Harman Soundcraft Vi BLU User manual

ViBLULinkCardUser&SetupGuideV1.1
ViBLULinkCardUser&SetupGuide
TheSoundcraft®ViBLULinkcardisa32x32interfacebetweenaVi
seriesconsoleandtheSoundwebLondondigitalaudiobus,
informallyknownasBLULink.Thecardallowsconnectiontoawide
varietyofHarmanproductsequippedwithaBLULinkinterface,such
asBSSLondonBLU800,dbx®PMCorCrown®PIP‐BLUinterfaces
amongstothers.
BLULinkisalowlatency,faulttolerantdigitalaudiobusof256
channelswhichgivesadistanceof100mbetweencompatibleBLU
LinkenableddevicesusingstandardCAT5ecabling.
ToincreasethedistancebetweendevicestheBSSAudioMC‐1fibre
opticmediaconvertercanbeusedtospanover10km(6.2miles)
usingsinglemodefibre.
AdditionalinformationabouttheSoundwebLondonBLULinkdigital
audiobusmaybefoundontheBSSwebsitewww.bssaudio.com
TheViBLULinkcardisavailableintwoversions,whichdifferonlyin
thesizeofthefrontpanel:
•LocalRack/CompactStageboxexpansionslotversion
(3Uhigh,single‐widthD21mcard)
•ViStageboxversion
(6Uhigh,single‐widthstageboxslot)
Bothversions of the card are shipped with a shortWordclock sync
cable (9‐pin D to BNC) for connection to the console's Wordclock
inputwhentheconsolehastosynctotheBLUlinknetwork(Inthe
caseofacardinstalledinastagebox,anextensionBNCcablemaybe
required,dependingonrelativelocationoflocalrackandstagebox).

8 16
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IN
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oroutput
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setthei
n
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channelsifr
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
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orexample,
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putchannel
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torydefault
‘OffRamp’
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erBLULink
c
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aximisethe
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o
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6
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tchannels
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
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theconso
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estrictedto
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othercards.
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Before the BLU Link card may be used the switches that define master / client status and channel
assignments must be configured. These are accessed by removing the card from the console and
looking at the:
Configuring The BLU Link Card
The master/client switch determines the clock source for the BLU Link network.
Master/Client Switch
When any other device is set as the master, you will need to operate in client
mode (switch set OUT).
When operating in client mode, provision must be made to clock the console from the BLU link
network by connecting an external cable (supplied with the card), from the 9-pin D-connector
Wordclock Out socket on the BLU link card, to the BNC Wordclock In socket on the console. When
this cable is connected, the green LOCK LED will illuminate next to the console’s Wordclock In
socket. Failure to connect the sync cable in client mode will result in occasional audio clicks.

ViBLULinkCardUser&SetupGuideV1.1
ChannelAssignSwitches
ThechannelassignswitchesdictatewhichgroupofchannelsontheBLULinknetworkthecard
‘listens’toand‘speaks’to
Lookingdirectlyatthedip‐switchblockaresixswitchesnumbered1‐6(lefttoright).Theleftmost
threeswitches(switches1‐3)areusedtoselecttheon‐rampbank(cardspeakstoBLULink).The
rightmostthreeswitches(switches4‐6)areusedtoselecttheoff‐rampbank(cardlistenstoBLU
Link).ChannelsnotusedbytheBLULinkcardaresimplypassed‘thru’.
BLULinkOn‐Ramp(Outputsfromconsole)
SW1SW2SW3SelectedChannels
OFFOFFOFF1‐32
OFFOFFON33‐64
OFFONOFF65‐96
OFFONON97‐128
ONOFFOFF129‐160
ONOFFON161‐192
ONONOFF193‐224
ONONON225‐256
NOTE:WhenevertheOnRampandOffRampselectionsmatch,noaudioisextractedfromBLULink,
butinsteadtheaudiobeingsentoutofthecardwillbeloopedbackandwillappearontheBLULink
inputchannels.
BLULinkLEDIndicators
EachBLULinkportfeaturestwoLED’sindicatingstatus:
•YellowLED‐lightswhentheportis‘alive’indicatingthecardhasbootedandreadyforuse.
•GreenLED‐lightswhenitisconnectedcorrectlytoanotherBLULinkdevice.
BLULinkOff‐Ramp(Inputstoconsole)
SW4SW5SW6SelectedChannels
OFFOFFOFF1‐32
OFFOFFON32‐64
OFFONOFF65‐96
OFFONON97‐128
ONOFFOFF129‐160
ONOFFON161‐192
ONONOFF193‐224
ONONON225‐256

Connect
i
BLULink
madefro
m
Redunda
n
thefollo
w

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Example
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
i
ngBLULin
k
devicesinte
m
theOUTo
f
n
cyisachiev
e
w
ingexample
1:Multiple
k
Devices
rconnectusi
f
onedevice
t
e
dbylinking
t
s. 
dbxPMCP
e

ngstandard
t
otheINoft
h
t
heOUToft
h
e
rsonalMo
n
BLU
MA
S
CAT5eUTP
h
enext.
h
elastdevic
e
n
itorsyste
m
Linkmodulese
t
S
TERmode
Ethernetca
b
e
totheINof
m
sconnecte
d
t
to
b
le.Connect
i
the1
st
devic
e
d
toaVi6L
o
i
onsmustb
e
e
asshowni
n
o
calRack
e

n


Example2:TwoViconsolesco
n
n
nectedtog
e
wordclock
e
therusing
B
B
LULink
Note that one of the consoles must be set up as a clock client, the Master/Client switches on
the two BLU Link modules must be set appropriately and a Wordclock link cable connected
from BLU Link card clock OUT to Vi Wordclock IN.
BLU Link module set to
CLIENT mode
BLU Link module set to
MASTER mode

ViBLULinkCardUser&SetupGuideV1.1
Appendix:WordclockOutconnectorPinouts
NotethatasuitablecableissuppliedwitheachBLULinkcardthatwillinterfacefromtheDB9
WordclockoutconnectorontheBLULinkcard,totheWordclockinputBNConeithertheLocal
Rack(Vi6)ortherearoftheconsole(Vi1).
Ifalongercableisrequiredorthecableneedstobereplacedthenthefollowingpin‐outswillapply:
DB9connector'P1'
PinFunction
4WordclockOut(TTL)
9SignalGND
5ChassisGND
8ChassisGND