Dante Controller User Guide User Guide For Dante Controller version 3.4 for Windows and Mac OS X For Windows XP, Windows 7 and Windows 8, and Mac OS X 10.6.8, 10.7.5 and 10.8. Document version: 1.0 Document name:AUD-MAN-DanteController-3.4.x-v1.0.
Dante Controller User Guide Contents About Audinate 8 About Dante 8 Introduction 9 About Dante Controller 9 What's New in version 3.4 9 v3.4.0 9 v3.2.9 10 v3.2.
Dante Controller User Guide Preferred Master 18 Clocking and Synchronization in Redundant Networks 19 Clock Health Monitoring 19 Activating Clock Health Monitoring Latency Latency and the Dante Virtual Soundcard Dante Control and Monitoring Starting Dante Controller Where to find the Dante Controller application 19 20 20 20 21 21 Windows 21 Mac OSX 21 Configuring Dante Controller Network Interface Selection Using Dante Controller Network View Network View Menu bar 21 21 23 23 24 File 24 Dev
Dante Controller User Guide Device 34 Help 34 Device View Toolbar 34 Device View Tabs 34 Receive Tab 35 Available Channels 36 Subscribing to Audio Channels in the Device View 36 Changing Rx channel labels in the Receive Tab 36 Transmit Tab Changing Tx channel labels Status Tab 36 38 38 Device Information 38 Dante Information 38 Clock Synchronization 39 Primary Interface 39 Secondary Interface 40 Device Config Tab Configurable Parameters 40 41 Rename Device 41 Sample Rate 41
Dante Controller User Guide Incorrect general IP configuration 49 Incorrect redundant network configuration 49 What are the symptoms of using the wrong network interface on my computer? 50 How do I check which network interface my Dante Controller/Dante Virtual Soundcard is using? 50 How do I check IP addresses for all devices on my network? Troubleshooting Switch Configuration and Cabling 50 51 Symptoms of switch or cabling issues 51 Switch and Cabling Checklist 51 Index Copyright © 2013 Audi
Dante Controller User Guide Contacts Audinate Pty Ltd Level 1, 458 Wattle Street Ultimo NSW 2007 AUSTRALIA Tel. +61 2 8090 1000 Postal address Audinate Pty Ltd PO Box 855 Broadway NSW 2007 AUSTRALIA Audinate Inc 1732 NW Quimby Street Suite 215 Portland, OR 97209 USA Tel: +1 503 224 2998 info@audinate.com www.audinate.com Copyright © 2013 Audinate Pty Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Audinate®, the Audinate logo and Dante are trademarks of Audinate Pty Ltd.
Dante Controller User Guide Audinate is not liable for any loss or damage that may be suffered or incurred in any way as a result of acting on information in this document. The information is provided solely on the basis that readers will be responsible for making their own assessment, and are advised to verify all relevant representation, statements and information with their own professional advisers.
Dante Controller User Guide About Audinate Audinate Pty Ltd is a leading developer of media networking technology whose products and solutions are transforming the way the world interconnects multimedia systems. Audinate’s rapidly growing customer base spans the broader international AV industry and includes many key industry brands. Audinate’s hardware and software products and solutions are founded on patented technologies invented by its world-class networking experts.
Dante Controller User Guide Introduction About Dante Controller Dante Controller is a software application provided by Audinate which allows users to configure and route audio around Dante networks. It is available for PCs running Windows 7 and Windows 8, and Apple Macs running OS X 10.6.8, 10.7.5 and 10.8.
Dante Controller User Guide v3.2.9 n For supported devices (Dante-MY16-AUD cards v3.3.9 and up), the Device View now includes an HA Remote tab. n Dante Controller for Mac now supports OS X 10.8. v3.2.8 n Switch Configuration - supported devices allow specialist switching configurations n Device View > Status tab - for supported devices, the 'Device Information' pane in the Device View > Status tab now displays manufacturer, product type and product version information for the device.
Dante Controller User Guide Mac OSX Component Recommended Minimum Requirement Operating System Mac OS X 10.6.8, 10.7.5 and 10.8. NOTE: Intel architecture only; PPC architecture is not supported Note: If you intend to also install Dante Virtual Soundcard on the same machine as Dante Controller, you will require a machine which meets the minimum system requirements for Dante Virtual Soundcard. Operating System Updates Ensure your PC or Mac has the latest Windows or Apple updates installed.
Dante Controller User Guide Installing Dante Controller Downloading Dante Controller Dante Controller is available for download from Audinate’s website. To download a copy of Dante Controller: 1. Go to Audinate’s website: www.audinate.com. 2. Navigate to Support > Software Downloads > Dante Controller. 3. If not already logged in, you will be asked to log in or register before continuing. 4. Once registered, download the required version of Dante Controller (Mac OS X or Windows).
Dante Controller User Guide Windows Navigate to Control Panel > Programs and Features, select Dante Controller and click Uninstall. Note: Two other Dante features, 'Dante Control and Monitoring' and 'Dante Discovery', may still be present in the programs list after uninstalling Dante Controller.
Dante Controller User Guide Dante Basics Discovery and auto-configuration When a Dante-enabled device is connected to an IP/Ethernet network, it will automatically: 1. Configure its IP address 2. Advertise itself to allow automatic discovery Within seconds of a Dante-enabled device connecting to a network, Dante Controller will automatically discover and display the device, allowing you to configure channels and route audio.
Dante Controller User Guide n Dante routing is performed using the device names and channel labels. A receive channel can be subscribed to the name of a transmit channel at a device. Example: “Analog L@my-transmitter” describes a channel labelled “Analog L” on a device named “my-transmitter”. Device names must be unique on a Dante network. Channel labels must be unique on the device. n If a device or channel is renamed, Dante routing considers it to be a different device or channel.
Dante Controller User Guide n Transmit (Tx) channel: A transmit channel transmits audio from the audio hardware onto the network. n Receive (Rx) channel: A receive channel receives audio from the network and sends it to the audio hardware. n Flow: Dante audio routing creates flows. Each flow carries several channels of audio from a transmitter to one or more receivers. Unicast routing creates flows to single receivers. Multicast routing creates flows that can be received by multiple receivers.
Dante Controller User Guide If the secondary network is connected to a device that supports redundancy, it is enabled automatically. Audio data is transmitted on both the primary and secondary networks simultaneously. In the event of a failure on one network, audio will still continue to be received via the other network. Note: Dante redundancy requires that both the primary and secondary interfaces on any redundant device are connected using the same link speed.
Dante Controller User Guide flows, multicast flows must be set up on the transmitting Dante device before receivers can subscribe to these flows. Advanced Routing: Using Multicast Dante routing is unicast by default. This means that a separate flow is set up between each transmitter and receiver. If several receivers are all subscribed to the same channels of a transmitter, it may sometimes be more efficient to use multicast. Multicast sends the same set of channels to multiple receivers.
Dante Controller User Guide Clocking and Synchronization in Redundant Networks In a redundant network, the clock synchronization protocol operates over both primary and secondary networks. Each network will have a designated PTP master clock; usually this will be the same device on both networks. If this is not the case (e.g.
Dante Controller User Guide Latency In Dante, variation in latency in the network is compensated for at the receiver. Each receiver has an Rx latency setting. This setting defines the latency between the timestamps on the incoming audio samples and when those samples are played out. The typical default latency for a Dante device is 1 msec. This is sufficient for a very large network, consisting of a Gigabit network core (with up to 10 hops between edge switches) and 100 megabit links to Dante devices.
Dante Controller User Guide Starting Dante Controller Where to find the Dante Controller application Windows By default Dante Controller will be installed in C:\Program Files\Audinate\Dante Controller\ It can be started in several ways: n Using the Start menu: Start > Programs > Audinate > Dante Controller > Dante Controller n Run by going to Start > Run and entering C:\Program Files\Audinate\Dante Controller\DanteController.
Dante Controller User Guide The selected network interface can be changed via the 'interface selection' button in the Network View toolbar of Dante Controller, which also brings up this Configure Dante Interfaces dialog box. Note: You MUST have a standard wired Ethernet network available and connected to use Dante Controller. Wireless and other non standard wired Ethernet interfaces are NOT shown in this dialog box, and cannot be selected.
Dante Controller User Guide Using Dante Controller Dante Controller presents the user with two main types of view: Network View and Device View. Important: After making changes to Dante network routing (e.g. subscriptions, device names, channel labels etc.) please wait at least 5 seconds before disconnecting or powering down any affected devices. This ensures that the new information has been properly saved to the devices. Device configuration (e.g.
Dante Controller User Guide Network View Menu bar The menu bar in the Network View contains three menus: File, Device and Help. File n Load Preset (Ctrl+L): loads a configuration from a file n Save Preset (Ctrl+S): saves configuration for currently displayed devices to a file n Exit (Alt+F4): Exits Dante Controller The use of Presets is described in detail later in this guide.
Dante Controller User Guide n Clock Status n Events The use of each of these tabs is described in the next section. Sub-views within the Network View Routing View When Dante Controller is started, it always displays the Routing Tab within the Network View. In this view the network is shown in the form of a grid. Devices with Tx channels are displayed along the top row of the grid, and those with Rx channels are displayed along the left-hand column of the grid.
Dante Controller User Guide The Rx channels associated with any device can be displayed by clicking on the [+] to the left of the device name in the left-hand column of the grid. The Tx channels associated with any device can be displayed by clicking on the [+] above the device name on the top row of the grid. When this action is performed the grid view expands to show each channel of the device, and the [+] becomes a [-]. Clicking on [-] collapses the view.
Dante Controller User Guide same time (see the figure in Expanding the Routing View). Unsubscribing Audio Channels To unsubscribe an audio channel, click on the cross-point containing a subscription. The subscription icon will be removed and revert to a plain blue square.
Dante Controller User Guide n Device Name: The label currently associated with the device n Product Type: The product type n Product Version: The product version n Primary Address: The IP address assigned to the primary interface. IP addresses are currently assigned via DHCP or automatically self-assigned. Self assigned addresses on the primary interface will be in the 169.254.X.Y range. n Primary Link Speed: The Ethernet link speed that the primary interface is currently operating over (i.e.
Dante Controller User Guide This view provides a convenient way of quickly scanning the network for clock information. The view is in table format, with the following fields for each device, in columns from the left, as follows: n Device Name: the label currently associated with the device. n Primary Interface Clock Status: indicates the state of the PTP clock for the primary network interface.
Dante Controller User Guide Preferred Master (checked or unchecked) Device may act as master clock Slave only Device is not capable of becoming a PTP master Not Supported Setting of clock role is not supported by this device Not Available Clock Role information is not available for this device Checking 'Preferred Master' raises the priority of the device in the master clock election.
Dante Controller User Guide Up to 5 separate clock domains can be supported at any one time. All clock domains have their own master clock. Master Clocks The Dante network master clock, called the 'Grand Master', is displayed at all times in the center of the toolbar of the Network View. This is the device that is providing the time sync source for all devices on the network. If multiple clock domains are in use, the Grand Master for each domain is shown, in a comma-separated list.
Dante Controller User Guide Warning Events are also written to a log file. Each time the controller starts it creates a new log file with a timestamped filename, to avoid overwriting previous logs. The events pane provides a button enabling deletion of log files more than seven days old. You can find the path to these log files under Help > About. Automatic Notification of Device Errors Dante Controller is able to identify several types of problems that a Dante device may experience.
Dante Controller User Guide the “Control” key when following the instructions below, and substitute standard Mac key combinations where applicable – see the Dante Controller menu for details. The label of the device being viewed is displayed in the middle of the toolbar. In the screenshot above, Weyland-D8 is the device being displayed in the drop-down list box. The device viewed can be changed by selecting another device from the drop-down list.
Dante Controller User Guide Device View Menu bar The menu bar in the Device View contains three menus: File, Device and Help. File n Load Preset: loads a configuration from a file n Save Preset: saves configuration for currently displayed devices to a file n Exit: Exits Dante Controller The use of Presets is described in detail later in this guide.
Dante Controller User Guide An additional tab, Baseboard, is only available when the Dante device is a module mounted on a Dante PDK baseboard (and is in SPI Master mode). Receive Tab The Receive tab presents information about all channels being received, and able to be received by the current device. The tab is arranged into two areas n Receive Channels: Lists the Rx channels in the left pane of the window.
Dante Controller User Guide Subscription is OK and audio should be flowing No subscription, or a subscription error Subscription is via unicast connection Subscription is via multicast connection A particular subscription may have several symbols in its Status column.
Dante Controller User Guide The Transmit Tab is arranged in two areas: n Transmit Channels: The area on the left pane of the tab shows the Tx channels for the device, and any user-defined channel label. It allows the user to create labels for transmit channels. Input to the table is filtered to prevent illegal characters from being used in channel labels.
Dante Controller User Guide Changing Tx channel labels To change a Tx channel label double click on the label and type in a new one. Tx channel labels must be unique on a single device. Status Tab The Status tab is used to obtain current information about a Dante device. The tab is divided into sections. The information presented on this tab can be very useful when investigating networking or clocking issues in the system. The Refresh button this information if required.
Dante Controller User Guide n Model: The Dante device type. n Software Version: The version of the Dante software running on the device. n Firmware Version: The version of the Dante firmware running on the device. Clock Synchronization This provides the following information about device clocking: n Mute Status: 'Muted' indicates that the device is has been automatically muted (due to a clock synchronisation problem, or because the external word clock is invalid).
Dante Controller User Guide Indicates that the link is operating at 100Mbps Indicates that the link is not connected or that there is an error. The IP address will read N/A, and Tx and Rx utilization will be 0 kbps. Secondary Interface This provides the same information for the secondary interface that is provided for the primary interface, as described above. Note: The secondary network interface will only be displayed if the device supports redundancy.
Dante Controller User Guide Configurable Parameters Rename Device Allows the user to enter a new Dante 'friendly name' for the device. The text field displays the current name. To change the device name, enter a new name in the text field and press Enter. See Device Names and Channel Labels for information about name conflicts and device name rules. Sample Rate n Shows the current sample rate of the device, and allows the user to change the operating sample rate of the Dante device.
Dante Controller User Guide n Latency setting n Any existing audio routes Supported devices allow you to 'Clear Config' instead of Factory Reset. Clear Config wipes the same configuration settings listed above, but allows you to optionally keep the IP settings (i.e. retain the Dante Redundancy settings, and any static IP addresses currently configured in the Network Config tab). A reboot is required after clearing the configuration for the changes to take effect.
Dante Controller User Guide Dante Redundancy / Switch Configuration Depending on the manufacturer's configuration of a device, it may be possible to toggle the device between Redundant and Switched modes, or to select a Switch Configuration. Redundant When a device is set to Redundant, the device will duplicate Dante audio traffic to both Ethernet ports, allowing the implementation of a redundant network via the secondary port. Not all devices support redundancy.
Dante Controller User Guide HA Remote is a proprietary serial control protocol used by Yamaha products. For more information about HA Remote bridging modes, please download the latest version of the Dante-MY16-AUD user guide from the Yamaha website.
Dante Controller User Guide The window shows a list of the Tx channels for the device and allows the user to add them to the new multicast flow that is being created, by checking the tick box next to each channel name. Once the user has selected all the channels required, the multicast flow can be created by clicking on the Create button at the bottom of the dialog box. To abandon creating a new multicast flow, click on the Cancel button.
Dante Controller User Guide Presets Dante Controller supports loading and saving of audio routing configurations, known as Presets. A Preset file contains subscription, labeling and multicast flow configuration for a set of devices. Saving Presets To save a Preset, click the ‘Save Preset’ icon in the toolbar of the Network View. Alternatively select File > Save Preset via the Network view menu bar.
Dante Controller User Guide Devices that will have their audio routing changed as a result of applying this preset are highlighted in green. Devices that are present in the Preset but are currently not on the network are highlighted in red italic. Devices and channels that will are not affected by this Preset are displayed in grey. The expanded device view displays the subscription changes that would apply to this device.
Dante Controller User Guide Troubleshooting Messages on Startup Error Message Meaning & Actions The Bonjour service is not available, please try again in a few minutes. If this message persists, please re-install the Bonjour software available from: http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/ bonjourforwindows.html Affects: Windows only.
Dante Controller User Guide Troubleshooting Dante IP Address Configuration All devices in a Dante network, including Dante Virtual Soundcard, must be using IP addresses from the same network. When using Dante Virtual Soundcard or Dante Controller, your PC or Mac must be connected to the Primary Dante network, and must have a correct IP address. Note: If a device name is shown in red, it means Dante Controller has automatically detected an error condition.
Dante Controller User Guide Most commonly by either misunderstanding how redundancy works, and using only one switch with all cables connected to it; or correctly using two switches or networks, but accidentally connecting one secondary cable to a primary network switch n Joining the primary and secondary Dante networks By connecting primary and secondary switches, or perhaps just using one switch.
Dante Controller User Guide n The Primary Address of all devices should follow the same IP address scheme (e.g. 169.254.*.* or 10.12.0.*). Same for secondary addresses… n Note that some older Dante devices or devices running older firmware may not show this information. Troubleshooting Switch Configuration and Cabling Cables are the most vulnerable part of a network system.
Dante Controller User Guide Index A Audio Formats 17 Auto-configuration 14 Available Channels 35-36 B Bonjour 48 C Cabling 51 Cabling issues 51 Changing channel labels 36 Changing Tx channel labels 38 Channel 35 Channel Labels 14 Channel metering 35, 37 Clear Config 42 Clock Domains 30 Clock Health Monitoring 19 Clock Instability Detected 19 Clock Master 29, 31 Clock Role 29 Clock Status View 28 Clock Synchronization 18, 39 Clock Types 18 Computer Configuration 48 Config Tab 40 Configure Dante Interfaces 2
Dante Controller User Guide Device Name 28 Device Names 14 Device Status View 27 Device View 32 DHCP 14, 32 Discovery 14 Display resolution 11 Downloading Dante Controller 12 E Errors 32, 39 Events View 31 External Word Clock 30, 39 F Failsafe 32 failsafe mode 32 File 24 Firewall Configuration 11 Firmware image 32 Firmware update 32 Flows 17 frame rate conversion 41 Frequency Offset 39 H Help 24 I Installing Dante Controller on Mac OSX 12 Installing Dante Controller on Windows 12 IP address 39 IP configura
Dante Controller User Guide Manufacturer 38 Memory 10 Messages 48 Monitoring 20 Multicast 16, 18, 34, 44 Multicast bandwidth 24 Multiple Audio Channels 26 Mute Status 39 N Network Interface 21 Network View 23 P Passive 29 Precision Time Protocol 18 Preferred Master 18, 30 Presets 46 Primary Address 28 Primary Interface 39 Primary Link Speed 28 Processor 10 Product Type 28 Product Version 28 PTP 18 PTP Slave 29 pull-up/down 41 R Receive channels 26, 35 Receive Latency 41 Receive Tab 35 Redundancy 16 Redunda
Dante Controller User Guide S Sample Rate 41 Saving Presets 46 Secondary Address 28 Secondary Interface 29, 40 Secondary Link Speed 28 Signal 35, 37 Slave 18, 29 Slave to External Word Clock 18 Status 35 Status Tab 38 Subscribing 26, 36 Subscription status 16, 27 Sync Status 39 Synchronization 18, 29 System Requirements 10 T Transmit channels 26, 37 Transmit Flows 37 Transmit Tab 36 Troubleshooting 49, 51 Troubleshooting Switch Configuration 51 Tx 26 Tx Utilization 39 U UDP 11 Unicast 16, 45 Uninstalling D
