RAVE USER MANUAL FPO ▼ RAVE 80 Digital Audio Router (8 AES3 outputs) ▼ RAVE 81 Digital Audio Router (8 AES3 inputs) ▼ RAVE 88 Digital Audio Router (4 AES3 inputs + 4 AES3 outputs) ▼ RAVE 160 Digital Audio Router (16 analog audio outputs) ▼ RAVE 161 Digital Audio Router (16 analog audio inputs) ▼ RAVE 188 Digital Audio Router (8 analog audio ins + 8 analog audio outs) Rev.
Table of Contents RAVE Digital Audio Router User Manual Warning Notices ................................................................................................................................................ 2 I. Introduction ................................................................................................................................................ 3 Glossary ........................................................................................................................
EXPLANATION OF GRAPHICAL SYMBOLS The lightning flash with arrowhead symbol, within an equilateral triangle, is intended to alert the user to the presence of uninsulated dangerous voltage within the products enclosure that may be of sufficient magnitude to constitute a risk of electric shock to humans.
I. Introduction RAVE Digital Audio Router products provide a means of transporting audio signals over a data network. Using common Fast Ethernet as the physical medium, a RAVE system has a maximum capacity of 64 channels on a 100baseTX network. RAVE transports the audio signals over the network in a 48 kHz 20-bit digital format. Each unit has a female RJ-45 connector on its rear panel for connecting to a standard Ethernet twisted-pair cable.
Rear views, from top: RAVE 160, RAVE 188, RAVE 161, RAVE 80, RAVE 88, and RAVE 81. GLOSSARY Below are some terms used in this manual that RAVE users should be familiar with. AES3—A technological specification for inter-device conveyance of a dual-channel (stereo) digital audio signal. Also called AES/EBU. Crossover cable—A type of twisted-pair Ethernet patch cable, but somewhat analogous in function to a null modem cable.
HOW IT WORKS Ethernet networks are most often used for computer systems; a typical application would be in an office with servers, workstations, and shared printers. These devices use the Ethernet medium in an unregulated, nondeterministic way. This means that they transmit data messages (called “packets”) only when necessary, and the length of the messages may vary depending on the sending device and on the type and amount of data being sent.
Channel routing A RAVE network handles routing in groups of eight audio channels, and each group of eight transmitted on the network makes up one network channel. Each RAVE device handles two network channels—two sent, two received, or one of each. For example, a RAVE 161 unit, with 16 analog audio inputs, represents two transmitted groups, and thus two separate network channels; one comprises audio channels 1 through 8—the other, channels 9 through 16.
NETWORK TOPOLOGY EXAMPLES Two nodes with a direct cable connection Advantages: very low cost; very high reliability; simple to implement Disadvantages: limited to 100 meters (328 feet) total network size; no expandability; uses non-standard wiring of RJ-45 connectors on Ethernet cable The simplest and most direct RAVE network comprises two RAVE units connected by a single crossover cable. This network has only one segment, so the 100-meter limit applies to the segment and thus to the entire network.
Star topology Advantages: greater network size—up to 200 meters (656 feet); high reliability; readily expandable; uses standard Ethernet patch cables Disadvantages: higher cost Add nodes—i.e., RAVE units—to the previous net layout and you have the classic star topology. This name comes from the hub being at the center and the nodes radiating out from it like the points of a star.
Maximum system cable span (e.g., furthest nodeto-hub + hub-to-hub + hub-to-node): 400 meters (1312 feet) Distributed star network topology Data signals sent over optical fiber don’t degrade as much as they do over copper wiring, and they are immune to induced interference from electromagnetic and RF sources, fluorescent lighting fixtures, etc. Consequently, a Fast Ethernet fiber optic network segment (100baseFX) can be up to 2 kilometers (6560 feet, or 1.
The illustration at right shows a simple 2-node network similar to the one decribed before, except nearly all of the interconnecting UTP cable between the RAVE devices has been replaced by a pair of 100baseTX-to-100baseFX converters and a length of fiber optic cable. This conversion to a fiber optic medium allows the distance between the RAVE units to be increased to up to 2 kilometers. More complex topologies with more than one fiber optic link are also possible, as shown below.
* Using optical fiber to link hubs *Although any one fiber segment can be up to 2000 meters long, and any single UTP segment can be up to 100 meters long, it may be necessary to impose shorter limits, in consideration of cumulative delays caused by devices and cabling. See text for more information.
III. Installation PRE-INSTALLATION PREPARATION: ANALOG SIGNAL LEVELS (RAVE 160, 161, AND 188 ONLY) The RAVE models which handle analog audio inputs and/or outputs require a signal level set-up to achieve optimum performance. This configuration should be completed before rack-mounting the units. (The digital AES3 models, however, do not require any such adjustment.) These adjustments are done internally by placing or arranging jumpers on the main circuit board.
Input Level Sensitivity (RAVE 161 and 188 only) Input level sensitivity is the rms analog signal level at which a sinusoidal waveform will produce a digital full scale signal in the device. The available settings are +24dBu, +18dBu, and +12 dBu (reference: 0 dBu = 0.775 volt), which are 12.3, 6.1, and 3.1 volts rms, respectively. These correspond to 17.4, 8.7, and 4.4 volts peak. Check the specifications of the audio equipment driving the inputs to determine the correct setting.
RACK MOUNTING (ALL MODELS) A RAVE unit is 1 RU (1 rack space) high and mounts in any standard 19-inch equipment rack. The top cover of the chassis must be in place and properly secured with screws before you can mount the RAVE unit. • Use four mounting screws to fasten the front ears of the RAVE unit to the mounting rails of the rack. • The chassis of a RAVE unit also has mounting ears on its rear corners; if the rack also has rear rails, it’s a good idea to support the RAVE unit in the rear, too.
To connect balanced inputs, insert the +, -, and shield into the header as shown at left. To connect unbalanced inputs, connect the signal conductor to the + terminal and the shield to the - terminal, with a jumper to the ground/shield terminal, as shown at below left. The analog RAVE models (RAVE 160, 161, and 188) use normal analog balanced audio inputs and outputs, with three terminals per channel: Hi (+), Lo (-) and Shield.
RAVE 81 This model features eight AES3 input channels, a total of 16 audio channels. The AES3 inputs are labeled 1 through 8 on the rear of the unit. RAVE 80 This model features eight AES3 output channels, a total of 16 audio output channels. The AES3 outputs are labeled 1 through 8 on the rear of the unit. AC POWER A RAVE unit will operate on line voltages from 90 to 264 VAC, 47 to 63Hz.
SLAVE INPUT The slave input is another BNC jack. Its use is to allow a RAVE unit to “slave” itself to another RAVE unit, as a backup in mission-critical applications. To slave one RAVE unit to another, connect a BNC jumper cable from the sync output of the main unit to the slave input of the redundant unit. Select the same network channel(s) on the slave unit as are selected on the main unit.
V. Operation STATUS INDICATORS The eight status indicator LEDs display the operating condition of the RAVE unit and its Ethernet network. They are color coded such that green LEDs, when lit, signify something good or normal, while red ones signify a problem. The “Conductor” LED is yellow because it doesn’t signify good nor bad; it’s simply informational. Network activity LEDs Link This LED lights green when the unit is properly connected to an operating Ethernet network.
The RAVE units in a common network select a conductor according to three priorities. The priorities are, from highest to lowest: 1. Models 161 and 81 2. Models 188 and 88 3. Models 160 and 80 When a unit is connected to the network, it first looks to see if there is a conductor with lower priority already present. If so, or if there is no conductor present, the unit takes over as conductor. If not, the existing conductor keeps its job.
ROUTING A RAVE network routes audio signals in groups or groups of 8 channels, as the group diagram of a sample RAVE network illustrates at right. Behind the removable panel on the face of a RAVE unit are two pairs of hexadecimal switches (see the illustration below) for assigning network addresses to the groups.
VI. FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions CAN I BUY HUBS, CABLES, AND OTHER EQUIPMENT FOR MY RAVE NETWORK ANYWHERE? Yes. One of the design goals of RAVE technology is that aside from the specialized RAVE devices themselves, all other network-related equipment is common computer equipment available from many sources, including local retail computer stores. Almost all Ethernet patch cables sold in retail stores today are CAT-5 grade, which is the minimum required for a RAVE network.
WHAT HAPPENS IF I RUN OUT OF CHANNELS? Network channels automatically drop when available network bandwidth is exhausted. The network channels with the highest address numbers will be the first to be dropped. The “TX Error” indicator will light when a transmitting unit cannot send due to insufficient bandwidth. If this occurs when the network is carrying additional traffic, such as an office LAN, the unregulated LAN traffic is the likely culprit.
VII. Specifications Analog Audio Sample rate A/D converters D/A converters Network transmission THD Signal to noise RAVE 161 and 188 inputs: RAVE 160 and 188 outputs: 48 kHz 20 bits 20 bits 20 bits 0.007% worst case, 0.004% @ 1 kHz 104 dB typical; 102 dB worst case, 22 Hz–22 kHz 101 dB typical; 100 dB worst case, 22 Hz–22 kHz Network Data Format Header Packet trailer Standard Ethernet header 4 byte CRC.
VIII. Appendix ETHERNET CABLING This diagram shows the pinout for standard unshielded twisted-pair (UTP) network cable. Both ends of the cable are wired identically. RJ-45 pinout for a standard Ethernet patch cable (both ends indentical) A crossover cable has the RX and TX wire pairs switched around at one end.
IX. Address & Telephone Information Address: QSC Audio Products, Inc. 1675 MacArthur Boulevard Costa Mesa, CA 92626-1468 USA Telephone Numbers: Main Number (714) 754-6175 Sales Direct Line (714) 957-7100 Sales & Marketing (800) 854-4079 (toll-free in U.S.A. only) Technical Services (714) 957-7150 (800) 772-2834 (toll-free in U.S.A. only) Facsimile Numbers: Sales & Marketing FAX (714) 754-6174 Technical Services FAX (714) 754-6173 World Wide Web: http://www.qscaudio.
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QSC Audio Products, Inc., 28 1675 MacArthur Boulevard Costa Mesa, California 92626 USA PH: (714) 754-6175 FAX: (714) 754-6174 RAVE is a trademark of QSC Audio Products, Inc. “QSC” and the QSC logo are registered with the U.S.
