Digigram VX1221e User manual

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VX1221e
VX1222e
Professional Multichannel
Sound Cards
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
User’s manual

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For technical support,
please contact your system supplier.
Digigram S.A.
82/84 Allée Galilée, 38330 Montbonnot-Saint-Martin, FRANCE
Tel: [phone]• Fax: [phone]• E-mail: [email protected]

Digigram Asia Pte Ltd.
60 Albert Street - #19-11OG Albert Complex Singapore 189969, Singapore
Tel : [phone] • Fax : [phone] • E-mail : [email protected]

2

VX1221e & VX1222e
User Manual
Table of Contents
1 INFORMATION FOR THE USER 4
2 IMPORTANT NOTICE 6
3 CONTENTS OF THIS PACKAGE 7
4 FEATURES 7
4.1 VX1221e main hardware features 8
4.2 VX1222e main hardware features 8
4.3 Main software features 9
5 REQUIREMENTS 9
5.1 Minimum hardware requirements 10
5.2 Software requirements 10
5.3 Supported operating systems 10
6 HARDWARE INSTALLATION 10
7 SOFTWARE INSTALLATION 12
7.1 Standard installation under Windows 12
7.2 Parameterizing the ASIO and Wave drivers 13
Removing the driver under Windows XP
and Windows Server 2003 15
7.4 Removing the driver under other Windows versions 15
8 How to check the installation 15
9 The ‘Digigram Hardware Settings’ (‘DHS’) control panel 17
10 SPECIFICATIONS 19
10.1 Configuration 19
10.2 Inputs 19
10.3 Outputs 20
10.4 Connectors 20
10.5 Audio specifications 20
10.6 Audio Performance 21
10.7 Development environments 21
10.8 VX1221e Schematic Diagram 22
10.9 VX1222e Schematic Diagram 22
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10.10 LAYOUT 23
10.11 VX1221e cable diagram 24
10.12 VX1221e wiring diagram 25
10.13 Adapter cable Sub-D 62 ⬄ SCSI 68 MDR (before July 2015) 25
10.14 Adapter cable Sub-D 62 ⬄ SCSI 68 MDR (since July 2015) 26
10.15 Connection cable VX1222e ⬄ BoB12 (before July 2015) 26
10.16 Connection cable VX1222e ⬄ BoB8 (since July 2015) 27
10.17 Sub-D 62 ⬄ SCSI 68 MDR wiring diagram 28
10.18 VX1222e cable diagram 29
10.19 VX1222e wiring diagram 30
10.20 VX1221e cable pinout 32
10.21 VX1222e cable pinout 32
Copyright 2007 – 2018 Digigram. All rights reserved. 
No portion of this manual may be reproduced without prior written consent from Digigram. The copyright
protection claimed here includes photocopying, translation and/or reformatting of the information contained in this
manual. 
While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, Digigram is not responsible for typos, errors, or omissions,
and reserves the right to make improvements or changes in the products and programs described without notice. 
Digigram and the Digigram logo, VX1222e, and VX1221e are registered trademarks or trademarks of Digigram S.A.
Other trademarks are property of their respective holders. 
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4

VX1221e & VX1222e
User Manual
1 INFORMATION FOR THE USER
This device complies with part 15 of FCC rules. Operation is subject to the
following two conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference,
and (2) This device must accept any interference received, including
interference that may cause undesired operation.
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a
CLASS B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are
designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a
residential installation. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio
frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the
instructions contained in this data sheet, may cause harmful interference to
radio and television communications. However, there is no guarantee that
interference will not occur in a particular installation.
If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television
reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the
user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the
following measures:
* reorient or relocate the receiving antenna
* increase the separation between the equipment and the receiver
* connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that of the
receiver
* consult the dealer or an experienced audio television technician.
Note  : Connecting this device to peripheral devices that do not comply with
CLASS B requirements or using an unshielded peripheral data cable could also
result in harmful interference to radio or television reception. The user is
cautioned that any changes or modifications not expressly approved
by the party responsible for compliance could void the user’s
authority to operate this equipment. To ensure that the use of this product
does not contribute to interference, it is necessary to use shielded I/O
cables.
Warning:
Electrostatic discharge (ESD) can damage
several components on the board. To avoid
such damage in handling the board, take the
following precautions:
Bring the device and everything that contacts it
to ground potential by providing a conductive
surface and discharge paths. As a minimum, observe these precautions:
●Disconnect all power and signal sources.
●Place the device on a grounded conductive work surface.
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●Ground yourself via a grounding wrist strap or
by holding a grounded object.
●Ground any tool that will contact the device.
Due to the reduced length of the PCI EXPRESS 
TM bus connector
and the resulting lack of mechanical stability, we strongly advise
against transporting the card(s) installed in a computer, unless its
chassis or case provides a dedicated support to keep the card
securely in place in order to avoid physical damage.
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6

VX1221e & VX1222e
User Manual
2 IMPORTANT NOTICE
This card has been tested and found to comply with the following
standards:
● International: CISPR22 Class B
● Europe: EMC 89/336/CEE (1992) specifications
● United States: FCC Rules-Part 15-Class B (digital device)
In order to guarantee compliance with the above standards in an
installation, the following must be done:
● the provided cable must not be modified
● additional cables used must have their respective shield
connected to each extremity

3 CONTENTS OF THIS PACKAGE
Thank you for purchasing a Digigram VX sound card.
The package consists of the following components:
● a VX1221e or VX1222e sound card
The end user version additionally includes:
● breakout cable(s)
● a CD-Rom with drivers, installation notices, FAQs, etc…
For the OEM version, the cables are available optionally.
Also available (optional):
2U 19-inch breakout box allowing straightforward and secure
connection to all the cards’ I/Os
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4 FEATURES
VX1222e and VX1221e are audio cards for PCI EXPRESSTM (PCIe®)
bus. They are in PCI EXPRESSTM x1 format and can thus be plugged
into any PCIe® slot
(x1, x2, x4, x8, x16, x32).
4.1 VX1221e main hardware features
● 1 digital AES/EBU ∗∗ stereo input, with hardware sample rate
1
converter
(up to 192 kHz) and programmable digital gain
● 6 digital AES/EBU∗∗ stereo outputs (up to 192 kHz) with
programmable digital gain
● 1 digital AES/EBU∗∗ stereo sync input (up to 192 kHz in play and
record)
● 1 standard Word Clock input (up to 96 kHz)
● 1 standard Word Clock output (up to 96 kHz)
● 1 video sync input
● 1 SMPTE/LTC (Linear Time Code) sync input
4.2 VX1222e main hardware features
All features of the VX1221e, plus:
● 2 balanced ∗∗∗∗ analog mono line inputs, with software
2
programmable analog and digital gain
● 12 servo-balanced ∗∗∗∗∗∗ analog mono line outputs, with software
3
programmable analog and digital gain
● 192 kHz / 24-bit converters
● Maximum level on analog inputs and outputs: +24 dBu
Note  : The digital outputs always play the digital version of the corresponding
analog outputs.
The selection of the AES/EBU input excludes the selection of the
corresponding analog inputs.
1∗∗ can be used as S/PDIF interface as well
2∗∗∗∗ can be used with unbalanced signals
3∗∗∗∗∗∗
 Electronically servo-balanced outputs provide automatic level adjustment
to accommodate either balanced or unbalanced lines
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VX1221e & VX1222e
User Manual
4.3 Main software features
● Real-time, simultaneous PCM record and playback (8, 16 and 24
bits), Float IEEE754 (with 24-bit fixed-point dynamic range)
● When using the np SDK, real-time on-board mixing of several
PCM audio streams, direct monitoring, level adjustment, panning,
cross-fades, punch-in/punch-out, scrubbing
● Low latency DirectSound, Wave ∗∗∗∗∗∗∗∗, and ASIO drivers
4
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4∗∗∗∗∗∗∗∗ Windows XP and Server 2003 only
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5 REQUIREMENTS
5.1 Minimum hardware requirements
PC with one free PCI EXPRESSTM (PCIe®) slot (x1, x2, x4, x8, x16 or
x32).
CPU power and memory required depend on the operating system and
on the audio application used.
5.2 Software requirements
To use your VX1221e or VX1222e, install the driver from the HR
Runtime package version 1.60 or higher. This package includes:
● a Digigram np driver enabling OEM applications to best
capitalize on the boards
● a WDM DirectSound driver
Microsoft DirectX 9 or higher must be installed on your
computer
● a Wave driver ∗∗ (32 bits, installation optional)
5
● an ASIO driver (32 bits, installation optional)
Note:  the  HR Runtime package for Windows Vista does not include a
Wave driver. In case your audio application explicitly requires a
Wave interface, a Wave driver is available on request. In this
case, please contact  Digigram  .
5.3 Supported operating systems
VX1221e and VX1222e cards run under Windows XP, Windows
Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, and Windows 7.
6 HARDWARE INSTALLATION
Due to the reduced length of the PCI EXPRESS
TM bus connector and the            
resulting lack of mechanical stability, we strongly advise against transporting         
the card(s) installed in a computer, unless its chassis or case provides a            
dedicated support to keep the card securely in place in order to avoid            
physical damage.
The card has to be installed in the computer prior to installing its driver.
5∗∗ Windows XP and Server 2003 only
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VX1221e & VX1222e
User Manual
Installing the card
Gently plug the card in a free PCI slot and press it down to position it
firmly. Tighten the screw.
Interrupt and memory address
Hardware interrupt and addresses are automatically set up at start-up
by the PCI PnP BIOS.
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7 SOFTWARE INSTALLATION
Note: the installation of the software requires administrator rights
on your computer
Please visit the Digigram web site at www.digigram.com for the most
recent driver.
In case you run a specific application developed or installed by a
Digigram Partner, this application might require the use of a specific
driver version. In this case, make sure that the updated driver has
been approved by your supplier.
7.1 Standard installation under Windows
If the driver has been downloaded from our web site, it has to be
expanded prior to the driver’s installation as follows: double-click on
the downloaded file (self-expanding). You can use the default
destination location (Windows temporary folder) or select another
directory.
● Shut down your computer and insert your VX card.
● Restart your computer.
● Click on Cancel if the Found New Hardware Wizard
appears.
● Double-click on the HR Runtime vxx.msi/HR Runtime
vxx.msi for Vista icon to launch the driver installation.
● A welcome message is displayed, click Next to continue.
● The “License Agreement” window appears: read it, and
click on
“I accept the terms in the license agreement” to approve
it.
● Do the same in the next window for Virtual PCX and PC
Codec Legal Notice.
● In the “Custom Setup” window, the “Drivers for the HR
board  s” are displayed; by default, both WDM DirectSound
and ASIO HR are installed.
To install the Wave driver ∗∗, select ‘Wave’.
6
To be able to use your VX card through np, select the
‘Digigram np’ component option (or make sure that the np
6∗∗ Windows XP and Server 2003 only
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VX1221e & VX1222e
User Manual
application explicitly sets the ‘VX_FLAG’ with PCXInitialize()  ).
Next.
● In the “Ready to Install the Program Window”, click on Install
to start copying the files.
●Note:  In case you use an unsigned driver
version, the “Digital Signature Not Found”
message may appear because a non-Microsoft
software is about to be installed.
Click on  Continue  in the  “Hardware
installation” window (Windows XP,
Server 2003).
●Under Windows Vista:
Click  Allow  in the “  User Account Control  ” window.
Click  Install  in the “  Windows Security  ” window.
● In the “Digigram drivers” window, select the number and
the size of buffers required by your applications. Click on Ok.
● Click Finish to complete the driver installation.
7.2 Parameterizing the ASIO and Wave drivers
Note  : for most current ASIO/Wave applications (e.g. Cubase,
Nuendo, Winamp etc...) you have the choice between a
32-bit version and a 64-bit version when installing them
under Windows  ≥  Vista. For operation with your sound
card, make sure to use the 32-bit version!
For all sound cards of the VX range, “PCM only” is the only operating
mode, therefore this button is not functional in the Digigram control
panel (CPL). (To access this control panel, go to <Start>,
<Programs>,<Digigram>,<Digigram Control Center>). For detailed
information on how to use the Digigram control panel, please refer to its
online help (“? Help” button).
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14

VX1221e & VX1222e
User Manual
Removing the driver under Windows XP
and Windows Server 2003
● Open the Windows Control Panel and double-click on the
Add/Remove Software icon.
● Select “Digigram HR Runtime …”  , and Change/Remove.
● Select Remove in the np Runtime window.
● Follow the instructions to finish to remove the driver.
7.4 Removing the driver under other Windows
versions
● Open the Windows Control Panel and double-click on the
Programs and Features icon.
● Select “Digigram HR Runtime for Vista…”  , and
Change/Remove.
● Select Remove in the HR Runtime window.
● Follow the instructions to finish removing the driver.
8 How to check the installation
Once the cards and the driver have been installed according to the
procedure described in this manual, you can verify that the card is
properly installed and works fine as follows:
● Menu <Start> <Settings> <Control panel>,<Sound and
Multimedia>, tab “Audio”,Default device (Playback device,
Recording device). The card’s channels can be selected. The
card can be used with any DirectSound  application.
● Available WDM recording and playback devices are:
● VX1221e (VX1222e) 1+2 (WDM) (record and playback  )
● VX1221e (VX1222e) 3+4 (WDM) (playback  )
● VX1221e (VX1222e) 5+6 (WDM) (playback  )
● VX1221e (VX1222e) 7+8 (WDM) (playback  )
● VX1221e (VX1222e) 9+10 (WDM) (playback  )
● VX1221e (VX1222e) 11+12 (WDM) (playback  )
● VX1221e (VX1222e) 5.1A (WDM) (playback  )
● VX1221e (VX1222e) 5.1B (WDM) (playback  )
● VX1221e (VX1222e) 7.1 (WDM) (playback  )
● The card is also visible via the np interface: go to <Start>
<Programs> <Digigram> and select <Digigram Control
Center>.
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● In the “Digigram drivers” window, select the ‘General
Information’ tab.
In the “Modules Information” window, you can see the
HR Runtime modules that have been installed, and their
versions.
● In the “Digigram drivers” window, select the
‘Diagnostics’ tab.
You should see here the icons of the cards you have
installed.
● If the card you have installed is listed:
● Right click on the icon of the card.
● Select ‘Diagnostics’, and Play Sine  . This plays in
loop a sine signal on the outputs of the card. You can
also select Play file  to play in loop a file of your
choice (PCM only).
If the playback is correct, the card is correctly
installed and works.
● To stop the playback, right click on the card icon, and
select Stop Activities  .
● If the card is not displayed:
● Make sure that during the HR Runtime installation
the “Driver for the HR boards” has been selected
in the “Select components” window.
● Make sure that the card is correctly inserted in the
PCI slot, and screwed on the PC chassis.
● If necessary, uninstall the HR Runtime package as
described in this manual, and re-install it.
● If the Wave driver has been installed:
● Go to menu <Start>,<Settings>,<Control panel>,
<Sound and Multimedia>, tab “Audio”, Default
device (Playback device, Recording device). The
card’s channels can be selected. The card can be
used with any Wave application.
● Available Wave recording and playback devices are:
● VX1221e (VX1222e) 1+2 (Wave) (record and
playback  )
● VX1221e (VX1222e) 3+4 (Wave) (playback  )
● VX1221e (VX1222e) 5+6 (Wave) (playback  )
● VX1221e (VX1222e) 7+8 (Wave) (playback  )
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VX1221e & VX1222e
User Manual
● VX1221e (VX1222e) 9+10 (Wave) (playback  )
● VX1221e (VX1222e) 11+12 (Wave) (playback  )
● VX1221e (VX1222e) 5.1A (Wave) (playback  )
● VX1221e (VX1222e) 5.1B (Wave) (playback  )
● VX1221e (VX1222e) 5.1+2 (Wave) (playback  )
● VX1221e (VX1222e) 7.1 (Wave) (playback  )
● VX1221e (VX1222e) 7.1+2 (Wave) (playback  )
If the ASIO driver has been installed, the card is visible from any ASIO
application.
Note:
5.1A plays on outputs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
5.1B plays on outputs 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
7.1 plays on outputs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
5.1+2 plays on outputs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
7.1+2 plays on outputs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
9 The ‘Digigram Hardware Settings’ (‘DHS’)
control panel
Digigram hardware settings (DHS) is an application allowing to
configure the hardware resources of Digigram cards for all audio
applications using them.
A resource being managed by the DHS application can not be modified
by any other applications. To enable an audio application to modify a
Digigram card resource, this resource must not be managed by the
DHS.
Note: As soon as a resource of a card is managed by the DHS,
the clock selection of this card  MUST  be defined in the DHS.
The DHS allows to:
●Select the clock the card uses
●Select the input source
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
●Set analog and digital gains of an input
●Enable Sample Rate Converters of an input
●Select the input monitored on an output
●Set the monitoring gains
●Set the analog and digital gains of an output
●Define the digital output format
For help on how to use this control panel, please refer to its on-line
help.
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VX1221e & VX1222e
User Manual
10 SPECIFICATIONS
10.1 Configuration
VX1221e
VX1222e
Bus/Format
PCI EXPRESSTM (PCIe®) x1
(x2, x4, x8, x16, x32 compatible)
Size
168 mm x 111 mm x 20 mm
Power requirements
(+3.3 V / +12 V)
1.5 A / 0.1 A
3 A / 0.4 A
Operating: temp / humidity
(non-condensing)
0°C / +50°C • 5% / 90%
Storage: temp / humidity
(non-condensing)
-5°C / +70°C • 0% / 95%
10.2 Inputs
VX1221e
VX1222e
Analog line inputs (mono)
-
2 balanced ∗∗
7
Maximum input level/
impedance
-
+24 dBu/ >10 kΩ
Digital input (stereo)
1 AES/EBU ∗∗∗∗ with hw Sample Rate
8
Converter,
7.5:1 to 1:8, up to 192 kHz
Programmable input gain
digital:
from –110 dB to +18
dB
analog:
from –94.5dB to +15.5
dB ⊗⊗
9
digital:
from –110 dB to +18 dB
Other inputs
AES/EBU Sync (up to 192 kHz),
Word clock (up to 96 kHz), LTC, Video
AES11 synchronization
Yes
7
∗∗ can be used with unbalanced signals
8
∗∗∗∗ can be used as S/PDIF interface as well
9⊗⊗ maximum sensitivity: 0 dBFs for –15.5 dBu input
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
10.3 Outputs
VX1221e
VX1222e
Analog line outputs
(mono)
-
12 servo-balanced10
∗∗∗∗∗∗
Maximum output level /
impedance
-
+24 dBu / <100 Ω
Digital outputs (stereo)
6 AES/EBU∗∗∗∗, up to 192 kHz
Programmable output
gain
digital:
from –110 dB to +18
dB
analog:
from –86 dB to +24 dB
digital:
from –110 dB to +18
dB
Other outputs
Word clock (up to 96 kHz)
10.4 Connectors
VX1221e
VX1222e
Internal connectors
Inter-board Sync
External connector
68-pin SCSI MDR
Digigram accessories
available
Breakout cable or 2U 19" Breakout Box
10.5 Audio specifications
VX1221e
VX1222e
Sampling frequencies
available
Programmable from
22.05 to 192 kHz
Programmable from
8 to 192 kHz
A/D and D/A
converter resolution
-
24 bits
Supported audio formats
PCM (8, 16, 24 bits), Float IEEE754

10
∗∗∗∗∗∗
electronically servo-balanced outputs provide automatic level adjustment to
accommodate either balanced or unbalanced lines
20