Biamp AudiaEXPO - Manual (Page 4)

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AudiaEXPI - Front & Rear Panels
Peak Indicators (Inputs 1~8): These red LEDs will light whenever input channel signal levels reach +14dB (6dB below clipping). Use this
feature to aid in the adjustment of the Trim controls (see below).
Trims (Inputs 1~8): These screw-driver adjustable controls set the channel input gain (0dB ~ +60dB) to compensate for different source
levels. This gain range will accomodate most microphone or line level signals. For best performance, adjust these controls so the channel
Peak Indicators flash only on occasional peaks.
Rotary Encoder & LCD Display: This control and display are used for initial setup of the AudiaEXPI unit. When power is first applied to
the unit, the display will cycle through a product description, followed by a title screen. Press the control to enter setup. Rotate the control
to make a selection, then press the control again to edit that selection. Additional levels of selection may be available using this same
routine. Some edits will require a choice of 'OK' or 'CANCEL. Some selections are only informational, and cannot be edited. Select
'BACK' to return to a previous level, and select '
→' to advance. Primary selections are as follows: BUNDLE NUMBER (CobraNet bundle
number to logic input assignments); COBRANET LATENCY (dependent upon CobraNet firmware); PHANTOM POWER (assigns
phantom power to inputs); PASSWORD PROTECT (prohibits unauthorized tampering); TITLE DISPLAY (personalized: 2 lines with 8
characters each); ABOUT (serial#, version#, and Ethernet address information).
Mic/Line Inputs: These eight mic/line analog audio inputs are provided on balanced plug-in barrier-strip connectors. For unbalanced
input, wire high to (+) and ground to both (-) & (
d ). For use with condenser microphones, +48 volt phantom power is available at these
inputs (see Rotary Encoder above).
Logic Inputs: These eight Logic Inputs allow remote control of CobraNet bundle number assignment (see CobraNet below). Bundle
numbers can be assigned to Logic Inputs using the front panel Rotary Encoder (see above), and can then be selected via external contact-
closures (wired from the corresponding logic inputs to ground). Bundle numbers are used to route digital audio signals to specific devices
in a system network.
CobraNet: These two RJ45 connectors provide the CobraNet digital audio interface. CobraNet allows multiple AUDIA units to share
digital audio (and DSP resources) on a system network. This also allows AUDIA units to be used with CobraNet compliant devices from
other manufacturers. A 10/100Base-T Ethernet switch (not hub) is required when networking multiple units. The maximum distance
between any unit and an Ethernet switch is 100 meters. Additional Ethernet switches, or even fiber-optics, can be used to further extend
distances between units on a system network. The primary and secondary CobraNet ports are redundant. CobraNet supports 64
channels of digital audio (32-in & 32-out) over Fast Ethernet, using CAT-5 cable. CobraNet transmits (32) channels of digital audio on (4)
'bundles' of (8) channels each. The same is true for receiving digital audio over CobraNet. Bundle numbers are used to determine where
digital audio is transmitted and received. Typically, 'unicast' bundle numbers (256~61,439) are used to exchange digital audio between two
specific devices. With 'unicast' bundles, each CobraNet device can transmit to no more than (4) other devices within a network. With
'multicast' bundle numbers (1~255), digital audio can be exchanged with multiple devices. Due to network delay, CobraNet has a limitation
of seven (7) 'hops' (one-way transmissions) within a network.
In order to integrate AudiaEXPI into a AUDIA system, an EXPI (or CobraNet) input block must first be placed into the design layout.
AUDIA units intended to receive digital audio from the AudiaEXPI must have their CobraNet jacks connected to the same network. Both
the AudiaEXPI unit (hardware) and the EXPI input block (software) must be assigned matching bundle numbers, before digital audio can
be successfully exchanged. AudiaEXPI bundle number assignment can be changed in real-time to allow routing of digital audio to different
EXPI input blocks within the system. CobraNet Latency settings must be identical in all devices, system-wide. Also, unicast and multicast
bundle numbers can be used to route digital audio to individual or multiple EXPI input blocks. Similar considerations may also apply when
using AudiaEXPI with other CobraNet compliant systems or devices. AudiaEXPI and AudiaEXPO can exchange digital audio directly
(outside of a system network) using either a simple 'cross-over' CAT5 cable or an Ethernet switch.