Optical to EtherCON converter for gigaACE

[mingsinger]

Hey all! So, I installed a CDM64 for IEMs at a H.O.W. a few months back and we love it so much, we’re selling our Digico at FOH and getting a dLive surface. The only issue I have is cabling. All the wiring for this facility is in conduit under a long stretch of concrete and/or crazy long runs under, over & around the congregation. What I have is the Digico optical cable – four of them. I’m hoping there might be a converter box that will allow me to carry the gigACE signal over the installed optical cables. The Digico site seems to be having issues – lots of 404 msgs – and I can’t even figure out if the ST to ST optical cables are single mode or multimode.

Anyway, figured someone here may have dealt with something similar. Thx in advance!

rog

[Nicola A&H]

Hi Rog,

Typically Digico uses 50um multimode OM2 with either HMA or Fibrecast expanded beam connectors. You should double check that, there is a chance the installer put in custom install cables.

Our fibreACE cards would save you testing and buying third party converters. However they require OM3 or OM4 fibre, and you would need a technician to re-terminate the cables with the right connectors (opticalCon Duo or LC).

You can probably look for Gigabit converters that offer the connector type you currently have. For example the Fiberfox FCM-GMC we tested can be ordered with an expanded beam connector (though I cannot guarantee mechanical compatibility with the Digico cable).

https://support.allen-heath.com/Knowledgebase/Article/View/gigaace-and-dx-networking-vlans-and-fibre-optics

[SteffenR]

since this is a fixed installation it should be possible to use a standard GBit switch with SFP ports on both sides of the cable or standard Ethernet to Fibre convertors (GBit)

[Jay]

You can also use simple media converters, just purchase the correct SFP’s.

I’m not a fan of the fiberACE for a primary console link because it provides 128×128 instead of the regular 300×300, significantly reducing your capabilities at the surface and requiring you to know the channels mappings.

Jay

[Nicola A&H]

@Jay

That is incorrect. If the fibreACE card is used in ‘Convert’ mode (bridging the built-in gigaACE port/s into the card), then it would transport all 300+ channels bi-directionally on fibre, offering exactly the same performance as the built-in ports. No need to know the mapping either, as far as the operator is concerned you are still patching to Surface / MixRack normally.

[Jay]

@nicola

That’s good information to have, and I can see how it is done with “convert” mode, but that isn’t want any of your published documentations says and conflicts with what my rep told me (he pointed me to the docs). Effectively, it just becomes 2 media converts mounted in a slot. May want to update that info.

“M-DL-GOPT (fibreACE) is one of several audio networking options that can be
fitted to an Allen & Heath dLive I/O Port. It provides a 128x128ch 96kHz copper
or fibre optic point-to-point link to another dLive mixing system. It can also be
used to connect a MixRack and Surface via fibre optic instead of CAT cable.”

While “convert” is referenced, nowhere does it say you get the full bandwidth. The Features list on the website states 128×128 @ 96k just above the convert option.

As a note, also, www (dot) allen-heath (dot) com/media/fibreACE-fitting-note-AP10843.pdf shows the web page title as “Qu Mixer User Guide” when you open it.

[MJCElectronics]

As with my request yesterday for information on redundancy options using GigaACE or FibreACE cards in C class racks it seems that the manuals for those cards could do with a bit of fleshing out.

Convert mode seems a bit of a waste of a card slot which could be better used for additional connectivity.
If I was looking for a fibre solution for primary surface connection I think I’d look at converters external to the dLive ecosystem unless I happened to have free slots and FibreACE cards to spare.

[Author]

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