ADX-2400D
AUDIO
DISTRIBUTION AND DELAY
SYSTEM
(AES Digital I/O)
Installation and Operation Manual
Software Version 1.3
October, 2007
Lance Design / 27 Fairview Avenue / Ridgefield, Connecticut 06877
Tel: 203-894-8206 / Fax: 203-894-8207
Table of Contents
Quick Operation Guide
Menu Items
Saving and Recalling Configurations
Locking Setups and Menus [options dipswitch]
General Operation
Audio Network
Designing the Network [Important Information]
Installation
Page 4
Page 5
Page 8
Page 8
Page 9
Page 10
Page 12
Page 15
Page 16
Specifications
Front Panel View
Rear Panel View
3
QUICK OPERATION GUIDE
To Select Output Channel (or Channels) to Adjust
Press ‘OUTPUT SELECT’ button, and turn knob until desired channel is selected.
The order of the channel selection is as follows:
Local (AES) Output 1 through 24 (Individual Outputs)
Local Outputs 1-8 (Group)
Local Outputs 9-16 (Group)
Local Outputs 17-24 (Group)
All Local Outputs (Group)
Net (Transmitted to Ethernet) Output 1 through 24 (Individual Outputs)
Net Outputs 1-8 (Group)
Net Outputs 9-16 (Group)
Net Outputs 17-24 (Group)
All Net Outputs (Group)
The VU Meter and Headphone Jack will follow the output selection.
Note that if a group of outputs is selected, any setup adjustments (source, level,
delay) will be applied to all output channels within that group.
Also if a group is selected, there will be no VU display or headphone output.
To Select Source (for current output or group of outputs)
Press 'SOURCE' button. It will light, and the currently-selected source for the
selected output will be displayed. The sources available for each output are as
follows, and can be selected by turning the knob.
SILENCE
The output will be muted
LOCAL INPUT
NET INPUT
888HZ TONE
560 HZ TONE
The output will be fed by the corresponding local AES input
The output will be fed by the corresponding network receiver
The output will be fed by the internal 888 Hz tone generator
The output will be fed by the internal 560 Hz tone generator
You may enable a ‘stereo summing’ mode by selecting any of the following choices,
which follow the above sources in the menu list. In these modes, the selected
source will be combined with the selected source for the other channel in the
even/odd pair; e.g., channels 1 and 2, channels 3 and 4, etc. When a ‘something +
mix’ source is selected, the mixed signal is reduced by 6 dB.
SILENCE + MIX
LOCAL + MIX
NET INPUT + MIX
888HZ TONE
The output will silence mixed with the other channel of the pair
The local AES input mixed with the other channel of the pair
The network receiver mixed with the other channel of the pair
888Hz tone mixed with the other channel of the pair
560 HZ TONE
560Hz tone mixed with the other channel of the pair
4
To Adjust Level (for current output or group of outputs)
The output level can be adjusted in 0.25 dB increments. Maximum gain is +12 dB.
To adjust, press the 'LEVEL' button, and turn the knob.
To Adjust Delay (for current output or group of outputs)
The delay of each output can be independently adjusted from zero delay through
680 milliseconds, which corresponds to more than 20 frames at 30 frames/sec. The
delay is adjusted by first pressing the 'DELAY' button, then turning the knob to
adjust. Note that the displayed units (milliseconds or frames) is selected in the
menu.
To Adjust Headphone Volume
Press the 'HP VOLUME' button, and turn the knob. The bar graph display will show
the knob 'position'.
To Configure Menu Items
The system has several configuration items which may be set by using the menu
function. Press the 'MENU SELECT' button to enable the menu function. Turn the
knob to select the desired menu item, then press the 'MENU SET' button. Turning
the knob will now change the parameter for this item. When the desired selection is
made, you can exit the MENU SET mode by pressing any other button. (See
section on menu items below).
MENU ITEMS
Item 01 – RX 1-8 Bundle (000-999)
Packet assignment for network receiver 1, which corresponds to audio channels (net
inputs) 1-8. This number should be set to match the bundle number of the
transmitter in another unit which is sending audio to this receiver. Note that bundle
000 is inactive (off). Bundles 001-255 are broadcast bundles, and should only be
used if one transmitter is sending to more than one receiver. Bundles 256-999 are
unicast bundles, and should be used for normal point-to-point, one transmitter/one
receiver operation.
Item 02 – RX 9-16 Bundle (000-999)
Packet assignment for network receiver 2, which corresponds to audio channels (net
inputs) 9-16.
Item 03 – RX 17-24 Bundle (000-999)
Packet assignment for network receiver 3, which corresponds to audio channels (net
inputs) 17-24.
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Item 04 – TX 1-8 Bundle (000-999)
Packet assignment for network transmitter 1, which corresponds to audio outputs
NET 01 – NET 08.
Item 05 – TX 9-16 Bundle (000-999)
Packet assignment for network transmitter 2, which corresponds to audio outputs
NET 09-NET 16.
Item 06 – TX 17-24 Bundle (000-999)
Packet assignment for network transmitter 3, which corresponds to audio outputs
NET 17 – NET 24.
Item 07 – Conductor Priority (Low – Normal – High)
This item determines the priority of this unit to operate as the 'sync generator' for the
Ethernet audio network. It should normally be set to 'Normal' unless you specifically
want this unit to be the conductor, in which case it could be set to high. If set to
high, this unit will be the conductor unless another is also set high. In the case
where more than one unit has equal priority, the first unit active will assume the
conductor role. This selection isn't too important, since the network will quickly re-
negotiate a new conductor if the current conductor were to fail or be turned off.
Item 08 – Delay Units (Milliseconds – Frames (30) – Frames (25))
This item selects the units used to display the delay values. It only affects the
display, and if set to Frames, saves the user having to do the arithmetic in his head.
It assumes 33 milliseconds for 30 Frames/sec, and 40 milliseconds for 25
Frames/sec.
Item 09 – Configuration File (1, 2, or 3)
There are three user setup files, selected by this menu item. If desired, the users
can store and recall configurations using these files.
Note that the current
configuration is always stored in a 'default' file, different from these three. This is the
file which is loaded on power-up. Configs stored in the three files selected by this
menu item must be manually stored and recalled, using the next two menu items.
Item 10 - <Set> to Save Config
Pressing the 'MENU SET' button will store the current setup in the configuration file
selected in menu item 09 above.
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Item 11 - <Set> to Recall Config
Pressing the 'MENU SET' button will recall the configuration stored in the file
selected in menu item 09 above.
The following items are STATUS items, and are only to display status
information. They may not be changed by the user.
Status Item 01 – NET RX 1 Status (Active or Idle)
Displays ACTIVE status if data is being received by network receiver 1. This
receiver corresponds to net inputs 1-8. Note that the data could be silence; an
active receiver doesn’t necessarily mean that there is audio present.
Status Item 02 – NET RX 2 Status (Active or Idle)
Same for receiver 2, which corresponds to net inputs 9-16.
Status Item 03 – NET RX 3 Status (Active or Idle)
Same for receiver 3, which corresponds to net inputs 17-24.
Status Item 04 – NET TX 1 Status (Idle or Number of Receivers)
If this transmitter is turned off (bundle = 000), or if it is set to a unicast bundle
(bundle = 256-999) with no corresponding receiver present, this status item will
indicate IDLE status. The transmitter is not putting any data on the network.
Otherwise, it will indicate the number of receivers listening to this transmitter. The
network only counts receivers up to four, so if there are more than three receivers
present, the status item will report “>3 Rcvrs”.
Note that unless the status is IDLE, the transmitter is putting data on the network. If
assigned as a broadcast bundle (001-255), the status could be “ 0 Rcvrs “, if no
receivers were listening to this bundle number. The data is still present on the
network.
Net TX 1 corresponds to net outputs 1-8.
7
Status Item 05 – NET TX 2 Status (Idle or Number of Receivers)
Same as above for net outputs 9-16.
Status Item 06 – NET TX 3 Status (Idle or Number of Receivers)
Same as above for net outputs 17-24.
Status Item 07 – Conductor Status (Another Unit or This Unit)
Indicates if the network conductor ('sync generator') is this unit or not.
Status Item 08 – PCB Temperature ( degrees Celsius)
Indicates temperature of sensors on main PCB. Normal temperature is in the 35-45
degree range. A high temperature indication might indicate a fan failure, and will
cause a fault message to be displayed if the temperature exceeds 55 degrees.
Status Item 09 – Output Reference (Int or Ext)
This status item indicates the sync reference for the AES outputs. The ADX-2400
will lock the outputs to an external AES reference if that reference is present, and
this status item will indicate EXT. If there is no external AES reference signal
connected, the ADX-2400 will lock the outputs to the network (Cobranet) clocks.
This status item will indicate INT.
Status Item 10 – System ID (00-99)
Displays two-digit system (frame) ID, as determined by the rotary switches on the
front edge of the pcb, behind the front panel. These two digits are used as the last
octet of the network IP address (192.168.100.xx), and the last part of the Cobranet
system name (Lance ADX2400D-xx). This IP address and system name appear
when using the Cobranet 'Discovery' application to report network node status.
Status Item 11 – Firmware Version
Displays the version and date of the installed firmware.
8
Saving and Recalling Configurations
The menu settings and the source, level, and delay settings are stored automatically
after 20 seconds of panel inactivity in a 'default' flash memory. This is the memory
which is restored automatically when the unit is first powered up.
You may also save configurations in three user memories. First select the desired
memory using the menu (Config Item 09), then select '<Set> To Save Config'
(Config Item 10), and press the MENU SET button. When the settings are saved
to the flash, the display will say 'Config Saved – File 1(or 2 or 3)'.
To recall one of these user memories, again first select the desired memory (Config
Item 09), and then select Config Item 11, '<Set> to Recall Config', and press the
MENU SET button. All config data saved in that user memory will be recalled and
immediately applied to the audio hardware.
Factory default configuration may be recalled by setting the options dipswitch
section 1 to the on position, the resetting the unit, either by powering it up, or by
pressing the reset button on the PCB control panel.
The factory default sets all levels to unity, all delays to zero, local output sources to
net inputs, and net outputs to local inputs. All bundle numbers are set to zero.
Locking Menu and Channel Setup [Dipswitch functions]
There is an Options Dipswitch located behind the front panel, accessible by
removing the thumbscrews on either side of the front panel.
Section 1 of this switch cause the factory default setup to be loaded when the unit is
powered on, or reset using the reset button, located to the right of the dipswitch.
Sections 2-6 are currently unused.
Turning on Section 7 will prevent changes the channel setups (level, source, and
delay).
Turning on Section 8 will prevent changes to menu items (bundle numbers, etc.).
Options Dipsw ^
^ System ID Switch
^ Reset Button
9
General Operational Notes
The ADX-2400 is designed to provide delay, level control and distribution for effects
or commentary audio. The system can be used for stand-alone delay of 24 AES
audio channels (12 pairs), or can be used to transmit and receive audio signals via a
standard Ethernet data network (24 transmit and 24 receive channels
simultaneously), or the combination of both functions.
The system is 'output oriented'. It can be thought of as having 48 outputs: 24 'local'
AES outputs on the rear panel, and 24 'network' outputs which are sent to the
Ethernet network. Each of these 48 outputs can be set up as follows:
SELECT SOURCE:
SILENCE, LOCAL INPUT, NETWORK INPUT, TONE1 (888HZ), or TONE2 (560Hz)
ADJUST LEVEL:
OFF to +12DB in 0.25DB steps
ADJUST DELAY:
0 milliseconds to 680 milliseconds (20 frames in 30fps), in 1 millisecond steps
The configuration of each output is independent, although you can select groups or
all to save setup time if you are setting them all to be the same.
The unit should also be thought of as having 48 inputs: 24 AES inputs on the back
panel, and 24 inputs from the network receivers.
Application Examples:
For stand-alone delay, all outputs would be set to 'local input', and level and delay
adjusted as desired. The network tx/rx would not be used.
For transmitting effects to another truck, and inserting delay in the path: The network
outputs would be set to 'local inputs', routing the AES audio inputs to the network
transmitters. Delay and level adjustment could be done as desired. The local outputs
could also be set to 'local inputs', providing an independent local delay. Alternatively,
the local outputs could be set to 'network inputs', and these used as network
receivers for audio coming back from the other truck.
Distribution of effects or other audio to multiple trucks could be accomplished by
transmitting the audio using broadcast bundles, and receiving at each point of use.
Delay and levels could all be adjusted independently at the receivers, or globally at
the network transmitters.
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The Ethernet Part
The Ethernet transmission uses the Cirrus Audio 'Cobranet' system, which is an
industry standard. It is a professional, highly-reliable system which packs audio data
into 'bundles' of 8 channels. The bundles are given numbers from 1 to 999. The first
255 are 'broadcast' bundles which can be received by any number of receivers, so
long as the receiver is set to the same bundle number. The rest are 'unicast'
bundles, which will only be received by one receiver at a time. More Cobranet info
There are two Audio Network ports on the rear panel of the ADX-2400. These are
redundant network connections, and either may be used. If desired, a redundant
network connection my be established by using the second port. If both are used,
the left-hand connector will be the primary, and the right the backup. If both links
are established, and one is lost, audio will continue uninterrupted.
The simplest network is simply connecting two ADX-2400 units together. This
allows for transmission of 24 channels of audio in each direction. Note that this type
of connection requires a Crossover Cable, as the ports are not auto-sensing.
Most networks are established by using a standard Ethernet switch. In this case,
each ADX unit should be connected to the switch with a straight-through (not
crossover) cable. Each ADX-2400 should be on its own switch port. If multiple
switches are used, it is desirable for the switches to connect to each other using
gigabit Ethernet. A gigabit Ethernet link allows 700 or more audio channels to be
sent in each direction. A 100base/T full duplex link allows 72 channels to be sent in
each direction.
It is recommended that simple hubs not be used, although they will work if total
network traffic is limited to 48 channels (6 bundles total)
The indicators on the audio network ports provide an indication of port status, as
described below:
Yellow Indicator:
Green Indicator:
Steadily-lit if connector is active. (Does not indicate a link or
audio transmission). Flashing indicates that this unit is the
'conductor' or sync generator for the entire audio network.
Steadily-lit indicates an Ethernet link. Flashing indicates
packet transmission/reception.
When audio is being transmitted, the normal condition is either:
Yellow On, Green Flashing (this unit not conductor)
or
Yellow Flashing, Green Flashing (this unit is conductor)
The other Ethernet port on the rear panel, the remote control port will be supported
in later software revisions.
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Setting Bundle Numbers
The 24 transmit and 24 receive audio channels in the ADX are divided into 8-
channel groups. These groups are assigned to network channels or 'bundles'.
There are six bundles per ADX unit, three for receive and three for transmit. Each of
these bundles can be assigned a three-digit number from 000 – 999. (Note that the
Cobranet system allows numbers as high as 65000, but they are limited in the ADX-
2400 to 999).
A bundle assignment of 000 is defined as inactive, and will disable this network
transmitter or receiver. Audio outputs from disabled receivers will be silence.
A bundle assignment in the range 001-255 is a Broadcast Bundle. These
numbers should be used when it is desired that one transmitter be received by
multiple receivers. Note that broadcast bundle data will appear on all network
segments (all switch ports) and can cause network congestion if used when not
required. Use broadcast bundles only when required to avoid unnecessary
traffic on the network.
A bundle assignment in the range 256-999 is a Unicast Bundle. These numbers
are used for normal transmission from one transmitter to one receiver (point to
point). A switch will route this traffic only to the required port and reduce
unnecessary traffic on the network.
The audio transmission will usually follow the bundle assignment almost instantly,
however on occasion there will be a delay of a second or two as the Cobranet
hardware negotiates the connection.
Designing the Network (Please read this section!)
The Cobranet technology is very powerful, and allows for very flexible system
design. It is not without limits, however. It is important to have a full understanding
of how the system operates to avoid network problems, and therefore to avoid audio
problems.
Here are some important things to know:
There are limits to the number of audio channels which may be present on any
given network. The network connection on the rear panel of the ADX-2400 is a
100 Mbit/sec Ethernet connection. As transmitted by the ADX, each audio
channel requires approximately 1 Mbit/sec of bandwidth, so each bundle (8
Channels) requires 8 Mbit/sec.
Because of the additional control and timing data, each 100 Mbit/sec network
segment can handle a maximum of 10 bundles. This is an absolute maximum;
restricting it to 9 provides a bit of safety margin, and is strongly recommended.
12
Exceeding this bandwidth limit will cause dropouts in the audio, and in severe
cases may cause other problems such as sync and control problems.
An Ethernet switch, which generally forms the hub of a network, can partition the
traffic so that bundles only go the receivers which are listening to them. Since
each ADX frame only has three receivers, this can eliminate network traffic
problems if each bundle is a unicast bundle (one transmitter to one receiver).
The switch will route the traffic only to the required receiver.
Broadcast bundles (bundle numbers 001-255) can NOT be isolated by the
Ethernet switch. They will appear on ALL network segments, regardless of
receivers. You should use broadcast bundles only when required, and be aware
that they add to the traffic on all segments of the network.
The bottleneck for network will usually be the receive side of the network
segments connecting the ADX frames. The network segment connecting to an
ADX frame will see all unicast bundles being received by that frame, plus ALL
broadcast bundles on the network. This total number of bundles can not exceed
10 (9 is better). (This number does not include bundles being transmitted by this
frame, unless they are broadcast bundles).
The broadcast bundles are a very powerful feature, in that they allow very
convenient and inexpensive distribution of lots of audio signals. Using broadcast
bundles can really clog up the network, however, so be aware of the tradeoffs, and
use them only when required.
If the network traffic becomes too heavy, and audio packets are being dropped, the
ADX front panel buttons will flash, and a “NETWORK ERRORS“ warning message
will be displayed.
Some other things to know about the network operation:
Because of the way Ethernet works, the ADX frames can not see their own
transmissions. This means that if you dial a transmitter and receiver (in the
same ADX unit) up to the same bundle number, the transmitted audio will NOT
appear on the receiver outputs. Select ‘local’ as a source instead.
Only one ADX receiver can listen to a given unicast bundle. If you assign two
receivers to the same unicast bundle, only the first will output audio. Broadcast
bundles can be repeated on multiple receivers, either in separate frames or in
the same frame (for multiple copies of the same audio).
All audio on the network is 20-bit uncompressed. It takes a fixed amount of
bandwidth, regardless of the audio content.
13
Cobranet 'Discovery' PC Application
Cirrus Logic, the developers of Cobranet, make available on their website a nice PC
application called 'Cobranet Discovery', or 'Disco'. It can be downloaded and
installed on any PC running Windows XP. It allows the computer to be attached to
the audio network and provides a variety of information about the attached network
The PC TCP/IP network properties must be set for a fixed IP address (not DHCP),
and a subnet mask. The firmware in the ADX-2400s sets their IP addresses to
192.168.100.xx, where xx is the System ID, set by the rotary switches on the PCB
behind the front panel. I recommend setting the PC to 192.168.0.1, although any
other numbers are fine for the last two octets, provided they don't conflict with the
addresses of any ADX-2400s on the network. The subnet mask should be set to
255.255.0.0.
14
Installation
The ADX-2400D is designed to be installed in a standard 19" equipment rack.
There is a cooling fan on the rear panel which draws air in through the sides of the
cabinet and exhausts hot air through the rear panel. The unit should not be installed
in such a way as to block the vents on the side panels, or air flow from the rear panel
fan.
The unit is designed to operate on 95-250 volts AC, 50 or 60 Hz. The power supply
is an wide-range switching supply, so no voltage selection needs to be made.
Power consumption is approximately 15 watts.
The AES audio input and output connections are made through BNC connectors on
the rear panel. Each BNC connector corresponds to an AES pair, i.e. Input 1 is the
connector for channels 1 and 2, Input 2 is the connector for channels 3 and 4, etc.
The input connectors are AC-terminated in 75 ohms (you won’t see this termination
with a DC meter), and require a nominal 1 volt p-p AES signal. The outputs provide
a 1 volt p-p signal into 75 ohms. Inputs and outputs correspond to the AES specs
for unbalanced (BNC) transmission.
The AES Reference Input is also a 75-ohm terminated input, requiring nominally 1
volt p-p. The applied signal should be AES Silence, Tone, or other AES signal. The
input is not designed to accept 48-Khz word clock. The 12 outputs will be frequency
and phased locked to this reference regardless of input or network timing.
There are no restrictions on the timing or locking of any of the 12 input signals.
They will be syncronized in the unit to the network clock.
All AES audio into the ADX-2400D should have emphasis turned off, as emphasis is
not supported internally. The output channel status bits will indicate NO EMPHASIS.
The coax cables should be supported in such a way as to prevent weight being
applied to the rear of the ADX-2400. The rack mounting flanges are sufficient to
support the unit itself, but not additional loading of the heavy I/O cables.
The Ethernet 'Audio Network' ports (one or both) should be connected to the
network with standard CAT5 RJ-45 cables, following normal IT practice. The ports
are 100/baseT Ethernet. The connectors on the ADX-2400 are wired with the same
pinout as normal PC ports, and are not auto direction sensing. If connecting two
units together without a switch, a crossover cable must be used.
It is not possible to 'daisy-chain' units together. The two ports do not function as
'loop-through'. Each unit should be connected to a separate switch port.
The maximum length for 100/baseT Ethernet on copper is 100 meters. For longer
runs there must be a repeater (switch) or media converter (fiber) in the path. See
15
ADX-2400D Specifications
Local Input Channels 24 AES on 12 unbalanced (BNC female) connectors, 1v p-p
Local Output Channels
AES Reference Input
24 AES on 12 unbalanced (BNC female) connectors, 1v p-p
AES Silence or other AES signal. BNC connector, 75-ohm, 1v p-p
Output Phase Lock Accuracy +/- 1% of sample period (+/- 200 ns)
Input Phase Requirements
Sample Rate Converters
Output Impedance
None. Inputs may be free-running
Highest-quality AD1895. Converters on both inputs and outputs.
75 Ohms, transformer coupled
Input Impedance
75 Ohms AC termination, transformer coupled
Digital Processing and Delay 24-bit uncompressed
Cobranet Transmission
Sample Frequency
Adjustable Delay Range
Minimum Delay (AES in to
AES out)
20-bit uncompressed
48 kHz
0 milliseconds to 680 milliseconds (>20 frames at 30 fps)
1.5 milliseconds
6.5 milliseconds
Minimum Delay (through
Ethernet)
Headphone Jack
Menu
Remote Control
1/4" TRS (Stereo) follows Output selection, Low impedance
Selects Cobranet bundle numbers (address), config store/recall
Ethernet port (100baseT) separate from Audio Network.
Conventional VU ballistics (300ms), -20 to +3.5 dB scale, follows
Output selection. Scale mark at 0 VU.
VU Meter
Display
2x24 VFD
Power Requirements
95 to 250 Volts AC, 50-60 Hz, 15 Watts
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