QSC RAVE 160 User manual

27
RAVE
USER MANUAL
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▼ RAVE 80 Digital Audio Router (8 AES3 outputs)
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▼ RAVE 81 Digital Audio Router (8 AES3 inputs)
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▼ RAVE 88 Digital Audio Router (4 AES3 inputs + 4 AES3 outputs)
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▼ RAVE 160 Digital Audio Router (16 analog audio outputs)
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▼ RAVE 161 Digital Audio Router (16 analog audio inputs)
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▼ RAVE 188 Digital Audio Router (8 analog audio ins + 8 analog audio outs)
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Rev. A
FPO

1
TableofContents
RAVE Digital Audio Router User Manual
Warning Notices................................................................................................................................................ 2
I. Introduction ................................................................................................................................................ 3
Glossary..........................................................................................................................................................4
How it works ..................................................................................................................................................5
II. Network Design......................................................................................................................................... 6
Network topology examples ......................................................................................................................... 7
Longer distance through fiber.......................................................................................................................8
Network limitations..................................................................................................................................... 10
III. Installation ...............................................................................................................................................12
Pre-Installation preparation: analog signal levels (RAVE 160, 161, and 188 only) .................................. 12
Rack mounting (all models) .........................................................................................................................14
IV. Connections.............................................................................................................................................. 14
Ethernet connection (all models) ................................................................................................................ 14
Analog audio connections ...........................................................................................................................14
Digital audio connections............................................................................................................................15
AC power .....................................................................................................................................................16
Sync output .................................................................................................................................................. 16
Slave input ................................................................................................................................................... 17
RS232 port ................................................................................................................................................... 17
V. Operation................................................................................................................................................... 18
Status indicators..........................................................................................................................................18
Channel signal indicators............................................................................................................................19
Routing......................................................................................................................................................... 20
VI. FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions....................................................................................................... 21
VII. Specifications.......................................................................................................................................... 23
VIII. Appendix ................................................................................................................................................... 24
IX. Address & Telephone Information ...................................................................................................... 25
© Copyright 1997 QSC Audio Products, Inc. All rights reserved.
“QSC” and the QSC logo are registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
RAVE™ is a trademark of QSC Audio Products, Inc. CobraNet™ is a trademark of Peak Audio, Inc.

2
EXPLANATION OF GRAPHICAL
SYMBOLS
The lightning flash with arrowhead symbol,
within an equilateral triangle, is intended to
alert the user to the presence of uninsulated
dangerous voltage within the products
enclosure that may be of sufficient magnitude
to constitute a risk of electric shock to
humans.
The exclamation point within an equilateral
triangle is intended to alert the users to the
presence of important operating and main-
tenance (servicing) instructions in the
literature accompanying the product.
CAUTION: To reduce the risk of electric shock, do not remove
the cover. No user-serviceable parts inside. Refer servicing
to qualified service personnel.
WARNING: To prevent fire or electric shock, do not expose this
equipment to rain or moisture.
CAUTION
RISKOFELECTRICSHOCK
DONOTOPEN
ATTENTION: Pour eviter les risques de choc électrique, ne pas
enlever le courvercle. Aucun entretien de pièces intérieures
par lusager. Confier lentretien au personnel qualifié.
AVIS: Pour eviter les risques dincendie ou délectrocution,
nexposez pas cet article à la pluie ou a lhumidité.
AVIS
RISQUEDECHOCÉLECTRIQUE
NEPASOUVRIR
VORSICHT: Um das Risiko eines elektrischen Schlages zu
vermindern, Abdeckung nicht entfernen! Keine Benutzer
Wartungsteile im Innern. Wartung nur durch qualifiertes
Wartungspersonal.
WARNUNG: Zur vermeidung von Feuer oder elektrischen
Schlägen, das Gerät nicht mit Regen oder Feuchtigkeit in
Berührung bringen!
VORSICHT
GEFAHREINESELEKTRISCHEN
SCHLAGES.NICHTÖFFNEN!
SAFEGUARDS
Electrical energy can perform many useful functions.
This unit has been engineered and manufactured to
assure your personal safety. Improper use can result in
potential electrical shock or fire hazards. In order not to
defeat the safeguards, observe the following instruc-
tions for its installation, use and servicing.
PRECAUTIONS
Lénergieélectriquepeut remplir de nombreuses fonctions
utiles. Cet appariel a été conçu et réalisé pour assurer
une sécurité personnelle entiére. Une utilisation impropre
peut entraîner des risques délectrocution ou dincendie.
Dans le but de ne pas rendre inutiles les mesures de
sécurité, bien observer les instructions suivantes pour
linstallation, lutilisation et lentretien de lappareil.
EXPLICATION DES
SYMBOLES GRAPHIQUES
Le symbole éclair avec point de flèche à
lintrérieur dun triangle équilatéral est utilisé
pour alerter lutilisateur de la presence à
lintérieur du coffret de voltage dangereux
non isolé dampleur suffisante pour constituer
un risque delétrocution.
Le point dexclamation à lintérieur dun tri-
angle équilatéral est employé pour alerter les
utilisateurs de la présence dinstructions
importantes pour le fonctionnement et
lentretien (service) dans le livret dinstruction
accompagnant lappareil.
ERKLÄRUNG DER GRAPHISCHEN
SYMBOLE
Der Blitz nach unten zeigendem Pfeil in einem
gleichseitigen Dreieck weist den Benutzer auf
das Vorhandensein einer unisolierten,
gefährlichen Spannung im Gehäuse hin, die
stark sein kann, einer Person einen
elektrischen Schlag zu versetzen.
Das Ausrufzeichen in einem gleichseitigen
Dreieck weist den Benutzer auf wichtige
Betriebs- und Wartungs- vorschriften in den
beiliegenden Unterlagen des Gerätes hin.
DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY
forall RAVE models
We declare as our sole responsibility that this
product is in compliance with the EMC Direc-
tive 89/336/EEC and conforms to the require-
ments of the Harmonized Product Standards
EN55013(Product Emissions), and EN 55020
(Product Immunity).
FEDERAL
COMMUNICATIONS
COMMISSION(FCC)
INFORMATION
NOTE:Thisequipmenthasbeen
tested and found to comply
with the limits for a Class A
digitaldevice,pursuanttoPart
15 of the FCC Rules. These
limitsaredesignedtoprovide
reasonableprotectionagainst
harmfulinterferenceinacom-
mercial installation. This
equipment generates, uses,
andcanradiateradiofrequency
energyand,ifnotinstalledand
used in accordance with the
instructions,maycauseharm-
fulinterferencetoradiocom-
munications.Operationofthis
equipmentinaresidentialarea
is likely to cause harmful in-
terference,inwhichcasethe
userwillberequiredtocorrect
theinterference at his orher
ownexpense.

3
I. Introduction
RAVE Digital Audio Router products provide a means of transporting audio signals over a data network. Using
common Fast Ethernet as the physical medium, a RAVE system has a maximum capacity of 64 channels on a
100baseTXnetwork. RAVEtransports theaudio signalsoverthenetworkina48kHz20-bit digitalformat. Each
unit has a female RJ-45 connector on its rear panel for connecting to a standard Ethernet twisted-pair cable.
Foreconomyandflexibility,youcanusestandardoff-the-shelfFastEthernetdevicessuchashubsandfiberoptic
media converters with your RAVE system.
YouneedatleasttwoRAVEdevices—onetosendandonetoreceive,ortwotobothsendandreceive—toroute
audio over an Ethernet. There are currently six RAVE models, with three basic send/receive configurations (16
channelssend, 16channelsreceive, or8 channelssend/8channels receive),witheitheranalogor digitalAES3
(often called AES/EBU) ins and outs. The six models are numbered as follows:
RAVE80 Digital Audio Router (8 AES3 outputs; 16 audio channels total)
RAVE81 Digital Audio Router (8 AES3 inputs; 16 audio channels total)
RAVE88 Digital Audio Router (4 AES3 inputs + 4 AES3 outputs; 8 audio channels total each way)
RAVE160 Digital Audio Router (16 analog audio outputs)
RAVE161 Digital Audio Router (16 analog audio inputs)
RAVE188 Digital Audio Router (8 analog audio inputs + 8 analog audio outputs)
A RAVE system handles routing in groups of 8 individual audio channels.
Front view of a RAVE 161; other models are simliar
Power LED Network channel
selector switches
(behind cover) Network status LEDs Audio signal level LEDs

4
GLOSSARY
Below are some terms used in this manual that RAVE users should be familiar with.
AES3—A technological specification for inter-device conveyance of a dual-channel (stereo) digital audio
signal. Also called AES/EBU.
Crossover cable—A type of twisted-pair Ethernet patch cable, but somewhat analogous in function to a
null modem cable. Unlike a normal patch cable, the transmit and receive wire pairs are swapped at
oneend,permitting a directconnectionof two nodeswithout a hubinbetween. A crossovercableis
alsosuitableforcascadinghubsthatdon’thaveanavailableuplinkport.Italsohasnothingtodowith
an audio crossover.
Networkchannel—ARAVE networkgroup of eightaudiochannels, withachannel numberdesignatedby
a switch on the sending unit. Don’t confuse this term with actual audio channels. A RAVE network
multiplexeseightaudiochannelsontoasinglenetworkchannelandroutestheentirenetworkchannel
asawhole.AreceivingRAVEunitsettoaparticularnetworkchannelwilloutputalleightofthenetwork
channel’s audio signals.
Uplinkport—Aspecialportonahub,usedforcascadingtoanotherhub.Usuallyit’sofferedintandemwith
a normal port so you can use one or the other, but not both. For example, a 5-port hub with an uplink
allows you to connect to five nodes via the normal ports, or to four nodes via normal ports plus one
hub via the uplink port.
Rear views,
from top:
RAVE 160,
RAVE 188,
RAVE 161,
RAVE 80,
RAVE 88, and
RAVE 81.