Is S-Link a Network Protocol?

[tourtelot]

Quick question. Is S-Link a network protocol? Can it be routed through an ethernet switch?

My thoughts are in my quest to being able to use Prime components in a DX32 within my Dante network. I now understand that if I run the DX32 down Cat cable via the S-Link socket in my SQ6, I will be able to move those I/O around in and out of my Dante network. But I would really like to avoid running two Cat cables between the control room and the stage and was wondering if I could use one cable and two VLANs in my switches; one for Dante and one for S-Link.

My guess is that this will not work but I’d like some confirmation either yea or nay for someone in the know. If not, I think that A&H is still missing the boat by not having a Dante enabled enclosure for the Prime components. Folks (like me) who run a high quality recording network on Dante would be interested in having the Prime modules available, for sure.

D.

[Tobi]

No, IT cant.

Best Regards,
Tobias

[tourtelot]

Thanks. Oh well.

D.

[Brian]

Just to note, your Prime I/O will be available via Dante if you have a Dante card installed on the console the Prime I/O is connected to. So while you will need a dedicated cable to connect the DX32 box to your console, you can still access the DX32 I/O via the Dante card as long as your route the I/O through the Dante card within the console’s routing pages.

The only difference that a DT32 box would offer over the DX32 is the flexibility to access the DT32 I/O over Dante without having to power on the console. That is a pretty minor thing IMHO, so I can understand why A&H isn’t rushing out to produce a bunch of new DT variations of their existing DX/GX boxes.

[tourtelot]

The problem for me is that I have other devices on stage that need to be connected to the Dante network. I would need to run two Cat cables to the stage instead of the one that I now run if I needed a Cat cable for an S-Link enclosure.

D.

[Rob T]

https://support.allen-heath.com/hc/en-gb/articles/4403553378449-Audio-Networking-gigaACE-and-DX-networking-VLANs-and-fibre-optics has some information that may be of use here.

[tourtelot]

Thanks Rob. That’s very interesting, an A&H protocol that is network based. My problem is, of course, that I only have one card slot on my SQ6 and it is populated with a Dante card.

The solution would be a Dante enclosure for the Prime modules but I don’t see that happening soon, if ever. Must be no market value in such a device for A&H.

D.

[Søren Steinmetz]

Not sure if it could work, but a managed switch in each end with 2 VLans, one for Dante and one for the DX

Then console and DX32 on that VLan, and a trunk running between FoH and stage.

Being mid musical right now, and that I only have an AR2412 available with the SQ right now, I have no time to test it myself though.

Perhaps Keith can elaborate if that could be possible.

[tourtelot]

Would the DX box work through the network port on the mixer? If so, that might work. I am told that it wouldn’t work over the S-Link port but I have no way to test that.

I use VLANs on my managed switches already, so adding another VLAN would be simple.

D.

[htevents]

Well, S-Link on itself is not a network protocol. S-Link is a system that can decode the different protocols the A&H stage boxes use, like dSnake and GigaAce. Both are in some way network protocols, so technically it is possible to run the stagebox AND “normal” network over a single Cat cable forum the stage to the console at FOH using VLAN’s. However, it can be tricky and may not be (very) reliable.

I was also considering having a stagebox and Dante + ArtNet + Control over a single Cat cable for an AR2412 + SQ5 setup. Here is the link to that topic, mayb e it can be helpful for you: Single cable setup AR2412 + SQ5

Hope this helps.

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