User guide

10 HYDRA2 Operator Manual
Introduction - Hydra2 Networking
OVERVIEW
The Hydra2 system is designed to
provide seamless, scalable audio
networking of Calrec audio consoles
with Calrec audio I/O interfaces.
Hydra2 allows large numbers of
audio inputs and outputs to be easily
connected, shared and controlled,
irrespective of their location, as well
as providing comprehensive built in
redundancy.
Audio consoles and I/O can be physically
added to the network as and when
needed. Added hardware automatically
syncs with the rest of the system and
makes itself available for use.
The Hydra2 Organizer, H2O, is an
administrator-level user interface designed
to provide control over the network
without the use of an audio console.
Amongst other things, H2O can change
access rights for individual consoles
to selected I/O on a port by port, or by
port group basis, effectively splitting the
network to safeguard multi-production
environments. Input to output cross-point
routing can also be carried out to aid in
control room and resource management.
Hydra2 provides 1-to-N routing;
inputs may be routed to any number
of destinations. They can be used in
multiple places on a console, on multiple
consoles, as well as being sent directly to
multiple outputs by cross-point routing, all
simultaneously.
Hydra2’s interconnections are made
using SFPs to allow use of copper or fiber
connections. Distances are only limited by
the SFP type. The capacity of the network
is vast, both in terms of the number of
input and output ports and the switching
capability.
Each connection between Hydra2 units
can carry up to 512 signals in both
directions, simultaneously, at 48kHz.
I/O interfaces are available in a range of
format types including balanced analog,
balanced and unbalanced AES digital,
MADI, Dolby-E decoders, SDI embedders
and de-embedders. New formats can
easily be supported as they arrive. Hydra2
also supports non-audio I/O interfaces in
the form of general purpose inputs and
outputs (GPIO) for remote control input
tallies and output switching. Please refer
to the Hydra2 installation manual for more
details on available I/O types.
As with all Calrec products, audio
quality and product reliability are our top
concerns. All Hydra2 hardware and audio
interfaces are designed to the highest
standards with no compromise to audio
performance. All analog pre-amps and
line level paths are designed around our
proven and highly respected circuitry,
providing very high headroom with a very
low noise floor. Our lossless proprietary
network transportation protocol does not
compromise the high audio quality within
the digital domain. Particular attention
is also paid to communications reliability
and system status monitoring, power
generation and distribution, thermal
management and physical robustness.
The system is designed with redundancy
and fault detection at the forefront,
providing backup paths for data and audio
in the event of hardware failure, to keep
any disruption of audio or control to the
absolute minimum. All critical components
are fed from dual power supplies.
Hydra2 supports the Ember and SW-P-08
protocols for integration with third party
routers and control systems to enable
remote control and data transfer.