Gadget Labs WavePRO SPDIF User manual

User Guide
SPDIF and ADAT Option Cards
®


INTRODUCTION
Thanks for purchasing gear from Gadget Labs!
The SPDIF and ADAT option cardsfacilitate direct digital audio data
transfer to and from your PC via aWavePRO interface card. Each
WavePRO PCI card has special on-board connectors that can
accommodate a single option card (either SPDIF or ADAT).
The SPDIF option card interfaces with any equipment that supports
the S/P DIF standard digital audio standard, such as DAT recorders
(digital audio tape), audio processing units or music synthesizers.
The S/P DIF standard includes both consumer and professional modes
and the SPDIF option card supports both modes. Also, 16-bit and 24-
bit data transfer is supported.
The ADAT option card interfaces with equipment that supports the
ADAT optical, “light-pipe” standard for digital audio such as ADAT
digital tape recorders, digital mixers and digital audio converters. 16-
bit, 20-bit and 24-bit transfer modes are supported.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction .................................................................. 1
Digital connections summary .............................................. 2
Installing the Option Card & software drivers.......................... 3
Using the SPDIF or ADAT Option Cards................................... 9
Advanced Feature: Word Clock and external clocking..............11
Warranty information......................................................13
1

ADAT SPDIF Word Clock sync
connection (all cards) Wave/424 Wave/496 Wave/824
(included with
ADAT card)
RCA jacks
on Wave/824 card üü
RCA jacks via adapters
on Digital I/O bracket
üü üü
Optical TOSLINK jacks
on Digital I/O bracket üü üü üü
BNC coax jacks
on Digital I/O bracket üü
DIGITAL CONNECTIONS SUMMARY
The digital audio connections to and from a SPDIF or ADAT option card
can be electrical (via RCA or BNC coax jacks) or optical (via TOSLINK-
type optical connectors).
If you are installing the SPDIF option card onto the Wave/824,there
are RCA jacks already on the PCI card that can be used for electrical
connections. Optionally, the Digital I/O bracket can also be used
with the Wave/824 and the SPDIF option card if you need optical
connections.
If you are installing the ADAT option card, the Digital I/O bracket is
included. If you are installing the SPDIF option card on the Wave/424
or Wave/496, the Digital I/O bracket is included.
Purcell, CA
P108-000
IN
OUT
Wave/824
PCI card
RCA-type
jacks for
SPDIF option
card
JP4
2
14
3
JP2
JP3
JP1
3
2
1
3
2
1
DIGITAL I/O EXTENDER
Copyright c 1999
3001100-BD01
O
Digital I/O bracket
Optical “light-pipe”
connections (TOSLINK)
BNC-type coax connections
(for Word Clock sync
option on WavePRO ADAT
option card)
Adapters for
RCA-type
connections
for SPDIF
option card
2

INSTALLING THE SPDIF OR ADAT OPTION CARD
& SOFTWARE DRIVERS
STEP ŒŒ Shut down and turn off your PC
Before you begin installing an option card, please note:
Static electricity can damage electronic components!
Take the following precaution before you install the option
card:
Shut down and turn off the PC but leave it plugged in. Touch
the metal chassis of the PC to drain the static from your bod J
before you touch the WavePRO PCI card or the option card.
Next, unplug the PC's power cable. Follow the steps in your PC's
user manual and remove the PC chassis cover.
STEP •Disconnect all cables from your WavePRO PCI card
and remove the PCI card from your PC.
For the Wave/824 or Wave/496, disconnect the Patch Box
cable from the WavePRO PCI card. For the Wave/424,
disconnect and audio cables from the card.
STEP ŽŽ Connect the gray signal
cable that came with the
option card to the back of
the SPDIF or ADAT card.
Don't worry -- the connectors are
keyed & there's no way to plug in
the signal cable incorrectly.
3

STEP •Connect the SPDIF or
ADAT option card to the
PCI card at the multi-
pin connections.
STEP •CAUTION
MAKE SURE that
that the pins are
lined up properly!
4
STEP ‘‘ Wave/824 + SPDIF step
If you are installing the SPDIF
option card onto the Wave/824,
there are RCA jacks on the card
that can be used to connect
external digital audio equipment
to the card.
To use these SPDIF RCA jacks,
plug the gray signal cable from
the SPDIF card onto the
Wave/824 PCI card at location
JP2 (as shown)

For the Wave/824
card with SPDIF-
via-RCA jacks,
here's how the
finished
connections
should look.
Wave/824 JP2 connector to SPDIF RCA Jacks
Purcell, CA
P108-000
IN
OUT
Wave/824 PCI card connections
25-pin connector for
cable to Patch box
IN
OUT
RCA-type jacks for
SPDIF option card
STEP ’’ CONFIGURING THE DIGITAL I/O BRACKET
Note: if you have a Wave/824 with a SPDIF option card and you
are not using the Digital I/O bracket, skip to Step 9
The Digital I/O bracket is required for the ADAT option card. It
is also required when using the SPDIF option card with either the
Wave/424 or the Wave/496. It can also be used as an option
with the Wave/824 (to facilitate optical connections).
The Digital I/O bracket includes a small circuit board and this
circuit board is connected to the SPDIF or ADAT option card via a
gray signal cable.
Before you install the Digital I/O bracket, you’ll need to check
the jumper strapping. The jumper strapping consists of jumper
blocks that are connected across pins to create a circuit
connection.
5

Transmitting digital audio
When using the Digital I/O
bracket with the SPDIF
option card, digital audio
is transmitted
simultaneously on both
the RCA jacks and the
Optical TOSlink jacks.
Receiving digital audio
You will need to select
either the RCA jacks or the
optical jacks as the
receive connection.
Jumpers J1, J3, and J4
are used to select the SPDIF
receive mode
For use with
SPDIF, make
sure that the
RCA jack
adapters are
installed.
DIGITAL I/O EXTENDER
Copyright c 1999
3001100-BD01
O
JP4
2
14
3
JP2
JP3
JP1
3
2
1
3
2
1
6
J1 use a jumper block (included) to
connect pins 2 and 3
J2 this connector is used to connect the gray
signal cable to the SPDIF option card.
J3 no jumper blocks required
J4 no jumper blocks required.
Receive SPDIF via Optical TOSLINK
JP3
JP1
3
2
1
3
2
1
JP2 JP4
2
14 3
SPDIF JUMPER STRAPPING
J1 use a jumper block (included) to
connect pins 1 and 2
J2 this connector is used to connect the gray
signal cable to the SPDIF option card.
J3 use a jumper block to connect pins 1 and 2
J4 use a jumper block to connect pins 3 and 4
Receive SPDIF via RCA jacks
JP3
JP1
3
2
1
3
2
1
JP2 JP4
2
14 3

ADAT JUMPER STRAPPING
For the ADAT option card, the Digital I/O bracket is configured as
shown below. Check this strapping before installation.
JP3
JP1
3
2
1
3
2
1
JP2 JP4
2
14 3J1 use a jumper block (included) to
connect pins 1 and 2
J2 this connector is used to connect the gray
signal cable to the SPDIF option card.
J3 use a jumper block to connect pins 2 and 3
J4 use a jumper block to connect pins 3 and 4
STEP ““ CONNECT THE GRAY SIGNAL CABLE TO THE
DIGITAL I/O BRACKET
Don't worry -- the connectors are keyed & there's no way
to plug in the signal cable incorrectly.
7

STEP ”” After the previous steps are completed:
-Plug the PCI card back into the computer
-If you are using the Digital I/O bracket, plug it into the
computer
-reconnect the cable between the PCI card and the Patch box
-reconnect the PC's power cord & turn on the PC.
STEP •• UPDATING THE WINDOWS SOFTWARE DRIVER
The SPDIF or ADAT option cardsrequire WavePRO driver version
4.0 or higher. If you are using an earlier version, you MUST
update the driver. Use the driver diskette that's included with
this SPDIF package.
PRINT OUT AND FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS IN THE README
FILE ON THE DRIVER DISKETTE TO INSTALL THE NEW DRIVER.
8

USING THE SPDIF or ADAT OPTION CARD
The SPDIF and ADAT option cardsadd additional channels to the
WavePRO interface.
After adding the SPDIF option, for the Wave/824 you will have 10
audio inputs and 10 outputs that can be used independently. For the
Wave/424 and Wave/496, you’ll have 6 audio inputs and 6 outputs.
After adding the ADAT option, for the Wave/824 you will have 16
audio inputs and 16outputs that can be used independently. For the
Wave/424 and Wave/496, you’ll have 12 audio inputs and 12 outputs.
Here's a step-by-step guide to using an Option Card.
1. Connect the digital I/O jacks from the WavePRO interface to
your audio equipment.
If you are using the RCA jacks, make sure you have the proper
cable. For optimal results and to avoid drop-outs, you should
not use standard audio cablesto carry the SPDIF data. We
recommend using a a 75-ohm video cable (these cables are
available at most any electronics retailer).
2. Setup you application software to utilize the extra channels.
For SPDIF, the extra channels are identified to your software
application as "Channel 9/10 SPDIF WavePRO” on the
Wave/824 and as "Channel 5/6 SPDIF WavePRO" on the
Wave/424 and Wave/496.
For ADAT with the Wave/824 the channels are identified as:
Channel 9/10 ADAT WavePRO
Channel 11/12 ADAT WavePRO
Channel 13/14 ADAT WavePRO
Channel 15/16 ADAT WavePRO
When using the ADAT option card with the Wave/424 and
Wave/496, the ADAT channels are numbered starting at
channel 5.
The channels are accessed and opened by the application in
the same fashion as all the other channels on the WavePRO
interface.Please refer to the WavePRO User Guide for specific
application instructions.
3. Set the audio sample rate in the application to match the rate
that's supported by your audio equipment. The SPDIF option
9

When you add the
SPDIF option, another
setting will
automatically appear in
the WavePRO control
panel applet. The
setting allows you to
choose professional or
consumer mode and is
dependent on the
mode of the connected
equipment. Most SPDIF
equipment operates in
consumer mode (the
default).
6. Record or play audio using the same application functions that
are used for recording and playing audio with the other
WavePRO interface channels.
n
10
supports rates of 32 kHz, 44.1 kHz or 48 kHz. The ADAT option
card supports rates of 44.1 kHz or 48 kHz.
NOTE: All channels on the WavePRO interface must operate at
the same sample rate. For example, if you are trying
to record a track using the SPDIF input and the
application is not setup to record at the same sample
rate as your equipment, an error message saying,
"invalid sample rate" will be displayed.
4. Set the bit-depth in the application to match the bit-depth of
the connected audio equipment. If the equipment is 16-bit,
the application should be set up to record and play 16-bit
samples.
If the audio equipment is 18, 20 or 24-bits, set the software
application to record and play 24-bits.
5. For SPDIF, make sure that the SPDIF mode is set correctly.
This setting is found in the WavePRO applet for the Windows
Control Panel.

11
Word Clock and external clocking
The "heartbeat" of digital audio gear is determined by an electronic
clock. Due to design and manufacturing tolerances, the internal
clocks within different pieces of digital audio gear will vary by small
percentages.
To provide flawless data exchange and to prevent timing drift
between tracks, it's necessary that the digital audio gear share the
same clock. In other words, a piece of equipment is designated as the
"master" and it uses its own internal clock. The other pieces of gear
are then set to be the "slave(s)", using an external clock.
When a SPDIF or ADAT option card is added to a WavePRO interface,
the interface is enhanced to support external clocking.
The clock can be transmitted between the gear by the digital audio
interface cable (SPDIF or ADAT). In other words, the clock is
embedded in the digital audio signal.
Additionally, a Word Clock feature is included with the WavePro ADAT
option card. Word Clock is shared between digital audio gear via a
coaxial cable connected to the Word Clock input and output BNC
jacks.
NOTE: When you are using a WavePRO interface to receive
(record) digital audio data from another piece of
gear, it's necessary that the WavePRO interface be set
to use external clocking. The WavePRO card will act
as a "slave" to the other digital audio equipment.
TIPS
nIf you receive an "invalid sample rate" error message, check the
connections between the WavePRO interface and the audio
equipment. Also, make sure the sample rates all match up.
nIf you experience audio drop-outs and you are using the RCA jacks
for SPDIF, make sure that the cable you're using is 75-ohm cable
(video quality) and *not* standard audio cable that's used in home
stereos.

The Control Panel applet for the WavePRO interface has a Clock
Source setting. Set the Clock Source to External to receive digital
audio data correctly.
TIP for using Word Clock
If you are experiencing difficulty using the Word Clock feature, you
may need to adjust the electrical signal termination value on the
WavePRO Word Clock input jack.
Check the manual for the other digital audio gear to determine the
optimal signal termination value for the WavePRO interface.
Use a jumper block on J4 to change the Word Clock signal termination
value.
No Word Clock
termination
No jumper block
2
1
JP4
4
32 1
JP4
4
3
75 ΩWord Clock
termination
(default setting)
jumper block
Pins 3 & 4
2
1
JP4
4
3
110 ΩWord Clock
termination
jumper block
Pins 1 & 2
12

WARRANTY
The SPDIF and ADAT option cardsare warranted against defects in
materials and workmanship for a period of five years from the date
of delivery. We will repair or replace products which prove to be
defective during the warranty period provided they are returned to
us.
All parts or components contained in this product are covered by
Gadget Labs' limited warranty for this product; the product may
contain fully tested, recycled parts, warranted as if new.
If you experience difficulties with your SPDIF or ADAT option card,
please follow these steps:
nVerify that the SPDIF or ADAT option card was installed and
configured according to the information in this guide.
nReview the “Using the SPDIF option card” section or the “Using
the ADAT option card” section of this Guide to see if you can
find a solution.
nIf you purchased the card from a dealer, contact the dealer for
additional help. If the dealer is unable to resolve the issue
with you, contact us (see our technical support contact
information, above). Please, don’t return the card to Gadget
Labs without authorization.
nIf you must return the card for warranty repair or replacement, you
must first obtain a return authorization number (RMA) from Gadget
Labs. Please pack the card in its original box.
13

THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS MANUAL IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE.
Copyright © 1999, 2000 Gadget Labs, Inc. All rights reserved.
Part # 9206102-LT01 Printed in the USA.
Disclaimer: Gadget Labs, Inc. reserves the right to make changes in specifications at any time and
without notice. The information provided by this document is believed to be accurate and
reliable. However, no responsibility is assumed by Gadget Labs, Inc. for its use; nor for any
infringements of patents or other rights of third parties resulting from its use. No license is
granted under any patents or patent rights of Gadget Labs, Inc.
CONTACT DETAILS
Gadget Labs, Inc.
333 SW 5th Avenue, Suite 202
Portland, Oregon 97204
Tel: [phone]
FAX: [phone]
E-mail: [email protected]
World Wide Web: www.gadgetlabs.com