DigiDesign Pro Tools HD Series User manual

Digidesign
2001 Junipero Serra Boulevard
Daly City, CA 94014-3886 USA
tel: 650·731·6300
fax: 650·731·6399
Technical Support (USA)
650·731·6100
650·856·4275
Product Information (USA)
650·731·6102
800·333·2137
International Offices
Visit the Digidesign Web site
for contact information
Web Site
www.digidesign.com
Expanded Systems
Guide
Version 6.4 for HD Systems on Windows or Macintosh
Expanded Systems Guide.book Page i Friday, March 26, 2004 6:47 AM

Copyright
This guide is copyrighted ©2004 by Digidesign, a division of
Avid Technology, Inc. (hereafter “Digidesign”), with all rights
reserved. Under copyright laws, this guide may not be
duplicated in whole or in part without the written consent of
Digidesign.
DIGIDESIGN, AVID and PRO TOOLS are trademarks or
registered trademarks of Digidesign and/or Avid Technology,
Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective
owners.
Product features, specifications, system requirements, and
availability are subject to change without notice.
PN 932013289-00 REV A 04/04
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Contents iii
contents
Chapter 1. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Pro Tools Expanded Systems Without an Expansion Chassis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Pro Tools with an Expansion Chassis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Compatibility Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Chapter 2. Expanded Pro Tools|HD Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Adding Cards to Your System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Connecting Pro Tools|HD Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Connecting Audio Interfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Chapter 3. Expansion Chassis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Magma 7-Slot Expansion Chassis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Digidesign and Magma 13-Slot Expansion Chassis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Digidesign and SBS 7-Slot Expansion Chassis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
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Expanded Systems Guide iv
Expanded Systems Guide.book Page iv Friday, March 26, 2004 6:47 AM

Chapter 1: Introduction 1
chapter 1
Introduction
You can expand your Pro Tools TDM system by
adding Pro Tools TDM cards to your computer,
either directly in the computer or using an ex-
pansion chassis. Expanding your Pro Tools sys-
tem will provide an increased track count, add
to the amount of possible plug-in and mixer
processing, and let you connect additional au-
dio interfaces.
Pro Tools Expanded Systems
Without an Expansion Chassis
Pro Tools|HD-series systems include an HD Core
card, and can include one or more HD Accel or
HD Process cards.
It is possible to install as many as five Pro Tools
cards in some computers. If you require more
PCI card slots than your computer has available,
you can use an expansion chassis.
For Pro Tools|24 MIX systems, refer to the
previous version of this guide, published
with Pro Tools 6.1 software. This guide is
available online, with other Pro Tools 6.1
documentation, at the Digidesign Web site
(www.digidesign.com).
For PCI, hard drive, and other requirements
for maximum track count, see the compati-
bility information on the Digidesign Web
site (www.digidesign.com/compato).
Expanded Systems Guide.book Page 1 Friday, March 26, 2004 6:47 AM

Expanded Systems Guide 2
Pro Tools with an Expansion
Chassis
You can use a Digidesign-qualified expansion
chassis to increase the number of PCI card slots
for your Pro Tools system. Expansion chassis
will use only one PCI card slot in your computer
and provide up to 13 additional PCI card slots in
the chassis itself.
Expansion chassis consist of a chassis (providing
additional PCI slots for your Digidesign cards), a
host card (installed in your computer), a con-
troller card (installed in the chassis), and an ex-
pansion chassis cable that connects the host
card to the controller card. Some newer expan-
sion chassis have a built-in controller card that
does not need to be installed.
13-slot expansion chassis support up to ten
Digidesign cards (which can include a maxi-
mum of seven Pro Tools|HD-series cards).
7-slot chassis support up to seven Pro Tools|HD-
series cards. Refer to the Digidesign Web site for
the latest compatibility information
(www.digidesign.com/compato).
Powering Up Expansion Chassis
Make sure to have the expansion chassis cable
connected to both the expansion chassis and
the computer before powering up. If the cable
becomes disconnected from the computer while
the system is powered on, shut down power to
the computer and then the expansion chassis
before reconnecting.
When powering up, turn on the expansion
chassis before the computer, and turn it off after
powering down the computer.
Compatibility Information
For maximum track count with
Pro Tools|HD Accel systems, 64-bit PCI is re-
quired. If using a CPU with mixed slot types,
only the 64-bit slots should be used.
Digidesign can only assure compatibility and
provide support for hardware and software it
has tested and approved.
For a complete and current list of supported
configurations of computers, expansion chassis,
and hard drives, visit the Digidesign Web site
(www.digidesign.com/compato).
6-foot expansion chassis cables are not sup-
ported.
See Chapter 3, “Expansion Chassis” for
more information about card slot order and
installing Pro Tools cards in an expansion
chassis.
Before you connect your expansion chassis,
or install cards in it, make sure to turn off
both the chassis and your computer.
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Chapter 2: Expanded Pro Tools|HD Systems 3
chapter 2
Expanded Pro Tools|HD Systems
To ensure maximum track counts and trouble-
free operations, it is important that PCI cards are
installed in the appropriate slot locations.
Cards and Slot Order
When installing ‘cards’ in a computer or an ex-
pansion chassis, group cards according to type
and install them in the following order, based
on your Pro Tools system configuration:
Computer Configuration
1 HD Core card
2 HD Accel cards
3 HD Process cards
4 SCSI accelerator cards
Computer Configuration with Expansion
Chassis
1 Expansion chassis host card
2 SCSI accelerator card
Expansion Chassis Configuration
1 HD Core card
2 HD Accel cards
3 HD Process cards
Sample Rate and Multiple Cards
Pro Tools|HD supports sample rates of 44.1 kHz,
48 kHz, 88.2 kHz, 96 kHz, 176.4 kHz, and
192 kHz. However, due to the processing load
required for 176.4 kHz and 192 kHz sessions, a
maximum of four HD-series cards can be used at
these higher sample rates.
If your system includes more than four
Pro Tools|HD-series cards, the fifth card (and
any additional cards) will automatically be
taken offline when Pro Tools sessions are set to
176.4 kHz or 192 kHz. You do not need to re-
move any cards or cables; Pro Tools automati-
cally deactivates the additional cards, and reac-
tivates them when the sample rate is switched to
96 kHz or lower.
Any audio interfaces connected to inactive cards
will go offline.
For maximum track count with
Pro Tools|HD Accel systems, 64-bit PCI is
required. If using a CPU with mixed slot
types, only the 64-bit slots should be used.
For a complete and current list of supported
configurations of computers, expansion
chassis, and hard drives, visit the Digide-
sign Web site (www.digidesign.com/com-
pato).
Expanded Systems Guide.book Page 3 Friday, March 26, 2004 6:47 AM

Expanded Systems Guide 4
Adding Cards to Your System
The maximum number of HD-series cards sup-
ported in a single system is seven. However,
there may be further restrictions depending on
sample rate, your operating system, and the spe-
cific model of your expansion chassis. For the
most current information, visit the Digidesign
Web site (www.digidesign.com/compato).
To install Pro Tools cards:
1 Turn off your computer, expansion chassis,
and any peripherals. Leave your computer’s
power cable plugged in so the computer is
grounded.
2 Wait 5–10 minutes to allow the computer’s in-
ternal components to cool down to avoid burn-
ing yourself.
3 Disconnect all cables attached to the com-
puter (such as hard drives, displays, USB and
FireWire connections) except for the power ca-
ble.
4 To prevent damaging sensitive electronics,
discharge any static electricity that may be on
your clothes or body by touching a grounded
metal surface, such as the metal PCI access cov-
ers on the back of the computer.
5 Disconnect the power cord from the com-
puter.
6 Open the computer case or expansion chassis.
7 Remove the metal access port cover behind
the expansion slot you want to use by removing
the screw and sliding the cover out from the ac-
cess port. Keep the screws in a safe place.
8 Install the HD Core card in the lowest num-
bered slot.
On a Windows PC (such as an IBM M Pro or a
Compaq Evo 8000), this will be the slot furthest
from the graphics card.
On a Macintosh, this will be the slot closest to
the graphics card, as shown in the following ex-
amples:
Power Mac G5 The Power Mac G5 has three PCI
slots (named PCI slot 2, 3, and 4). PCI slot num-
bers increase from
bottom to top as you face the
open computer case from the front. Install the
HD Core card into PCI slot 2.
Power Macintosh “Mirrored Door” G4 The Power
Macintosh “Mirrored Door” G4 has reflective
drive bay doors and four holes across the front.
Its PCI slot numbers increase from
left to right as
you face the open computer case from the front.
Note that the PCI slot numbering in the newer
“Mirrored Door” G4 computer runs in the oppo-
site direction of previous G4 models.
Refer to your computer’s documentation to
verify slot order.
Figure 1. Power Mac G5
AGP slot 1
(video card)
PCI slot 2
PCI slot 3
PCI slot 4
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Chapter 2: Expanded Pro Tools|HD Systems 5
Power Macintosh “QuickSilver” G4 The Power
Macintosh “QuickSilver” and earlier G4 models
have a single speaker grille or hole on the front.
Their PCI slot numbers increase from
right to left
as you face the open computer case from the
front.
9 Install HD Accel cards (if any) in the next
slots.
10 Install HD Process cards (if any) in remaining
slots.
11 Connect all Pro Tools|HD cards using Digi-
design TDM FlexCables (see “Digidesign TDM
FlexCable” on page 6).
12 If installing a SCSI HBA card, install it in the
highest numbered remaining slot.
13 Secure each card in place with the slot access
port screws you removed earlier.
Be very careful when opening or closing the
case of a “Mirrored Door” G4 computer.
Any PCI cards installed in the higher-num-
bered slots may be damaged if they touch
the top of the computer case.
Power Macintosh “Mirrored Door” Dual Processor G4
Power Macintosh “QuickSilver” Dual Processor G4
AGP slot 1 (video card)
PCI slot 2
PCI slot 3
PCI slot 4
PCI slot 5
AGP slot 1 (video card)
PCI slot 4
PCI slot 3
PCI slot 2
Power Macintosh Single Processor G4
Group similar cards together (for example,
put all HD Accel cards next to each other).
Make sure the first card is a Core card.
HD Accel and HD Process cards cannot oc-
cupy the lowest-numbered slot.
Run DigiTest after making any changes to
your hardware setup (such as adding or re-
moving cards, audio interfaces, sync cables,
and so on) to verify that your system is
functioning properly. For DigiTest informa-
tion, refer to your Getting Started Guide.
PCI slot 1 (video card)
PCI slot 4
PCI slot 3
PCI slot 2
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Expanded Systems Guide 6
Connecting Pro Tools|HD
Cards
Digidesign TDM FlexCable
Digidesign TDM FlexCable cables connect one
Pro Tools|HD card to another. You will need an
additional TDM FlexCable for each additional
card.
Each HD card has two ports along the top of the
card, labelled Port A and Port B. The FlexCable
has two connectors, also labeled Port A and Port
B, to ensure proper connection.
When installing multiple HD cards, data com-
munication across HD cards is achieved by us-
ing the TDM FlexCable to connect Port B of the
first card to Port A of the next card.
To connect HD cards with the TDM FlexCable on a
Windows PC or Power Macintosh “Mirrored Door”
G4
1 Shape the FlexCable before installing it on
your HD cards by grasping the cable with both
hands and moving the Port B portion of the ca-
ble straight towards you and inwards, as shown
below. Do not bend the cable more than you
need to, as you may damage the traces in the ca-
ble.
2 Slide the FlexCable into the notch of the first
card, so that the Port B connector of the FlexCa-
ble can be aligned with Port B of the first card;
and the Port A connector of the FlexCable can
be aligned with Port A of the second card, as
shown below.
3 Connect the Port A connector of the FlexCa-
ble to Port A on the second card. Push down
gently but firmly until the cable is fully con-
nected to the card. Attach the other end of the
FlexCable (labeled Port B) to Port B on the first
card.
4 Verify the connection, as shown below (orien-
tation may be different depending on your type
of CPU or chassis).
Preparing TDM FlexCable for installation
The first FlexCable always go from Port B
on the HD card to Port A on the Accel or
Process card.
Inserting TDM FlexCable
Top view of two HD cards connected with TDM FlexCable
Side view of two HD cards connected with TDM
FlexCable
HD Accel card
(or HD Process card)
HD Core card
HD Accel card
(or HD Process
card)
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Chapter 2: Expanded Pro Tools|HD Systems 7
5 For systems with more than two cards, con-
nect each additional card to its preceding card.
Use FlexCables to connect card pairs together, as
described above, until all cards are connected.
(Each HD Accel card is packaged with a FlexCa-
ble.)
6 Close the computer case.
7 Proceed to “Connecting Audio Interfaces” on
page 9.
To connect HD cards with the TDM FlexCable on
the Power Mac G5:
1 Shape the FlexCable before installing it on
your HD cards by grasping the cable with both
hands with its printed side facing you and mov-
ing the Port B portion of the cable away from
you and outwards, as shown below. Do not
bend the cable more than you need to, as you
may damage the traces in the cable.
2 Turn the cable on its side, so that the connec-
tors are facing downwards, and Port A is the
higher side.
3 Slide the FlexCable into the notch of the sec-
ond
card, so that the Port B connector of the
FlexCable can be aligned with Port B of the first
card; and the Port A connector of the FlexCable
can be aligned with Port A of the second card as
shown below.
4 Connect the Port A connector of the FlexCa-
ble to Port A on the second card. Push down
gently but firmly until the cable is fully con-
nected to the card. Attach the other end of the
FlexCable (labeled Port B) to Port B on the first
card.
5 Verify the connection. Make sure the FlexCa-
ble ports seat flat against the sockets on the HD
cards, and are firmly attached.
6 For systems with more than two cards, con-
nect each additional card to its preceding card.
Use FlexCables to connect card pairs together, as
described above, until all cards are connected.
Each HD Accel or HD Process card is packaged
with a FlexCable.
7 Close the computer case.
Preparing TDM FlexCable for installation
Orienting the FlexCable
Port A
Port B
Inserting TDM FlexCable
Top view of TDM FlexCable connections for two HD
cards
HD Accel
(or Process)
HD Core
Port B
Port A connector
connector
Port B
Port B
Port A
Port A
Port B Port A
Port APort B
HD Core card in PCI slot 2
HD Accel (or Process) card in PCI slot 3
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Expanded Systems Guide8
8 Proceed to “Connecting Audio Interfaces” on
page 9.
To connect HD cards with the TDM FlexCable on
Power Macintosh “QuickSilver” and earlier G4
computers:
1 Shape the FlexCable before installing it on
your HD cards by grasping the cable with both
hands and moving the Port A portion of the ca-
ble straight towards you and inwards, as shown
below. Do not bend the cable more than you
need to, as you may damage the traces in the ca-
ble.
2 Slide the FlexCable into the notch of the sec-
ond card, so that the Port B connector of the
FlexCable can be aligned with Port B of the first
card; and the Port A connector of the FlexCable
can be aligned with Port A of the second card, as
shown below.
3 Connect the Port A connector of the FlexCa-
ble to Port A on the second card. Push down
gently but firmly until the cable is fully con-
nected to the card. Next, attach the other end of
the FlexCable (labeled Port B) to Port B on the
first card.
4 Verify the connection, as shown below.
5 For systems with more than two cards, con-
nect each additional card to its preceding card.
Use FlexCables to connect card pairs together, as
described above, until all cards are connected.
(Each HD Accel card is packaged with a FlexCa-
ble.)
6 Close the computer case.
7 Proceed to “Connecting Audio Interfaces” on
page 9.
Preparing TDM FlexCable for installation
Inserting TDM FlexCable
PORT A PORT B PORT A
PORT B
PORT B
PORT B
PORT A
PORT A
PORT B
PORT A
PORT A
PORT B
Top view of two HD cards connected with TDM FlexCable
Side view of two HD cards connected with TDM
FlexCable
For more information about installing
Pro Tools|HD-series cards see the “Getting
Started with HD Guide.”
PORT B
PORT B
PORT A
PORT A
PORT B
PORT B
PORT A
PORT A
PORT B
PORT A
PORT A
PORT B
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Chapter 2: Expanded Pro Tools|HD Systems 9
Connecting Audio Interfaces
All HD-series audio interfaces require DigiLink
connections. When using multiple interfaces,
you must also connect Loop Sync between all
HD-series audio interfaces. When using multi-
ple Legacy interfaces (MIX-series I/O such as the
888|24 I/O and 882|20 I/O) you must connect
Slave Clock to all MIX-series audio interfaces.
Recommended Ordering of Interfaces
If your setup includes different types of audio
interfaces, install them in the following order:
192 I/O or 192 Digital I/O Use as the primary au-
dio interface. These interfaces provide the high-
est fidelity clock source for your system.
96 I/O Use as the primary interface (if a 192 I/O
or 192 Digital I/O is not installed), or as an ex-
pansion interface connected to the Expansion
port of the primary interface.
96i I/O Use as the primary interface if no other
HD-series interfaces are installed, or as an ex-
pansion interface connected to the Expansion
port of another HD-series interface.
Legacy Peripherals See “Using Legacy Audio In-
terfaces” on page 12.
DigiLink
The DigiLink cable connects HD cards and au-
dio interfaces. A single Digi-Link connector car-
ries up to 32 channels of bidirectional audio in-
formation. These 32 channels are broken up
into 2 groups of 16 channels: Group A = Chan-
nels 1–16, Group B = Channels 17–32.
The maximum number of DigiLink cables sup-
ported on a single system is eight. This allows up
to 128 channels of I/O with eight HD-series au-
dio interfaces: four connected directly to an HD
card and the remaining four connected to the
expansion ports of the first four.
◆Use the 12-foot DigiLink cable included with
each Pro Tools|HD card to connect the card to a
Digidesign audio interface. The primary audio
interface, which functions as the Loop Sync
master for other interfaces in the system, must
be connected to the HD Core card. You can pur-
chase optional DigiLink cables of differing
lengths (25-foot, 50-foot, and 100-foot), de-
pending on the needs of your studio configura-
tion.
◆Use the 18-inch DigiLink cable, included with
each HD-series audio interface, when connect-
ing a secondary HD-series audio interface to the
Expansion port of another HD-series audio in-
terface.
If you have at least one 192 I/O or
192 Digital I/O in your Pro Tools system, it
should be the primary audio interface and
Loop Sync master.
Expanded Systems Guide.book Page 9 Friday, March 26, 2004 6:47 AM

Expanded Systems Guide10
To make DigiLink connections to Digidesign audio
interfaces:
1 Connect the primary audio interface to the
HD Core card with the provided 12-foot Dig-
iLink cable.
2 Connect a secondary HD-series audio inter-
face to the Expansion port on the primary audio
interface using the 18-inch DigiLink cable (in-
cluded with the audio interface). See Figure 2 on
page 11.
– or –
• Connect a secondary HD-series interface to
the DigiLink on the next card (HD Accel or
HD Process).
3 Connect additional HD-series audio interfaces
to subsequent Pro Tools|HD audio interfaces or
cards. See Figure 3 on page 11.
4 If connecting a Digidesign Legacy audio inter-
face (such as the 888|24 I/O), refer to “Using
Legacy Audio Interfaces” on page 12.
Loop Sync
To connect Loop Sync:
1 Connect the Loop Sync Out of the primary in-
terface to the Loop Sync In of the second inter-
face with the provided Loop Sync cables.
2 Connect the Loop Sync Out of the second in-
terface to the Loop Sync In of the next interface
and so forth.
3 Connect the Loop Sync Out of the last inter-
face to the Loop Sync In of the primary inter-
face.
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Chapter 2: Expanded Pro Tools|HD Systems 11
Figure 2. Two 96 I/Os, 32-channel
HD Core
12-foot DigiLink cable
18-inch
Loop Sync cables
DigiLink
cable
Figure 3. Three 96 I/Os, 48-channel
HD Core
HD Accel
12-foot DigiLink cable
18-inch
Loop Sync cables
12-foot DigiLink cable
Loop Sync cables
TDM FlexCable
DigiLink
cable
or HD Process
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Expanded Systems Guide12
Using Legacy Audio Interfaces
Each 192 I/O, 192 Digital I/O, and 96 I/O can
support 16 channels of audio to and from Digi-
design legacy audio interfaces, or Legacy I/Os.
These include the 888|24 I/O, 882|20 I/O,
1622 I/O, 24-bit ADAT Bridge I/O, and the orig-
inal ADAT Bridge I/O. The 888 I/O and 882 I/O
interfaces are not supported with Pro Tools|HD.
(The 96i I/O does not provide a Legacy port.)
The Legacy Peripheral port functions like the
Expansion port.
A single Legacy peripheral can be connected to
the Legacy Peripheral port using any
Pro Tools MIX peripheral cable. Two Legacy in-
terfaces can be connected to a single Legacy Pe-
ripheral port using a “Y” cable (16-channel Pe-
ripheral Cable Adapter).
The maximum number of Legacy peripherals
that can be connected to an HD system is eight;
requiring four HD-series audio interfaces and
four 16-channel Peripheral Cable Adapters.
To connect Digidesign Legacy audio interfaces:
1 Connect one end of a Pro Tools|24 MIX pe-
ripheral cable to the Legacy port on a 192 I/O,
192 Digital I/O, or 96 I/O.
2 Connect the other end of the cable to your
MIX compatible audio interface.
3 Connect the External Clock Out of the pri-
mary interface to the Slave Clock In of the Leg-
acy audio interface using a BNC cable.
4 If connecting two Legacy peripherals, connect
the Slave Clock Out of the first Legacy periph-
eral to the Slave Clock In of the second Legacy
peripheral.
Identifying Audio Interfaces
If you have multiple audio interfaces of the
same type connected to your system, you can
confirm the identity of each interface. This en-
sures that you choose the appropriate interface
in the Peripherals list when you define its inputs
and outputs in the Hardware Setup dialog.
To identify audio interfaces in your system:
1 Choose Setups > Hardware Setup.
2 From the Peripherals list, select an audio inter-
face connected to your system.
3 Make sure the Main page tab is chosen.
4 Select the Identify option, located in the lower
left corner of the Hardware Setup dialog. This il-
luminates all the LEDs on the front panel of the
selected audio interface.
5 Make a note of which interface in your studio
setup corresponds to the identified interface.
6 Repeat the above steps for each additional au-
dio interface in your setup.
The Legacy port and the Expansion port are
mutually exclusive. They both use Group B:
Channels 17–32. Choose between the Leg-
acy port and the Expansion port in the
Pro Tools Hardware Setup dialog.
The Legacy port is not available in
Pro Tools sessions at sample rates greater
than 48 kHz.
Do not connect the Slave Clock Out of the
last Legacy peripheral to the clock input on
any HD-series interface.
If using an 888|24 I/O, do not power on the
888|24 until you are ready to declare it in
the Hardware Setup dialog, after launching
Pro Tools. See the “Getting Started with HD
Guide” for more information.
Expanded Systems Guide.book Page 12 Friday, March 26, 2004 6:47 AM

Chapter 3: Expansion Chassis 13
chapter 3
Expansion Chassis
This chapter provides information for configur-
ing Digidesign-qualified expansion chassis.
For a complete and current list of supported
configurations of computers, expansion
chassis, and hard drives for maximum
voices with Pro Tools systems, visit the
Digidesign Web site (www.digide-
sign.com/compato).
Not all chassis are supported on all
Pro Tools systems.
Consult your Digidesign dealer or the
Digidesign Web site (www.digide-
sign.com/compato) before purchasing an
expansion chassis for your Pro Tools sys-
tem.
Expanded Systems Guide.book Page 13 Friday, March 26, 2004 6:47 AM

Expanded Systems Guide14
Magma 7-Slot Expansion
Chassis
Slot Layout for Magma 7-Slot
Expansion Chassis
Magma models P7R-D1 and P7RQ-D1 have slots
that are numbered sequentially, right-to-left
from the front (4–10).
The 64-bit, 33 mHz Magma 7-Slot Expansion
Chassis model PCI7R464 has slots that are num-
bered sequentially, right-to-left from the front
(1–7).
Configuring the Magma 7-Slot
Expansion Chassis
Connecting the Expansion Chassis
Install the chassis host card:
1 Turn off the expansion chassis, your com-
puter, and any peripherals. Leave your com-
puter’s power cable plugged in so the computer
is grounded.
2 Open the computer case. For additional de-
tails on installing a card in your computer, refer
to its documentation.
3 Install the Magma Host Card in the lowest
numbered slot in your computer. On a Windows
PC (such as an HP Workstation xw8000 or Dell
Precision Workstation 650), this will be the slot
furthest from the graphics card. On a Macin-
tosh, this will be the slot closest to the graphics
card.
4 Attach a 2- or 4-foot expansion chassis cable
to the host card. If necessary, refer to the Magma
guide for specific instructions.
5 If using a SCSI HBA, install it in the highest
numbered remaining slot in your computer.
Slot numbering for Magma model PCI-7R
Slot numbering for Magma model PCI7R464
Slot 4
Expansion
Controller
Slot 10
Power
Supply
Slot 1
Slot 7
Power
Supply
Before removing cards from their antistatic
bags or handling any card, discharge any
static electricity that may be on your clothes
or body by touching a grounded metal sur-
face (such as the power supply case inside
your computer).
Refer to your computer’s documentation to
verify slot order.
6-foot expansion chassis cables are not sup-
ported.
Expanded Systems Guide.book Page 14 Friday, March 26, 2004 6:47 AM

Chapter 3: Expansion Chassis 15
Install the chassis controller card:
1 Install the Magma Controller card in the Ex-
pansion Slot of the expansion chassis.
2 Attach the other end of the expansion chassis
cable to the controller card. If necessary, refer to
the Magma guide for specific instructions.
Installing the Digidesign Cards
Install the Digidesign audio cards:
1 Install the Pro Tools Core card in the first slot
(numbered slot 4 in Magma models P7R-D1 and
P7RQ-D1) of the expansion chassis.
2 Install the remaining cards in successive PCI
card slots in the chassis, according to your
Pro Tools system:
•Pro Tools|HD
• HD Accel
• HD Process
3 Connect all Pro Tools cards with TDM FlexCa-
bles. See “Connecting Pro Tools|HD Cards” on
page 6.
Example 1, Magma 7-Slot
Connecting Audio Interfaces
See “Connecting Audio Interfaces” on page 9.
HD-series cards and Pro Tools|24 MIX-se-
ries cards are not compatible, and cannot be
used in the same computer. HD cards can
only be used in Pro Tools|HD-series sys-
tems, and MIX cards can only be used in
Pro Tools|24 MIX-series systems.
Chassis cards with multiple audio interfaces:
Slot Card
Exp. Slot Chassis Controller Card
Slot 1 HD Core (Interface #1 and #2)
Slot 2 HD Accel (interface #3 and #4)
Slot 3 HD Accel (Interface #5 and #6)
Slot 4 HD Accel (Interface #7 and #8)
Slot 5 HD Process
Slot 6 HD Process
Slot 7 HD Process
Expanded Systems Guide.book Page 15 Friday, March 26, 2004 6:47 AM

Expanded Systems Guide16
Digidesign and Magma 13-Slot
Expansion Chassis
(Macintosh Only)
Digidesign 13-Slot Expansion Chassis
Digidesign Expansion Chassis with serial num-
bers NB06000C1 or higher are identical to the
Magma model PCI-13R. For compatibility and
configuration details, refer to the information
that pertains to that model on the Digidesign
Web site (www.digidesign.com).
Slot Layout for Digidesign 13-Slot
Expansion Chassis
The Digidesign 13-Slot Expansion Chassis has
slots that are numbered sequentially, right-to-
left from the front, in two banks (4–9 and 4–10).
Configuring the Digidesign 13-Slot
Expansion Chassis
Connecting the Expansion Chassis
Install the chassis host card:
1 Turn off the expansion chassis, your com-
puter, and any peripherals. Leave your com-
puter’s power cable plugged in so the computer
is grounded.
2 Open the computer case. For additional de-
tails on installing a card in your computer, refer
to its documentation.
3 Install the Digidesign Host Card in the lowest
numbered slot in your computer. This will be
the slot closest to the graphics card.
4 Attach a 2- or 4-foot expansion chassis cable
to the host card.
5 If using a SCSI HBA, install it in the highest
numbered remaining slot in your computer.
The Digidesign Pro Tools Expansion Chas-
sis 13-slot is supported on Mac OS X.
Slot numbering for the Digidesign 13-slot Expansion
Chassis
First Bank
Slots 4–9
Expansion
Controller
Second Bank
Slots 4–10
Before removing cards from their antistatic
bags or handling any card, discharge any
static electricity that may be on your clothes
or body by touching a grounded metal sur-
face (such as the power supply case inside
your computer).
Refer to your computer’s documentation to
verify slot order.
If using Digidesign 13-Slot Expansion
Chassis, make sure you attach the chassis
cable to the host card and not your SCSI
HBA. Both cards have a 68-pin VHDCI
connector.
6-foot expansion chassis cables are not sup-
ported.
Expanded Systems Guide.book Page 16 Friday, March 26, 2004 6:47 AM