Calrec Hydra2 User manual

calrec.com Putting Sound in the Picture
HYDRA2 INSTALLATION MANUAL
Gigabit Ethernet Networking

Calrec Audio Ltd
Nutclough Mill
Hebden Bridge
West Yorkshire
England UK
HX7 8EZ
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
calrec.com
No part of this manual may be reproduced
or transmitted in any form or by any means,
electronic or mechanical, including photocopying
and scanning, for any purpose, without the prior
written consent of Calrec Audio Ltd.
Whilst the Company ensures that all details in this
document are correct at the time of publication,
we reserve the right to alter specifications and
equipment without notice. Any changes we make
will be reflected in subsequent issues of this
document. The latest version will be available
upon request. This publication is for International
usage.
Calrec Audio Ltd reserve the right to change
specifications without notice. E & O.E.
The established policy of Calrec Audio
Ltd. is to seek improvements to the design,
specifications and manufacture of all products.
It is not always possible to provide notice outside
the company of the alterations that take place
continually.
Despite considerable effort to produce up to
date information, no literature published by
the company nor any other material that may
be provided should be regarded as an infallible
guide to the specifications available nor does
it constitute an offer for sale of any particular
product.
Apollo, Artemis, Summa, Hydra, Bluefin and
High Density Signal Processing (HDSP) are
trade marks of Calrec Audio Ltd. Dolby®E is a
registered trade mark of Dolby Laboratories, Inc.
All other trade marks are acknowledged.
© 2014 Calrec Audio Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

HYDRA 2
CONTENTS
Information 5
Important Information 6
Health and Safety 8
Architecture & Networking 9
Overview 10
Single Console Networks 11
Multi-Console Networks 12
Bandwidth / link capacity 12
Increasing bandwidth - Trunk links 13
Master Routers 15
Configuring Master & Slave Routers 15
Auto Promote 15
Router Cores 16
Network Considerations and Router Capacity 17
8U Router Overview 17
4U Router Overview 17
8U Rack Considerations 17
Expansion Router Cards 17
4U Rack Considerations 17
Modular I/O Box Bandwidth 18
Trunk Links 18
Capacity 18
Fixed Format I/O box bandwidth 18
Sync in Multi-Core systems 22
IP Address Management 23
Confirming IPs 23
Changing IPs 23
Hydra2 Connections and Redundancy 24
Hydra2 Connectivity 24
Core Redundancy 24
Dual Router Core Redundancy 25
Card layout and types 25
Connectivity 25
Boot-up and configuration. 25
Sync 25
Resets 25
Connection Information 29
SFP - Overview 30
SFP slot orientation 30
SFP latching and extraction 31
SFP slot covers 31
Loose SFP storage 31
RJ45 Copper SFP Connectivity 32
Shielded cables and connectors 32
Maximum cable length 32
Cable routing considerations 32
Termination and strain relief 32
Termination—pin-out 33
Testing / certification 33
Temporary / reusable cables 33
Fiber SFP Connectivity 34
Singlemode vs multimode 34
Identification 34
Duplex Connectors / terminations 34
Single strand, bi-directional SFPs 34
SFP / fiber specifications 34
Fiber - General Rules 35
Testing / certification 35
Areas of loss 35
Fiber handling practise 35
Ruggedized fiber 35
Cleaning and preventative maintenance 35
WARNING 35
Cleaning fiber optic cables and connectors 36
Cleaning procedure 36
Additional notes 36
Cleaning optical transceivers 36
Cleaning procedure 36
AWACS over SNMP 37
Connecting to the SNMP server 37
Configuring the SNMP Agent 37
Scope of AWACS over SNMP 37
Router Core PC Configuration 38
PC Connections 38
Configuring Ports 38
Pre-installed software 38
Calrec Program Updater 38
Customer Data Backup Utility 38
SNMP Client 38
Google Chrome 38
Antivirus Protection 38
3rd Party Remote Control 39
SW-P-08 Remote Control 40
Connection 40
Configuration 40
Ember Remote Control 41
Connection 41
Fixed Format I/O 43
Fixed Format I/O Overview 44
Mounting 44
Airflow 44
Power 44

4 HYDRA2 Installation Manual
Hydra IDs 72
Fitting and removing cards 72
Modular I/O Hydra2 interface 75
Hydra2 interface card 75
Modular I/O box ID setting 75
Modular I/O Card options 77
Card Slots 77
Changing I/O card types 77
Modular I/O Cards 79
AD5838 – 8 x Analog Line Level inputs 80
AD6057 – 8 x Analog Mic / Line Level inputs 81
AD5840 – 4 x Mic/Line In (XLR) 82
AL5870 – 2 x Mic/Line In with Splits (XLR) 83
AL5875 – 1 x Mic/Line In with 3 Splits (XLR) 84
DA5839 – 8 x Analog Line Out (D-Type) 85
DA5867 – 4 x Line Out (XLR) 86
JB5860 – 4 x Digital AES Input (BNC) 87
JX5869 – 4 x Digital AES Input (XLR) 88
JD5842 – 8 In, 8 Out Digital AES (D-Type) 89
JB5837 – 4 x Digital AES Output (BNC) 90
JB5868 – 4 x Digital AES Output (XLR) 91
BI6192 – Dante integration with network redundancy 92
VI5872 – 2 x SDI Embedder (BNC) 93
Maximum channel count 93
VO5841 – 2 x SDI De-Embedder (BNC) 94
Maximum channel count 94
WY5858 – GPIO, 8 In / 8 Full Changeover Out 95
LEDs 95
GP Inputs 95
GP Outputs 95
WY5859 – GPIO, 8 In / 16 Out 96
LEDs 96
GP Inputs 96
GP Outputs 96
Obsolete Modular I/O Cards 97
VO5873 – Dolby E Decoder & 2 x SDI De-Embedder 98
Specification 99
Audio Performance Specification 100
Operational Specification 102
Hydra2 network connections 44
GPIO 44
Reset 44
I/O Box Identification 46
Address 2 46
Fixed Format GPIO - SW5739 47
GP outputs 48
GP inputs 48
Fixed Format Analog I/O Overview 49
Input gain & impedance 49
Phantom power 49
Analog reference level 49
AD5782 Analog Mic / Line 12 in/4 Out – XLR 50
AD5781 Analog Mic / Line 24 in/8 Out – XLR 51
AD5780 Analog Mic / Line 48 in / 16 Out – XLR 52
AE5743 Analog Mic / Line 32 in / 32 Out – EDAC (Standard
Pin-Out) 53
AE5743 – EDAC Pin-Out - Inputs 54
AE5743 – EDAC Pin-Out - Outputs 55
AE5991 – Analog Mic / Line 32 in / 32 Out – EDAC (“Style
1” Pin-OUT) 56
AE5991 – EDAC Pin-Out – Inputs (“Style 1”) 57
AE5991 – EDAC Pin-Out – Outputs (“Style 1“) 58
AE5992 – Analog Mic / Line 32in / 32Out – EDAC (“Style 2”
Pin-OUT) 59
AE5992 – EDAC Pin-Out – Inputs (“Style 2”) 60
AE5992 – EDAC Pin-Out – Outputs (“Style 2”) 61
Fixed Format Digital AES3 I/O Overview 62
Sample rate convertors 62
JB5606 – Digital AES3 16 in/16 Out – BNC 63
JB5783 – Digital AES3 32 in / 32 Out – BNC 64
JB5962 – Digital AES3 32 in / 32 Out – BNC 65
Fixed Format MADI I/O Overview 66
Connectivity 66
I/O & audio channels 66
Fans / airflow 66
GPIO 66
Sample rate conversion & sync 66
JM5736 – MADI I/O – (MultiMode SC) 67
JM5890 - MADI I/O - (MultiMode ST) 68
JM5831 - MADI I/O - (Singlemode SC) 69
Modular I/O 71
Modular I/O Rack 72
Power 72
Earthing 72
Airflow and mounting 72
Recess Kit 72

calrec.com
Putting Sound in the Picture
HYDRA2
INFORMATION

6 HYDRA2 Operator Manual
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Should you require any technical
assistance with your Calrec product
please contact your regional Calrec
distributor. Customers within the
UK or Ireland should contact Calrec
directly.
For a complete list of worldwide
distributors by region, go to www.
calrec.com or contact us for more
information.
For pre-delivery technical enquiries, UK
and Ireland customers should contact the
Calrec project manager assigned to their
order. Post delivery, the Calrec Customer
Support team will take care of your
technical enquiries.
Our UK customer support team works
closely with our global distributor network
to provide the highest level of after sales
support. Your distributor should be your
first point of contact and will often be
able to provide an instant solution, be it
technical advice, spares or a site visit by
an engineer.
Calrec UK customer support and our
global technical team provide free of
charge technical support and advice to all
customers by phone or e-mail.
Calrec after sales support includes:
• Free of charge comprehensive
technical advice and support by phone
and e-mail
• Repairs
• Quick supply of replacement or loan
hardware in the event of a failure
• Provision of export documentation for
the return of faulty parts
• Operational training
• Maintenance / technical training
• Supply of replacement components
• Supply of documentation
• Service contracts
We offer a range service contracts to our
UK and Ireland customers, from 24/7
telephone support, regular health checks
and extended warranty, amongst other
benefits. Please contact our customer
support team for more information on
service contracts.
Product Warranty
A full list of our conditions and warranties
relating to goods services is contained in
Calrec’s standard terms and conditions. A
copy of this is available on request.
Repairs
If you need to return goods to Calrec for
whatever reason, please contact your
regional distributor, or Calrec customer
support beforehand for guidance, as
well as to log the details of the problem
and receive a reference number. For
customers outside the UK and Ireland,
shipping via the distributor saves
customers from dealing with exportation
paperwork. If there is a need to send
direct to Calrec, contact us beforehand to
log the incoming repair and for assistance
with exportation documents.
Standard of Service
Ensuring the highest standards is a
priority, if you have any comments on
the level of service, product quality or
documentation offered to you by Calrec,
please contact the Calrec Customer
Support team in the UK who will endeavor
to address your issues. Calrec welcomes
all customer feedback.
For feedback specific to this document,
please contact [e-mail].
Whenever you contact Calrec
Customer Support please have the
following information to hand:
• Name
• Company
• Email Address
• Full details of enquiry (e.g. fault report)
• Serial number of faulty hardware (if
applicable)
Once this information has been provided,
a service ticket will be created to log
your enquiry. The service ticket reference
number will be given via email.
Serial Numbers
All units produced by Calrec are given
a serial number and are booked into
a central record system at the time
of manufacture. These records are
updated whenever a piece of hardware is
dispatched to or received from a customer.
When contacting Calrec Customer
Support with a hardware inquiry it
is important that the correct Calrec
serial number is provided to enable the
customer support team to provide a high
level of service.
Telephone:
(9:00am-5.30pm) [phone]
Email - Technical: [e-mail]
Email - General: [email protected]
Postal Address:
Calrec Audio Ltd.
Nutclough Mill,
Hebden Bridge,
West Yorkshire,
HX7 8EZ,
UK
Fax: [phone]
Website: www.calrec.com

CALREC Putting Sound in the Picture 7
After Sales Modifications
Please be aware that any modifications
other than those made or approved by
Calrec Audio Limited or their agents, may
invalidate the console’s warranty. This
includes changes to cabling provided by
Calrec and variations to the recommended
installation as detailed in Calrec
documentation.
Modifications to this equipment by any
party other than Calrec Audio Limited
may invalidate EMC and safety features
designed into the equipment. Calrec Audio
Limited can not be liable for any legal
proceedings or problems that may arise
relating to such modifications.
If in doubt, please contact Calrec Audio
Limited for guidance prior to commencing
any modification work.
Installation
In many installations the AC power
connectors will not be readily accessible,
effectively making the equipment
permanently connected. The installation
should be carried out in accordance
with all applicable installation rules and
regulations.
Service Personnel
The AC power disconnect devices are
the 2 x IEC (IEC60320-1 C13/C14)
couplers located at the rear of each unit.
WARNING: The apparatus has a dual
power system. It is essential that BOTH
AC power IEC couplers are disconnected
to prevent exposure to hazardous voltage
within the unit.
Third Party Equipment
Integrating third party equipment into
a Calrec system may compromise the
product’s ability to comply with the Class
B radiated emission limits set in the EMC
(Electro Magnetic Compatibility) standard
EN55022.
Calrec Audio Limited can not be
responsible for any non-conformities due
to use of third party equipment. If in doubt,
please contact Calrec Audio Limited for
guidance prior to integrating any third
party equipment.
ESD (Static) Handling Procedures
In its completed form, this equipment has
been designed to have a high level of
immunity to static discharges. However,
when handling individual boards and
modules, many highly static sensitive
parts are exposed. In order to protect
these devices from damage and to protect
your warranty, please observe static
handling procedures, for example, use an
appropriately grounded anti-static wrist
band. Calrec will supply an electrostatic
cord and wrist strap with all of it’s digital
products.
All modules and cards should be returned
to Calrec Audio Limited in anti-static
wrapping. Calrec Audio Limited can supply
anti-static wrapping upon request.
This applies particularly to digital products
due to the types of devices and very
small geometries used in their fabrication,
analog parts can, however, still be
affected.
LEAD FREE STICKERLEAD FREE
RoHS Legislation
In order to comply with European RoHS
(Reduction of Hazardous Substances)
legislation, Calrec PCB and cable
assemblies are produced with lead-free
(tin/copper/silver) solder instead of tin/
lead solder.
In the unlikely event of a customer
having to carry out any re-soldering on
Apollo, Artemis or Hydra2 hardware,
it is imperative that lead-free solder is
used; contaminating lead-free solder with
leaded solder is likely to have an adverse
effect on the long-term reliability of the
product. Circuit boards assembled with
lead-free solder can be identified (in
accordance with IPC/JEDEC standards)
by a small oval logo (see below) on the
top-side of the circuit board near the PCB
reference number (8xx-xxx). The same
logo is used on the connector hoods of
soldered cable assemblies.
If in doubt, please check with a Calrec
customer support engineer before
carrying out any form of re-soldering
ISO 9001 and RAB Registered
Calrec Audio Ltd has been issued
the ISO9001: 2008 standard by the
Governing Board of ISOQAR.
The award, for both UKAS and RAB
registration (see below), is the most
comprehensive of the ISO9000
international standards. Granted in
recognition of excellence across design,
development, manufacture and after-
sales support, the certification follows a
rigorous and thorough review of Calrec’s
internal and external communication and
business procedures.

8 HYDRA2 Installation Manual
HEALTH AND SAFETY
Important Safety Instructions:
• Read these instructions.
• Keep these instructions.
• Heed all warnings.
• Follow all instructions.
• Do not use this apparatus near water.
• Clean only with dry cloth.
• Do not block any ventilation openings.
Install in accordance with the
manufacturer’s instructions.
• Do not install near any heat sources
such as radiators, heat registers,
stoves, or other apparatus (including
amplifiers) that produce heat.
• Protect the power cord from being
walked on or pinched particularly at
the plugs, convenience receptacles,
and the point where they exit from the
apparatus.
• Use only with the cart, stand, tripod,
bracket, or table specified by the
manufacturer, or sold with the
apparatus. When a cart is used,
use caution when moving the cart/
apparatus combination to avoid injury
from tip-over.
• Refer all servicing to qualified service
personnel. Servicing is required when
the apparatus has been damaged in
any way, such as power-supply cord
or plug is damaged, liquid has been
spilled or objects have fallen into the
apparatus, the apparatus has been
exposed to rain or moisture, does not
operator normally, or has been dropped.
• Warning: To reduce the risk of fire
or electric shock, do not expose this
apparatus to rain or moisture.
• Not intended for outdoor use.
• This equipment must be EARTHED.
• Before starting any servicing operation,
equipment must be isolated from the
AC power supply. The disconnect
devices are the 2 x IEC connectors
(IEC 60320-1 C13/C14 couplers).
• Do not allow ventilation slots to be
blocked. Do not leave the equipment
powered up with the dust cover fitted.
Cleaning
For cleaning the front panels of the
equipment we recommend using a soft
anti-static cloth, lightly dampened with
water if required.
Explanation of Warning Symbols
Triangular warning symbols contain a
black symbol on a yellow background,
surrounded by a black border.
The lightning flash with arrow head
symbol within an equilateral triangle, as
shown on this page, is intended to alert
the user to the presence of dangerous
voltages and energy levels within the
product’s enclosure that may be of
sufficient magnitude to constitute a risk of
electric shock or injury.
The exclamation mark within an
equilateral triangle, as shown on this page,
is intended to prompt the user to refer
to important operating or maintenance
instructions in the documentation supplied
with the product.
Earthing
This is a Class I product. An Earth
connection MUST be provided in each AC
power cord.
The Earth Bolt connection at the rear of
the console should be connected to Earth
using Earth cable at least 6mm2 in cross
section (10 AWG).
Lithium Battery Replacement
Caution: Danger of explosion if battery is
incorrectly replaced. Replace only with the
same or equivalent type. Batteries must
not be exposed to excessive heat such as
sunshine, fire or the like
This device complies with part 15 of
the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to
the following two conditions:
1. This device may not cause harmful
interference
2. This device must accept any
interference received, including
interference that may cause undesired
operation.
DANGEROUS VOLTAGES
IMPORTANT INSTRUCTIONS

calrec.com
Putting Sound in the Picture
HYDRA2
ARCHITECTURE & NETWORKING

10 HYDRA2 Installation Manual Architecture & Networking
OVERVIEW
The Hydra2 system is designed
to provide seamless, scalable
audio networking of Calrec audio
consoles and routers with Calrec
audio I/O interfaces. It allows for
very large numbers of audio inputs
and outputs to be easily connected,
shared and controlled, irrespective
of their location, as well as providing
comprehensive built-in redundancy.
Audio consoles, routers and I/O can
be physically added to the network as
and when needed. Added hardware
automatically syncs with the rest of the
system and makes itself available for use.
The Hydra2 Organizer, H2O, is an
administrator level user interface designed
to provide control over the network
without the use of an audio console.
Amongst other things, H2O can be
used for source to destination cross-
point routing, and can change access
rights of individual consoles to selected
I/O on a port by port, or port group
basis—effectively splitting the network to
safeguard multi-production environments
and to aid control room and resource
management.
Hydra2 provides 1-to-n routing;
inputs may be routed to any number
of destinations. They can be used in
multiple places on a console, on multiple
consoles, as well as being sent directly to
multiple outputs by cross-point routing, all
simultaneously.
Hydra2’s interconnections are made using
SFPs—plug-in gigabit interface modules—
to provide copper connections on RJ45s
or LC fiber connections in either single-
mode or multi-mode. Distances are only
limited by the chosen SFP type.
Each connection between Hydra2 units
can carry up to 512 channels of audio in
each direction simultaneously.
I/O interfaces are available in a range of
format types including balanced analog,
balanced and unbalanced AES digital,
MADI, Dolby-E decoders, SDI embedders
and de-embedders. New formats can
easily be supported as they arrive. Hydra2
also supports non-audio I/O interfaces in
the form of general purpose inputs and
outputs (GPIO) for remote control input
tallies and output switching.
Connecting I/O to a Hydra2 router via
Cat5e or fiber allows it to be located
remotely from the router, close to the
audio sources and destinations that it
interfaces with, minimizing multi-core
and individually screened audio cabling,
installation time and costs, and maximizing
audio quality by reducing the distances
over which analog signals are passed over.
As with all Calrec products, audio
quality and product reliability are our top
concerns. All Hydra2 hardware and audio
interfaces are designed to the highest
standards with no compromise to audio
performance. All analog preamps and
line level paths are designed around our
well proven and highly respected circuitry,
providing very high headroom with a very
low noise floor. Our lossless proprietary
network transportation protocol does not
compromise the high audio quality within
the digital domain whilst maintaining
negligible latency. Particular attention is
also paid to communications reliability,
system status monitoring, power
generation and distribution, thermal
management and physical robustness.
The system is designed with redundancy
and fault detection at the forefront,
providing backup paths for data and audio
in the event of hardware or cable failure,
to keep any disruption of audio or control
to the absolute minimum. All critical
components are fed from dual power
supplies
Hydra2 also supports the Ember and
SW-P-08 protocols for integration with
third party routers and control systems for
remote control.

CALREC Putting Sound in the Picture 11
Apollo, Artemis and Summa consoles
rely on Hydra2 for the routing of all
audio to and from their DSP. A single,
standalone console uses a simple
Hydra2 network with all I/O boxes
having a direct connection to the
router card fitted in the console’s
processing core. This creates a star
formation, in that all elements connect
to a central point; the router card.
FIGURE 1 - STAR FORMATION
The router card is responsible for directing
audio and data across the Hydra2
network and within the processing core
itself. When an input port is patched to
a fader, the router card requests that
the relevant I/O box sends audio from
the selected input port and then passes
that audio on to the DSP card within the
processing rack for use by the console.
When an output is patched, the router
card takes the output audio from the DSP
card and sends it to the relevant I/O box
port. When an input to output patch is
made, the router requests the input and
then sends it directly to the I/O box /
output port in question.
The comprehensive routing system and
the ability to perform point to point input
to output patching reduces the need for
I/O to be wired via physical patch points.
Any input can be used multiple times in
multiple places, simultaneously sending
audio to any/all input channels as well as
other locations on the console such as
direct inputs or monitor inputs, and can be
patched directly to multiple output ports if
the signal is required by other equipment.
Console DSP audio outputs can also be
sent to multiple output I/O box ports and
be made available to other users on the
Hydra2 network via Hydra Patchbays.
SINGLE CONSOLE NETWORKS
Input to output patching provides routing
capability without the use of DSP or the
need for a control surface.
Multiple port patching to mixed formats of
I/O, along with input to output patching,
reduces the need for external audio
routers, distribution amplifiers, and format
convertors such as ADCs / DACs.
Core
Audio I/O Audio I/O
Audio I/OAudio I/O
Console
FIGURE 2 - EXAMPLE OF A SINGLE CONSOLE NETWORK
87654321
STATUS
ActConActCon
PORT2PORT1FANPSU
48V SIG
1L
48V SIG
1R
48V SIG
2L
48V SIG
2R
48V SIG
3L
48V SIG
3R
48V SIG
4L
48V SIG
4R 1L
48V SIG
5L 1R
48V SIG
5R 2L
48V SIG
6L 2R
48V SIG
6R
SIG SIG SIG SIG
RESET
R
Y
HDA
AN LOGA
12 4-
INPUTS OUTPUTS
87654321
STATUS
ActConActCon
PORT2PORT1FANPSU
48V SIG
1L
48V SIG
1R
48V SIG
2L
48V SIG
2R
48V SIG
3L
48V SIG
3R
48V SIG
4L
48V SIG
4R 1L
48V SIG
5L 1R
48V SIG
5R 2L
48V SIG
6L 2R
48V SIG
6R
SIG SIG SIG SIG
RESET
R
Y
HDA
AN LOGA
12 4-
INPUTS OUTPUTS
87654321
STATUS
ActConActCon
PORT2PORT1FANPSU
48V SIG
1L
48V SIG
1R
48V SIG
2L
48V SIG
2R
48V SIG
3L
48V SIG
3R
48V SIG
4L
48V SIG
4R 1L
48V SIG
5L 1R
48V SIG
5R 2L
48V SIG
6L 2R
48V SIG
6R
SIG SIG SIG SIG
RESET
R
Y
HDA
AN LOGA
12 4-
INPUTS OUTPUTS
Audio Inputs / Outputs
e.g. for playout devices, external
effects units, loudspeaker /
monitoring feeds etc.
Control Room
Control Surface
Audio Inputs / Outputs
e.g. for microphones, foldback /
monitor feeds etc.
Audio Inputs / Outputs
e.g. for external routers, servers,
transmission equipment etc.
Hydra 2 Connection
Control Surface Connection
Equipment Room Studio Floor
Console Core

12 HYDRA2 Installation Manual Architecture & Networking
MULTI-CONSOLE NETWORKS
Routers from different processing
cores can be connected together.
Networking consoles in this way
gives access to all I/O from all control
surfaces and system PCs on the
same network.
Each console’s access to I/O can be
managed from the Hydra2 Organizer,
removing the right of individual consoles
to access I/O by groups of I/O boxes,
specific I/O boxes, specific ports, or
groups of ports.
Inputs can be used by multiple consoles
on the same network simultaneously. Any
console with access can patch audio to
any output port.
Router to router connections, like I/O
vox connections, can be made using
any of the 16 front panel Hydra2 main
router ports. Note, expansion router cards
should NOT be used for connecting racks
together. Connecting racks together
creates multiple linked star formations, as
shown in Figure 1. All 3 routers shown
have access to all of the I/O shown. The
path from I/O box to console may pass
through multiple router cards before
reaching the console’s own router.
It is important that there is only one path
between any two points in the network
(not counting secondary paths designed
for redundancy, or configured trunks for
increased bandwidth). Having multiple
paths between two points will cause
data collisions and instability. Figure 2
shows an incorrect connection of three
processing racks. The addition of a third
router-to-router link creates a duplicate
path. The route between any two
processing racks can be direct or via the
other processing rack. Removing any one
of the three marked links corrects the
problem.
When connecting two or more routers
together it is important that one of
them, and only one, is configured to
be the Master Router.
Please see “Master Routers” on page
15 for more details.
Note, it is important to the ensure IP
address compatibility of the systems
being connected together and that
Hydra2 routers which are networked
together are on separate VLANs.
Please see “IP Address Management” on
page 23 for more details.
FIGURE 1 - CORRECT CONNECTION OF A THREE STAR FORMATION NETWORK
Core
Audio I/O Audio I/O
Audio I/OAudio I/O
Core
Audio I/O Audio I/O
Audio I/OAudio I/O
Core
Audio I/O Audio I/O
Audio I/OAudio I/O
Console Console Console
Three router racks connected with no duplicate paths.
Core
Audio I/O Audio I/O
Audio I/OAudio I/O
Core
Audio I/O Audio I/O
Audio I/OAudio I/O
Core
Audio I/O Audio I/O
Audio I/OAudio I/O
Console Console Console
FIGURE 2 - INCORRECT CONNECTION OF A THREE STAR FORMATION NETWORK
Incorrect Connection The additional link creates duplicate paths.
Bandwidth / link capacity
Each Hydra2 link is capable of carrying
up to 512 channels of audio in each
direction simultaneously. This imposes
no limitations over standard I/O box to
router connections as standard I/O boxes
contain less than 512 inputs and 512
outputs. Modular I/O boxes should not
be fitted with card types and quantities
that exceed this limitation. In practise, this
is only an issue when lots of SDI cards
are fitted as they have 32 channels of
audio per card which far exceeds any
other current modular I/O card type. If a
modular I/O box is populated such that it
exceeds the limitation, only the first 512
channels or inputs/outputs will pass audio.

CALREC Putting Sound in the Picture 13
87654321
STATUS
ActConActCon
PORT2PORT1FANPSU
48V SIG
1L 48V SIG 1R 48V SIG 2L 48V SIG 2R 48V SIG 3L 48V SIG 3R 48V SIG 4L 48V SIG 4R 1L
48V SIG
5L 1R
48V SIG
5R 2L
48V SIG
6L 2R
48V SIG
6R SIG SIG SIG SIG
RESET
R
Y
HDA
A N L O GA
1 2 4-
INPUTS OUTPUTS
87654321
STATUS
ActConActCon
PORT2PORT1FANPSU
48V SIG
1L 48V SIG 1R 48V SIG 2L 48V SIG 2R 48V SIG 3L 48V SIG 3R 48V SIG 4L 48V SIG 4R 1L
48V SIG
5L 1R
48V SIG
5R 2L
48V SIG
6L 2R
48V SIG
6R SIG SIG SIG SIG
RESET
R
Y
HDA
A N L O GA
1 2 4-
INPUTS OUTPUTS
87654321
STATUS
ActConActCon
PORT2PORT1FANPSU
48V SIG
1L 48V SIG 1R 48V SIG 2L 48V SIG 2R 48V SIG 3L 48V SIG 3R 48V SIG 4L 48V SIG 4R 1L
48V SIG
5L 1R
48V SIG
5R 2L
48V SIG
6L 2R
48V SIG
6R SIG SIG SIG SIG
RESET
R
Y
HDA
A N L O GA
1 2 4-
INPUTS OUTPUTS
87654321
STATUS
ActConActCon
PORT2PORT1FANPSU
48V SIG
1L 48V SIG 1R 48V SIG 2L 48V SIG 2R 48V SIG 3L 48V SIG 3R 48V SIG 4L 48V SIG 4R 1L
48V SIG
5L 1R
48V SIG
5R 2L
48V SIG
6L 2R
48V SIG
6R SIG SIG SIG SIG
RESET
R
Y
HDA
A N L O GA
1 2 4-
INPUTS OUTPUTS
87654321
STATUS
ActConActCon
PORT2PORT1FANPSU
48V SIG
1L 48V SIG 1R 48V SIG 2L 48V SIG 2R 48V SIG 3L 48V SIG 3R 48V SIG 4L 48V SIG 4R 1L
48V SIG
5L 1R
48V SIG
5R 2L
48V SIG
6L 2R
48V SIG
6R SIG SIG SIG SIG
RESET
R
Y
HDA
A N L O GA
1 2 4-
INPUTS OUTPUTS
87654321
STATUS
ActConActCon
PORT2PORT1FANPSU
48V SIG
1L 48V SIG 1R 48V SIG 2L 48V SIG 2R 48V SIG 3L 48V SIG 3R 48V SIG 4L 48V SIG 4R 1L
48V SIG
5L 1R
48V SIG
5R 2L
48V SIG
6L 2R
48V SIG
6R SIG SIG SIG SIG
RESET
R
Y
HDA
A N L O GA
1 2 4-
INPUTS OUTPUTS
87654321
STATUS
ActConActCon
PORT2PORT1FANPSU
48V SIG
1L 48V SIG 1R 48V SIG 2L 48V SIG 2R 48V SIG 3L 48V SIG 3R 48V SIG 4L 48V SIG 4R 1L
48V SIG
5L 1R
48V SIG
5R 2L
48V SIG
6L 2R
48V SIG
6R SIG SIG SIG SIG
RESET
R
Y
HDA
A N L O GA
1 2 4-
INPUTS OUTPUTS
87654321
STATUS
ActConActCon
PORT2PORT1FANPSU
48V SIG
1L 48V SIG 1R 48V SIG 2L 48V SIG 2R 48V SIG 3L 48V SIG 3R 48V SIG 4L 48V SIG 4R 1L
48V SIG
5L 1R
48V SIG
5R 2L
48V SIG
6L 2R
48V SIG
6R SIG SIG SIG SIG
RESET
R
Y
HDA
A N L O GA
1 2 4-
INPUTS OUTPUTS
87654321
STATUS
ActConActCon
PORT2PORT1FANPSU
48V SIG
1L 48V SIG 1R 48V SIG 2L 48V SIG 2R 48V SIG 3L 48V SIG 3R 48V SIG 4L 48V SIG 4R 1L
48V SIG
5L 1R
48V SIG
5R 2L
48V SIG
6L 2R
48V SIG
6R SIG SIG SIG SIG
RESET
R
Y
HDA
A N L O GA
1 2 4-
INPUTS OUTPUTS
FIGURE 4 - EXAMPLE OF A THREE CONSOLE NETWORK
For multi-rack systems, it is important to
understand the network topology. A single
connection between two routers is also
limited to 512 channels in each direction.
This imposes a limit on the amount
of I/O that can be accessed via other
routers’ connections at any given time.
The bandwidth available is determined
by usage on either side of the link. In the
example shown in Figure 4, If console A is
sending 100 channels of audio to outputs
connected to console B’s rack, Console B
and C can then only access 412 channels
from inputs connected to the A rack.
Increasing bandwidth - Trunk links
Bandwidth between racks can be
increased in multiples of 512 channels by
fitting additional links between them and
configuring them for use as ‘trunk links’.
Please contact Calrec Customer Support
to discuss ‘Trunk Links’
Bandwidth only becomes an issue in
large networks with a high volume of
router-to-router traffic. In such systems,
centrally located routers should be also be
considered.
System A System B System C
Control Surface Control Surface Control Surface
Console Core Console Core Console Core
Audio Inputs / Outputs
Audio Inputs / Outputs
Audio Inputs / Outputs
Audio Inputs / Outputs
Audio Inputs / Outputs
Audio Inputs / Outputs
Audio Inputs / Outputs
Audio Inputs / Outputs
Audio Inputs / Outputs
Hydra2 I/O Box Connection Router to Router Connection Control Surface Connection

14 HYDRA2 Installation Manual Architecture & Networking
Network topology becomes important
when more than 3 consoles are
connected together. Connecting to a
central point minimizes the number of
routers a signal has to pass through
and therefore optimizes bandwidth
across the network. If the network
is large and there are insufficient
ports available on the central router,
multiple star formations can be linked
together.
Audio I/O Audio I/O
Audio I/OAudio I/O
Audio I/O Audio I/O
Audio I/OAudio I/O
Audio I/O Audio I/O
Audio I/OAudio I/O
Audio I/O Audio I/O
Audio I/OAudio I/O
Core
1
Core
2
Core
3
Core
4
FOUR RACK SYSTEM CONNECTED IN SERIES - NOT RECOMMENDED
• In order for Core 1 to access I/O connected to Core 4, the signal needs to
pass through all four racks. Whilst this connectivity is valid, it is not the most
efficient use of router to router links.
RACK STAR FORMATION CONNECTIVITY
Core
Core
Core
Core
Core
Core
Core
Core Core
• Connecting all the cores to the same central point minimizes the amount of
cores that a signal has to pass through. In the above example of a 9 core
network (I/O boxes not shown), any rack can access I/O connected to any
other core with the signal passing through a maximum of only three cores.
Core
CoreCore
CoreCore
Core
CoreCore
CoreCore
MULTIPLE RACK STAR FORMATION CONNECTIVITY

CALREC Putting Sound in the Picture 15
MASTER ROUTERS
A Master Router needs to be present
on any Hydra2 network. In a single
core system, there is only one active
router card. All of the router cards
fitted within such a core will be
factory pre-configured as Master
Routers so that whichever card is
active will be the master.
In a multi-core system, one of the cores
needs to be dedicated as the Master
Router and the router cards in this core
should be configured as such. All other
routers on the same network need to be
configured as Slaves.
Having more than one Master Router
core on a Hydra2 network will result in
instability.
Not having an active Master Router on a
network will also cause instability.
The core configured to be the Master
Router needs to remain powered and
active to maintain reliability of the network.
No individual system should be used if the
Master Router is not active.
Similarly, it is important to understand
the network topology to know which I/O
boxes are available to which consoles if
individual cores (other than the Master)
are powered down.
When two or more networks are joined or
a network is split, for example if two OB /
mobile units are occasionally connected
together, it is essential that the Master
Routers are managed. If connecting
two networks, one of the masters will
need to be reconfigured as a slave.
When separating two networks, one of
the slaves needs to be changed to be a
master.
Configuring Master & Slave Routers
Only the active main router card in the
dedicated core needs to be configured as
the Master, however, it is good practise to
set the secondary main router and also
the primary and secondary expansion
routers as masters as well. This allows for
cards to be moved around within the same
rack to aid troubleshooting if hardware
problems are experienced as well as
ensuring the backup is correct in the event
of a hot-swap.
Changing the Master/Slave status of a
router affects the whole Hydra2 network
and as such, should only be carried out by
engineers with a good understanding of
the network topology.
Please contact our customer support
team - [e-mail], or your
regional Calrec distributor for guidance on
changing router master/slave statuses.
Auto Promote
A Hydra2 network needs one master
router to function correctly. If anything
causes the master router to go off-line,
another router on the network must be
promoted to be the master to keep the
system running—from Apollo/Artemis
software V1.16, Auto Promote allows this
to happen automatically.
To avoid losing valuable data the Hydra
database is copied from the master router
to any routers in the network which may
auto promote themselves. The Hydra
database stores the following information:
• Details of I/O connected on network
• Patches made via H2O
• Patches made via SW-P-08
• Port labels
A system of levels and time delays is used
to control which routers can take over
the master router status and in which
order. Auto Promote is setup by Calrec
engineers and so should be planned with
your Calrec project engineer during the
ordering process.

16 HYDRA2 Installation Manual Architecture & Networking
ROUTER CORES
A Router Core is a rack that is not
fitted with a DSP mixing engine, and
therefore also has no control surface
attached.
A Router Core can be used as an
independent unit in its own right,
controlled via the H2O GUI, or by an SW-
P-08 controller. Router Cores can also
be used to increase the capacity of I/O
connections across a Hydra network by
providing an extra 16 or 32 router ports.
Audio I/OAudio I/O Audio I/O Audio I/O Audio I/OAudio I/O
Audio I/O
Audio I/OAudio I/O
Audio I/O Audio I/O
Audio I/O
Control Room 1 Control Room 2 Control Room 3
Studio A Studio B Studio C
Audio I/O Audio I/O
Equipment
Room
Console
Core
Console
Core
Console
Core
Router
Core
Router Cores can be used as a central
point for shared I/O resources and
console router connections, dedicated
as the Master Router, and located in an
equipment room, powered 24/7, ensuring
that the network is always active and
that any console that is powered on has
access to all their own I/O, as well as all
I/O connected to the central Router Core,
and I/O connected to other console cores
that are powered on.
The consoles / control rooms shown
below have access to the studio floor
and equipment room I/O without it being
routed via other consoles’ racks.
HYDRA2 NETWORK WITH A STANDALONE MASTER ROUTER

CALREC Putting Sound in the Picture 17
NETWORK CONSIDERATIONS AND ROUTER CAPACITY
Each core contains a Hydra2 router
card fitted in the Main router slot
which provides a capacity of 8192
audio input channels and 8192 audio
output channels (Apollo, Artemis
Shine/Beam) or 4096 audio input
channels and 4096 audio output
channels (Artemis Light / Summa).
8U Router Overview
The Apollo and Artemis (Shine/Beam)
router (RY5710) is described as an
81922 router, which means up to 8192
separate sources can be routed to 8192
destinations. Although the router is
described this way, there can be up to
12288 inputs (6144 inputs for 4U router),
as described later in this section. Hydra2
routers can also be networked together to
scale the available inputs up as required.
Only one source can supply audio to each
destination, but a single source can supply
audio to all destinations, hence it is a ‘1- n ’
router.
4U Router Overview
The Artemis Light and Summa (RY5912)
router is described as a 40962 router.
The considerations described above for
RY5710 are also valid for this router but
the maximum number of routes which can
be made is 4096.
8U Rack Considerations
For an Apollo/Artemis 8U rack with a
DSP card installed, 2048 destinations
are reserved to pass audio internally, via
the rack backplane, to and from the DSP
mixing engine, leaving 6144 destinations
available for external signals via the router
card’s front panel ports.
Expansion Router Cards
Expansion router cards can be fitted into
8U processing cores (Apollo, Artemis
Shine/Beam). A router card fitted in the
expansion slot increases connectivity
by doubling the number of front panel
Hydra2 ports available, it does not act
as an independent router or increase the
total capacity. In order for an expansion
router to be fully functional, there must be
a router card fitted in the main router slot
as well.
When an Expander card is fitted into a
rack, 2048 destinations are reserved
for access via the Expander card’s front
panel ports, therefore for a rack with a
DSP and an Expander card fitted, 4096
destinations are available through the
router and 2048 through the expander;
the addition of an expander card, expands
the number of ports for connecting I/O
boxes, not the number of destinations.
2048 sources can be routed from each
DSP or Expander card to destinations on
the router (routes made from sources to
destinations that are on the expander only
do not use this capacity). The number
of sources available increases by 2048
when a DSP or Expander card is fitted:
• neither = 8192 sources
• DSP = 10240 sources
• Expander = 10240 sources
• DSP and Expander = 12288 sources
4U Rack Considerations
For an Artemis Light or Summa rack with
a DSP card installed, 2048 destinations
are reserved to pass audio internally, via
the rack backplane, to and from the DSP
mixing engine, leaving 2048 destinations
available for external signals via the router
card’s front panel ports. The Artemis
Light / Summa core does not support
expansion router cards.
The number of sources available
increases by 2048 when a DSP card is
fitted, from 4096 to 6144.
8U Rack Configuration Cards in Rack Router Destination Allocation Available Sources
Router Core Rack - Router Only Router 8192 8192
Router Core Rack with Expander Router
Expander
6144
2048
8192 +
2048
Console Core Rack Router
DSP
6144
2048
8192 +
2048
Console Core Rack with
Expander
Router
Expander
DSP
4096
2048
2048
8192 +
2048 +
2048

18 HYDRA2 Installation Manual Architecture & Networking
Trunk Links
When console cores are connected
together they can share the I/O which is
connected to each others’ router cards,
as with all SFP connections to the router
card front ports the bandwidth limit of this
connection is 512. Connections between
cores potentially carry more traffic than
core to I/O box connections, and as such
should always be made to main router
card ports, not to expansion card ports.
‘Trunk Links’ can be added which are
extra connections between the two cores’
router cards which each increase the
bandwidth by 512. e.g. one link plus one
‘trunk link’ equals a bandwidth of 1024.
Up to three ‘trunk links’ can be added
equating in total to a bandwidth of 2048.
Trunk links should only be fitted if the
network is configured appropriately.
Please contact Calrec support (support@
calrec.com), or your regional Calrec
distributor for guidance on trunk link
configuration.
Capacity
Each individual front panel router/
expansion port is capable of passing
512 channels of audio inputs and 512
channels of audio outputs as long as the
total number being used per card does
not exceed the maximum available for the
card slot. (Note, GPIO connections are
also counted in this allocation)
With router capacity at this scale, it is not
easy to reach these limitations unless
doing so intentionally for test purposes
using high density I/O on a large multi-
console network. If the number of routes
made reaches the maximum for a router
card slot, or individual front panel router
port, further routes cannot be made via
that slot/port without removing some of
the existing ones. Warning messages are
generated when this is the case.
Fixed Format I/O box bandwidth
The fixed format I/O box destination count
is dependent on the number of I/O cards
within a given box. Each I/O card within
a box is allocated 32 destinations, for
example, a 12/4 analog I/O box has one
card and so is allocated 32 destinations,
whereas a MADI box is considered to
have two cards for each MADI port. A
breakdown is given in the table below.
Fixed Format I/O Box Type Source / Destination
Allocation
AD5872—12 / 4 Analog I/O Box 32
AD5871—24 / 8 Analog I/O Box 64
AD5870—48 / 16 Analog I/O Box 128
AE5743 / 5991 / 5991—32 / 32 Analog I/O Box 128
JB5606—16 / 16 AES I/O Box 64
JB5783 / 5962—32 / 32 AES I/O Box 128
JM5736 / 5831 / 5990—MADI interface 128
Modular I/O Box Bandwidth
The maximum bandwidth of any port on a
router is 512 signals, so 512 sources and
destinations is the maximum count that
any modular I/O box should be populated
with (20 card slots are available). The
table below shows the source and
destination allocation for each modular
I/O card type.
Modular I/O card type Source Allocation Destination Allocation
AD5838 8 0
AD6057 8 0
AD5840 4 0
AL5870 2 2
AL5875 1 3
DA5839 0 8
DA5867 0 8
JB5860 8 0
JX5869 8 0
JD5842 16 16
JB5837 0 8
JB5868 0 8
BI6192 64 64
VI5872 032
VO5841 32 0
VO5873 Up to 64 (32SDI + 8 per
DolbyE decoder)
Up to 8 (2 per Dolby E
decoder)
WY5858 8 8
WY5859 816

CALREC Putting Sound in the Picture 19
8U PROCESSING CORE ROUTER CAPACITY
16 x Front Panel
Hydra2 SFP ports
DSP Outputs
Hydra2 Router
10,240 x 8,192
16 x Front Panel
Hydra2 SFP ports
DSP Inputs
6144
2048
8192
A
B
16 x Main Router
Front Panel
Hydra2 SFP ports
Hydra2 Router
12,288 x 8192
16 x Main Router
Front Panel
Hydra2 SFP ports
16 x Expansion Router
Front Panel
Hydra2 SFP ports
4096
2048
DSP Outputs C
16 x Expansion Router
Front Panel
Hydra2 SFP ports
DSP Inputs
2048
Apollo/Artemis-Shine/Artemis-Beam Console Core with Expansion Router card fitted.
Apollo/Artemis-Shine/Artemis-Beam Console Core (no Expansion Router)
8192
2048
8192
2048
2048

20 HYDRA2 Installation Manual Architecture & Networking
8U PROCESSING CORE ROUTER CAPACITY - NO DSP
Hydra2 Router
8192 x 8192
Front Panel
Hydra2 SFP ports
Front Panel
Hydra2 SFP ports
8192 8192
Hydra2 Router
10240 x 8192
16 x Main Router
Front Panel
Hydra2 SFP ports
6144
2048
8U Router Core with Expansion fitted (no DSP)
16 x Expansion Router
Front Panel
Hydra2 SFP ports
8U Router Core (no DSP, no Expansion)
16 x Main Router
Front Panel
Hydra2 SFP ports
16 x Expansion Router
Front Panel
Hydra2 SFP ports
8192
2048