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Whirlwind ESnake User`s Manual

1. 69 Appendix ESF LCD Display M SS866S2u trennen 71 Appendix B BSF error codes s u pu eve UR RR ERE IPAE te d ee MSIE EID P de Ri ae eed 72 Appendix C Glossary of Terms 76 Appendix D ADDING TX AND RX TO DISCOVERY FOR E SNAKE OPERATION renes 80 ESYS The development of Whirlwind s E Sys family of digital audio products is the culmination of our years of experience in building the finest quality interconnects products available for the audio professional E Sys products utilize the CobraNet licensed protocol for multi channel distribution of real time audio and are fully compatible with all CobraNet based equipment E Sys products include E Snake A multi channel audio transport and distribution system for transporting mic line and AES EBU audio either point to point or as part of a distributed audio network E Snake 2 A 16 channel version of E Snake Each ES2 accepts up to two of the same I O cards that are used in the E Snake in any combination for a total of up to 16 channels E Desk Whirlwind s complete analog and digital audio processing platform You can build complete analog and networked digital systems contai
2. mas rs 4 as x s s 8 x 3x gt xj Haile Jadida npm Charred Dm Pis ui anan mgs sa ac zes aer zin zo sit a E z sls IRali a palsies EI EI aera N mc m E mc mc E NC F Baar AD Lx MESA m mim z s z EE Sei sea 2 Stage Festival Setup Stage B Architecture Editor This Architecture Editor view for the B setup shows the same three ESFs Stage A transmitters are now set to 0 not transmitting but its receivers are still set to receive 16 channels on bundles 264 267 Transmitters in Stage B are now transmitting its input channels in bundles 256 263 to FOH When this preset data file is loaded Stage B transmits 32 channels to FOH and Stage A inputs are silenced FOH still transmits the same 16 returns to Stage A Suppose you want to do a mini sound check on Stage B to verify connections and levels during setup while Stage A is live In the above example instead of setting Stage B transmitters to zero in the Festival A FOH preset data file set them to bundles 268 275 Then use CobraNet compatible mixer like the Whirlwind E Desk that is set to receive those same bund
3. ea S riipnEiaMk E Chansel enna Duma Curipi Banda Wi FOUL md rex Aa iF 3 d cp C T Dai xe isa m LE ub qd ww Gaz unes J sal 3 87 owe eae zl Bundie haeres Maps pa paa Charges jue apana imam 4 seb zi si s Af sap zj A ain hala i BL spe sop aE J s aafe c o sif s ma maire IE Jo LOED al mimi eB al 269 De Ter E b F s ajc nis sila mF w Az 21 mel mi zo ges 2 iT jenen 4 box 64 x 32 24 bit Architecture Editor Screen 2 5 3 Festival Multiple Stage Setup This is an example of how to accomplish quick changeovers in a festival situation by switching inputs between two stages The following example makes the assumption that there is a single ESF connected to a single console at the FOH position There is also a single ESF on each of the two stages and the amplifiers are located on Stage A Two corresponding architecture files will be created STAGE A and STAGE The file STAGE A configures Stage A to transmit its inputs to F
4. ET Table 3 ES Non Critical Errors Note The underlined numbers above will be displayed only if the error applies to that input or output slot number CM 1 Watchdog Error CM 1 Watchdog Error is caused by a 1 hardware software failure It is critical in the sense that DSF will not be able to pass audio while the error persists but at the same time the DSF firmware can still run and will attempt to reboot the CM 1 instead of requiring a transition to the Stopped state Error Definition Text on LCD 1 Watchdog Error Fault LED blinks on and off slowly Caused by CM 1 hardware software failure where the CM 1 watchdog pulses are no longer detected by the FPGA CM 1 Watchdog Error Appendix C Glossary of Terms 100BASE T See Fast Ethernet 1000BASE T See Gigabit Ethernet AES EBU Audio Engineering Society European Broadcast Union a format for sending and receiving digital audio data typically uses an XLR connection Audio Channel A single audio signal Audio channels on CobraNet have a 48kHz sampling rate and may be 16 20 or 24 bit resolution Multiple audio channels may be carried in groups called bundles Auto negotiation A form of communication where one device tells another device if it is capable of full or half duplex operation and what bit rate it is capable of communicating at Broadcast Addressing Broadcasting is a special case of
5. a E GEN EN ICI xa m a Sagn TE EXE Kx FEE n ww 18 fier Bim up amp n mu oc m m x Emr M Ra xa CAE Win f Baie Bernh hare ge _ fiet 0 mam faz p pam aj gafo sjef s ma p a ef 218 et A zh z i i b 2 2 Stage Festival Setup Stage Architecture Editor In this Architecture Editor view for the A setup there are three ESFs Stage transmitters are set to send 32 channels on bundles 256 263 and receivers are set to receive 16 channels on bundles 264 267 All transmitters in Stage are set to zero The tab shown below illustrates how the FOH receivers are set to bundles 256 263 and transmitters are set to 264 267 With this preset data file loaded Stage A transmits 32 channels to FOH and Stage B is silenced FOH transmits 16 returns to Stage A T eee DNI mun oo EA EX EX EX EX EX EX O fc te wm NUM o DN a ie subi JEN Bes De ae 02 o Iwma For unda de Ch rent Dima
6. E af slefi ops ae AUD ef 4 box 64 x 32 24 bit Architecture Editor Screen 1 These two screens illustrate a setup for a large concert 64 x 32 system The ESFs selected in Screen 1 show 32 inputs from Stage 1 addressed to 32 outputs in FOH 1 and 32 inputs in FOH 1 returning to Stage 1 The ESFs selected below in Screen 2 show 32 inputs from Stage 2 addressed to 32 outputs in FOH 2 with no returns configured in FOH 2 r bat Ham E n id remm C horer En eee D giu Qulput Baunis tat facie af o fe B Out Int oe Wu BM E T mu uu mu as Ma ie 15 E Nl Wo m s za a feu m Em x Ej KN ENN EN ou bearer h lacis eet Fic Bundle il aps Price Desa ie s ltl slay l aie 4 sie sj li aem F u z T3 safe sje e sje s uf m aft na B ies sole zd rb xu a afr Lr alts mrem NR IE z s z r x s Rar Abs saja c z aia a8 m aly fuir Wu
7. addresses of all found ES units will be compared with the list of MAC addresses contained in the selected preset data file Once ES units are determined to be members of the preset data file ESC will load all architecture and channel settings to these frames Any units found that are not members of the preset data file must be disabled ESC will set all bundle IDs in those frames to zero Once this data is loaded adjusted and running the operator will have the options under the lt File gt menu to lt Save gt the current settings and overwrite the loaded file or choose lt Save As gt and create a new preset data file This is useful for saving and loading repeating setups as presets where input channel data can be recalled by opening various saved files User Interface After successfully loading an E Snake preset data file the user is presented with the Overview Window This interface displays an overview of ES units in the system and provides control over each input channel Remember E Snake Control manipulates the audio signals on the input side only and therefore there are no output control screens ii T i J Overview Window consist of multiple Channel Pages each of which is capable of displaying input levels and controls for up to two ES units simultaneously up to 64 channels When ESC establishes communication with the units on the network the yellow frames around the channels wil
8. E k mae leh le lee ah acr sels E ES S sr mmmn ni s TE D Bel EPI Be EE 21 alee se sitit Alu 2 Stage Festival Setup settings common to both setups 1 Hinnrdz SnaiteControfier langin Ouest 1 Hu n s a m g Di T ues in E m m ou Omm Bas eim 24 17 n rs gt i m enm sbm z o x Tetep 0 4 P alag ingame Hip ia Pape ha Mx nb ruling jif atj Sole Ses zif afi sja acj joh Sele Sele 6 afa i 0 218 one 21 13 Pha alis ma afis alefi sofe a nal AET EE EE LEELEE UDE LEE LN on Wee ee E t ben m meros anon ricis 3 a c m Ee us ind uctra F pas mu a Dat Dif Bir ge dd rl o E EM
9. Select lt View gt lt Options gt CobraNet tm Discovery 2 Select the network adapter that is connected to the CobraNet network 3 Uncheck lt Enable Auto Assignment gt If the correct IP range is not filled in click lt Default gt This should automatically assign the start and end addresses of 169 254 1 2 and 169 254 1 199 If it does not manually enter these two figures into the Start and End boxes Configuration 0 3Com 3C920 Integrated Fast Ethernet Controller 3C905C TX Compatit 163 254 254 C Program Files Peak Audio CobraNet Discovery firmware Wefault 4 Re check lt Enable Assignment gt lt OK gt Configuration E x 0 3Com 3 920 Integrated Fast Ethernet Controller 3C905C TX Compatit v Default C Program Filesi Peak Audio CobraNet DiscoveryMirmware Default 5 Disco should find the devices on the network and assign IP addresses within the specified range CobraNet tm Discovery 6 005025025754 159 254 1 2 6 00602b02578b 169 254 1 4 Note If devices are already active on the network and have previously been assigned IP addresses outside of this specified range it will be necessary to do one of the following a Return to the section for your operating system in section 3 3 and reassign an IP address to the PC that is one number below the lowest address within the range of the
10. 4 System Configuration Programming The Architecture Editor 4 1 CobraNet basics CobraNet is a protocol for transporting uncompressed multi channel digital audio and control over standard Ethernet hardware Currently there are some 40 plus manufacturers signed up as licensees of this technology Because licensees conform to a common standard for transporting digital audio data the various devices developed by these manufacturers can communicate with one another similar to an Ethernet computer data network CobraNet facilitates the transport of up to 64 channels in each direction between two points on a switched 100Mbs full duplex network However actual network topology can allow for many more channels within the network and using gigabit hardware dramatically increases channel count HUBS and SWITCHED HUBS Devices on an Ethernet network are connected together through the use of a hub Each computer has a cable that connects it to the hub This architecture is called Star Topology as the hub can be visualized as the center of the network with the computers connected outward from the center in a star formation There are two primary types of hubs repeater hubs and switched hubs Data is transmitted on an Ethernet network in chunks called packets These packets contain data along with other components such as the sender address and the destination address When using a repeater hub all packets entering the hub are retransmitted to all por
11. B sis Whirlwind s Family of Digital CobraNet Products E SNAKE and ES2 USER S MANUAL Copyright 02005 Whirlwind Rights Reserved 1 E Snake System Overview Pep 5 1 1 Gain Tracking from input to output a Virtual 6 1 2 Automatic Backup PC File Prot ctions s eter e teen peers te REI Cada tn e a certes 6 13 Automatic ESF Operating Parameter Backup esee eene entente ener nnne tenente tenete 7 Hardware CompDOon ents y a awas HR CRUURR 8 2 I The E Snake Frame ESE e epe eere iei ee ptt reet M ee 8 2 1 1 Front Panel Indicators and Switch ini ene ree ete reete aqu agua 8 2 1 2 ESPI Power Supply 543 mene eee 9 2 1 3 Rear panel connections rto e Pp oeque BOUE p mp e P RERO CUR 10 2 2 Input ajd Output Cards i eie d WATER RO ERE VERE EUER sd sevens NN XE RS A DERE en 13 22 1 Mic Line Input Card az a etre erit REO TIN re 13 2 2 2 Transformer Mic Input Card rhet be Y rater eee PER ve hee PEE Eee b P eR P Yee eren 13 2 2 3 AES EBU Digital Input Card AES D Het ta ton etu n Ote RENE UNO Geers 14 2 2 4 Mic Lane Output Card MEO vetere Sh Eee io Haiba qA 14 2 2 5 AES EBU Output Card AESQO nee restet bee eec oh ete
12. E Snake Control loads the backed up settings and the PC and ES units are automatically synchronized An additional redundant backup feature also allows the operator to specify that an extra backup copy automatically be created to a designated location on the hard drive as well as separate storage devices such as a 3 5 inch floppy CD R zip drive network share USB Memory etc In the event of a total PC failure this file can be moved to a backup PC that when connected becomes synchronized to the ES units on the network 1 3 Automatic ES Operating Parameter Backup ES units automatically save their current operating settings and configurations in nonvolatile flash memory 3 minutes after the last parameter change This feature allows the E Snake network to reboot without the need for a PC IMPORTANT NOTE In the condition that a computer is connected to the network when the power is restored to the ES units and the computer is running E Snake Control software with a valid preset data file the computer will override the settings in the ES units If settings on the computer are different or have been changed while the unit was without power those changes WILL take effect In the condition that a computer is connected to the network when the power is restored to the units and the computer is running E Snake Control software but with a preset data file that does not recognize ES units in the system those units will be silenced See section 3
13. Heg Meu LL M uE 2 4 M EEUU S AESI Channel Detail Page Activate this detail view by double clicking a channel group from the Overview Window SRC Sample Rate Converter Converts incoming clock to match and sync to E Snake s internal clock rate of 48kHz selectable ON or OFF Set to OFF when syncing to an external word clock or when syncing to AES clock being applied to channels 31 and 32 in input slot 4 See section 2 1 3 Rear panel connections LOCK Indicator Illuminates to verify that the incoming signal s clock has been identified and locked to the internal clock ERR Indicator Illuminates when a problem prevents the incoming signal from being processed by the input channel INPUT DATA Window Three possible indications PCM Pulse Code Modulated will be displayed when inputting standard AES EBU audio Non PCM not Pulse Code Modulated displayed when receiving other types of data None No data is present at the input SAMPLE RATE Window Identifies the sample rate of the incoming signal before it is presented to the Sample Rate Converter Dual Meters Indicate the digital signal strength of the incoming data 3 5 Advanced Functions 3 5 1 Data backed up in real time When an E Snake unit detects a change in settings it will record its settings to its non volatile flash memory after the settings have been left unchanged for one minute In the event of a power failure and restore each unit will
14. i Advanced Cancel This should set the computer to the IP address of 169 254 1 1 This can be verified by selecting lt Start gt lt Run gt type CMD K IPCONFIG lt gt This will open a command window and list the IP address and Subnet Mask If this Windows 2000 computer is to be reintroduced into a DHCP Server environment be sure to follow the steps above but reset the Internet Protocol TCP IP properties to Obtain IP Address Automatically before reconnecting to that network Failure to do so may cause inability to connect to the network or result in conflicting devices network with the same IP address See your network administrator for details regarding your specific network settings 3 3 2 Setting the TCP IP in Windows XP The following procedures will guide you through the steps necessary to successfully set the IP address of the network adapter in Windows XP Windows XP uses a feature called Alternate IP Configuration which allows the PC to automatically select a default IP address when it is not connected to a network with a DHCP server This feature eliminates the need to manually select the mode of IP address assignment when switching back and forth between a DHCP server environment and a CobraNet network To set the Windows XP Alternate IP address 1 If connected to a local area data network logout and disconnect the network cable from the PC 2 Connect a CAT 5
15. 1 00 0000000 37 3 4 5 AESI Input Control Functions Channel Detail Page enne eene ennt nnne nne entente enne 38 3 9 Advanced FUNCTIONS screeds Re t pa eae RO dad ERR E ERR UR 39 3 5 1 Data backed upiin real time esses eens ee GE PUMP ee GB Ripe 39 3 5 2 Upgrading firmware and software in the field sese ene 39 System Configuration Programming The Architecture Editor 42 4 1 E 42 4 2 Using the ARCHITECTURE EDITOR System Configuration Management Ultility eee 44 4 2 1 Add ESF edet opu a e ere uet Hee eet 45 4 2 2 MAG AdIEess ita tone RP cbr rM 45 4 2 3 Bit Widths Eatency aio tette UR Er eir P son hu Ree AER 46 4 2 4 Channel Text Color ris DC 47 4 2 5 dese et E eee 47 4 3 Output boata Sre ud osa iv tee i d dye ede n iet ee diede sedet ob ea dieu Dr d d SO ASN 47 4 3 1 Transmit Tx Bundle Assigninent ener tentiae ee oe nee eene eant pere rne ner pne 48 4 3 2 Rx Assie
16. 2 wds C ProgramFiles Whirlwind E Snake Controller City Festival wds C ProgramFiles Whirlwind E Snake Controller TheaterShow wds Select file from the Most recent used file list or click the Browse button to navigate to the location of a preset data file If no such file exists a new one may be created by clicking lt Create New gt or an existing file may be opened for editing by clicking on lt Modify Existing gt Please see section 4 System Configuration Programming The Architecture Editor for a more in depth explanation of preset data file creation and editing Once a preset data file has been selected ESC opens the file and checks its contents to make sure the file s settings are valid These settings are then loaded into the controller and displayed to the user At this point ESC is not connected to the network The user will then be presented with a Connection prompt E Snake Controller i Currently you are not connected to the network What would you like to do lt gt attempt to connect to the network lt No gt stay offline Cancel To close currently opened preset file The user has option to connect to the network Yes stay offline No or close the loaded file Cancel If the user chooses to connect to the network the application starts to scan the network for ES units It takes about 20 seconds for the initial search During this time
17. 3 octets and unique host identifiers the last octet We recommend that the PC s host identifier be set to 1 In the example below all devices share the same network identifiers and will communicate with the ESC software 169 254 1 1 ESF 1 169 254 1 20 ESF 2 169 254 1 150 ES2 1 169 254 1 199 The following sections discuss how to set up a PC to run the E Snake Control software In these instructions text enclosed in quotes is to be typed without the quotes Words enclosed in lt gt such as Enter or OK signify an icon or menu to be opened a key to be pressed or dialog control to be clicked on Click means one click of the left mouse button Double Click means two quick successive clicks of the left mouse button Right click means one click of the right mouse button Please refer to the section that pertains to your operating system Windows 2000 or Windows XP Note It may be possible to have more than one Network Card installed in the PC In that event please select the Local Area Connection and Network Card that will be used to connect to the CobraNet network when following these instructions 3 3 1 Setting TCP IP in Windows 2000 The following procedures will guide you through the steps necessary to successfully set the IP address of the network adapter in the Windows 2000 PC operating system 1 If connected to a local area data network logout and disco
18. 74 MLI MLO Mic Lo 6 4 112 3 102 9 0 0098 18 1 66 0 10 0 08 0 74 MLI MLO Mic Hi 27 0 118 1 92 0 0 0377 36 1 66 0 10 0 08 0 70 Floor noise of test device is 118dBV All specifications measured analog in to analog out subject to change without notice AES CARD SPECIFICATIONS AESI Digital Input AESI cards will accept digital input signals ranging from 1 to 5 volts peak to peak AESO Digital Output AESO cards deliver a digital output signal of 5 Volts peak to peak AESI to MLO D A Conversion A OdB full scale reading on the AESI meter results in an MLO output level of 10dBV balanced This relationship is linear i e a 6 reading of the AESI meter equals 4dBV at the MLO output MLI to AESO A D Conversion MLI gain controls should be set to maximize the analog signal level while leaving sufficient headroom so that peak signal transients do not exceed OdB digital full scale on the MLI meter DIMENSIONS ESF WIDTH 19 HEIGHT 10 5 6RU DEPTH 16 25 14 5 behind rack rail WEIGHT 38 lbs Unloaded ES2 WIDTH 19 HEIGHT 3 5 2RU DEPTH 22 behind rack rail WEIGHT xx 165 unloaded ESP1 WIDTH 19 HEIGHT 3 5 2RU DEPTH 14 12 375 behind rack rail WEIGHT 40 165 Appendix A ES UNIT LCD Display Messages Idle Screen Performer Screen 7 Screen 15 For 24 bit Only CM 1 Firmware Ver 00 00 00 00 Frame In Use Perf
19. M Bonde E Saaka Contest haeresi Binme wai fe Ww m uc EET E E Es Te aska 5 a y Charon Mie nsn xi 3 er gof e r a AT T shel 0 E NM Er ZW sid 44 sers 2 s EE 5 EE EE TEE s E imaku a C mr et ee ae wechmrsanm 3 if Si ex al s 4 ud gt Fira Damm Em J d w 1 uf 16 dux Acie e M UD ke 33 a 79 L p FEN 2 Ta Bundia apura Charred Dun Duas Te was eh af zo sh ss stele Slot ol rai a slo l i 4 xd zi x eels 2888588 m Broadcast and Recording Architecture Editor Screen 2 5 5 ESF As I O Access Point To Cobranet Network This example illustrates how a single ESF be used as a high quality multi channel I O access point to any existing CobraNet network The preset data file will most likely be set to 20 bit mode in order to ensure compatibility with other CobraNet devices Also in a large network be sure to be careful when using multicast bundle
20. cable from the PC to a switch located on the CobraNet network 3 Goto Start Control Panel Administrator e Internet E mail e Sat Pare e and Defaults e Tuna Winco Wg Qa M Programi P 4 Open lt Network Connections gt Lage rir Pane Pis Wee Ti Hep Q O B P puel OX 19 e QF controle ane 5 Right click lt Local Area Connection gt lt Properties gt e Network Connections Internet Gateway Internet Connection Enabled Internet Connection LAN or High Speed Internet ocal Area Connection Delete Rename Properties 6 Select lt Internet Protocol TCP IP gt do NOT accidentally uncheck the box lt Properties gt 1 Local Area Connection Properties General Advanced Connect using Broadcom 440x 10 100 Integrated Controller This connection uses the following items Client for Microsoft Networks r File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks dal QoS Packet Scheduler f Internet Protocol TCP IP Description Transmission Control Protocol Interet Protocol The default wide area network protocol that provides communication across diverse interconnected networks C Show icon in notification area when connected 7 Make sure that Obtain an IP address automatically is selected Internet Protocol TCP IP Properti
21. devices on the network as displayed in Disco OR b Manually reassign IP addresses within the specified range to each to each device found on the network by performing the following e Right click on the device in the Disco screen select lt New IP Address gt JCobraNet tm Discovery 10 x CobraNet Edit View Help 5 MaCAddrss IPAddess aa me n Tb 006026025759 16925445 0 0 70 277 0 0 f 00602b02578b Update Firmware 0 0 0 273 0 0 New IP Address Close Copy Ctrl C Select All Ctrl A Reset FS Column Chooser Options About CobraNet Discovery Devices 2 lActive 2 Dead 0 e Type a unique IP address that is within the specified range for each device This means that the first three groups of numbers the network identifier in the range will remain the same the last group host identifier may be any number from 2 to 199 Addresses may NOT be duplicated lt OK gt IP Assignment 00602b02575d Enter IP Address Cancel Disco will assign and display the new IP address for that device Repeat this step for each device listed in Disco 3 3 4 Synchronizing E Snake Control and Disco IP Ranges 1 Open E Snake Control ESC software 2 E Snake Control must have its IP address range set to the corresponding values that were specified in Disco The first time ESC is opened you will be automatically prompted for an range This option is subsequently available
22. for each one This will add Tabs on the editor screen so that different tabs may be selected in the top and bottom halves This allows configuration comparison between any two ES units in the system Each ES unit may be uniquely named by typing in the name box In the case of using a single ES unit the frame is displayed in both the top and bottom windows 4 2 MAC Address Manufacturers assign a unique six byte identification number to every hardware device designed for use on Ethernet networks This number is called the MAC address Media Access Control and serves as the identity of each ESF within the CobraNet network These addresses are regulated by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers IEEE to ensure that no two devices in the world have the same MAC address in the MAC address number for each ESF in this box in the appropriate Tab 4 2 3 Bitwidth Latency 20 bit mode is the CobraNet transmission standard for communicating between devices E Snake may also be configured in 24 bit mode if higher resolution is desired and compatibility with other 20 bit CobraNet devices is not required Since a bundle does not have the capacity to contain 8 audio channels in 24 bit mode extra transmitters and receivers are made available See CobraNet Basics In addition 20 bit mode allows for the selection of two differing latencies The choices are different for ESF and ES2 because the channel capacity of the uni
23. for transmission and or reception of digital audio and associated sample clock Conductor CobraNet Device on the network supplying master clock A conductor arbitration procedure insures that at any time there is one and only one conductor per network Crossover Cable A crossover cable can be used to directly connect two network devices The data pins are crossed so that Ethernet TX on one device connects to RX on the other device Ethernet A Local Area Network LAN protocol that transmits information between computers at speeds of 1OMbps 10 Megabits per second Fast Ethernet A version of Ethernet also known as I00BASE T It supports data transfer rates of 100Mbps CobraNet operates on a Fast Ethernet network Full Duplex Data can be transmitted and received simultaneously Gigabit Ethernet Also known as 1000BASE T It supports data transfer rates of 1000Mbps 1 Gigabit Half Duplex Data can only be transmitted in one direction at a time 1 a device cannot transmit and receive data simultaneously Hub is not a technically concise term The term can be used to refer to either a Repeater Hub or a Switching Hub Mbps Short for Mega bits per second it is a measure of data transfer speed Media Converter is a device that connects one media type to a different media type Common Ethernet media types are twisted pair multimode and single mode fiber Some hubs and switches include media conversion via plug in module options for va
24. material be saved in the unlikely event that the equipment needs to be returned for service E Snake Frame Each ES unit is carefully packed in expandable foam to withstand shipping abuse and includes the software CD and special screws for rack mounting E Snake Power Supply Each is carefully packed with rigid foam end caps to withstand shipping abuse and includes a 5 foot cable for connecting the power supply to the ES unit and a power cord for US models No mains cable is supplied for 230V AC models Ethernet Switch Not included The operation of the E Snake system will require a standard Ethernet Switch for connecting the ES unit s and PC to the system 6 2 Rack Mounting ESF E Snake frames are 6 RU and require mounting using the 8 10 32 truss head screws supplied with the unit There are two methods for attaching the ESF to the rack rails The first method is to set the ESF on a large flat surface and open the front panel by unlocking the four Phillips head latches Slide the inner drawer out until the slide release levers are exposed on the sides Release the drawer slides and the inner drawer can be pulled completely out of the mounting case Attach the mounting case to the rack rails and carefully engage the drawer slides to return the drawer to the case SCREW THE LATCHES SNUGLY CLOSED BUT DO NOT OVER TIGHTEN Alternately the ESF can be placed in the rack and the drawer can be unlocked and pulled out only enough to in
25. reboot to those settings that were last recorded in its memory However should the PC lose power or experience a lock up when it is rebooted it will need to re load the settings that were in use at the time of the PC s failure E Snake control accomplishes this by creating backup files on the PC of the application s settings These are written to a file when the settings have been left unchanged for sixty seconds If an adjustment is made after the first backup file has been written E Snake Control waits another sixty seconds and makes a second file leaving the first backup intact After further adjustments the first file is overwritten then the second and so Alternating between two files ensures that there will always be a good backup file should a problem occur precisely at the instant a backup is being written When the computer is shut down normally the PC s temporary backup files are erased But if the computer is rebooted after a crash or power failure E Snake Control will detect the presence of the latest temporary backup file and offer the operator the choice of loading all of the backed up settings into the PC This ensures that the PC and the ES units in the network are synchronized In addition there is a Redundant Backup option that may be activated from the lt Configuration gt menu This feature may be used to create a separate backup file on a removable medium or network drive In the event of a complete failure of
26. synchronized when exchanging digital audio Appendix D ADDING TX AND RX TO DISCOVERY FOR E SNAKE OPERATION CobraNet Discovery has a Column Chooser option in the View tab If there are no selections available to view the E Snake s Transmitters number 5 and 6 or Receivers number 5 and 6 Follow the steps below to add these transmitters and receivers to the Available OID list 2 3 4 5 6 7 Using Windows Explorer navigate to C Program Files Peak Audio CobraNet Discovery Right click on cndisco ini and select Rename Rename file cndisco sav Navigate to the files folder on the Whirlwind Installation CD Right click on cndisco ini select Copy from the pop up menu Navigate back to C Program Files Peak Audio CobraNet Discovery Right click in the folder pane and select Paste from the pop up menu
27. the network is significant Also with careful network design a switch allows CobraNet and other computer data to exist simultaneously on the same network CobraNet Bundles CobraNet s software implements a protocol that combines one or more channels of audio into Ethernet packets along with information about the audio such as the resolution CobraNet technology orchestrates data transmissions that result in reliable real time performance while utilizing standard Ethernet hardware CobraNet system is synchronized by one of the devices on the network called the conductor When two or more CobraNet devices are interconnected properly one of the devices will be elected the network conductor based on a priority scheme The conductor generates a time base from a crystal oscillator or receives it from an external clock source Based on this time base the conductor regularly broadcasts beat packets onto the network Other devices on the network lock onto the arrival time of this packet and regenerate the clock locally The Conductor indicator will light on the CobraNet device that is serving as the conductor With CobraNet all audio channels are packaged into groups called bundles for transmission over the Ethernet network The usual assignment is 8 audio channels of 20 bits width into one bundle This is the maximum size possible although using less audio channels is possible If 24 bit audio channels are desired there is a maximum of 7
28. until it touches the card guide body Grasp the board by the green connector and the opposite edge and pull straight out To install a card reverse the procedure Be sure to push the board straight in so that it will mate correctly with the receptacles on the motherboard Occasionally the board sliding in will seem to bind on a dimple toward the bottom of the guide Push firmly and evenly on the board until it passes the dimple and seats in the header 6 4 Custom Installations The Whirlwind Custom Shop offers a complete array of E Snake custom accessory hardware E Snakes may be ordered with custom engraved I O panels multipin connections analog splits racks road cases and more Draw up your wish list and see your Whirlwind dealer for a quote Please visit http www whirlwindusa com wnews html for examples of the Whirlwind Custom Shop s capabilities 7 Troubleshooting 7 1 Network problems 7 1 1 DSManager PollDSF s A socket operation was attempted to an unreachable host In Windows XP it takes a period of time 40 45 seconds for the system to configure the Alternate Configuration IP address During this time E Snake Control has assigned IP addresses from the selected range in the adapter to the ES units The controller polls with the notification DSManager PollDSF s A socket operation was attempted to an unreachable host every five seconds until the system configures the Alternate IP Then it detects the ES unit
29. 006026 025779 at IP 163 254 0 5 Clear List and Close Window You now ready to use Snake Control with all E Snake frames present on the CobraNet network 3 4 E Snake Control functions 3 4 1 Running E Snake Control For the First Time Select Start Programs lt Whirlwind gt E Snake E Snake Controller or double click the E Snake Controller icon on your desktop The first screen shown is the History List This screen displays the most recently used preset files Because this is the first time the application has been run this file list will be blank E Snake Control relies on special preset data files wds that contain all of the necessary configuration parameters for the system to operate properly The first time you start E Snake Control it will be necessary to create your first preset data file History List Refer to section 4 System Configuration Programming The Architecture Editor for a detailed description on how to create a preset data file If you already have a file configured click the lt Browse gt button navigate to its location and open it 3 4 2 Operating E Snake Control When E Snake Control software is launched it opens a preset History List and File Browser This prompts the user to select a preset data file History List C ProgramFiles Whirlwind E Snake Controller Tour Stop 31 wds C ProgramFiles Whirlwind E Snake Controller Tour Stop
30. 5 1 for information on automatic backup of settings 2 Hardware Components The following sections describe the E Snake system hardware This includes the ESF and ES2 master units as well as each of the optional I O cards that are used to populate the frame card cage 2 1 The E Snake Frame ESF and ES2 Master Units 415 ok i 21 HHTFR1IL so eo PORABA SLSPLY ven digital Figure 2 ES2 Each E Snake master unit consists of a hardware frame and motherboard that can be configured with input cards and output cards Each card is capable of processing eight channels of audio 2 1 1 Front Panel Indicators and Switch ESF requires the use of an external power supply ES2 contains an integrated internal supply Both units provide connections for attaching a second external supply if redundancy is desired Groups of green LEDs indicate presence of DC voltages ESF only The LED monitoring each DC voltage will fail to illuminate if the corresponding supply is not delivering that voltage Large Blue Light indicates unit is powered on Blue Control LED blinks to indicate communication activity between the ES unit and ESC Red Fault LED indicates that an error has occurred in the system When this LED is illuminated there will be a corresponding error code displayed in the LCD window Refer to Appendix B for a list of error codes for help troubleshooting in the unlikely event of system problems The LCD window provides a vie
31. Audio Audio connections are made through 12 pin Phoenix type terminal plugs Each plug connects four balanced audio channels CobraNet Connection Ethernet connections are made via these RJ45 jacks The Primary jack should be used to connect to the Ethernet switch The Secondary jack is provided for redundant network connection ESP1 POWER SUPPLY A and B INPUT NL8 Speakon connectors are used to connect the ES unit to the ESP1 power supply ES2 contains its own internal primary power supply Use the External Power Supply in to connect ESPI supply for redundant backup Either A or B connector can be used with the ESF and the second connector allows the use of two supplies to create backup redundancy Five foot cables are provided with the ESP1 and represent the suggested maximum cable length Word Clock BNC Jacks Word Clock IN and THRU connections provide a method of synchronizing the CobraNet network to an external word clock Connection needs to be made to only one ES unit and then that unit will become the conductor for the CobraNet network All other CobraNet devices will sync to the conductor See Section 4 1 The second BNC jack is a parallel connection for daisy chaining the word clock signal to other devices but only one ES unit may be connected to the master word clock ESF ONLY Alternately a single ESF unit can synchronize the CobraNet system by using the AES EBU sync from channels 7 and 8 on input slot number four Aga
32. Idle Screen Conductor Screen 8 Tx7 XXXXX Y ch Tx8 XXXXX Y ch Screen 16 Frame Name In Use B Cond Screen 1 In1 Mic Line Rx1 XXXXX Y ch In2 Line Rx2 XXXXX Y ch Screen 9 Screen 17 MAC Address 000000 000000 Screen 2 In3 TRMI Rx3 XXXXX Y ch In4 Empty Rx4 XXXXX Y ch Screen 10 Screen 18 For 24 bit Only IP Address 192 168 0 123 Screen 3 Out1 Mic Line Rx5 XXXXX Y ch Out2 Line Rx6 XXXXX Y ch Screen 11 Screen 19 For 24 bit Only Audio Resolution 20 Bit Screen 4 Audio Latency X XX mS Screen 5 RefCIk Internal Ext N A Card 192 Screen 6 Out3 AES EBU Rx7 XXXXX Y ch Out4 Empty Rx8 XXXXX Y ch Reset Confirmation Screen Tx1 XXXXX Y ch Press to Reset Tx2 XXXXX Y ch Aborts in 30 Tx3 XXXXX Y ch Tx4 XXXXX Y ch DSF Firmware Ver 00 00 00 Tx5 XXXXX Y ch Tx6 XXXXX Y ch Table 1 LCD User Screens Variable Content Fields Underlined Appendix Error Codes This appendix contains the possible error codes that may be displayed by the E Snake unit on the LCD user interface and fault LED If a problem should occur please make note of any displayed error message This information will be important if it becomes necessary to contact Whirlwind Tech support for assistance Fault LED Indicator The ES Fault LED is used to blink the representation of a numeric code to the user The usual use for this feature is to supplement the error m
33. Multicasting Whereas it is possible in some cases to indicate intended recipients of multicast data all nodes within a network domain unconditionally receive broadcast data Bundle The basic network transmission unit under CobraNet Up to 8 audio channels may be carried in a bundle in 20 bit mode up to 7 audio channels may be carried in a bundle in 24 bit mode Category 5 Cable CAT 5 is inexpensive unshielded twisted pair UTP data grade cable used for connecting nodes on an Ethernet based network CAT 5 cables used for Ethernet networks contain 8 wires with 4 of the wires used for data The other wires are twisted around the data lines for maintaining electrical stability and providing resistance to electrical interference Ethernet cable runs are limited to 100 Meters due to signal radiation and attenuation considerations An Ethernet CAT 5 cable run in excess of 100 Meters may be overly sensitive to electromagnetic interference It should be noted that not all CAT 5 cable is UTP Shielded 5 also exists but is rare due to its greater cost and shorter distance limitation than UTP type CAT 5 CobraNet M is a combination of hardware software and protocol which distributes many channels of real time digital audio over Fast Ethernet CobraNet supports switched and repeater Ethernet networks CobraNet uses standard Ethernet packets and network infrastructure CobraNet Device A device in compliance with the CobraNet specification
34. OH with Stage B silent Returns are transmitted from FOH to Stage A The file STAGE B configures Stage B to transmit its inputs to FOH while Stage A is silent The return channels however are still sent from FOH to Stage A where the amp racks are located With the preset data file STAGE A active the live band is playing through Stage A s inputs while the next act is being wired on Stage B When it s time to switchover the operator can load the STAGE architecture file which activates Stage B s inputs and silences Stage A s inputs allowing all physical connections at the console to remain unchanged When using a digital console at FOH a scene change would also most likely take place at this time STAGE A STAGE B SS Lom omn Multiple Stage Festival Example Tesir a ELIO MEE th i 1 m singe SCS m om os ae Dar Bieb ms sos ina m m m o s H i LY e Rueda Lac aT ees du CIO D Bfm o u elias pfi zm afie 267 a a z e m ie zi 2 ci mi E Aji o oct oo
35. age tabs along the bottom of the overview screen Configuration Adapter IP refer to section 3 3 3 regarding the proper setting of the PC s network adapter Architecture Editor allows the user to create a new preset file or edit an existing file See section 4 2 Using the Architecture Editor System Configuration Management Utility for details Device Info opens a window that displays all of the settings for all of the ES units specified in the preset file Redundant Backup E Snake settings are saved to a pair of backup files on the PC when the system remains idle for sixty seconds after any adjustment is made Redundant backup allows the user to specify that an additional and separate backup be created to another location so that all the settings could be transferred to a backup PC in the event of a catastrophic failure of the computer See section 3 5 for details Help About displays software version information Error Log displays a log of system operations and critical and non critical errors Show Notifications Opens the Notifications window which displays a list of all system messages and errors 3 4 3 Mic Line Input MLD control functions Channel Detail Page The user may double click on any channel in the Overview Window and a larger view of eight channels will pop up as a Channel Detail Page Figure 2 This enlarged view gives the operator access to all functions mic line switching 48 vo
36. audio channels that can be packaged into a single bundle In 24 bit mode the Whirlwind E Snake uses pairs of bundles where seven audio channels are contained in one bundle and one audio channel in the other or a second proprietary mode where each bundle contains four audio channels Each CobraNet device has the ability to send and receive a fixed number of bundles The bundle number defines the routing between specific CobraNet transmitting devices and CobraNet receiver s on the network Use of bundle numbers removes the necessity of the user having to specify the Ethernet hardware addresses of the devices that are trying to communicate As long as two CobraNet devices are set to the same bundle number the CobraNet system takes care of all the rest of the technical details of setting up an audio path over Ethernet between the devices Multicast bundles numbered 1 255 are automatically sent to every device on the network Unicast bundles are numbered 256 65 279 and may only be sent to a single receiver A given bundle may have only one transmitter that places it onto the network Multicast bundles may have multiple receivers Unicast bundles may have only a single receiver On a switched network there is no fixed maximum number of bundles possible The number will be determined by the network design When using multicast bundles it is important not to exceed the bandwidth of any node the network Implementing VLANs with managed swit
37. bad cables etc 7 3 3 CobraNet Discovery Uninstall Components error When installing a new E Snake controller on a system that already contains CobraNet Discovery Disco you will be prompted to install Disco If you choose to uninstall and reinstall the current version of Disco there is a bug in the Disco software that does actually reinstall Disco This will result in an error when running E Snake Control Re running the installation will then reload Discovery If Disco is already installed on the PC avoid this by choosing NO when asked you want to remove installed components 7 3 4 Unreachable Frames error Disco and the E Snake controller must have the same IP range or an error dialog Unreachable frames will appear 7 4 Contacting Whirlwind Technical Support Whirlwind Technical Support is available by calling 800 733 9473 or by emailing techsupport whirlwindusa com 7 5 Specifications Dimensions Frequency Response dBv 2 gt 235 m s 5 22 5 o 9 g N c c PEN S cus T gt gt G E gt 8 s s 8 88 E 8 8 8 gt 4 lt 5 3 3 s 8 c S FE OS 2 5 BE 5 2 g D A 2 q 5 2s E 3 2 amp gt x I NE GO S ne MLI MLO Line 11 8 95 12 106 9 0 0071 4 1 66 0 09 0 07 0
38. by selecting lt Adapter IP gt from the Configuration menu 5 Intel R PR07100 VE Network Connection 168 254 1 2 169 254 1 199 x c 3 Select the proper Network Adapter If your PC has more than one network adapter listed be sure to select the adapter that is connected to the CobraNet network Click Auto Assign gt and click Suggest IP Address The range will automatically fill in according to the IP address assigned to Disco and the PC If it does not return to step 3 in section 3 3 3 and verify all settings OK 4 If there already is a range specified in ESC and it does not match the devices on the network you may see the following dialog box appear Follow the instructions to correct the condition Unreachable Frames The following frames are unreachable because they have out of range addresses To access these frames either change the IP s of this computer s network adapter to match the range of the frames or manually reassign each frame s IP address through CobraNet Discovery Disco reassign in Disco first reset the default address range of the network adapter then right click on each of these frames and choose New IP Address from the menu ESF MAC address 00602b 025666 at IP 163 254 0 5 ESF MAC address 006026 025757 at IP 163 254 0 13 ESF MAC address 00602b 02576c at IP 163 254 0 23 ESF MAC address 00502b 025777 at IP 163 254 0 4 ESF address
39. ccept up to 4 input and output cards Therefore each ESF is capable of simultaneously processing 32 inputs and 32 outputs ES2 can accept any two I O cards and therefore process up to 16 inputs or 16 outputs or 8 of each Multiple master units can be used with Ethernet switches to increase the capacity to literally HUNDREDS of channels STAGE F O H Red arrows indicate analog connections CobraNet connections are via CAT 5 data cable Basic E Snake system A pair of master units connected to each other through an Ethernet switch along with the presence of a personal computer PC on the network replaces a traditional analog snake The PC is necessary to run E Snake Control software that allows the operator to manage the various controls and operating parameters of the system However once the system is properly configured the presence of a PC is NOT required for audio to pass between units If splits are desired they may be accomplished by using additional ports on the Ethernet switch However most short run splits such as providing for a monitor mix will probably continue to be accomplished by traditional analog means 1 1 Gain Tracking from input to output a Virtual Wire The E Snake Control application provides A D converter input gain control with its virtual on screen fader However if adjustments were to be made to the input gain without compensation in the corresponding output channel the analog audio level present
40. ches or Gigabit architecture may be a necessity in complex CobraNet networks VLANs which are supported by most managed switches split the network into separate virtual networks and give it the ability to run more Multicast bundles or keep CobraNet and other Ethernet data separated All traffic in a given VLAN even multicast traffic is isolated to only those ports that are part of the VLAN Bundles from 256 to 65 279 are called Unicast bundles These are addressed to a single destination A switched hub will send these channels only out the ports leading to the CobraNet device they are addressed to Unlike Multicast bundles Unicast bundles will not be transmitted unless a receiver is set to receive that channel This allows destination controlled routing where the receiver selects one of several possible transmitters to receive and only the selected transmitter is activated Fast Ethernet distance limitations apply to CobraNet installations 100 meters over CAT 5 copper cable 2 kilometers over multimode fiber Proprietary Fast Ethernet via single mode fiber solutions can reach even farther The preceding contains excerpts from sections of the Peak Audio website Select these links to view detailed information from www peakaudio com http www peakaudio com CobraNet licensee bundle Assignments html http www peakaudio com CobraNet FA Q html 4 2 Using the ARCHITECTURE EDITOR System Configuration Management Utility The Arc
41. ck Mounting iio sut t e ot qut ea shee hon edd ten Od ede ped te det 66 6 3 Installing and Removing IO cards essent nennen eene et rennen 66 6 4 Custom IistallGtionsss dnd ue cete EH IR ICs rp IR GEO REOR UIS be E BRE NIRE eed us cree cR PRU AER EE 67 Za Troubleshooting Re 68 721 Network DrODIems T 68 7 1 1 DSManager PollDSF s socket operation was attempted to an unreachable 2 68 7 1 2 A socket operation was attempted to an unreachable host 68 7 2 Maintenance a payaa Gavia alee spe dei ie Peso totos tend eiae t Give ieee Gea kad bates ER eee ake 68 7 3 E Snake Control Software Troubleshooting 68 7 3 1 No meter activity on known good Iput isaisa enese 68 7 3 2 ESF not responding orange border around inputs on 68 7 3 3 CobraNet Discovery Uninstall Components error 69 7 3 4 Unreachable Frames Soa ERE ERR WE Saas pha Dawe EET D te 69 7 4 Contacting Whirlwind Technical Support esie taste eese EL RR Pe eee io sss 69 7 5 Specifications Dimensions 4 5 ae eie e o E e IIO ERU
42. crosoft s guidelines as outlined here Set Internet Explorer security level to High Add Web sites you consider safe to Trusted Sites Use plain text to read the e mail messages you receive Block pop up windows in your browser mE E bm For details see Microsoft security article http www microsoft com security incident settings mspx X SLT section 125121120120 3 2 Installing the E Snake Control Software Insert the E Sys CD into your CD ROM drive If the setup menu does not appear automatically click Start Run and enter E Sys exe assuming D is the drive letter of your CD ROM replace with your drive letter if different Or Click Start Run Browse navigate to your CD ROM drive select E Sys exe Open OK Follow the prompts If this 15 a first time install choose to install CobraNet Discovery Disco when prompted a utility for monitoring and administering CobraNet devices on the network If Disco has already been installed on the system choose No when prompted to install Disco 3 3 Setting the Computer s IP Address TCP IP Transfer Control Protocol Internet Protocol is a suite of communications protocols originally designed to facilitate communications between groups of computers and also between groups of computer networks It was the development of TCP IP that made possible the connection of computers around the world into the network of netw
43. d with the Gain Fader positioned in the middle of its range close to 0 and with the meter reading in the 10 to 12 region If it becomes necessary to move the gain fader to either the high or low extreme to achieve proper level switch the input level button to a different range and readjust the fader These adjustments will cause no perceived level changes at the corresponding MLO output channel due to Gain Tracking see section 1 1 Channel Text Editor Double clicking on the black text box within a channel when in the Channel Detail view will open the individual channel text editor Up to five lines of text can be displayed and the text color can be selected from the palette Click on the buttons at the bottom of the editor to move the focus of the editor to the lt lt FIRST PREVIOUS gt NEXT and gt gt LAST channel in the group of eight that are displayed in the Channel Detail View Channel 3 3 4 4 Transformer Mic Input Control Functions Channel Detail Page te i anim ee ae The operator may double click any channel TRMI Overview window and a larger view of eight channels will pop up as a Channel Detail Page The functions for the TRMI card are the same as for the MLI card except there is no provision for selecting line level input 3 4 5 AESI Input Control Functions Channel Detail Page ictal Pree 21
44. e Ring A network topology in which all nodes are connected in a closed loop Run Length The distance between two nodes on a network Each combination of data bandwidth and type of medium has a limitation in the length of a point to point run between two devices When maximum run length guidelines are exceeded it may not be possible to establish a valid network connection or data may be corrupted Longer distances may be achieved by upgrading the media or using multiple runs in series Single Mode Fiber A fiber optic cable built from a single type of glass Data is carried over single mode fiber in the coherent light produced by a laser While the single mode fiber cable costs approximately the same as a multimode cable the cost of the optical transmitters and receivers is significantly more for a single mode installation than multimode However single mode fiber systems are able to achieve much greater transmission distances than multimode There is no official standard for carrying Ethernet over single mode fiber Proprietary single mode fiber systems each have their own run length limits all exceed the 2 kilometer multimode limit Some systems offer lengths in excess of 100 kilometers Star A network topology in which all nodes are connected to a central network device such as a hub or switch Switch See Switching Hub below Switching Hub Switching Hub simply Switch examines addressing fields data arriving at each port a
45. e mouse on any Channel Page tab switches views and displays the different combinations of ES units as configured by the user This view allows the user to monitor levels and adjust each gain setting A channel is selected for adjustment by clicking on it with the mouse Its fader becomes yellow when selected The Channel Pages are added deleted renamed and configured with commands available under the View menu The Menus File Contains usual Windows application options Open Save Save As a recent file list and Exit Edit Channel Detail provides an expanded view of the input channels in groups of eight Note that prior to using this menu item an overview channel strip must be selected Channel Detail may also be accessed by double clicking on a channel in the overview window Add Channel Page allows the user to add another Channel Page to the overview The user may select which ES units appear on the page and may name the tab that will be added along the bottom of the Overview Window Modify Current Channel Page allows the user to modify currently selected Channel Page The user can select ES units and their location on the page as well as rename the page Delete Current Channel Page allows the user to delete the current Channel Page and tab There must be at least one Channel Page the application will not allow you to delete all pages Sort Channel Pages Alphabetically automatically orders and organizes the channel p
46. e of ES operation in somewhat hampered manner depending on the state of the ES unit when the error occurred Those that could occur inside the dling state for example would still allow the ES unit to pass audio Others that occur during maintenance tasks or POST may restrict operation to firmware updates The table below defines all of the non critical error conditions that the ES unit detects Non Critical Error Indication Indications of a non critical error by the Fault LED and the LCD will persist until the user acknowledges the error with a single push of the front panel pushbutton Blink Code Definition Text on LCD Error Name 1 LCD Error One of two conditions occurred N A 1 Wrong LCD test pattern read back during POST 2 The LCD s Busy Flag bit did not deassert within 2mS of performing any LCD read or write 2 Unsupported I O A board ID is discovered that is Invalid Boards Board Error outside the supported board range In 1234 Out 1234 3 Unexpected I O A board ID is discovered that is Wrong Board Type Board ID Error different than what is in the I O In 1234 Out 1234 board architecture 4 No Settings During Initialization valid channels Can t Find State Found In Flash settings data was not found in Using Defaults FLASH 5 Unsupported A board ID that is not supported by Unspprtd Arch Architecture the firmware is found in the In 1234 Out 1234 Error Architected ID MIB variables
47. e used on the Internet can become infected with viruses or spyware These may access the network periodically to try and spread to other computers or to report their spying activities to the Internet In some cases this extra network activity can consume enough bandwidth to cause intermittent audio dropouts or distortion 3 1 Overview E Snake Control is a PC based software product that provides all of the controls for configuring adjusting and routing CobraNet audio with Whirlwind E Snake units System requirements or more Whirlwind E Snake or E Snake 2 frames 1 or more 100Mbs or 1Gps Ethernet switches 100Mb network card A PC running Windows 2000 or XP with Internet Protocol TCP IP installed E Snake Control Software ESC CobraNet Discovery Software Disco Microsoft NET Framework installed E Snake control requires a PC with the Microsoft INET Framework v1 1 or later installed It is recommended that the latest version of the NET Framework be obtained from the Microsoft Windows Update website at Microsoft Framework update site http msdn microsoft com netframework downloads framework 1 Therefore it is vital that the PC to be used in the CobraNet environment be free from virus and spyware activity We recommend that the PC be scanned for viruses and spyware regularly and that all unnecessary background applications and services be terminated Also it is recommended that Internet Explorer users follow Mi
48. ed to the mixing console would change as well This would require an additional step of re adjusting the console s analog input gain Therefore we have incorporated a Gain Tracking function into the E Snake system Gain Tracking monitors gain adjustments to the input and automatically compensates at the output by changing the output level by the same amount but in the opposite direction The result is that the analog audio level remains constant making E Snake a virtual wire It s important to note that this Gain Tracking feature only functions when transmitting audio between units Other devices on the network that are being sent CobraNet audio by E Snake units will experience a change in level when adjustments are made to input gain 1 2 Automatic Backup PC File Protection E Snake Control automatically recognizes when an adjustment has been made to any of the system s settings When changes are detected all settings are saved to two temporary files on the PC at 60 second intervals This backup alternates between the two separate files to ensure that one good backup file will always be present even if the PC experiences a crash or loses network communication during the writing of the other backup Should communication with the PC fail the ES units will continue to operate indefinitely with the settings that were in effect at the time of the interruption and the show goes As soon as the PC comes back online
49. es 9 e address subnet mask Default Gateway 9 e Preferred DIS server Altemate DNS se 8 Click the Alternate Configuration tab Enter 169 254 1 1 in the IP address field and 255 255 255 0 in the Subnet mask OK OK Internet Protocol TCPZIP Properties General Akberale Configuration computer is used on more than one entes allemats IF tailing Automatic address User configured addhess 169 254 1 1 Sube mask 255 255 255 gaanar Prefered DHS Ahama DMS parya WINS semer Altemale WIHS server The computer is now set up to automatically receive an IP address from a DHCP server In the absence of the DHCP server it will default to this static IP address This can be verified by selecting Start Run type CMD K IPCONFIG OK This will open a command window and list the IP address and Subnet Mask 3 3 3 Setting System IP Addresses in CobraNet Discovery Disco Disco is an application from Peak Audio for finding and configuring CobraNet devices on the network It is a very useful tool for identifying CobraNet devices verifying connections setting IP addresses etc It is necessary to define the IP address range within Disco This procedure assumes that the computer has already been assigned the IP of 169 254 1 1 1 Open CobraNet Discovery Disco
50. essage text on the LCD See section below for specifics on error conditions and their codes Blink Code Format The firmware will convey one and two non zero decimal numeric codes to the user by blinking the Fault LED as depicted in Figure 7 1 Dashed portion shown for two digit codes only 1Sec Blink u Pause2Sec Pause 4 Sec lt gt lt gt 2 Figure 7 1 Numeric Code Blink Timing Shows 52 Critical errors prevent normal operation of the ES unit to any degree including maintenance operations and result in a transition to the Stopped state Table 2 defines all of the critical error conditions that the ES firmware detects t ode Definition Text on LCD Error Name 51 FLASH CRC Valid channels settings Flash CRC Error Error persistence data was not found in FLASH 52 Incompatible CM 1 firmware version is not Incompatible Firmware compatible with ESF CN Firmware Error 53 FLASH Busy The FLASH Controller is Flash Busy on Read Error stuck in the busy state during During Write an attempt to do a read Blink Code Error Name Definition Text on LCD 54 FLASH Busy The FLASH Controller is Flash Busy on Write Error stuck in the busy state during During Read an attempt to do a write 55 FLASH Busy The FLASH Controller is Flash Busy on Erase Error stuck in the busy state during OR Sat kra
51. hitecture Editor is the tool for configuring and connecting ES units together in a system There are several factors to be determined to successfully specify valid system architecture and create a preset data file Number of E Snake and E Snake 2 units in the system Input and output board composition in each frame MAC addresses of each of the frames Selection of 20 or 24 bit operation Bundle assignment for transmitters and receivers to interconnect each frame Analog audio channel assignment within each CobraNet bundle Desired latency produced between nodes Open the Architecture Editor from the first History List screen that appears when starting E Snake Control or from the Configuration menu within the E Snake Control Application tO r owed Sinaka Corine Channel pue Mac conn aux mut icine Wara z au o cu w uae x x s that las Mete Te iunie ee apan sf ejan els sire inh efs sir la 21 fr sx aje 4 sap aim Aij AEn Gls Als aiim aop 1 Alu 5
52. in this ESF will become the system conductor upon detecting AES EBU sync Analog Input Connections Analog connections are made via Phoenix connector jacks and plugs supplied with the various I O cards Refer to these diagrams for making the proper connections roa s S B 8 5 6 6 6 6 G G G G G G G G t O2 i Ze DDDBBBaaaaanmm 2 lt O AES EBU OUTPUT a G G G G M mo I I O po 3 B 9 5 naa sav g5 lt D Fe Det 555 BE a OM G G A Fully Loaded Snake Frame 2 2 Input and Output Cards E Snake was conceived and implemented with the understanding that it must perform with the same standards as the finest microphones and consoles available To this end the preamplifiers A D and D A conversion circuits are the result of employing the finest components and state of the art circuit designs 2 2 1 Mic Line Input Card MLI Each MLI input card can process eight analog channels Functions available for each channel on an MLI include mic line switching 48 volt phantom power 30dB pad limiter gain control metering and channel labeling 2 2 2 Transformer Mic Input Card TRMI Features are the same as the MLI card except the TRMI only accepts mic level and provides high quality transformer isolation via premium Lundahl LL1581XL transformers Transformer isolation increases the noise re
53. ine Output Card LO The LO Line Output cards receive digital audio data retrieved from the network and convert it back to analog line level audio The Gain Tracking feature will keep the audio level constant when receiving audio from a corresponding MLI card However the audio output level will increase from the MLI input level depending on the setting of the input range button for the MLI channel Input channels set to Mic level will essentially be converted to line level according to the chart below Refer to Mic Line Input MLD control functions Channel Detail Page MLI Setting MLO Output Gain Change Mic HI 40dB Mic LO 20dB LINE 3 Snake Control IMPORTANT ROUTER VIRUS and FIREWALL ROUTERS NOT SUPPORTED CobraNet will NOT pass through routers layer 3 devices Only hubs and switched hubs are supported with switched hubs being strongly preferred FIREWALLS It is not recommended that hardware type firewalls be placed between the PC and the CobraNet network If the PC used for E Snake Control is operating with a software firewall in place make sure that the firewall is configured so that the E Snake Control application has access to the network VIRUSES and SPYWARE E Snake Control uses Simple Network Management Protocol SNMP to communicate with E Snake Frames SNMP adds minimal amounts of traffic to the CobraNet network and will not cause interruption in service However PCs that ar
54. jection characteristics of the TRMI and lowers THD 2 2 3 AES EBU Digital Input Card AESI Each AESI processes four AES EBU digital input channels each containing two audio channels for a total of eight channels The AES EBU input may also be used to provide sync for the CobraNet system To accomplish this place the input card into Input Slot 4 The sync signal is taken from the channel four input connector of that card See Word Clock section of Rear Panel Connections 2 2 4 Mic Line Output Card MLO The MLO output cards receive digital audio data retrieved from the network and convert it back to analog audio at the same level that was input to the MLI mic level in means mic level out This way the operator continues to use the mic preamps in the analog console and receives the same performance sonic characteristics and feel as if using an analog snake However because it is necessary to provide remote gain adjustment in the MLI it is also necessary to prevent those adjustments from upsetting the gain structure at the analog console This is accomplished by utilizing a scheme called Gain Tracking As gain adjustments are made to the input they are detected by ESC and the MLO output is automatically compensated to keep the analog output at a constant level 2 2 5 AES EBU Output Card AESO Each AESO processes four AES EBU digital output channels each containing two audio channels for a total of eight channels 2 2 6 L
55. l change from yellow to blue which indicates that the hardware is communicating and E Snake Controller is operating A continuous yellow outline around each channel indicates that the software is not currently communicating with the ES hardware In this example the 64 visible channels on a Channel Page labeled STAGE represent the inputs of a pair of ESFs that are fully loaded with MLI input cards providing 32 inputs each to the system The ESFs are labeled Stage 1 and Stage 2 These ESF names are derived from the names specified within the Architecture Editor application The controls and meters for any ESF on the network can be assigned to any Channel Page If either of these frames were not fully loaded with input cards the display would adjust accordingly to show a reduced number of input channels In the above example the user has labeled the Channel Page Stage and that label appears on a Channel Page tab located along the bottom of the screen If necessary additional tabs can be user defined to represent other combinations of ESFs and ES2s and any unit can be represented on more than one tab Note that in Figure 1 additional tabs have been created and labeled FOH and T1 FOH might include an ES unit s located at the mix position that contains input card s to provide for returns to the stage might display a unit located in a broadcast truck where it contains inputs for tie lines Clicking th
56. le power to the unit 9 With Updater Running displayed on the ES units LCD screens you now ready to upload the rest of the firmware On the PC replace the contents of the Firmware Image File box with the location of the DSMO_MICRO_V1_x_x_xxxxxx_encrypted s19 file 10 Click the lt Update gt button and observe the progress bars When finished all the ES units in the architecture should now have the latest firmware 11 Close the Firmware Updater window CM 1 FIRMWARE UPDATE PROCESS THROUGH COBRANET DISCOVERY Follow these steps to update the CobraNet CM 1 module firmware in the E Snake or E Snake 2 unit s NOTE Be certain that power is not interrupted during the entire update procedure unless you are instructed to do so 1 Insert a CD containing the update files or download the BIN file from the Whirlwind website and copy to the C Program Files Peak Audio CobraNet Discovery firmware folder on your PC 2 Open CobraNet Discovery 3 Under the CobraNet menu select Update Firmware 4 Select a unit to be updated 5 Disco will begin to communicate with unit during which you will see a rotating mirror ball 6 A dialog appears listing firmware versions Choose the latest version of the firmware and click lt Update gt Note You may need to check the lt Show all Firmware Versions gt box if the desired version does not appear automatically d Repeat for each unit that requires the update
57. les for monitoring Do the same thing for ESF STAGE A transmitters in Festival B FOH preset data file You can now verify signal adjust input gain etc on the Stage B ESF while Stage A is live Then at changeover load the Festival FOH preset data file Stage B s transmitters will now send to FOH and Stage A s transmitters will send to the E Desk for monitoring 5 4 Broadcast and Recording Setup This example illustrates a four ESF system where inputs from a stage location are multicast to three ESFs that are located at FOH a recording location and a broadcast location RECORDING BROADCAST Broadcast with Recording Application The following Architecture Editor screens show the setup for these four ESFs Screen 1 shows that the Stage and are similar to the setup for the Basic 2 Box system except that the Stage ESF is transmitting its inputs on Multicast bundles 1 8 which allow multiple ESFs to receive them The FOH ESF is transmitting return lines to the STAGE ESF on Unicast bundles which can only be received by a single ESF Screen 2 shows the settings for the BROADCAST and RECORDING ESFs which are also set to receive multicast bundles 1 8 from the Stage just like FOR SE ea LEELJE aloha gar ser 5 zur lel she Sirf ior z Broadcast and Recording Architecture Editor Screen 1
58. lt phantom power pad limiter gain control and metering Refer to figure 2 which illustrates the functions that will be displayed for a Mic Line Input MLI card Del ail Views 51 Sm UU UU db Figure 2 MLI Channel Detail Page Selecting a channel for adjustment Use the mouse to position its pointer over the control you wish to operate Click on that control and the Gain Fader will turn yellow indicating that this channel is selected for control Signal Level Meter displays the level of the signal at the input of the A D converter The top indicator is red with a value of zero representing digital full scale the input level at which digital clipping occurs The indicators underneath represent relative dB levels below digital full scale Gain Control Fader provides 18dBV of variable gain adjustment Use the mouse to click hold and drag the fader up and down Note When audio is passing from the inputs of one ES unit to the outputs of another ES unit moving the Gain Fader will NOT result in an audible change in level at the output even though a change in the overall level displayed on the meter will occur This is normal and is a result of E Snake s Gain Tracking feature However when interfacing the inputs of an ES unit to other CobraNet devices changes made to the gain setting WILL result in changes to the audio level in the receiving device Please see section 1 1 for an explanation of E Snake s Gai
59. n Tracking feature There are six pushbuttons on the MLI input channel 1 Mic Gain Hi provides a block of 40dB of gain to the input signal Maximum input level in this position with the fader set to zero is 22dB V 2 Mic Gain LO provides a block of 20dB of gain to the input signal Maximum input level in this position with the fader set to zero is 7dBV 3 Line provides unity gain to the input signal Maximum input level in this position with the fader set to zero is 18dBV 4 Pad applies a 30dB attenuator at the input to reduce the level of hot signals 5 48V when activated applies phantom power to the input connector 6 Limiter activates a protective limiter designed to minimize digital clipping that can occur when signals exceed digital full scale represented by O in the bar graph signal meter The threshold level at which limiting starts is fixed at 6 as shown in red on the meter During operation the limit light should blink on and off If it stays lit the gain should be reduced Analog to Digital A D Converter Performance Optimization Analog to digital conversion is optimized by presenting the proper level of analog signal to the converter without crossing over the threshold into digital clipping The Gain Fader and the Gain buttons should be manipulated together to keep the signal level on the meter in a range near digital full scale but with a comfortable margin of headroom Best performance is usually achieve
60. ncy is fixed at 2 66ms 24bit 2x8 1 33ms 24 bit resolution with 2 Tx and Rx bundles each contains 8 audio channels Latency is a fixed 1 33ms only compatible with equipment running CobraNet CM 2 and newer CM 1 modules 24bit 4x4 5 33ms 24 bit resolution with 4 Tx and Rx bundles each contains 4 audio channels Latency is a fixed 5 33ms Select the desired bitwidth and latency and the screen will configure itself to display the appropriate number of transmitters receivers and channels 4 24 Channel Text Color Use this button to change the color of the ES unit s input text labels displayed in the E Snake Control s Overview Channel Page These colors are also adjustable from within the Channel Detail Page 4 2 5 Input Boards Select the correct board type for the corresponding slot from the list in the dropdown menu The boxes to the right of each board represent the text that appears in the boxes in the Overview Channel Page for each group of channels The Default button labels these channels consecutively Each text box can be changed to any combination of three alphanumeric characters but each label must be unique within the same ES unit 4 3 Output boards There are slots in the ES unit for output boards Select the correct board type for the corresponding slot from the list in the dropdown menu 4 3 1 Transmit Tx Bundle Assignment Transmit Tx bundles send the digitized audio created from the ES unit
61. nd attempts to direct the data out the port or ports to the devices to which the data is addressed A network utilizing Switching Hubs realizes higher overall bandwidth capacity as data may be routed through multiple ports simultaneously without conflict Switches are full duplex devices This effectively doubles the bandwidth of a 100BASE T port to 200Mbs A network utilizing switches to connect network segments is referred to as a switched network Unicast Addressing Data that is addressed to a specific single node A switching hub may examine the Unicast address field of the data and determine on which port the addressed node resides and direct the data out only that port Delivery of an e mail message is an example of Unicast data addressing Unicast bundle supports a one to one routing of audio on the network Because Unicast addressing consumes less bandwidth Unicast bundles should be used for audio delivery whenever possible Unregulated Traffic Refers to any data transmitted onto a CobraNet network by non CobraNet devices Unregulated traffic is particularly offensive on a repeater network as it interferes with CobraNet s collision avoidance mechanism and can result in audio dropouts On a switched network unregulated traffic 15 only a problem if it appears in such copious quantity as to overload the network Word Clock A type of timing information carried within a digital audio signal that keeps multiple digital recording devices precisely
62. ning virtual pieces of audio equipment including mixers processors EQs delays controls and much more E Mod CobraNet compatible digital audio transceivers The first model DCS88 Digital Contracting Series is the first digital audio transceiver utilizing low power core technology This breakthrough design allows for the remote application of power to the DCS88 transceivers via CAT 5 cable along with the digital audio This greatly simplifies CobraNet installations and makes DCS the ideal choice for introducing or expanding the benefits of a digital audio network in new or existing systems E Beam Whirlwind E Beam incorporates the latest infrared laser technology resulting in the first truly affordable solution for reliable Ethernet and CobraNet wireless transmission 1 Snake System Overview The main components of the Whirlwind E Snake system consist of E Snake Frames ESF or E Snake 2 ES2 master units and E Snake Control ESC software for managing the system Two or more of these units connected to each other through an Ethernet switch with CAT 5 UTP or fiber optic cabling replace the traditional analog multi pair audio snake E Snake utilizes CobraNet the industry standard for real time multi channel networked audio Each master unit ESF or ES2 consists of a hardware frame and motherboard that can be configured with input cards and output cards Each card is capable of processing eight channels of audio An ESF can a
63. nmerit 5 edi ne Pe TENERE RR 48 4 3 3 Saving Architecture and View Control File 48 4 3 4 Validate Current Setin gS ceinen ones e e E E ete ro e Rig bere pie eR EE IUE ERR 48 5 Examples of typical applications and E Snake configurations 49 5 1 2 32 ananan ana aD an h ua a a q 49 5 2 Large concert stage setup 64 inputs x 32 outfputs 52 5 3 Festival Multiple Stage Setup ee ee ee Er e e EIS ERD MR de qe PUR 54 D4 Broadcast dnd Recording Setup us ees t re ev ab te e E de DESEE E t 58 5 5 ESF As I O Access Point Cobranet 60 XO eati ptt e A te HE E Bate 62 6 dyis 66 6 1 E m nm HEN 66 6 2 Ra
64. nnect the network cable from the PC 2 Connect a CAT 5 cable from the PC to a switch located on the CobraNet network 3 Select Start Settings Control Panel then Network and Dial up Connections Or alternately right click on My Network Places from the desktop and select Control Panel Fawkes Took dosk G GS x 2 s ma ewes Options Programs G d W Gare 4 4 Right click lt Local Area Connection gt lt Properties gt F Network and Dial up Connections ici xj OY NWLink NetBIOS 5 Select Use the following IP address gt and enter 169 254 1 1 into the IP address box Enter 255 255 255 0 into the Subnet mask Leave the Default gateway blank OK Internet Protocol TCP IP Properties 2 xl General You can get IP settings assigned automatically if your network supports this capability Otherwise you need to ask your network administrator for the appropriate IP settings Obtain an IP address automatically Use the following IP address IP address 163 254 1 1 Subnet mask 255 255 255 0 Default gateway Obtain DNS server address automatically Use the following DNS server addresses Preferred DNS server Altemate DNS server
65. o consecutive analog audio outputs Digital channel A on Rx1 appears as analog channel 1 digital channel on Rx is channel 2 etc based on the input boards configured 4 3 3 Saving Architecture and View Control File Select File Save or Save As accept the default storage location or navigate to a different folder name the file and select Save When the architecture editor is closed you are returned to the screen from where the Architecture Editor was invoked 4 3 4 Validate Current Settings Select File Validate Current Settings The application will check the settings for conflicts and report if any are found 5 Examples of typical applications E Snake configurations This section contains a number of sample applications These should help the user to get a sense of how the Architecture Editor can be used to create a variety of flexible routing and hardware configurations These graphics do not depict the various analog inputs outputs and splits for monitors All digital connections are assumed to be CAT 5 UTP cable 5 1 Basic 2 Box System 32x8 The figure below demonstrates a simple 2 network consisting of 2 ESFs that are sending and receiving CobraNet digital audio through an Ethernet switch The STAGE ESF is transmitting 32 and receiving 8 channels the F O H ESF is transmitting 8 and receiving 32 channels The PC operating the ESC control software is also plugged in
66. on 5 6 ESF as an input to a digital console E Snake makes an excellent input module for a digital console In this example an E Snake is supplying digital audio to a Yamaha PMSD digital console that has been equipped with MY 16 C CobraNet I O cards E Snake provides remote control of the mic preamps and A D converters and allows the signal to remain totally in the digital domain from the mic pres through to the console s outputs SOLOS napa Snake As Input Digital Console T T mn M E D 8 0 s Architecture Editor Screen for Interface To Digital Console This Architecture Editor screen shows the setup for a single ESF used as an input for a CobraNet compatible digital console such as Yamaha s PMSD In this case a single ESF is providing 32 input channels on bundles 256 263 and receiving 16 return lines on bundles 264 267 5 7 ES2 to ES2 Placeholder for graphic E 727 M Metre u 7 Architecture Editor Screen for Basic ES2 ES2 24 bit and 1 33ms latency 6 Installation 6 1 Unpacking Whirlwind Digital has made every effort to ensure that your equipment is received in the same perfect condition it was in when it left the factory Please inspect your product for signs of any damage during shipping and report them to your dealer so that he can present a claim to the shipper We recommend that the packaging
67. orks that we now know as the Internet The TCP Transfer Control Protocol portion detects lost data or errors in transmission and triggers retransmission of that data until the information has been passed completely and without errors The IP Internet Protocol portion is responsible for sending packets of data from node to node on the network This routing is based on a 4 section address the IP Address that uniquely identifies the sender and receiver of the data In a regular Windows network the handling of IP address assignments is accomplished through a DHCP Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol server and thus is transparent to the user You just boot up login and all of the IP configurations are handled in the background DHCP assigns the IP address and makes sure that these addresses are not duplicated Since a CobraNet network has no DHCP Server available to handle the assignment of IP addresses the user must intervene manually IP addresses are written as four numbers called octets which are separated by periods such as 169 254 1 100 Each of the four octets in the IP address can be any number from 0 to 255 In most applications the first 3 octets identify the network while the last identifies the host or specific piece of hardware NETWORK HOST Y A Y 169 254 1 100 In order for a PC to control an E Snake network with the DSC software all of the ESFs and the PC must have the same network identifiers the first
68. ou w alef n 2 Hz 23 xj OORE a tarii ale jas alee 7 ss r x sia Z afi F Ale Input Controle Channel Dongnaka Dem fomir i EN KER KE EF E RONDE E TE In etre E d ww g mar exe I3 9 7 qup w m x Em ml 2 E P ie Fone rm EE TE Hi apana Charai tipic ari Ce mints Hamas Chosen bris rog aman saj Aep Aip xja sala c Sole els Sele Slr ale Alp I E Als xam n zJe n z a Ofte 5182 z ghs 0 2 r z ajaja Tak Aux i Alca ei es jols lola sje 7 ets siete siete joja DER Architecture Editor Screen This screen displays and allows the user to set all of the parameters for proper operation of the E Snake system 4 2 1 Add ESF or ES2 After starting the application the Architecture Editor opens and displays a blank screen Select lt Edit gt lt Add ESF gt or lt Add ES2 gt The application will load default settings for one ES unit and will display them in both the upper and lower panel Determine the number of ES units to be connected and re select lt Add ESF gt or lt Add ES2 gt from the lt Edit gt menu
69. ply provides power for a single ESF Each ESF features connection jacks and monitoring LEDs for two ESP1 power supplies A and B Connection can be made from an ESPI to either of the ESF s NL8 power supply input jacks for single supply operation The second power connection on the ESF 52 provides an input for a redundant backup power supply With two EPS1 supplies in use should one fail the secondary ESP will automatically and seamlessly take over The ESPI is 2 RU and available 120VAC or 230VAC versions The ESPI supplies five different DC voltages to operate the ES unit Actual values measured through the cable at the ESF 15 8VDC 15 8VDC 48 8VDC 4 3VDC and 6 0VDC The front panel of the ESPI provides an on off switch AC input fuse DC output fuses and LEDs to indicate proper operation There are separate internal AC input fuses for each individual supply in the ESPI The connecting cable is 13AWG eight conductor cable terminated with NL8 connectors The recommended maximum cable length is five feet NL8 was chosen for it s high current carrying capacity and ready availability DO NOT PLUG THE ESP1 INTO SPEAKER CABINETS OR PLUG POWER AMP OUTPUTS INTO E SNAKE FRAMES 2 1 3 Rear panel connections OUTPUT OUTPUT Tig IL T LI E WORD CLOCR mare LI 4 MOREM NA j Pere SUPPLY E INPUT Rear panel view Analog
70. rious media types Multicast Addressing Data that is Multicast is addressed to all nodes on a network All nodes receive multicast addressed data and decide individually whether the data is relevant to them A switched hub must send the data out all ports simultaneously just as a repeater hub does Multicast addressing is to be avoided whenever possible since it consumes network wide bandwidth and all nodes are burdened with having to decide whether multicast data is relevant to them Multicast Bundle A multicast bundle supports a one to many routing of audio on the network Ethernet multicast addressing is used to deliver a multicast bundle Because a multicast bundle consumes bandwidth network wide use of this delivery service must be rationed on a switched network Multimode Fiber A fiber optic cable commonly used in data communications and short haul telecommunications A multimode fiber is built of two types of glass arranged in a concentric manner Two sizes of fiber are available 62 5 125um is used primarily in data communications 50 100um is used primarily in telecommunications applications The standard for transmission of 100Mbit Ethernet over 62 5 125um multimode fiber is called 100BASE FX Multimode fiber and its associated transceivers are fairly economical I00BASE FX has a 2 kilometer distance limitation Network Radius The longest cable distance between any two nodes on the network Network Topology The physical and logical rela
71. roperly configured architecture for the units that require the firmware update 2 Start Snake Control without loading a preset file This be accomplished by clicking lt Proceed gt when the initial History List screen appears at startup 3 Select lt Firmware Updater gt from the lt Configuration gt menu 4 Note If a WDS preset data file is active you will see a prompt In order to run Firmware Updater you have to close previously opened preset data file Do you want to proceed Click lt Yes gt to close the preset data file S The Firmware Updater screen appears 6 In the Firmware Options area of the screen enter the following e In the Preset Data File box type or use the lt Browse gt button to provide the location of the preset data file that contains the units that you want to update e In the Firmware Image File box type or use the lt Browse gt button to provide the location of the DSMO ReplaceUpdater V1 x x xxxxxx encrypted s19 file 7 Click the lt Update gt button The firmware update process begins The Frame Progress bar indicates the progress on the current ES The Overall Progress bar indicates the progress for all units When the Overall Progress bar is filled the updated firmware code has been sent to the units 8 Look at the LCD screens on each ES You should see Updater Running on the LCD If you don t see this wait a minute and cyc
72. s Multicast bundles are sent to every device on the network increasing traffic and consuming valuable bandwidth very quickly CobraNet Equipped DSP Processor E Snake As Access Point To A CobraNet Network i nraka Ln morem D oc tihulput m T ICM DEUM qp 2 i r a 2 42 Dua Darauf lluita Buritis Hain unan ser zh sith 20 slefi a s 286 1002 0 em Hfi mask ofa Jz z r z eS jap Sela 10 9 SJ Ela F z mes majar tejes x ele zlulz zj Architecture Editor Screen for Single I O Access Point This Architecture Editor screen shows the setup for a single ESF used as a high quality multi channel access point to an existing CobraN et network Note that the bit rate is set to 20 bit as most CobraN et network devices operate at 20 bit resoluti
73. s analog inputs onto the CobraNet network Type the desired bundle number into the box Select each input box with a mouse click or use the TAB key to advance through the assignment boxes Beside each bundle box are dropdown tabs which assign the analog audio inputs to each digital audio channel within the bundle The dropdown menu contains all the analog inputs that are available according to the input boards configured An analog input may be assigned to more than one digital channel on multiple transmitters The Default button resets the mapping of analog inputs to consecutive digital audio inputs Analog channel 1 appears as digital channel A on Tx1 analog channel 2 is channel B on Tx1 etc based on the input boards configured 4 3 2 Receive Rx Bundle Assignment Receive Rx bundles receive the digital audio from the CobraNet network Type the desired bundle number into the box to receive the digital audio from the appropriate transmitters on the network The Rx bundles contain the digital audio signals in the same positions A H that they are encoded into in the Tx bundle Beside each bundle box are dropdown tabs which assign the digital audio channels A H to any of the analog outputs The dropdown menu contains all the analog outputs that are available according to the output boards configured A digital audio channel may be assigned to more than one analog audio output The Default button resets the mapping of digital audio channels t
74. s and the controller becomes active 7 1 2 socket operation was attempted to an unreachable host There are two common causes of the every five second A socket operation was attempted to an unreachable host message 1 The IP address of the computer is assigned outside of the range of IP addresses assigned to the frames 2 The computer s assigned IP address is not in the suggested Adapter IP range of the E Snake controller This can happen when a computer with an active E Snake Control program is plugged into an already running network but it does not have an assigned IP address After some time the computer will assign itself an IP address Open Disco and reset the Default IP range and manually change the IP address of each ESF Then reset the Adapter IP range in the E Snake Control and everything will connect 7 2 Maintenance Clean fan filters frequently 7 3 Snake Control Software Troubleshooting 7 3 1 No meter activity on known good input If there is no meter activity on an E Snake Control channel that is known to be receiving analog audio it is possible that there is no Rx bundle channel assigned to receive signal from that channel 7 3 2 ESF not responding orange border around inputs on screen An orange border around inputs on the Overview page means that E Snake Control is not communicating with those ES units in the system due to missing or defective hardware on the network improper IP address assignment
75. s e et De nee rts 14 2 2 6 Lane Output Card EO suya TORRE PURO PR REIR 14 nn 15 3 1 15 3 2 Installing the E Snake Control Software n nN aO a n a au enne tenente tene teret nest 16 3 3 Setting the Compiter s IPAddress PRU e eet t et eh tet pte hdi teet 16 3 3 1 Setting TCP IP in Windows 20001 ce shed cose eet HUE RENS Hd tose ue Mr ee Ere p RERO 18 3 3 2 Setting the TCP IP in Windows XD rete ttt ene E E Eee dp eee eR ere a S 20 3 3 3 Setting System IP Addresses in CobraNet Discovery Disco enne nentes 25 3 3 4 Synchronizing E Snake Control and Disco IP Ranges enne enne enne nente entente enne 28 34 ESn ke Control JUNCTIONS iiie e e e e eee es die ede ead eee e t ee eg ead REIR I 30 3 4 1 Running E Snake Control For the First Time sessi nete trennen reete etre ene 30 3 4 2 Operating E Snake Control e eet eiie ptt ne aee eie desee rd eu dev pertice ee tee desde 30 3 4 3 Mic Line Input MLI control functions Channel Detail eene ens 34 3 4 4 Transformer Mic Input TRMI Control Functions Channel Detail 2 0 40 4
76. sa an attempt to do an erase 56 DMA Transfer A DMA interrupt fails to HOST CM 1 Error communicate with memory eomm Prror 57 3VDC Supply During POST presence of the 3 3 VDC Supply Error 3VDC power rail is not Padi ERBGE detected over a period of 2 seconds 58 08 Image During a firmware upload THIS CODE NOT CRC Error from the CM 1 the 8 bit CRC IMPLEMENTED AT THIS value that is part of an 08 TIME image in the CM 1 FLASH does not match the calculated 8 bit CRC value 59 FPGA Config During FPGA Configuration Invalid Image Image Size POST the FPGA image size Size In Flash Error 16 found to be incorrect 61 FPGA Contig During FPGA Configuration Unknown Image Image Tag POST the FPGA image tag is Tag Error missing or incorrect 62 FPGA Config During FPGA Configuration Bad FPGA CRC Image CRC POST the 8 bit CRC value Error that is part of the FPGA image in the on board FLASH does not match the calculated 8 bit CRC value 63 FPGA Init FPGA fails to initialize FPGA Init Stuck Error 64 FPGA Done FPGA fails to configure FPGA DONE Failed Error 65 FPGA ID FPGA ID register test fails Wrong FPGA ID Error 66 FPGA Version The FPGA Version is not Wrong FPGA Error equal to the required by the Wapa eee current firmware 67 DMA Buffer Different data if read back DMA Buffer Bad Error from the DMA Buffer than what was written Table 2 ESF Critical Errors Non critical errors generally allow some degre
77. stall the truss head screws Attach the power supply cable the Ethernet cable and the analog audio cables leaving enough of a service loop approximately 18 to allow the drawer to fully extend out the front of the rack If the Ethernet switch is to be mounted in the rack it should not be located directly above or below E Snake frames 6 3 Installing and Removing I O cards In ESF Changing the complement of input and output boards ESF is simple and convenient change boards unlock the front panel latches and slide the drawer fully out Unplug the audio connectors by gently removing them from the socket Release the front card guide board lock by pushing the metal head until it touches the card guide body Grasp the board by the green connector and the opposite edge and pull straight up To install a card reverse the procedure Be sure to push the board straight down so that it will mate correctly with the receptacles on the motherboard Occasionally the board sliding in will seem to bind on a dimple toward the bottom of the guide Push firmly and evenly on the board until it passes the dimple and seats in the header When installing a card in a slot for the first time the rear panel cover plate must be removed before sliding the drawer out ES2 To change boards unplug the audio connectors by gently removing them from the socket Open the ES2 side panel Release the front card guide board lock by pushing the metal head
78. the main PC or its hard drive this file can be transferred to a backup PC Enable this feature by opening the lt Configuration Menu gt and selecting lt Redundant Backup gt Check the lt Enable Redundant Backup gt checkbox and then type the full path in the lt Location gt field or click on the ellipsis box ES and browse to the desired location usually a removable drive floppy Zip drive USB memory stick etc 3 5 2 Upgrading firmware and software in the field From time to time there may be updates available for the ES units or CobraNet CM 1 module firmware An update may be necessary to activate additional functions and hardware options These updates will be available from Whirlwind via CD email or download from the whirlwind website http www whirlwindusa com E SNAKE FIRMWARE UPDATE PROCESS THROUGH E SNAKE CONTROL Follow these steps to update the firmware in the E Snake or E Snake 2 unit NOTE Be certain that power is not interrupted during the entire update procedure unless you are instructed to do so 1 Insert a CD containing the update files or download the files from the Whirlwind website to a folder on your PC These files are FILE1_DSMO_ReplaceUpdater_V1_x_x_xxxxxx s19 2 DSMO_MICRO_V1_x_x_xxxxxx_encrypted s19 Note Numbers indicating the version will replace the x characters in the filenames You will also need to provide an E Snake preset data file WDS file extension that contains the p
79. tionship of nodes in a network networks typically have a star ring tree or bus topology or some combination of these acronym for Network Interface Card is an expansion board inserted into a computer or sometimes integrated into the computer s motherboard that is used to connect the computer to a network A NIC is usually designed for a particular type of network and media although some can serve multiple networks Node A network processing location A node can be a computer a switch a CobraNet device or any other device that has a unique network address This definition also includes any network device that produces or consumes data OID Object Identifier a name or sequence of numbers used to define a data element Performer An ESF on the network that is not the Conductor used to identify control hierarchy of an ESF on the LCD screen Repeater Hub An Ethernet multi port repeater A data signal arriving in any port is electrically regenerated and reproduced out all other ports on the hub A repeater hub does not buffer or interpret the data passing through it An Ethernet network is typically wired in a star configuration with the hub is at the center There are two grades of Fast Ethernet hubs Class II and Class I Class II hubs deliver higher performance than the Class I hubs Most hubs available today are of the Class II variety The use of hubs requires that all devices on the network run in half duplex mod
80. to the same switch STAGE F O H Basic E Snake stage to FOH 21 Ja e sor ti xp itt zl slot sel sit slat T pe depo z u gt z z n z rf sif z ds z s z z bas p Architecture Editor for Basic 2 Box 32 x 8 24 bit system L Eng 274 EJ EJ Er d EH 18 18 20 Resulting Overview Screen for Basic 2 Box 32 x 8 24 bit system Note that only the input channels appear in this E Snake control screen even though inputs and outputs are defined in the Architecture Editor This is because there are no controls to be operated for output cards MLO 5 2 Large concert stage setup 64 inputs x 32 outputs are hirri F m uiumiciirim ups zs x Ee Dipi mde a ap aak F slay aja Tea 26d air gas sere 2017282012 21822 Ss ina le mu ig ie in mi X unas had aqya haha we TELE QUEUE 3i ajem aoe m ur s l z z 8 z ae oja z z 882 21 T ETT inl ar
81. ts except the one that received them Therefore all computers connected to the hub see all of the packets on the network and each only picks off those packets that are addressed to it A switched hub usually just called a switch looks just like a regular hub but it operates a bit differently When a computer is connected to a switch the switch stores that computer s unique address in the switch s memory It then only routs packets intended for that address to that port This results in a significant reduction in network congestion because all packets are not transmitted to all ports Another advantage with switches is that the ports can send and receive data in both directions at the same time This is called full duplex mode and this feature effectively doubles the port speed on a 00 network to 200Mbs Another use for hubs and switches is to increase the overall length of the network Ethernet on 5 cable is limited to 100 meter length However the addition of a hub or switch acts like an amplifier or repeater which allows another 100 meter length of cable to be added to the network A network may also contain multiple switches such as when two switches connected to two or more groups of computers are linked together with a single cable Although CobraNet can be networked with standard repeater hubs it is recommended that switched hubs be used instead The cost difference is minimal and the added capacity of
82. ts is not the same Refer to the proper section below for your unit ESF 20bit 4x8 5 33ms 20 bit resolution with 4 Tx and Rx bundles each contains 8 audio channels Latency is a fixed 5 33ms 20bit 4x8 2 66ms 20 bit resolution with 4 Tx and Rx bundles each contains 8 audio channels Latency is a fixed 2 66ms only compatible with equipment running CobraNet CM 2 and newer 1 modules 24bit 4x7 4x1 5 33ms 24 bit resolution 8 Tx and Rx bundles alternately containing 7 and 1 audio channels Latency is fixed at 5 33ms 24bit 8x4 5 33ms 24 bit resolution with 8 Tx and Rx bundles each contains 4 audio channels Latency is fixed at 5 33ms ES2 20bit 2x8 5 33ms 20 bit resolution with 2 Tx and Rx bundles each contains 8 audio channels Latency is a fixed 5 33ms 20bit 2x8 2 66ms 20 bit resolution with 2 Tx and Rx bundles each contains 8 audio channels Latency is a fixed 2 66ms only compatible with equipment running CobraNet CM 2 and newer 1 modules 20bit 2x8 1 33ms 20 bit resolution with 2 Tx and Rx bundles each contains 8 audio channels Latency is a fixed 2 66ms only compatible with equipment running CobraNet CM 2 and newer 1 modules 24bit 2x7 2x1 5 33ms 24 bit resolution 2 Tx and Rx bundles alternately containing 7 and 1 audio channels Latency is fixed at 5 33ms 24bit 2x8 2 66ms 24 bit resolution with 2 Tx and Rx bundles each contains 4 audio channels Late
83. w of the setup and operating information of the ES unit The available messages are listed in Appendix A The main idle screen shows the name assigned to the ES unit IN USE indicates a good CobraNet connection and COND identifies which CobraNet device is acting as the system conductor Other units will display PERF to indicate that they are not the CONDUCTOR but merely PERFORMERS in the system Refer to the section on CobraNet Basics The Black Pushbutton pages through the LCD message screens and allows the user to see the current system operating parameters and also is used to reset the ES unit RESET reconfigures the unit s persistence memory When the ES unit is powered off the operational state of the software is maintained in nonvolatile memory If input or output board changes are made resetting the unit will acknowledge the new board configuration and reset all Transmitters Tx and Receivers Rx to 0 Hold the button in for 10 seconds and the Reset Confirmation Screen will appear Push the button again to perform the reset A single push of the button will clear non critical error messages from the LCD and Fault LED although the message will reappear if the error condition persists 2 1 2 ESP1 Power Supply The provides the various voltages required by an ESF A second supply may be employed if redundant power is desired Connections are made via the cable and NL8 Speakon connector 6 0 0 0 0 0 The ESPI Sup

Whirlwind ESnake User`s Manual

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