SQ-6 SQ-5 Remote I/O connectivity, ME1 and 96/48kHz debate

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This topic contains 16 replies, has 7 voices, and was last updated by Profile photo of Andrien Andrien 5 years, 9 months ago.

Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 17 total)
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  • #71332
    Profile photo of churchy
    churchy
    Participant

    Can someone please explain some basics regarding the maximum amount of remote I/O that can connected to an SQ-6/SQ-5?

    I found the following:
    https://www.allen-heath.com/media/SQ6_SLinkConnections_V1_2_0.pdf

    This was useful at showing the different configurations but, for me, creates more questions than answers!
    Fundamentally: If using an SQ-6 I would want the potential for 24 outputs on stage (12 stereo foldbacks); an obvious way would be two AR2412’s. This does not seem to be a valid configuration.

    To get this quantity of outputs would suggest having to use DX168’s with a DX hub. These operate at 96kHz; this seems ironic that to get more I/O we have to go to higher sample rate (i.e. more traffic)!

    Can someone also explain the difference between gigaACE (single backplane?), dSnake and DX connections?
    If dSnake is essentially Gigabit Ethernet, how is there no capacity for more I/O? Is this because it is actually only 100Mbit?
    Does the use of gigaACE require a dedicated option card in the SQ-6? Is this Gigabit Ethernet?
    Presumably the role of the DX hub is to provide time clocked I/O and hence it is not an Ethernet switch in the purest sense (which is a contention based protocol so has variable latency and would not be good for a lot of audio!).

    Essentially, how can I use two AR2412’s? If not, is the only option to go to the DX Hub and DX168 devices which seems a lot of hardware for little gain and potentially rules out the use of ME1 devices.

    The one last question is: Having established that we have to go 96kHz to get the required on stage I/O, how can I connect ME1 device later if required? Would they work on the DX hub?

    #71339
    Profile photo of Showtime
    Showtime
    Participant

    You can use the dx hub to connect three dx 168 stageboxes, you have then 48 ch in and 24 ch out.

    If you want to use the me-1 in this configuration you have to wait till the slink card is available. you can use 1 connection on 96 khz and 1 one on 48 khz for me-1

    I still hope that there is a new stage box in development that run’s 96khz with a 48khz me-1 port on it.

    If you want to buy 3 x dx168 a sq6 and a slink card maybe a c1500/cdm48 is a beter solution for you.

    Richard

    #71340
    Profile photo of DavidCo
    DavidCo
    Participant

    dSNAKE is 48k, 100mbit.
    DX is 96k, 100mbit.
    GigaACE is 96k, 1000mbit.

    Hope that helps!

    DC

    #71349
    Profile photo of churchy
    churchy
    Participant

    That’s great – I think that confirms my suspicions!

    #71411
    Profile photo of churchy
    churchy
    Participant

    Thanks, DavidCo; I like to have a vague understanding of required bandwidth for the purposes of digital snake and network connection infrastructure.

    #71413
    Profile photo of churchy
    churchy
    Participant

    Thanks, Showtime.

    Are we definitely saying there is no way to use two AR2412, with or without a DX Hub?

    The other significant consideration is that if we ever wanted a Dante port or similar, this would obviously not be an option with the gigaAce card fitted.

    Is is not possible to mix 48 & 96kHz I/O? What are the rules? Is it possible, as you suggested, to have one port of the DH Hub for an AR2412 and another port for a second AR2412; could a personal monitor hub be connected to the Monitor port on a AR2412? Can two AR2412’s be daisy chained off one DX Hub port?
    Can an ME1 be connected to a AR2412 Monitor port?

    To have to purchase a £800 gigAce card in addition to a £500 DX Hub is making it all costly. That was a great suggestion to consider a c1500/cdm48 combo – it’s all getting rather expensive, though!… I thought the cost of the A&H stage boxes were very reasonable compared to, say, Yamaha, but this is making me have second thoughts…

    Thanks again for all your thoughts, please keep them coming!

    #71416
    Profile photo of churchy
    churchy
    Participant

    Allegedly the in built slink interface is 64×64 at 48kHz so why can’t considerably more than two units be daisy chained? Really objecting to having to go the gigaAce & DX Hub option in addition to required I/O…

    #71419
    Profile photo of Flo84
    Flo84
    Participant

    Hi Churchy,
    two AR2412 isn’t supported because the dSnake protocol used in this products range is limited up to 40 channels.
    Mixed 48 and 96KHz on the same line isn’t supported (dSnake vs sLink protocol).

    In the future when the expension card will be available you’ll shoud to connect two ar2412: one on each port.

    #71457
    Profile photo of churchy
    churchy
    Participant

    Thanks Flo84! What do you meann by “the expansion card”? Is this something for the SQ-6 which is not gigaACE or something for the AR2412 end or instead of the DX Hub?

    Many thanks for the clarification!

    #71461
    Profile photo of Flo84
    Flo84
    Participant

    SQ-5 and 6 have port on rear panel for one expension card available later : Dante, Waves and… an second SLink Port.
    We haven’t full informations for now…
    In this topic
    href=”https://community.allen-heath.com/forums/topic/slink-card”
    and in this href=”https://community.allen-heath.com/forums/topic/dante-card-4″ Keith from A&H talkin give some informations about Dante, Waves and SLink Card.

    Best

    #71463
    Profile photo of Richy
    Richy
    Participant

    “DX is 96k, 100mbit.”

    I’m considering using SQ5 + 2x DX168 with Cat5e cables. So, i can use 96k resolution.
    So lets do some math:

    One Channel: 96000 * 24(bit) = 2.304.000 bit/sec = ((2.304.000)/1024)/1024) = 2,19 mbit/sec

    100mbit/2,19mbit approx. 45 Channels/sec

    This means you can support only 45 Channles (input/output) on the at the same time with 96k resolution until you saturate the 100mbit cat5e link.

    Amy i right?
    Have i overseen something?
    Any experiance on stability once you reach the limit of 100mbit?

    #71477
    Profile photo of Jens-Droessler
    Jens-Droessler
    Participant

    You can only use two DX168 on the SQs SLink port. That gives you 32 channels of inputs and 16 channels of output, which could probably be a maximum of 32 too. So it’s 32 channels per direction. Far from the li its of 100MBit/s.

    #71482
    Profile photo of Richy
    Richy
    Participant

    Nope! you are not far away from the limits!

    32 Inputs + 16 outpunts gives you 48 Channels

    48ch*96kHz*24bit = approx. 105 mbit/sec … so you will saturate over 100%
    I assume, this will lead into some dropouts….

    #71487
    Profile photo of Jens-Droessler
    Jens-Droessler
    Participant

    You know that it is 100MBit/s full duplex, as in “PER DIRECTION”?

    #71504
    Profile photo of Richy
    Richy
    Participant

    yes, you’re right…. i missed that this is full duplex… ok no limits with 2x DX168

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