QSC Audio S series user manual Introduction Overview

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INTRODUCTION: Overview

RAVE™ Digital Audio Router products provide a means of transporting CobraNet™ audio signals over a Fast Ethernet network. Using standard network hardware and physical me- dia, a RAVE system has a maximum capacity of 64 audio chan- nels on a 100BASE-TX repeater segment and the ability to support hundreds of audio channels on a switched Ethernet LAN. RAVE transports the audio signals over the network in a standard uncompressed 48 kHz digital format in resolutions of 16, 20 or 24-bit. Additionally, RAVE products support op- eration in stand-alone mode, requiring minimal front-panel setup, or in software mode, utilizing off-the-shelf applications implementing the Simple Network Management Protocol, or SNMP.

A RAVE system handles routing in bundles of up to 8 indi- vidual audio channels. Each RAVE supports up to two bundles of audio. The availability of audio through network transmis- sion or reception is dependent on the RAVE model. The 88s

and 188s-24 can both receive and transmit data over the net- work and can support higher capacity configurations when setup through the Management Interface using SNMP.

Each RAVE unit has a female RJ-45 Ethernet connector on its rear panel for connecting to a standard Category 5 Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP) cable. For economy and flexibility, RAVE utilizes standard off-the-shelf Fast Ethernet devices such as repeaters, switches and fiber optic media converters. You need at least two RAVE devices—one to send and one to receive, or two that operate bi-directionally—to route audio over an Ethernet network. There are currently six RAVE models, with three basic send/receive configurations (16 channels send, 16 channels receive, or 8 channels send/8 channels receive). Each of these configurations is available with either analog or digital AES3 (often called AES/EBU) audio inputs and out- puts. The six models are listed in the table below:

NOTE! Many instances of RAVE model numbers, as presented in this manual, have had the suffix (“s” or “s-24” ) removed for clarity and ease of reading.

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Contents Rave Explication DES Symboles Graphiques Explanation of Graphical SymbolsErklärung DER Graphischen Symbole Table of Contents Introduction Overview Introduction Illustration of Rave units Introduction Glossary Introduction Glossary Introduction How It Works Introduction How It Works OutsIntroduction Channel Routing Channel RoutingRequired tools #2 Phillips screwdriver Input Level Sensitivity Rave 161s-24 and 188s-24 only Installation Rack Mounting Connections 100BASE-TX EthernetRack Mounting ALL Models Ethernet Connection ALL ModelsConnections Analog Audio Inputs/Outputs Rave 160/161/188 Analog Audio ConnectionsConnections Digital Audio Inputs/Outputs Rave 80/81/88 Digital Audio ConnectionsFuses AC PowerSLAVE/SYNC Input Redundant Configuration RS-232 PortSynchronizing to AES/EBU Synchronizing to AES/EBU Operation Network Activity Status Indicators Status IndicatorsTx Error Audio Signal Level Indicators Operation Audio Signal Level IndicatorsAudio Metering Bundle Assignment Error ReportingBundle Activity Program and Software Kill Operation Program/Software Kill, RoutingRouting Operation Routing Switched Networks Network Design Considerations Switched Networks Network Design Considerations Repeater Networks Repeater NetworksSpecifications GeneralRear Panel Connections Audio Buffering Ethernet Cabling AppendixRS-232 Port Information Appendix Resources Network Hardware Manufacturers CAT-5 UTP ManufacturersHow to Contact QSC Audio Products Product Warranty
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