Studio Technologies Model 5482-01 Dante Bridge

Studio Technologies Model 5482-01 Dante Bridge

The Model 5482 can be powered by 100-240V, 50/60Hz or a source of 12 volts DC. Both can be simultaneously connected to provide redundant power operation. The unit's lightweight enclosure mounts in one space (1U) of a standard 19-inch equipment rack.

Each of the Model 5482's two Dante interfaces incorporates three Gigabit Ethernet (GigE) connections. Two GigE ports are designated for use by the associated Dante network while the third is reserved for factory configuration use. A setting performed within the Dante Controller application selects whether each Dante interface will operate in a Switched or Redundant mode.

Dante Audio-over-Ethernet

Audio data is sent to and received from each Model 5482 interface using the Dante audio-over-Ethernet media networking technology. Two separate network interfaces allow completely independent Dante configurations. Audio signals with a sample rate of 44.1, 48, 88.2, and 96 kHz and a bit depth of up to 24 are supported.

The Model 5482-01 allows up to 32 channels in each direction to be passed ("bridged") between the unit's two network interfaces (32 channels at 44.1 or 48 kHz sample rates and 16 channels at sample rates of 88.2 or 96 kHz). The Model 5482-02 allows up to 64 channels at 44.1 or 48 kHz sample rates and 32 channels at 88.2 or 96 kHz sample rates.

Sample rate converter (SRC) functionality is implemented within field-programmable gate array (FPGA) programmable logic. This resource ensures that audio that enters on one network interface exits the corresponding network interface with correctly aligned digital audio information. Each interface in a Model 5482-01 has 32 Dante receiver (input) and 32 Dante transmitter (output) channels. Each interface in a Model 5482-02 has 64 Dante receiver (input) and 64 Dante transmitter (output) channels. They are associated on a one-to-one basis with the channels in both interfaces.

Applications

The Model 5482's primary application is to interconnect audio channels associated with two independent Dante networks. The source and destination of these audio channels would typically be other Dante-compliant equipment such as mixing consoles, matrix intercom systems, or digital audio processing units. The Model 5482 can also perform on the same local area network (LAN), interconnecting two independent Dante domains. Each Dante network can have its own Leader Clock (sync reference), bit depth, and sample rate. SRC circuitry within the Model 5482 ensures that the audio signals can pass between the networks with minimal degradation in performance. The Model 5482's two Dante network interfaces, and four associated RJ45 jacks, are electrically isolated and share no non-audio data, minimizing the risk of security issues. Only uncompressed PCM digital audio signals pass, by way of the sample-rate-converter (SRC) logic, between the two network interfaces.

The Model 5482 can also find use within a single Dante network. The unit's ability to link Dante audio channels that have different clocking, bit depth, and sample rate characteristics can be valuable. For example, one piece of equipment may only support a sample rate of 96 kHz, while the other devices connected to the network only support 48 kHz. In this situation the Model 5482-01 would allow the interconnection of 16 channels in each direction, while still maintaining the required 96 kHz and 48 kHz sample rates. (The Model 5482-02 would allow 32 channels.)

DDM and AES67

The Model 5482 is compliant with the Dante Domain Manager (DDM) software application. Each of the Model 5482's Dante interfaces can function interdependently. However, there is no requirement that each of the two network interfaces be part of a DDM domain. One of the Model 5482's network interfaces can utilize the security resources of DDM while the other remains "open." Each interface can be configured to support, or not support, AES67 digital audio signals. This allows a Model 5482 to serve in a unique Dante-to-AES67 bridge function. However, note that when AES67 support is enabled for an interface the sample rate will be fixed at 48 kHz and only multicast operation will be active.

Dante Network and Ethernet Data

The Model 5482's two Dante interfaces can be independently configured for either Switched or Redundant Dante operation. In the Switched mode only a single Gigabit Ethernet (GigE) connection is required. The second Ethernet port can function either as an active "loop-thru" resource or left unused. In the Redundant mode two GigE Ethernet connections are made to two independent LANs, allowing support for Redundant Dante operation. This ensures that the loss of one network resource will not result in the interruption of networked audio signals.