS485 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | — | Y / TX+ | A / + |
| 2 | TX | Z / TX− | B / − |
| 3 | RX | A / RX+ | — |
| 4 | — | B / RX− | — |
| 5 | GND | GND | GND |
| 6 | +12V | +12V | +12V |
◆ Expert · power
Power & thermal budget
- PoE+ delivers a regulated 12V 1A to camera ports. For most mini-cameras plain PoE is enough.
- DC IN (10–24V) is passed unregulated straight to camera ports. Confirm the camera tolerates it.
- ≤ 12W per port for thermal reasons. A motorised lens can spike inrush at power-up.
Plug: Switchcraft 762K (5.5 × 2.1 mm) with locking screw. The RIO has no PoE; power it 10–24V from D-Tap, battery or PSU.
◆ Expert · firewall
Ports & firewall
| Port | Use |
|---|---|
| UDP 3838 | Device discovery (CI0 appears on RCP) |
| TCP 1883 | Control / messaging bus (required) |
| TCP 7887 | REMI cloud rendezvous |
Cloud endpoints (outgoing only): remi.cyanview.com, 1-eu-west-3.remi.cyanview.com, 1-us-west-2.remi.cyanview.com
◆ Reference card
Keep-it-open cheat sheet
Find a device IP
RCP: boot screen or Menu→System→Info
RIO: arrow keys → IP screen
CI0: auto-discovers (no UI)
Factory: 10.192.[s].[n]
Status glyphs
>-< alive, awaiting RCP
X: no RCP, check UDP 3838
01<->02: cams on P1/P2
bold/thin: talking/silent
Gotchas
Update: wipes config, export first
Link: RCP port is 10/100 only
Tag: acts like a password
DC IN: unregulated to camera
Full detail at support.cyanview.com. This card is a map, not the territory.
Ready to build your rig?
Explore the full documentation at support.cyanview.com, or get in touch with the Cyanview team.