Avid Technology Snake Card User manual

PN 9321-62795-00 REV A 08/10
Snake Card
for VENUE Systems

Legal Notices
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all rights reserved. Under copyright laws, this guide may not be duplicated in
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Guide Part Number 9321-62795-00 REV A 08/10

Contents iii
Contents
Chapter 1. Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Snake Card Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Snake Card Features and Capabilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Conventions Used in This Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Chapter 2. Installing a Snake Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Installing a Snake Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Confirming Snake Card Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Connecting the Stage Rack to the FOH Rack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Chapter 3. Digital Snake Cables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Environmental Compliance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
EMC (Electromagnetic Compliance). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Snake Cardiv

Chapter 1: Overview 1
Chapter 1: Overview
The Snake card allows you to connect a Stage Rack to your
FOH Rack via a Digital Snake cable, transmitting a maximum
of 48 inputs and outputs to and from your console. Adding a
second Snake card to your FOH Rack allows you to add a sec-
ond Stage Rack, expanding your system’s I/O capacity to a
maximum of 96 inputs and outputs. Two Snake cards are also
required to enable redundant outputs for HDx and VENUE
MADI recording option cards.
For Snake card installation instructions, see “Installing a
Snake Card” on page 3.
For instructions on connecting Stage Racks to your FOH Rack
using the Snake card, see “Connecting the Stage Rack to the
FOH Rack” on page 6.
Snake Card Components
The Snake card package includes the following items:
• Snake card
• Ribbon cable
•Mountingscrews
• Avid Registration Information Card
• BNC jumper cable
Snake Card Features and Capabilities
• Two pairs of Snake inputs and outputs (Snake 1 and
Snake 2) via BNC-style connector ports
• Optional redundant snake capability via Snake 2 ports
• Word Clock In and Out connectors for synchronizing ex-
ternal digital devices
• Active and Sig LEDs for all ports

Snake Card2
Conventions Used in This Guide
All Avid guides use the following conventions to indicate
menu choices and key commands in VENUE and Pro Tools:
:
The following symbols are used to highlight important infor-
mation:
Convention Action
File > Save Session In Pro Tools, choose
Save Session from the
File menu
Options > System Config In the VENUE software
screen, click Options to
display the Options
page, then click the Sys-
tem Config tab.
Ctrl+N Hold down the Control
key and press the N key
Ctrl-click Hold down the Control
key and click the mouse
button
User Tips are helpful hints for getting the
most from your VENUE system.
Important Notices include information that
could affect data or performance.
Shortcuts show you useful keyboard or
mouse shortcuts.
Cross References point to related sections in
the VENUE or Pro Tools Guides.

Chapter 2: Installing a Snake Card 3
Chapter 2: Installing a Snake Card
Adding a second Snake card expands your VENUE system’s
I/O capacity by allowing you to connect a second Stage Rack
to your FOH Rack.
You also need a second Snake card in order to use a second
HDx or VENUE MADI card (for enabling redundant outputs,
for example), even if you are not using a second Stage Rack.
Installing a Snake Card
The Snake card is installed in the FOH Rack and is connected
with a ribbon cable to a Mix Engine Card inside the FOH Rack.
To install the Snake card:
1 Power down your system.
2 Disconnect all audio and power cables attached to the FOH
Rack.
3 Remove the FOH Rack front panel faceplate by unscrewing
its mounting screws (#1 Phillips).
4 On the back panel of the FOH Rack, do one of the following:
• If you are adding a second Snake card, remove the Snake
card expansion slot cover by removing the four screws
holding it in place.
– or –
• If you are replacing the existing Snake card, remove the
four screws holding it in place, disconnect the ribbon
and power cables located inside the FOH Rack (accessible
from the open front panel of the FOH Rack), and remove
the existing card from the FOH Rack.
Front panel of the FOH Rack
Faceplate
Mounting screws (remove all)
Back panel of the FOH Rack
Snake card
expansion
(remove cover)
slot

Snake Card4
5 Remove the Snake card from its packing material. Hold the
card by its edges.
6 Gently slide the Snake card into a Snake card slot.
7 When the card is seated in its slot, secure both sides of the
Snake card to the inside of the FOH Rack chassis with the two
provided mounting screws (accessible from the open front
panel of the FOH Rack).
8 Secure the Snake card to the back panel of the FOH Rack us-
ing four of the provided mounting screws.
9 Do one of the following:
• If you are installing a second Snake card, attach the pro-
vided ribbon cable from the connector labeled “Snake”
on the second Mix Engine card (the card immediately ad-
jacent to the innermost Mix Engine card) to the ribbon
connector on the second Snake card.
– or –
• If you are replacing the existing Snake card, attach the
provided ribbon cable from the connector labeled
“Snake” on the first Mix Engine card (the backmost card
when viewed from the open front panel) to the ribbon
connector on the Snake Card.
Snake card showing brackets and connectors
Installing the Snake card in the FOH Rack’s expansion slot
Mounting bracket
Power cable port
Ribbon cable port
Securing the Snake card to the FOH Rack chassis
Securing the Snake card to the back panel of the FOH Rack
Make sure that any HDx or VENUE MADI cards are con-
nected to the Mix Engine cards in the same manner. If the
top Snake card is connected to the first Mix Engine card,
then make sure the bottom HDx or MADI card is also con-
nected to that same Mix Engine card.

Chapter 2: Installing a Snake Card 5
Make sure the keyed connector is oriented correctly in each
socket. Secure each connection by moving the tabs on each
side of the connector inward. Check to make sure the cable is
connected securely.
10 Plug an available power connector into the power socket
on the Snake card. Make sure it is connected securely.
11 If you have installed a second Snake card, connect the
Word Clock Out of the first Snake card to the Word Clock In of
the second Snake card using the provided BNC jumper.
Confirming Snake Card Installation
After installing the Snake card, you should confirm that you
have installed it properly. You can confirm installation by
checking your system hardware status.
To complete and confirm installation:
1 Reattach the FOH Rack faceplate.
2 Reconnect the power, FOH Link, and any audio and MIDI
cables to the FOH Rack.
3 Connect your snake to the Stage Rack and the FOH Rack. See
“Connecting the Stage Rack to the FOH Rack” on page 6.
4 Turn on your VENUE system.
5 Do one of the following to put your system into Config
mode:
• Press the Console Config switch on the console
– or –
• Double-click the Mode box in the bottom-right corner of
the screen.
6 Go to the Options page and click the System tab.
7 Click Edit in the System Configuration page.
8 Select Enable Stage 2.
9 Click Apply. Console software restarts.
10 Go to the Options page and click the Devices tab to view
your system hardware status.
Connecting the ribbon cable to the second Mix Engine card (second
Snake Card connection shown)
Connecting the ribbon cable to the Snake card (second Snake card
shown)
Power connections to the Snake cards
Enabling the second Stage Rack
Detail of Devices page showing connection to second Stage Rack

Snake Card6
Connecting the Stage Rack to the FOH Rack
The Stage Rack is connected to the FOH Rack with the Digital Snake cable (purchased separately) via the Snake card. It is recom-
mended that you use a second, redundant Digital Snake cable connected to the Snake card’s Snake 2 ports.
To connect a Stage Rack to the FOH Rack:
1 Connect the send snake to the Stage 1 Out port of the Stage Rack to the Stage 1 In port on the FOH Rack.
2 Connect the return snake to the Stage 1 Out Port of the FOH Rack to the Stage 1 In port on the Stage Rack.
3 If you are using a second redundant snake, connect it to the Snake 2 ports on each unit in the same manner.
When the FOH Rack and the Stage Rack are powered up, the primary snake connection is indicated by the solid Active LED
(marked “Active”). If the Snake Signal LEDs flash, a Snake connection has not been established. The
The connectors on Avid’s Digital Snake cable are color coded, so that the white connector connects to the white-outlined ports on
the Stage Rack and the FOH Rack.
If you are using a second redundant snake, the primary and the redundant snake must be the same length.
If there are problems with the Digital Snake connection, double check that all the BNC connectors are fully secured. If the
problem persists, try reversing the connectors connected to the In and Out ports on one end.
Detail of Digital Snake cable connection between a single Stage Rack (left) and an FOH Rack (right)
Connectors with white sleeves
Signal LED
attach to terminals with white labels
Signal LED
Redundant Snake
connects here
Redundant Snake
connects here
(Aviv Digital Snake cable only)