Comrex Matrix User manual

Matrix Product Manual
1
MATRIX POTS/ISDN/WIRELESS CODEC
1 .........INTRODUCTION......................................................................................... 6
........................MATRIX FEATURES ........................................................................ 6
........................PORTABLE UNIT INCLUDES ............................................................... 6
........................RACKMOUNT UNIT INCLUDES ............................................................ 6
........................ABOUT THE ALGORITHM ................................................................. 7
........................WHAT COMES WITH A MATRIX? ....................................................... 7
........................UPGRADES .................................................................................. 7
........................OPERATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS ....................................................... 7
2..........MATRIX MENU SELECTION TREES & FUNCTION KEY USAGE ................................. 8
3..........DIAGRAMS AND DESCRIPTIONS OF CONTROLS AND CONNECTORS .......................... 11
........................PORTABLE - TOP SURFACE DIAGRAM.................................................. 11
........................PORTABLE - DESCRIPTION OF TOP SURFACE......................................... 12
........................PORTABLE - REAR PANEL DIAGRAM & DESCRIPTION.............................. 14
........................PORTABLE - SIDE PANEL DIAGRAM .................................................... 15
........................PORTABLE - DESCRIPTION OF SIDE PANEL ........................................... 16
........................RACKMOUNT - FRONT PANEL DIAGRAM & DESCRIPTION ......................... 17
........................RACKMOUNT - REAR PANEL DIAGRAM & DESCRIPTION ........................... 18
4..........SETTING UP THE MATRIX ........................................................................... 20
........................POWER CONNECTIONS .................................................................. 20
........................TELEPHONE CONNECTIONS .............................................................. 20
........................AUDIO CONNECTIONS - RACKMOUNT ................................................. 20
........................AUDIO CONNECTIONS - PORTABLE .................................................... 22
........................ADJUSTING THE OUTPUT MIX .......................................................... 23
........................ABOUT UNBALANCED CONNECTIONS .................................................. 23
5..........CONFIGURING THE MATRIX ......................................................................... 24
........................POWER UP SEQUENCE ................................................................... 24
........................SETTING THE MAXRATE.................................................................. 24
........................PROGRAMMING QDIAL ................................................................... 26
........................MODEM MONITOR........................................................................ 26
........................AUTO ANSWER ............................................................................. 26
........................TONE/PULSE DIALING .................................................................... 27
........................AUDIO CODING SELECTION ............................................................. 27
6..........PLACING A CALL FROM THE MATRIX .............................................................. 28
........................DIALING FROM THE KEYPAD ............................................................ 28
........................DIALING WITH QDIAL .................................................................... 29
........................ANSWERING A CALL MANUALLY ........................................................ 30
........................DIALING FROM AN EXTERNAL PHONE................................................. 30
........................LAST NUMBER REDIAL ................................................................... 30
SECTION
SECTION
SECTION
SECTION
SECTION
TABLE OF CONTENTS
SECTION

Comrex Corporation
2
Matrix Product Manual
3
SECTION
SECTION
TABLE OF CONTENTS (CONT.)
........................HANGING UP THE CALL.................................................................. 31
........................DROPPING THE CONNECT RATE DURING A CALL ................................. 31
........................PLAIN TELEPHONE MODE VS. TELCELL MODE...................................... 32
........................USING THE TELCELL MODULE.......................................................... 32
........................ENTERING PLAIN TELEPHONE MODE USING THE TELCELL MODULE ........... 33
........................ENTERING CELLULAR HANDS-FREE MODE USING THE TELCELL MODULE .... 34
........................TELCELL MODULE CONNECTIONS...................................................... 34
7..........USING STORE AND FORWARD....................................................................... 35
........................ABOUT STORE AND FORWARD .......................................................... 35
........................ENTERING STORE AND FORWARD ...................................................... 35
........................STORE AND FORWARD STATUS DISPLAY DEFAULT SETTINGS ..................... 36
........................EXITING STORE & FORWARD MODE.................................................. 36
........................STORE AND FORWARD OPERATION .................................................... 37
........................PLAYING BACK RECORDED AUDIO .................................................... 38
........................SENDING A STORE AND FORWARD AUDIO CUT ..................................... 38
........................DIALING USING QDIAL .................................................................. 38
........................DIALING MANUALLY FROM KEYPAD ................................................... 39
........................DIALING WITH AN EXTERNAL PHONE ................................................. 39
........................RECEIVING A STORE AND FORWARD AUDIO CUT ................................... 40
........................SENDING/RECEIVING STATUS ............................................................ 40
........................PLAYING A RECEIVED STORE AND FORWARD AUDIO CUT ........................ 41
........................SETUP FOR STORE & FORWARD........................................................ 42
........................PLAY/RECORD SETUP..................................................................... 43
........................SEND/RECEIVE SETUP .................................................................... 43
........................WIRELESS SETUP........................................................................... 43
........................STORE AND FORWARD USING WIRELESS .............................................. 44
8..........MATRIX GSM WIRELESS OPERATION............................................................. 44
........................ABOUT THE GSM MODULE ............................................................ 44
........................ABOUT GSM .............................................................................. 45
........................ABOUT GSM DATA ...................................................................... 45
........................OTHER TYPES OF WIRELESS DATA ..................................................... 46
........................GSM MODULE OPERATION ............................................................ 46

Comrex Corporation
2
Matrix Product Manual
3
SECTION
9..........ADDITIONAL FUNCTIONS ............................................................................. 47
........................TEST.......................................................................................... 47
........................ANCILLARY DATA .......................................................................... 47
........................CONTACT CLOSURES ...................................................................... 48
........................MATRIX CONTROL AND DATA SIGNALS ............................................... 48
........................STL BACKUP MODE ..................................................................... 49
........................STL BACKUP MODE FOR MATRIX RACKMOUNT .................................... 49
........................STL BACKUP MODE FOR MATRIX PORTABLE ....................................... 49
10........HIDDEN MENU ........................................................................................ 50
........................REVISION INFORMATION ................................................................. 50
........................MODEM COUNTRY CODES .............................................................. 51
........................RENEGOTIATION & RETRAIN OPTIONS................................................ 51
........................FLUSH MODEM ............................................................................ 52
........................STL BACKUP............................................................................... 52
........................DIAL TONE ................................................................................. 53
........................SYMBOL RATE .............................................................................. 53
........................ISDN ....................................................................................... 53
........................GSM14 .................................................................................... 53
11........UPGRADING THE MATRIX............................................................................ 54
........................HOW TO UPGRADE THE MATRIX CONTROL PROCESSOR.......................... 54
12........HOW TO ACHIEVE OPTIMUM MATRIX PERFORMANCE ......................................... 56
13........SOME OPERATING TIPS - (STUFF YOU REALLY NEED TO KNOW!).......................... 58
........................USING LONG DISTANCE ACCESS CODES.............................................. 59
........................INTERNATIONAL AC POWER CORDS AND TELEPHONE CONNECTORS............ 60
........................DIALING THE MATRIX INTERNATIONALLY ............................................. 60
........................COMPUTER MODEMS VS. MATRIX MODEM .......................................... 61
14........TECHNICAL DETAILS................................................................................... 62
........................TROUBLESHOOTING THE MATRIX....................................................... 62
........................ABOUT ANCILLARY DATA ................................................................ 64
........................TROUBLESHOOTING THE ANCILLARY DATA CHANNEL .............................. 66
15........SPECIFICATIONS ........................................................................................ 67
........................PORTABLE................................................................................... 67
........................RACKMOUNT................................................................................ 68
........................AUDIO FREQUENCY RESPONSE (PORTABLE & RACKMOUNT)..................... 68
........................PINOUTS..................................................................................... 69
........................+8 DBU JUMPERS........................................................................ 70
........................FCC REQUIREMENTS ..................................................................... 71
SECTION
SECTION
SECTION
SECTION
TABLE OF CONTENTS (CONT.)
SECTION
SECTION

Comrex Corporation
4
Matrix Product Manual
5
TABLE OF CONTENTS (CONT.)
APPENDIX A........MODEM LINE CHECKLIST................................................................ 72
................................... A LITTLE BACKGROUND...................................................... 72
................................... CHECKLIST ...................................................................... 73
................................... PHONE LINE 101............................................................. 75
APPENDIX B........ABOUT MIX-MINUS ...................................................................... 77
................................... “I'M USING MIX-MINUS AND I STILL HEAR AN ECHO!”.............. 78
APPENDIX C........ACCESSORIES ............................................................................... 79
................................... ISDN MODULE ............................................................... 80
................................... GSM MODULE ................................................................ 80
................................... TELCELL MODULE ............................................................. 80
................................... BATTERY KIT ................................................................... 80
APPENDIX D .......USING THE COMREX MATRIX WITH A HOTLINE OR VECTOR ..................... 81
APPENDIX E........PLAIN TELEPHONE MODE .............................................................. 82
SCHEMATICS & BLOCK DIAGRAMS

Comrex Corporation
4
Matrix Product Manual
5
ABOUT COMREX
Comrex has been building reliable, high quality broadcast equipment since 1961. Our products
are used daily in every part of the world by networks, stations and program producers.
Every product we manufacture has been carefully designed to function flawlessly, under
the harshest conditions, over many years of use. Each unit we ship has been individually
and thoroughly tested. Most items are available off-the-shelf, either directly from Comrex
or from our stocking dealers.
Comrex stands behind its products. We promise that if you call us for technical assistance,
you will talk directly with someone who knows about the equipment and will do everything
possible to help you.
Our toll free number in North America is 800-237-1776. Product Information, Engineering
Notes and User Reports are available on the World Wide Web at http://www.comrex.com.
Our internet E-Mail address is [email protected].
WARRANTY AND DISCLAIMER
All equipment manufactured by Comrex Corporation is warranted by Comrex against defects
in material and workmanship for one year from the date of original purchase, as verified
by the return of the Warranty Registration Card. During the warranty period, we will repair
or, at our option, replace at no charge a product that proves to be defective, provided
you obtain return authorization from Comrex and return the product, shipping prepaid,
to Comrex Corporation, 19 Pine Road, Devens, MA 01432 USA. For return authorization,
contact Comrex at 800-237-1776 or 978-784-1776 or fax [phone].
This Warranty does not apply if the product has been damaged by accident or misuse or as the
result of service or modification performed by anyone other than Comrex Corporation.
With the exception of the warranties set forth above, Comrex Corporation makes no other
warranties, expressed or implied or statutory, including but not limited to warranties of
merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose, which are hereby expressly disclaimed.
In no event shall Comrex Corporation have any liability for indirect, consequential or puni-
tive damages resulting from the use of this product.
COPYRIGHT NOTICE
The Comrex proprietary code and licensed, third party proprietary code residing in and oth-
erwise associated with this product are protected by copyright law and international treaties.
Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this product, or any portion of it, may result
in civil and criminal sanctions, and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
US Government Restricted Rights - Use, duplication, or disclosure by the US Government
is subject to restrictions set forth in subparagraph (c)(1)(ii) of the Rights in Technical Data
and Computer Software clause at DFARS (48 CFR) 252.227-7013 or subparagraphs (c)(1)
and (2) of the Commercial Computer Software - Restricted Rights clause at FAR (48 CFR)
52.227-19, as applicable.

Comrex Corporation
6
Matrix Product Manual
7
SECTION 1. INTRODUCTION
MATRIX FEATURES
PORTABLE UNIT INCLUDES
RACKMOUNT UNIT INCLUDES
The Comrex Matrix in its basic form is a digital audio transmission device for ana-
log telephone lines. The Matrix allows wideband, broadcast quality audio over
normal “toll quality” telephone circuits. Here’s a short list of the Matrix’s POTS
Codec features:
♦ Full duplex FM quality (15 kHz) audio bandwidth at connect rates of
24 kb/s and above.
♦ Full duplex audio scales from 12.7 kHz to 4.7 kHz at connect rates
of 21.6 kb/s to 9.6 kb/s.
♦ Separate “Voice Mode” allows 7 kHz audio with a 300 BAUD ancillary
data channel and extra forward error correction.
♦ Easy to use dialing and configuring interface.
♦ Available in portable or rackmount chassis.
♦ Automatically connects at highest possible rate supported by
telephone connection.
♦ Monitors line quality and renegotiates should line degrade.
♦ Ability to “store and forward” 9 3/4 minutes of audio. A full fidelity feed
may be recorded and sent over a low bitrate circuit to be played later
in non-real time.
♦ Two tally closures (one on connection, one triggered by the user).
♦ Ability to work with a Comrex BlueBox, HotLine or Vector.
♦ Ability to store 19 telephone numbers and last number dialed in
nonvolatile memory.
♦ Short coding delay (100 mS) allows seamless two-way conversation.
♦ Accessory slot allows insertion of optional modules, adapting the Matrix
for use on other circuits such as ISDN and GSM.
♦ Optional battery runs Matrix for up to 7 hours.
Two channel microphone mixer (1 channel mic/line selectable).
Additional fixed level tape input.
One headphone output (adjustable mix of send/receive audio).
One balanced line level audio out (adjustable mix of send/receive audio).
Rugged, lightweight plastic chassis with built-in handle.
Accessory slot allows insertion of optional modules, adapting the Matrix
for use on other circuits such as ISDN, GSM and allowing plain telephone
calls on POTS lines or wireless phones equipped with headset jacks.
Space efficient 1U rack.
Internal universal AC power supply.
Balanced line level audio input/output.
Ability to dial on contact closure.
Ability to remotely control contact closure.
Accessory slot for ISDN adapter board
Future upgrade: Remote control of Matrix functions through TCP/IP protocol.

Comrex Corporation
6
Matrix Product Manual
7
WHAT COMES WITH
A MATRIX?
UPGRADES
OPERATIONAL
CONSIDERATIONS
ABOUT THE ALGORITHM The Matrix utilizes audio coding which is uniquely suited to the task of mov-
ing high quality audio along the narrow data channels provided by analog
modems. The Matrix algorithm draws on principles from various previous
coding methods yet doesn't incorporate the long processing delays (which
equates to audio delay) that plague other coding schemes. While the Matrix
algorithm does not provide true “transparency” to the reconstructed audio,
much work has been done to place the artifacts that do exist in a range where
they will be less irritating to the listeners.
The following items are shipped with a new Matrix:
(1) Comrex Matrix POTS codec (Portable or Rackmount)
(1) AC Power module with AC cord (Rackmount unit has only AC cord)
(1) RJ11C modular telephone cord
(1) Operating manual
(1) Warranty card (Please fill out and return)
A substantial portion of the functions and features of the Matrix is software
driven, allowing upgrades to these units by a simple exchange of EPROMs or
reprogramming of existing EPROMs. Many software updates may be down-
loaded from the Comrex website and performed by connecting your Matrix
to a com port on your PC. (See Section 11 for instructions.) We will keep our
customers apprised of software updates and make these available at no charge.
In order to assure that we will be able to contact you, please return the war-
ranty card with complete address and contact information.
For use on POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service), two Comrex POTS codecs are
required — one at each end of the telephone line. (Any combination of Matrix,
BlueBox, HotLine or Vector will work.) POTS codecs require moderately high
quality telephone lines on each end of the call and may have performance
issues if the telephone connection has excessive noise, hum or crosstalk. As a
general rule, avoid connecting through in-house PABX systems. A direct, outside
line should be used for best performance. For further details on telephone
quality issues, we suggest you read the “Modem Line Checklist” in Appendix A
on page 72. Also, because the Matrix’s algorithm creates a small coding delay,
it is necessary to send a “Mix Minus” feed from the studio back to the remote
site. For more on Mix-Minus, refer to Appendix B on page 77.
For wireless circuits the Matrix has two options. The first is the ability to im-
prove the quality of “real-time” audio on GSM wireless service, please refer
to Section 8. Matrix GSM Wireless Operation on pages 44-46. Secondly, the
portable Matrix can send “unenhanced” audio through the headset jack of a
wireless phone using the optional TelCell module. (See pages 32-34.)

Comrex Corporation
8
Matrix Product Manual
9
Enter Dial Keypad Dial Number
Ext Phone Dial w/Ext Phone--<Enter>when Ringing ...connecting
Tel/Cell Module* Phone Line--Phone Mode Active Enter = Off Hook
Cell Phone--Dial From Cellphone Cancel = Exit
Answ connecting.....
Test Voice 33.6 - 9.6 kb/s Loopback active
Music 33.6 - 9.6 kb/s Loopback active
HotLine 33.6 - 12 kb/s Loopback active
GSM 9.6 or 14.4 kb/s Loopback active
Cong Pgm Qdial Enter Qdial#: 01-19 Enter Phone Number
Codec Voice Mode Algorithm Selected
Music Mode Algorithm Selected
GSM Mode Algorithm Selected
Max Rate 33.6 - 9.6 kb/s Maximum Rate Stored
More Auto Ans On
Off
6 Rings
Dialing Tone Dialing
Pulse Dialing
ModMon Modem Monitor On
Modem Monitor Off
Levels
(Rack Matrix Only) Input Level 0dBu, +4dBu, -10dBu
Output Level 0dBu, +4dBu, -10dBu
Store & Forward (See Page 9 for Menu Selection Tree)
Qdial Enter Qdial#: 01-19 (Note: For last number redial, enter 00)
*If Tel/Cell Module does not appear, please refer to page 32 for details.
Max24 AA MM Music
Press Enter or Qdial
MATRIX MAIN STATUS DISPLAY
SECTION 2. MATRIX MENU SELECTION TREE

Comrex Corporation
8
Matrix Product Manual
9
STORE & FORWARD MENU SELECTION TREE
Enter Dial No Audio Stored (if no audio cut is in memory)
or Keypad ... Dial Number: .... Dialing
Ext Phone ... Dial with Ext. Phone <Enter> when Ringing
Rec Erase All Audio Data 1=Yes Cancel=No (if audio cut is in memory)
or Enter = Start Record Qdial = Pause
Play No Audio Stored (if no audio cut is in memory)
or Playing 0:01
Setup Play/Rec Play S/F Audio
Rec S/F Audio
Send/Rcv Receive S/F Audio
Send S/F Audio
Exit S/F ... reverts back to Main POTS Status Display
Qdial ... Enter Qdial #:00-19
Secondary functions:
1. Backs out of any screens involving dialing functions.
2. Accesses the HIDDEN MENU (press key 3 times).
Secondary functions:
1. If pressed once when line is connected, modem drops one connect speed.
2. If “double clicked” when line is connected, modem performs a
complete renegotiation, without disconnecting the line.
3. Qdial=Pause in the Store & Forward mode during Record and Playback.
4. Qdial inserts two second pause in dialing string entries.
Secondary function:
1. When line is connected, sends a momentary contact closure to far end.
Secondary function:
1. Backspaces during entry of dialing strings & programming of QDIAL numbers.
HANGUP
Disconnects call.
QDIAL
Speed dials numbers
prestored in memory, in-
cluding QDIAL 00 to redial
the last number dialed.
ENTER
Initiates functions via the
menu screen.
CANCEL
Backs out of most
menus. (see HANGUP)
PRIMARY AND SECONDARY USES OF FUNCTION KEYS.

Comrex Corporation
10
Matrix Product Manual
11
(PRESS THE HANGUP KEY THREE TIMES FROM THE MAIN STATUS SCREEN)
Country Country Code 00-20
Reneg Reneg/Retrain On
Retrain On
None
Flush Modem Erase All Settings? Enter = Continue
More ISDN Enable ISDN Menus?
(Rack Option Only) 1=Yes Cancel=No
STL 1)Enable STL Mode
2)Disable STL Mode
Rev (Shows current software version)
Symbol Rate 1) A (Disable top rate)
2) A&B (Disable top two rates)
3) Enable ALL Rates
DialTone 1) Require DialTone
2) Ignore DialTone
GSM14 1) Enable GSM 14.4
2) Disable GSM 14.4
MATRIX “HIDDEN MENU”