Meridian Component Interlink Hub AC11 User manual

Meridian Audio Limited
Latham Road, Huntingdon
Cambridgeshire PE29 6YE, UK
T [phone]
F [phone]
E [email protected]
Meridian America Inc.
8055 Troon Circle, Suite C
Austell, GA 30168-7849, USA
T [phone]
F [phone]
www.meridian-audio.com
Meridian’s new SpeakerLink component
interlink system allows balanced high
resolution digital audio, RS232 and Meridian
Comms control signals to be carried via a
single, standard Cat 5 STP (shielded twisted
pair) cable terminated with standard RJ45
connectors, allowing unprecedented ease of
installation which can often employ existing
network-ready wiring. A single cable can
supply all the data and audio information
between two Meridian components that
would previously have required separate
audio and control cables.
As time goes by an increasing number
of Meridian products will be fitted with
SpeakerLink connections. The first three
products with SpeakerLink are the DSP7200
(vertical and horizontal centre versions),
the DSP8000 and the 808.2 Signature
Reference CD Player, with others in the
pipeline.
The AC11 Meridian Component Interlink
is a hub allowing the interfacing of
SpeakerLink components with legacy
Meridian components including DIN and/or
BNC comms ports and S/PDIF digital audio
connections. The AC11 permits the building
of a complete system utilising components
and loudspeakers using any of these
connections. The unit is particularly useful for
interfacing Meridian sources and surround
controllers with DSP loudspeakers.
In a typical system, the Meridian ‘Controller’
product will be connected to the ‘Master’
Meridian Comms sockets (DIN or BNC) on
the rear panel of the AC11. BNC or DIN
cables can be run from the ‘Slave’ ports to
and from legacy speakers.
The Master SpeakerLink socket is connected
to the Master DSP Loudspeaker and carries
digital audio sourced from Digital Audio Input
A (normally channels 1 and 2). The slave
speakers are connected to the remaining
SpeakerLink connectors as required (Ch
A–D) and carry digital audio sourced from
the corresponding Digital Audio Inputs.
These latter are fed with S/PDIF audio
signals from the controller (for example), via
the S/PDIF connectio.
Additional connections include a 12v
trigger input, provided for future expansion.
In addition an IR Out port is provided for
connection to the controller’s IR input. This
works in conjunction with the IR Return and
Slave Comms Return RJ45 sockets on the
rear panel, delivering infrared commands
from the Master speaker (in systems where
the Master speaker is also the System
Controller).
Front panel indicators show the presence of
power and activity on the Master and Slave
connections.
Product highlights
Allows Meridian components
and loudspeakers using the
new SpeakerLink Cat 5-based
interlink system to interface with
legacy components using the
DIN- or BNC-based Meridian
communications system
SpeakerLink carries balanced
digital audio, RS232, Meridian
comms data, via standard Cat 5
cabling
AC11 allows the integration of
both simple and complex Meridian
installations using virtually any
Meridian digital components.
AC11
Meridian Component Interlink Hub

AC11
Meridian Component Interlink Hub
Technical specification
Form factor
•1Urackmounting
Power
•Externalpowersupply,12vdc300mA
max
Connections
•Powerinput
•Triggerout(3.5mmjack)
•IROuttocontroller(3.5mmjack)
•RS232DB9mastercontrolport
•MeridianBNCCommsMaster&Slave
•MeridianDINCommsMaster&Slave
•IRReturnandSlaveCommsReturn
(RJ45)
•SpeakerLinkconnectionstomaster
and slave speakers, Ch A (Master) to D
(RJ45)
•DigitalAudioInputs(S/PDIF)ChA
(Master) to D (phono)
Front-panel Indicators
•PowerLED
•Master(x1)andSlave(x6)LEDs
AC11DS-ENG v1.0 • REƒ • P88xxx • 20080813
Above: AC11 front panel showing indicators. Below: Rear panel connections.