System information

Chapter 18 ‒ RF and Audio Troubleshooting
The job of a communications system is to transfer a signal, or message, from one location to another. Most communica-
tion systems contain a sender and a receiver, and may have multiple paths, or hops, between the sender and receiver.
When the signal, or message, doesn’t make it all the way from the sender to the receiver, that typically means some part
of the communications link is either malfunctioning or not set up correctly. In these cases, we need to troubleshoot where
and what the problem is and then we can decide how to fix it to get the signal through to the receiver.
A good troubleshooting method is to always start at the end of a communications chain (at the receiver) and work back
toward the beginning (the sender). This method is useful for all RF, audio, and network communications systems; all of
which are used in the Axient Wireless Microphone System. Since the problem you’re trying to solve typically is due to the
message not making it to, or out of, the receiver, the one thing you always know for sure is that what’s supposed to be at
the receiver isn’t there. So you want to start with that single fact in looking for where the signal is (or is stuck at) and then
work backward to determine why it’s not there or is stuck somewhere in the middle.
When you’re working with communication systems that have multiple layers to them, and can include multiple technolo-
gies within the layers, you should want to have an understanding of how the layers are structured before trying to trouble-
shoot the suspected problem area. Once you know how they are structured, you can then identify the parts that make up
the communications link. Then after you have an inventory of all the parts, you can ask ‘what could go wrong with each
part’, and start to identify where the problem exists.
To eliminate problems caused by configuration errors, make sure you have completed the following set up tasks before
starting to troubleshoot:
• Place antennas and configure RF connections including antenna distribution systems
• Assign device IDs to all components
• Place AXT610 access points for ShowLink network
• Configure Ethernet connections, ensuring all devices are on the same subnet
• Assign valid IP addresses to all networked components using DHCP or manual addressing
• Configure audio connections
• All components have been updated to the same firmware version (with the exception of the AXT620 Ethernet switch)
• If using WWB6, connect a computer configured to allow WWB6 traffic to the network
• Load transmitters with fully charged batteries
• Create and deploy a compatible frequency list to receivers
• Link transmitters and receivers using IR sync
The Axient Troubleshooting Method
Before Starting to Troubleshoot
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Part 4: Troubleshooting