APPLICATION SPOTLIGHT

Incorporating RDL’s Format-A products into Dante systems helps you create cost-effective designs without compromising quality or functionality.? This week’s Application Spotlight provides another example by using Format-A to mix three audio signals to one Dante network channel, freeing up room for more sources.

First, if you’re not already familiar, Format-A uses standard CATx (CAT5 or greater) network cables to distribute three channels of audio and 24 Vdc power per cable run.? Three of the cable's four wire pairs are used to distribute three balanced audio signals, which we call Pairs A, B and C. The fourth pair is reserved for distributing electrical power.? Although standard network cables are used, Format-A does not directly operate on a network; the products connect point-to-point.

There are two key products in the system example below.? The first is RDL’s TX-TPSA1A Three-Pair Combiner to Single-Pair Sender.? This module is designed to actively mix all three Format-A pairs together that are fed into the INPUT RJ45 Jack.? These three audio signals could come from a single 3-Pair Sender or multiple single and/or dual channel Senders.? The summed output drives one Pair of the cable connected to the OUTPUT Jack, where either Pair A, B or C is chosen using the front-panel selector.? The TX-TPSA1A also features a LOOP IN Jack that allows audio signals from the two unselected Pairs to pass through to the OUTPUT Jack.? Essentially, this combiner supports up to five Format-A Sender Pairs.

The TX-TPSA1A may be powered from any of the RJ45 jacks, which provides power to the two remaining RJ45 jacks, or from an external 24 Vdc power supply connected to the DC Input Jack, which provides power to all three RJ45 jacks.

The second key product is RDL’s RU-FN Format-A to Network Interface.? This four-channel interface converts Format-A audio sources from Pairs A, B and C to three Dante audio channels.? It also converts a fourth balanced or unbalanced line-level signal via an AUX Input port to a fourth Dante channel.

In this drawing example, the TX-TPSA1A Three-Pair Combiner to Single-Pair Sender is used to combine three audio sources to once Format-A Pair. ?Three wall mounted D-TPS1A Single-Pair Microphone Senders are each set to feed one unique Pair; A, B or C. These senders are daisy chained on one CATx cable run connected to the INPUT of the TX-TPSA1A combiner where the three pairs are summed to feed Pair A. The TX-TPSA1A output feeds an RDL RU-FN Format-A to Dante Interface. Microphones connected to any of the mic-input Senders will be sent on the first Dante output channel.

Two wall mounted D-TPSL1A Single-Pair Senders (set to feed Pairs B and C, respectively) are looped together on a second cable run connected to the LOOP IN Jack of the combiner. These sources will be sent independently on the second and third Dante channels. ?DC power connected to the TX-TPSA1A powers all five Senders.

Note: For other applications, up to three TX-TPSA1A modules may be daisy chained on one cable run, permitting as many as nine Senders to feed audio on a single cable to one RU-FN interface, to be sent out on three Dante network channels.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS: https://www.rdlnet.com/product_apps/AN-2231.pdf

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