Sonifex Redbox RB-DSD8 Instruction Manual

Redbox RB-DSD8
8 Channel Silence Switcher
User Handbook

bRedbox RB-DSD8 User Handbook
This handbook is for use with the following product:
Redbox RB-DSD8 8 Channel Silence Switcher
©Sonifex Ltd, 2011
All Rights Reserved
Revision 1.02, March 2011
Sonifex Ltd, 61, Station Road, Irthlingborough,
Northants, NN9 5QE, England.
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Email: [email protected].uk
Website: http://www.sonifex.co.uk
Information in this document is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment on the part of
the vendor. Sonifex Ltd shall not be liable for any loss or damage whatsoever arising from the use of information or any
error contained in this manual.
No part of this manual may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,
including photocopying, recording, information storage and retrieval systems, for any purpose other than the purchaser’s
personal use, without the express written permission of Sonifex Ltd. Unless otherwise noted, all names of companies,
products and persons contained herein are part of a completely ctitious adaptation and are designed solely to
document the use of Sonifex product.
RB-DSD8 USER HANDBOOK
RB-DSD8 USER HANDBOOK

Redbox RB-DSD8 User Handbook c
CONTENTS
CONTENTS
s
Warranty i
Warranty and Liability i
Unpacking the RB-DSD8 ii
Returning the Warranty Card iii
Safety Information iv
Safety of Mains Operated Equipment iv
Voltage Setting Checks iv
Fuse Rating iv
Power Cable and Connection iv
Ordering the Correct Mains Lead v
Installation Information vi
Atmosphere vi
Electromagnetic Radiation vi
Fitting Redboxes vi
WEEE & RoHS Directives - Sonifex Statement vii
1. Introduction 1
Clocking & Synchronisation 2
Master Mode 2
Auto Lock Mode 2
Slave Mode 2
2. Front Panel Controls & Indicators 3
Status Buttons 3
AUTO Button 3
MANUAL Button 3
SLAVE Button 3
MAIN Button 3
BACKUP Button 3
DISPLAY LEDS 4
Presence LEDs 1(L) 2(R) 4
AES LEDs 4
SEL LEDs 4
MODE LEDs 5
LINK/SELECT Buttons & LINK LED 5
Additional Indicators 5
EXT SYNC LED 5
Remote Control Indicator 5
PSU (Power Supply) Indicators 5
3. Rear Panel DIPSwitch Settings 6
Rear Panel DIPSwitches: Bank 1 SILENCE LEVEL AND DURATION 6
Silence Detect Interval Control (DIPSwitches 1-7, Bank 1) 6
Silence Detect Trigger Level (DIPSwitches 8-11, Bank 1) 6
Stereo/Mono Switch (DIPSwitch 12, Bank 1) 6
Rear Panel DIPSwitches: Bank 2 DIGITAL AUDIO SETTINGS 7
Master Mode Frequency Selection (DIPSwitches 1-3, Bank 2) 7
External Synchronisation Source (DIPSwitch 4, Bank 2) 7
Synchronisation Mode Selection (DIPSwitches 5-6, Bank 2) 7
Remote Start Mode Switch (DIPSwitch 7, Bank 2) 8
Loss of Lock Failure (DIPSwitch 8, Bank 2) 8
Output Pair Conguration (DIPSwitches 9-12, Bank 2) 8
Rear Panel DIPSwitches: Bank 3 MISC SETTINGS 8
Ignore Silence Settings (DIPSwitches 1-8, Bank 3) 8
Remote Control Enable (DIPSwitch 9, Bank 3) 9
Full Scale Line Up (DIPSwitches 10-11, Bank 3) 9
Boot Mode (DIPSwitch 12, Bank 3) 9

dRedbox RB-DSD8 User Handbook
CONTENTS & FIGURES
CONTENTS & FIGURES
s
4. RB-DSD8 Rear Panel Connections 10
Audio Connections 10
GPI/O Remotes Connector 12
Alarm Output Pins 13
Main And Backup Status & Selection Indicators 13
Remote Start/Audio Fail Pin 13
Control Inputs 13
MAIN/AUTO & BACKUP/MANUAL Selection Inputs 13
Override Time Pin 14
Slave Socket 14
USB Remote Control 14
Ethernet 14
Wordclock & AES Synchronisation Input 14
Dual IEC Main Inputs 14
5. Remote Control 15
Slave Control 15
Serial Interface Commands & Responses 15
6. SCi for RB-DSD8 20
Status Page 20
Miscellaneous Page 22
Updating The Firmware 23
7. Technical Specication For RB-DSD8 24
Figures
Fig A: Packing List ii
Fig B: Power Connections iv
Fig C: Mains Lead Table v
Fig D: RB-RK3 Large Redbox Rear Rack-mount Kit vi
Fig 1-1: RB-DSD8 Front Panel 1
Fig 2-1: RB-DSD8 Status Buttons 3
Fig 2-2: RB-DSD8 Controls & Indicators For Each Channel 4
Fig 2-3: RB-DSD8 Additional Indicators 5
Fig 3-1: RB-DSD8 Rear Panel DIPSwitches 6
Fig 4-1: RB-DSD8 Rear Panel 10
Fig 4-2: Audio & GPI/O Connector Detail 10
Fig 4-3: Audio Connector Pin Numbers 10
Fig 4-4: GPI/O Remotes Connector Pin Numbers 12
Fig 4-5: Communications Connectors 14
Fig 6-1: Status Page. 20
Fig 6-2: Miscellaneous Page. 22

Redbox RB-DSD8 User Handbook i
Warranty
Warranty and Liability
Important: the purchaser is advised to read this clause
(a) The Company agrees to repair or (at its discretion) replace Goods which are found to
be defective (fair wear and tear excepted) and which are returned to the Company
within 12 months of the date of despatch provided that each of the following
are satised:
(i) notication of any defect is given to the Company immediately upon its
becoming apparent to the Purchaser;
(ii) the Goods have only been operated under normal operating conditions and
have only been subject to normal use (and in particular the Goods must have
been correctly connected and must not have been subject to high voltage or
to ionising radiation and must not have been used contrary to the Company’s
technical recommendations);
(iii) the Goods are returned to the Company’s premises at the Purchaser’s expense;
(iv) any Goods or parts of Goods replaced shall become the property of
the Company;
(v) no work whatsoever (other than normal and proper maintenance) has been
carried out to the Goods or any part of the Goods without the Company’s prior
written consent;
(vi) the defect has not arisen from a design made, furnished or specied by
the Purchaser;
(vii) the Goods have been assembled or incorporated into other goods only in
accordance with any instructions issued by the Company;
(viii) the defect has not arisen from a design modied by the Purchaser;
(ix) the defect has not arisen from an item manufactured by a person other than
the Company.
In respect of any item manufactured by a person other than the Company, the Purchaser
shall only be entitled to the benet of any warranty or guarantee provided by such
manufacturer to the Company.
(b) In respect of computer software supplied by the Company the Company does not
warrant that the use of the software will be uninterrupted or error free.
(c) The Company accepts liability:
(i) for death or personal injury to the extent that it results from the negligence of
the Company, its employees (whilst in the course of their employment) or its
agents (in the course of the agency);
(ii) for any breach by the Company of any statutory undertaking as to title, quiet
possession and freedom from encumbrance.
WARRANTY
WARRANTY

ii Redbox RB-DSD8 User Handbook
(d) Subject to conditions (a) and (c) from the time of despatch of the Goods from the
Company’s premises the Purchaser shall be responsible for any defect in the Goods
or loss, damage, nuisance or interference whatsoever consequential economic or
otherwise or wastage of material resulting from or caused by or to the Goods. In
particular the Company shall not be liable for any loss of prots or other economic
losses. The Company accordingly excludes all liability for the same.
(e) At the request and expense of the Purchaser the Company will test the Goods to
ascertain performance levels and provide a report of the results of that test. The
report will be accurate at the time of the test, to the best of the belief and knowledge
of the Company, and the Company accepts no liability in respect of its accuracy
beyond that set out in Condition (a).
(f) Subject to Condition (e) no representation, condition, warranty or other term,
express or implied (by statute or otherwise) is given by the Company that the Goods
are of any particular quality or standard or will enable the Purchaser to attain any
particular performance or result, or will be suitable for any particular purpose or use
under specic conditions or will provide any particular capacity, notwithstanding
that the requirement for such performance, result or capacity or that such particular
purpose or conditions may have been known (or ought to have been known) to the
Company, its employees or agents.
(g) (i) To the extent that the Company is held legally liable to the Purchaser for any
single breach of contract, tort, representation or other act or default, the
Company’s liability for the same shall not exceed the Price of the Goods.
(ii) The restriction of liability in Condition (g)(i) shall not apply to any liability
accepted by the Seller in Condition (c).
(h) Where the Goods are sold under a consumer transaction (as dened by the
Consumer Transactions (Restrictions on Statements) Order 1976) the statutory
rights of the Purchaser are not aected by these Conditions of Sale.
Unpacking the RB-DSD8
The RB-DSD8 is shipped with the following equipment. Please check your packaging to
ensure that you have all of the items below. If anything is missing, please contact the
supplier of your equipment immediately.
Item Quantity RB-DSD8
RB-DSD8 1
IEC Mains lead tted with moulded mains plug 1
Handbook and warranty card 1
Fig A: Packing List
WARRANTY
WARRANTY

Redbox RB-DSD8 User Handbook iii
Each RB-DSD8 is shipped in protective packaging and should be inspected for damage
before use. Where an item is found to have transit damage, notify the carrier immediately
with all the relevant details of the shipment. Packing materials should be kept for
inspection and also for if the product needs to be returned.
Returning the Warranty Card
In order to register the date of purchase so that we can keep you informed of any design
improvements or modications, it is important to complete the warranty registration
document that is enclosed and return it to Sonifex Ltd in the UK.
For your own records you should write down the serial number (which can be found on the
rear of the RB-DSD8.
Serial Number ………………………………………
WARRANTY
WARRANTY

iv Redbox RB-DSD8 User Handbook
Safety Information
Safety of Mains Operated Equipment
This equipment has been designed to meet the safety regulations currently
advised in the country of purchase and it conforms to the safety regulations
specied by use of the CE Mark.
Warning : There are no user serviceable parts inside the equipment. If you should ever
need to look inside the unit, always disconnect the mains supply before removing the
equipment covers.
Voltage Setting Checks
Ensure that the machine operating voltage is correct for your mains power supply by
checking the box in which your Redbox was supplied. The voltage is shown on the box
label. The available voltage settings are 115V, or 230V. Please note that all Redboxes are
either switchable between 115V and 230V, or have a universal power supply.
Fuse Rating
The RB-DSD8 is supplied with a single fuse in the live conducting path of the mains
power input. For reasons of safety it is important that the correct rating and type of fuse is
used. Incorrectly rated fuses could present a possible re hazard, under equipment fault
conditions. The fuse rating for the RB-DSD8 is:
230 or 115 V operation - 2A 5 x 20mm SB
The active fuse is tted on the outside rear panel of the unit.
Power Cable and Connection
An IEC power connector is supplied with the RB-DSD8 which has a moulded plug attached
– this is a legal requirement. If no moulded plug has been supplied with your RB-DSD8,
please contact your supplier, because an IEC connector is always supplied from the Sonifex
factory.
If for any reason, you need to use the RB-DSD8 with a dierent power cable, you should use
the following wiring guidelines.
Wire Colour Connection
Green, or green and yellow Earth (E)
Blue, or Black Neutral (N)
Brown, or Red Live (L)
Fig B: Power Connections
Connect the equipment in accordance with the connection details and before applying
power to the unit, check that the machine has the correct operating voltage for your mains
power supply.
Important Note : The terminal marked on the rear panel must be earthed.
SAFETY INFORMATION
SAFETY INFORMATION

Redbox RB-DSD8 User Handbook v
Ordering the Correct Mains Lead
When ordering a Redbox from Sonifex, it is helpful if you can specify your required
operating voltage and mains lead. After the product code add:
UK, for 230V, UK 3 pin to IEC lead
EC, for 230V, European Schuko 2 pin to IEC lead
US, for 115V, 3 pin to IEC lead
AU for 230V, Australasian 3 pin to IEC lead
Fig C: Mains Lead Table
E.g. order RB-DSD8 UK for a UK IEC lead to be supplied.
SAFETY INFORMATION
SAFETY INFORMATION

vi Redbox RB-DSD8 User Handbook
INSTALLATION INFORMATION
INSTALLATION INFORMATION
Installation Information
Atmosphere
The units should be installed in an area that is not subject to excessive temperature
variation (<0°C, >50°C), moisture, dust or vibration.
Electromagnetic Radiation
The cover is connected to earth by means of the xing screws. It is essential to maintain
this earth ground connection to ensure a safe operating environment and provide
electromagnetic shielding.
Fitting Redboxes
Redboxes can be xed to the underside of a mixing desk, or other surfaces using 4.2mm
holes in the sides and xed with 2 x M4 screws or 2 x No. 6 countersink wood screws.
They can also be rack-mounted, with either the front, or rear of the Redbox positioned at
the front of the rack:
Rear Mounting The RB-DSD8: The RB-RK3 1U rear panel rack kit can be used for large
Redboxes such as the RB-DSD8.
Fig D: RB-RK3 Large Redbox Rear Rack-mount Kit
Note: When tting the rear-mounting rack-kits, a notch has been left on the inside of
the right-hand rack-piece for the mains cable to pass through. Make sure that the mains
cable has been put through the notch before attaching the right hand rack-piece.

Redbox RB-DSD8 User Handbook vii
REPORTING FAULTS
REPORTING FAULTS
WEEE & RoHS Directives - Sonifex Statement
The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive was agreed
on 13 February 2003, along with the related Directive 2002/95/EC on
Restrictions of the use of certain Hazardous Substances in electrical and
electronic equipment (RoHS).
The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (WEEE) aims to minimise the
impacts of electrical and electronic equipment on the environment during their life times
and when they become waste. It applies to a huge spectrum of products. It encourages
and sets criteria for the collection, treatment, recycling and recovery of waste electrical
and electronic equipment. All products manufactured by Sonifex Ltd have the WEEE
directive label placed on the case. It gives a contact for individuals who are unsure about
the correct procedure when the product has reached its “end of use”.
Sonifex Ltd will be happy to give you information about local organisations that can
reprocess the products, or alternatively all products that have reached “end of use” can be
returned to Sonifex and will be reprocessed correctly free of charge.
Sonifex Ltd has phased out the use of certain hazardous substances identied in the
European Union’s Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directive. The RoHS
directive limits the use of certain hazardous substances currently used in EEE manufacture,
including lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, and halide-containing
compounds PBB (polybrominated biphenyl) and PBDE (polybrominated diphenyl ether).
Elimination of these substances will result in more environmentally friendly recycling
of electronic equipment. For the products which Sonifex manufacture, the main area
where products were aected was in the use of lead for manufacturing and assembling
electronics circuit boards.
Sonifex Ltd practices lead-free (LF) manufacturing processes. LF solder is used on the
surface-mount PCB manufacturing processes and for hand soldering. The printed circuit
boards (PCBs) used are either gold plated, or immersion tin plated, both of which use no
lead. Historically the PCBs were hot air solder levelled (HASL) PCBs which used tin/lead
based solder.
The manufacturing processes include the assembly of purchased components from
various sources. Product is oered as RoHS compliant, or LF, only after sucient evidence
is received from the component manufacturers that their components are RoHS
compliant. Sonifex Ltd relies solely on the distributor, or manufacturer, of the components
for identication of RoHS compliance. Thus whilst every eort is made to ensure
compliance, Sonifex Ltd makes no warranty, or certication, or declaration of compliance
concerning said components.

viii Redbox RB-DSD8 User Handbook
Sonifex Ltd denes“Lead Free” as pertaining to any product, which has been manufactured
by Sonifex Ltd using components which have been declared by the manufacturers as
“Lead Free”. All statements by Sonifex Ltd of RoHS compliance are based on component
manufacturer documentation.
REPORTING FAULTS
REPORTING FAULTS

Redbox RB-DSD8 User Handbook 1
1
INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
1. Introduction
Fig 1-1: RB-DSD8 Front Panel
The RB-DSD8 8 channel silence switcher works in a similar way to the Sonifex
RB-SD1 and RB-DSD1 but allows for 4 stereo channels of audio. These stereo audio
channels can be either analogue or digital and can be used independently to give 4 stereo
silence detectors or they can be linked to handle multichannel audio inputs. Designed to
switch from one input (or set of inputs) to another in the event of loss of audio, the unit is
ideal at transmitter sites, or after the master output of a studio, to switch in another audio
source, or simultaneous broadcast, should a master source fail.
The unit can switch:
• On loss of level of the main input.
• On loss of level on one channel of the main input.
• On loss of synchronisation lock of a main digital input.
The audio inputs can accept both digital and analogue connections, with the unit
automatically recognising a digital input and setting both that pairs input to the digital
signal. By setting the appropriate DIPSwitches each stereo output can be designated as
either an analogue pair or as a digital output, thus making the RB-DSD8 incredibly exible
and suitable for many dierent applications. The unit level settings are in dBFS but when
using analogue signals the equivalent full scale value can be set to +24dBU, +18dBU, or
+12dBU by DIPSwitches.
Each stereo pair has individual settings and controls and when stereo signals are linked
the foremost pair determines the switching characteristics and controls to be used. Each
stereo pair has an AES LED that shows the status of the digital audio on that channel and a
selection LED to show which input is currently being sent to each respective output.
Two Presence LEDs for the left and right inputs of each stereo pair indicate the input level
of the channels.
The unit can switch between sources automatically or manually at the push of a button.
If switching manually, silence detection is disabled and the user chooses when to switch
using the main or backup buttons. If switching automatically, the unit will switch between
the two sources automatically upon the detection of silence. Each pair can be set to switch
manually or automatically and the current setting is indicated by the mode LED. Link/
Select buttons are used to group channels to access multichannel operation. Each pair has
a Link/Select button which illuminates blue when active. Pressing and holding the rst
Status
Buttons
Channel Controls
& Indicators
Rear Panel
DIPSwitch Indicators
Reset Button

2Redbox RB-DSD8 User Handbook
1
INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
Link/Select button with any other Link/Select button causes all inputs up to that point to
be selected.
The RB-DSD8 has a slave mode facility that allows you to connect two RB-DSD8 units and
control them simultaneously from one unit.
The silence detect level is adjustable between -27dBFS and -84dBFS in 3dBFS steps via
DIPSwitches and this level is compared to peak signals. The silence interval can be adjusted
between 2 seconds and 254 seconds in 2 second steps via DIPSwitches.
A powerful feature of the RB-DSD8 is that by using the Sonifex SCi serial software, the unit
can be programmed for dierent delay durations, levels and switching functions so that
you can set up the unit for your specic application. Set a DIPSwitch to congure the unit
to be controlled serially, this is indicated by a front panel LED. Now you can connect to the
unit using either USB or Ethernet as a control port. Contact Sonifex for further information
if you have a particular requirement that isn’t catered for by the RB-DSD8 as standard.
The RB-DSD8 has been designed with dual redundant power supplies. This means that if
either power supply fails, the other is ready to take over. In the extremely unlikely event
that both fail, the unit has been designed with a passive signal path through the main
input. This is essential for applications such as installation at transmitter sites, where a
power failure to the unit should not prevent the audio input signal from being output to
the transmitter.
Clocking & Synchronisation
All digital input signals are routed to a sample rate converter allowing mixed incoming
sample rates to be used. The output sample rates are selectable via DIPSwitches from a
predened master clock of 32kHz, 44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz, 96kHz, 176.4kHz or 192kHz or
the clock can be derived from a synchronisation input. When analogue inputs are selected,
the analogue to digital converters are also clocked at that sample rate.
DIPSwitches can be used to choose the synchronisation mode and the synchronisation
source from TTL wordclock or AES/EBU through the dual-purpose synchronising input as
standard. A front panel indicator shows the status of the synchronization input. Selectable
synchronisation modes are as follows:
Master Mode
In this mode the digital output sample rate is simply set by, and locked to, the internal on-
board clock generator. No synchronisation signal is used or required.
Auto Lock Mode
In this mode the digital output sample rate will follow the synchronisation input. If the
synchronisation signal is removed then the output sample rate will be set by, and locked
to, the internal on-board clock generator at the closest frequency available to the previous
synchronisation input.
Slave Mode
In this mode the digital output sample rate follows the synchronisation input. When the
synchronisation signal is not present the digital output is turned o.

Redbox RB-DSD8 User Handbook 3
2
FRONT PANEL CONTROLS & INDICATORS
FRONT PANEL CONTROLS
& INDICATORS
2. Front Panel Controls & Indicators
Fig 2-1: RB-DSD8 Status Buttons
Status Buttons
AUTO Button
This button is used to select automatic mode for all channels that are selected using the
Link/Select buttons. This button deactivates MANUAL and SLAVE mode and illuminates
green when selected. Press and hold the button for two seconds to activate this mode. This
mode can only be selected from one of the other modes if the main signal is present and
above the threshold level. The button and the associated mode LED will ash to indicate
these conditions have been met. To restore to main from backup in automatic mode push
and hold the button for two seconds. This selection is the default for all channels.
MANUAL Button
This button is used to select manual mode for all channels that are currently selected. This
button illuminates red when selected and deactivates the AUTO and SLAVE mode. Press
and hold the button for two seconds to select this mode. The MAIN and BACKUP buttons
can then be used to control which channel is selected.
SLAVE Button
This button is used to select the unit as slave controlled and is illuminated yellow. Pressing
this button disables both the MANUAL button and the AUTO button. Press and hold this
button for two seconds to select this mode. Please note that SLAVE selection is applied
across the whole unit. All channels will revert to which ever mode is used to deactivate the
SLAVE mode.
MAIN Button
This button selects the main input as the output for the currently selected channels. The
button illuminates green if MAIN input is selected. This selection is the default for all
channels. Press and hold the button for 2 seconds to select the MAIN source. Please note
that pressing and holding this button at any time will select MANUAL mode.
BACKUP Button
This button selects the backup input as the output for the currently selected channels.
Press and hold the button for 2 seconds to select the BACKUP source. The button
illuminates red if BACKUP input is selected. Please note that pressing and holding this
button at any time will select MANUAL mode.

4Redbox RB-DSD8 User Handbook
FRONT PANEL CONTROLS
& INDICATORS
2
FRONT PANEL CONTROLS & INDICATORS
DISPLAY LEDS
Fig 2-2: RB-DSD8 Controls & Indicators For Each Channel
Presence LEDs 1(L) 2(R)
Each stereo input channel has an associated Presence LED which indicates the level of that
channel. Each LED has three states:
Green – This indicates that the level on that channel is above threshold
Yellow – This indicates that the level on that channel is below threshold
Red – This indicates that the channel is silent i.e. no audio at all
AES LEDs
Each channel pair has an AES LED associated. This LED indicates the status of the digital
audio. Each LED has four states:
Green – AES detected and everything is ne. The input sample rate matches the
output sample rate.
Yellow – AES detected and everything is ne. The input sample rate is dierent to
the output sample rate.
Red – AES detected but an error has been detected.
O – No digital signal is present or the analogue input is being used.
The following errors can create a red state:
CRC error
Parity error
Validity bit error
Biphase encoding error.
SEL LEDs
Each channel pair has a SELection LED associated with each stereo MAIN and BACKUP
input. This LED indicates which input is currently being used for the output. The MAIN
selection LED illuminates green when the associated output is from the MAIN input. The
BACKUP selection LED illuminates red when the associated output is from the BACKUP
input. Only one of these two LEDs can be on for any one channel at any given time.

Redbox RB-DSD8 User Handbook 5
FRONT PANEL CONTROLS & INDICATORS
2
MODE LEDs
Each stereo pair of MAIN and BACKUP inputs has a MODE LED which indicates which
switching mode is currently being employed on that channel. The MODE LED has three
states:
Green – The channel is in AUTO mode
Yellow – The channel is in SLAVE mode
Red – The channel is in MANUAL mode
LINK/SELECT Buttons & LINK LED
There are four LINK/SELECT buttons, one for each channel pair. To link any inputs simply
press and hold the link buttons for 2 channels. All channels between the selected channels
will be included in the link. Once linked, the yellow link LED between them will illuminate.
For example, to link channels 1 & 2 ,3 & 4 and 5 & 6, press and hold the link buttons on
channels 1 & 2 and 5 & 6 for 2 seconds. Whilst channels 1 & 2 and 3 & 4 are linked, there
is an additional option to link 5 & 6 and 7 & 8 together individually. To do this press and
hold LINK/SELECT 5 & 6 and 7 & 8 for 2 seconds. To release this mode, press and hold either
LINK/SELECT 5 & 6 or LINK/SELECT 1 & 2. The left-most channel pair (usually channels 1 &
2) will dominate and all other pairs will inherit their settings, with the new settings being
reected by changes to the status indicators.
Additional Indicators
Fig 2-3: RB-DSD8 Additional Indicators
EXT SYNC LED
This LED displays the synchronisation mode that is
currently selected. This LED has ve states:
Green – Master mode is selected
Yellow – Slave mode is selected
Flashing yellow – Slave mode selected but
synchronisation is lost
Red – Auto mode is selected
Flashing red – Auto mode selected but
synchronisation is lost.
Remote Control Indicator
If remote control mode is selected (see DIPSwitch section for settings) this LED will be
illuminated.
PSU (Power Supply) Indicators
Each PSU on the unit has its own indication LED. If both PSUs are working and correct both
LEDs are illuminated green. If the internal ADC circuitry detects the level drop below a
sucient level on a particular supply, its representitive LED will illuminate red instead to
indicate a fault.
Reset Button
In the unlikely event that the RB-DSD8 unit fails to respond, press the reset button to
reboot the unit (see Fig 1-1 for location).
FRONT PANEL CONTROLS
& INDICATORS

6Redbox RB-DSD8 User Handbook
3. Rear Panel DIPSwitch Settings
Fig 3-1: RB-DSD8 Rear Panel DIPSwitches
Rear Panel DIPSwitches: Bank 1 SILENCE LEVEL AND DURATION
Silence Detect Interval Control (DIPSwitches 1-7, Bank 1)
DIPSwitch 1234567
Seconds 24816 32 64 128
The silence detect interval DIPSwitches adjust the duration over which a silence is detected
before alarming and ranges from 2-254 seconds by combining raised (ON) DIPSwitches in 2
second intervals with 0 being all DIPSwitches down. The default value is set at 30 seconds
but can be changed using the serial port or ethernet. This time can also be overridden by a
remote GPI/O input that sets the unit to an override time that is set to 2mins 5 seconds.
Silence Detect Trigger Level (DIPSwitches 8-11, Bank 1)
DIPSwitch 8910 11
Level dBFS -3 -6 -12 -24
The trigger level DIPSwitches adjust the level below which silence detection occurs. This
level may be varied from -27dBFS to -84dBFS in 3db steps by raising dierent combinations
(to ON). Please note the range changes depending on the full scale settings. These
represent -15dBU to -60 dBU
Full Scale Min Max
12dBU -27dBFS -72dBFS
18dBU -33dBFS -78dBFS
24dBU -39dBFS -84dBFS
Stereo/Mono Switch (DIPSwitch 12, Bank 1)
The conguration of this denes whether you want to switch sources when left and/or
right channel of the incoming source go silent. When channels are linked the stereo mode
becomes multichannel mode and any single mono channel failure will cause the unit to
switch sources; likewise mono mode will require both channels to fail individually before
switching sources.
REAR PANEL DIPSWITCH SETTINGS
3
REAR PANEL DIPSWITCH SETTINGS

Redbox RB-DSD8 User Handbook 7
DIPSwitch 12 Description
On When on, the unit operates in mono mode. In this mode the unit will only
switch when both channels go quiet, and requires only one channel to be
present before the unit switches back.
O When o, the unit operates in stereo mode, whereby if one channel goes
quiet the unit will switch, and requires both channels to be present before
it switches back.
Rear Panel DIPSwitches: Bank 2 DIGITAL AUDIO SETTINGS
Master Mode Frequency Selection (DIPSwitches 1-3, Bank 2)
These DIPSwitches allow you select what sample rate the output will be when the unit is in
master mode.
Sample Rate (kHz) DIPSwitch 1 DIPSwitch 2 DIPSwitch 3
32 O O O
44.1 On O O
48 O On O
88.2 On On O
96 O O On
176.4 On O On
192 O On On
External Synchronisation Source (DIPSwitch 4, Bank 2)
Select which synchronisation source you would like to use by setting this DIPSwitch:
DIPSwitch 4 Synchronise From
On Wordclock/AESEBU synchronisation input
O Main Input Pair 1
NB: This DIPSwitch is redundant when running in synchronisation master mode.
Synchronisation Mode Selection (DIPSwitches 5-6, Bank 2)
These DIPSwitches allow you select which synchronisation mode the unit is in.
DIPSwitch 5 DIPSwitch 6 Synchronisation Mode
O O Master Mode
On O Auto Mode
O On Slave Mode
On On Reserved
REAR PANEL DIPSWITCH SETTINGS
3
REAR PANEL DIPSWITCH SETTINGS

8Redbox RB-DSD8 User Handbook
Remote Start Mode Switch (DIPSwitch 7, Bank 2)
This denes whether the remote start switch is momentary or latched. Used for starting
external equipment when silence is detected on channel 1. The channel can be reassigned
through the serial port.
DIPSwitch 7 Description
On
When o, the remote start pin on the remote connector is pulled low
when the unit switches over to the backup input and remains low until
the unit switches back to the main source or, if in manual mode, is
restored by the user locally or remotely. (Latched contact).
O
When on, the remote start pin (pin 7) on the remote connector is pulled
low for half a second when the unit switches to the Backup input.
(Momentary contact).
Loss of Lock Failure (DIPSwitch 8, Bank 2)
This denes whether the unit treats a loss of synchronisation lock as an immediate switch
event or as a simple loss of level.
Note: Switch this to ‘O’ when using an analogue input.
DIPSwitch 8 Description
On When on, the unit treats the loss of lock condition as an immediate
switch event. The unit switches immediately to the Backup input.
O When o, the unit treats the loss of lock no dierently to a loss of level.
Output Pair Conguration (DIPSwitches 9-12, Bank 2)
These DIPSwitches allow you select whether each output pair is analogue or digital. Set
each DIPSwitch so that:
DIPSwitch 9 - 12 Description
On When on, the pair outputs a balanced analogue signal.
O When o, the pair outputs an AES/EBU digital signal.
DIPSwitch 9 = Channel Pair 1 & 2
DIPSwitch 10 = Channel Pair 3 & 4
DIPSwitch 11 = Channel Pair 5 & 6
DIPSwitch 12 = Channel Pair 7 & 8
Rear Panel DIPSwitches: Bank 3 MISC SETTINGS
Ignore Silence Settings (DIPSwitches 1-8, Bank 3)
Each channel has a DIPSwitch to determine whether it Is ignored when AUTO silence
switching.
REAR PANEL DIPSWITCH SETTINGS
3
REAR PANEL DIPSWITCH SETTINGS