Ethernet Audio Network Manual Second Edition November, 2002 PROFESSIONAL DIGITAL AUDIO
The information contained in this Owner’s Manual is subject to change without notice or obligation, and is furnished for informational use only. © 2002, 360 Systems. Printed in the United States of America. All rights reserved. Contents of this publication may not be reproduced in any form without the written permission of 360 Systems. Reproduction or reverse engineering of copyrighted software is prohibited.
Contents INTRODUCTION The Next-Generation Audio Network for Television Broadcast and Production 7 The Scaleable Audio Network Audio Wherever It's Needed Attractive Cost of Entry Design and Installation Assistance On-Site Maintenance Plans 7 7 7 7 7 Designing for Better Network Reliability..........................................
CHAPTER 1 Installing an Ethernet Audio Network 13 What You Will Need...................................................................... 13 Selecting Network Hardware Fault Tolerance 13 13 NFS File Server 15 Signal Distribution Equipment Network Interface Cards Hubs/Repeaters Ethernet Switches 15 16 16 16 Ethernet Cables Connection to Network Servers Connection to Hubs and Switches Connection to DigiCart/E Recorders 17 17 17 17 Optional PC or Workstation 18 Network Configuration ..............
Mount Network Drive To Mount a Network Drive To Dismount a Network Drive 34 34 34 Making Recordings to the Network ............................................... 35 DigiCart Audio File Name Format 36 DigiCart Stack (Playlist) File Name Format 36 File Management...........................................................................
Troubleshooting Installation 57 APPENDIX D Turning Off Various Windows 2000 Services Disabling the Indexing Service Disabling the World Wide Web Publishing Service Server for NFS Service 58 58 60 61 APPENDIX E Technical Specifications 62 APPENDIX F Ethernet Audio Qualified Network Components Servers Switches Software 4 • Contents 63 63 63 63
PRODUCT IMPROVEMENTS AND UPGRADES 360 Systems reserves the right to make changes and/or improvements to its products, without incurring any obligation to incorporate such changes or improvements in units previously sold or shipped. Every attempt has been made to furnish the materials in this manual accurately and professionally, yet this publication may still contains technical inaccuracies or typographical errors.
PATENTS Designs incorporated in this product are the subject of current or pending United States and foreign patents. WARNING SYMBOLS THE FOLLOWING WARNING SYMBOLS ARE USED ON THE PRODUCT IN THIS MANUAL: ENGLISH FRANÇAIS ITALIANO ESPAÑOL ENGLISH FRANÇAIS ITALIANO ESPAÑOL ATTENTION: REFER TO OWNER’S MANUAL FOR IMPORTANT INFORMATION. ATTENTION: VEUILLEZ VOUS RÉFÉRER AU MODE D’EMPLOI POUR UNE INFORMATION IMPORTANTE. ATTENZIONE: FATE RIFERIMENTO AL MANUALE PER INFORMAZIONI IMPORTANTI.
Introduction The Next-Generation Audio Network for Television Broadcast and Production 360 Systems has a better idea for audio delivery: We call it Ethernet Audio™. More than a network, Ethernet Audio also includes next-generation products from 360 Systems, like our new DigiCart/E Recorder. Ethernet Audio also connects to popular computer workstations, and provides a fast way to distribute production audio throughout a broadcast facility.
Designing for Better Network Reliability In designing the new Ethernet Audio system, primary objectives were reliability and maintainability. Key decisions in the network's design allow it to achieve an exceptional level of robustness, making it suitable for the continuous-use nature of broadcasting. Ethernet Audio is a Dedicated Network A dedicated network provides high-speed data transfer, uninterrupted audio, and the highest level of reliability.
Guaranteed On-Time Network Performance Ethernet Audio guarantees playback at any point in your plant with zero delay. Twenty-four stereo pairs of 24-bit audio can record or play over the network in real-time. The new DigiCart/E buffers audio from selected files so it can play cuts instantly, without network delay. And with DigiCart/E, it's possible to make recordings and perform edits on the local drive, or to the network sever, with equal ease.
360 Systems’ Ethernet Audio Equipment 360 Systems' new DigiCart/E Ethernet Audio recorder is more than an improvement on the digital cart machine concept — it's the foundation of the new, high-performance, Ethernet Audio system for television broadcasters. DigiCart/E builds on a decade of experience gained delivering DigiCart II recorders to television broadcasters. DigiCart/E is 100% compatible with earlier DigiCart recorders, can play files produced on them, and uses similar front panel commands.
Edits can always be undone, and trim points can be easily changed for a future re-edit of the cut. DigiCart/E provides clear indications of edit points and the present location within a cut. File Interchange with Digital Audio Workstations The new DigiCart/E employs wave files (.WAV) as a new native format. It is compatible with most popular workstations, including Pro Tools® using either WAV or Broadcast Wave (BWF) formats. Using Ethernet as the file-exchange medium, DAW files can be exported in .
Serial and GPI Control A variety of serial and parallel ports adapt DigiCart/E to most facilities: • Two RS-422 serial ports operate with standard ES-Bus protocols; one is compatible with DigiCart II, with our new RC-Series remote controls and with existing DigiCart interfaces to automation systems. The other supports Peripheral Bus "E-MEM" commands (in Sony or Grass Valley formats), giving popular video switchers direct control of DigiCart/E.
Chapter 1 Installing an Ethernet Audio Network In network terminology, a server is computer that provides services; such as file system structures and communication protocols. Other devices on the network can query a server device for such things as file transfers. A client is a network device that can request services, but does not provide services. DigiCart/E is a client device, and therefore depends upon servers in order to utilize the network.
While DigiCart/E is robust, it is not designed to be fault tolerant. In mission critical applications, two DigiCart/E recorders should be installed so that manual switch-over can be accomplished quickly. Servers and other network equipment are available with many options that enhance relability or provide fault tolerance. Fault tolerant design begins with redundancy and utilizes physical separations to minimize and manage the risk of failure.
Hot Swap The ability to remove and replace a disk in a drive array while the array is running is called Hot Swapping. Hot swapping provides higher system availability in the event of a single disk failure. The failed disk can be replaced and its contents can be reconstructed automatically while the array continues to function. All RAID levels, except RAID 0, which does not keep redundant data, support hot swapping.
Network Interface Cards Network interface cards, commonly referred to as NICs, are used to connect a PC to a network. The NIC provides a physical connection between the networking cable and the computer's internal bus. Different computers have different bus architectures; PCI bus master slots are most commonly found on 486/Pentium PCs. NICs come in three basic varieties: 8-bit, 16-bit, and 32-bit.
It takes more time to examine the entire packet, but it allows the switch to catch certain packet errors and keep them from propagating through the network. Today, the speed of store-and-forward switches has caught up with cut-through switches so the difference between the two is minimal. Also, there are hybrid switches available that mix both cut-through and store-and-forward architectures.
Optional PC or Workstation Additional computers can be connected to the Ethernet Audio network. These machines might be PCs or Macs running digital audio workstation (DAW) software programs. DAWs can write stereo WAV files to network servers that can be played by DigiCart/E machines. Further, DigiCart/E can be used to make high quality recordings that can be edited on the DAW workstation.
The switch also allows connection of multiple servers. Specific details of these larger configurations should be designed by experienced network engineers, and are not covered in detail in this book. Special Purpose Connections Ethernet Audio can be extended to mobile broadcast trucks by using a portable server. The following examples outline this feature.
Laptop Server Laptop System Server Routing Switch DigiCart/E DigiCart/E Laptop Mobile Equipment DigiCart/E In this configuration, the laptop and mobile DigiCart/E both have fixed IP addresses for the same reasons as described in the previous section. The main server may also need a DHCP exclusion for the laptop’s IP address. The laptop’s IP address should be a higher number than the main server. The laptop must run Windows 2000 and the NFS Server module from Windows Services for Unix.
Chapter 2 Administration This chapter discusses basic system interconnection and device addressing, server software installation and configuration, and network communication protocols. Assigning Network Addresses Every device on an Ethernet network must have an address so that others can identify it. A server using the DHCP (Dynamic Host Control Protocol) service usually sets the IP address automatically. Some servers don’t provide DHCP.
If you have an assigned IP address range for your organization, DigiCart/E will accept these addresses from a DHCP server. However, 360 Systems strongly recommends that the DigiCarts be run on their own subnet from the Ethernet Audio server on a dedicated NIC, using subnet 192.168.1 and running a DHCP Scope that serves only that subnet. Connect the server to other networks through a second NIC given an IP address within the organization’s assigned range.
It is also possible to use DHCP and still have certain devices use fixed IP addresses. In the example above, the server could be running DHCP for the DigiCarts, and the laptop could have a fixed IP address (this is required if it is functioning as a second server). In this case, the laptop IP address must be set outside of the scope of IP addresses that the DHCP server is programmed to distribute, or an exclusion range must be programmed for the laptop’s IP address.
DigiCart can assume (192.168.1.16 to 192.168.1.32) to ensure that they are available for use if necessary. An exclusion of 192.168.2.16 to 192.168.2.32 can be programmed in the subnet 2 scope if present. All fixed IP Addresses in the system must either fall outside the range of all Scopes, or have exclusions programmed for them. See Windows 2000 Server Help for further information on programming DHCP service.
3. Click on Server for NFS. Click on Client Groups in the window that is displayed. 4. Type in a group name, and click New. You can create as many groups as you require. 5. Click on Advanced. Select a group if there is more than one. Type the IP address of a DigiCart into the box at the bottom and click Add Clients. (You can add the same DigiCart to more than one group if desired. Highlight the entire IP address and type Ctrl-C, then click Add Clients.
6. Repeat 4 and 5 to create more groups if desired. 7. Click Apply at the top of the window. 8. In Windows Explorer, go to the net drive you want to set permissions for. Right-click on it and select Properties. 9. Check to see that the Read Only attribute is unchecked. If so, click on it to remove the check mark. 10. Click on the NFS Sharing tab, and click Permissions. 11. ALL MACHINES will normally be selected by default, if not click on it to select it.
Configuring Windows 2000 Services The Microsoft Windows 2000 Server operating system is an umbrella term for a collection of smaller programs, called services, that work together performing distinct functions for the computer. Many of these services are not required to run an Ethernet Audio network server, and may even be detrimental to its operation. Disabling unnecessary services frees the computer resources to perform important services more quickly.
Installation Follow the NAS device manufacturer’s setup and configuration instructions shipped with the device. In general, the procedure will be as follows: 1. Plug one end of a Category 5 cable into the NAS server, and the other end into your network hub or switch. 2. Plug the AC power cord into the NAS server, then plug into any source of AC power (a surge protector is recommended). 3. Turn on the NAS server.
Chapter 3 Operation DigiCart Drive and Directory Structure DigiCart/E retains the same drive and directory structure as previous DigiCarts. That is, DigiCart/E can have up to seven “logical” drives (numbered 0-6). Drive 0 is always the internal Zip drive. Drive 1 is always the internal hard disk. The internal hard disk can be partitioned into 1 to 5 logical drive partitions. Finally, any of the drive numbers remaining after partitioning (four max.
Each drive is automatically given 11 directories (numbered 0 through 9, plus “S”). The number of directories cannot be changed, but directories can be labeled for convenience. Each directory contains 1,000 Index numbers for audio files, also called “Cuts”. Cuts can be of any length, and are all identified by this fixed indexing scheme. Directory S is reserved for up to 1,000 Playlists (or Stack files). Playlists are not audio files, but merely listings of file IDs.
Setting Up Ethernet Audio Directories Ethernet Audio uses a defined scheme to make audio files available to DigiCarts on the network. This section describes the required setup for server directories useable by DigiCart/E recorders. The illustrations of the Microsoft Windows 2000 Explorer are for reference only. Drive letters, directory and file names, and the layout of the Explorer window can be changed to suit your needs.
The Properties dialog box will appear for the selected directory, “Morning Show” in this example. Click on the ‘NFS Sharing’ tab. Click ‘Share this folder’. The default share name appears. If you want to change it type the name that you want to appear when DigiCart or other computers look for this directory over the network. The name can be the same as the directory name, or different. It is suggested that the Share name be the same, or very similar, as the directory name in order to avoid confusion later.
In Windows Services for Unix version 3.0, the default permission is read only, and there is also a check box for “Allow Anonymous Access”. Check “Allow Anonymous Access”. Click on “Permissions” In the Type of Access pull-down menu select “Read-Write”. Click OK to close this dialog box. This completes the initial directory setup on the server. You must now connect a DigiCart/E recorder to the network and initially mount the new shared directory so that DigiCart can automatically initialize the directory.
Mount Network Drive The Mount Network Drive utility is used to establish a link between an available drive number on DigiCart/E and one of the network drives (NFS shared folders) on the network. This link is called a ‘mount path’. The basic process is to select a DigiCart/E drive number to be used, and then select a network drive to which it will be linked. DigiCart/E will always have at least one drive number that can be mapped to the network.
Making Recordings to the Network If a DigiCart/E recorder is connected to the network, and the “Morning_Show” directory is mounted as a DigiCart drive, directories 0-9 and S will appear on the DigiCart in the same way as if a local drive was selected. In this example, if directory 0 is made current, and a new recording is made, a new file will appear on the server when the recording is complete. These files can be renamed by DigiCart, and might then appear as follows.
DigiCart Audio File Name Format "nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn.aaa t ppppp[p..p].xxx" where: nnn = file label (up to 15 characters). The file label appears as the file name on a DigiCart. aaa = 3 digit DigiCart index number, 000-999 t = file type code: File Code A File Format AC2 (compressed 48K stereo) Notes Cannot be a .
File Management It is possible to rename, move, copy, add or delete files from the server without using the DigiCart. This may be especially useful, such as when moving or copying a large file. These operations can be performed in a more straightforward and secure way by using the DigiCart, but they may take substantially longer to complete. Refer to the Utilities Menu section in the DigiCart/E Owner’s Manual for performing these functions on the DigiCart.
The DigiCart must have Read-Write permission over the net drive and the file to rename a file. If the permissions are not correct, the DigiCart will display the error “File Is Read Only” when attempting to update the directory. Note that files copied from CD-ROMS are typically set to Read Only. See Directory Updates and Automatic Renaming by DigiCart below.
1. Log on as Administrator. Right-click on the Net Drive you wish to modify and select Properties in the pop-up menu. Click on the Security tab. Click Advanced. 2. Click the Owner tab. Click the check box “Replace owner on subcontainers and objects”. Click OK to close this dialog, and click OK to close the Properties dialog so that these changes can take effect. Re-open the Properties dialog, and again select the Security tab and click Advanced. 3. Select the Permissions Tab. Click Add.
4. Select Anonymous Logon. Click OK. 5. Select Anonymous Logon. Click View/Edit. Click all of the check boxes under Allow. Click OK. 6. Click on the check box for “Reset permissions on all child objects and enable propagation of inheritable permissions. Click OK to close this dialog, and click OK to close the Properties dialog.
Chapter 4 Maintenance Disk Defragmenter in Windows 2000 Servers It’s essential that an operating system be able to maintain your disks at peak levels of reliability and performance. The Windows® 2000 operating system does this through a built-in system tool called Disk Defragmenter. Disk Defragmenter was developed through a collaborative effort between Microsoft Corporation and Executive Software International. Fragmentation is caused by creating and deleting files and folders, and installing new software.
Backups Performing regular backups should be considered one of a responsible system administrator's top priorities. Although operating systems and hardware are extremely reliable, failures can, and probably will occur. They may be caused by hardware failure, power outages, or other unforeseen problems. Human error may be the most frequent problem resulting in undesired changes to, or even deletions of, crucial files. Good backup practices will aid in system restoration in the event of such loss.
Installing DigiCart/E Firmware Updates DigiCart/E can read a file called DCSYS.360 from a net drive and then load this into its operating system memory. It can also save this file onto a DigiCart format Zip disk for use with units that are not connected to the server. 1. Copy the DCSYS.360 file to the root directory of a Net Drive. 2. Log the DigiCart/E on to this Net Drive by selecting the drive or any of its directories. (If using a Zip disk, select the Zip drive.) 3.
Appendix A Glossary of Terms Baseband - A transmission method where the entire line is used as a single channel for transmission. Bridges - An internetworking device that provides a communication pathway between two or more network segments or sub networks. CAT-5 – (Category 5) – Cable type standard used in 100Mbps transmission. See also Shielded Twisted Pair. CSMA/CD - Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection - The network access control method used in Ethernet.
Peer-to-Peer - A network architecture where all machines have equal status. All stations can access data stored in all other workstations. Repeaters - A device that regenerates network signals so that they can travel further, extending the cable length. Routers - A device used to interconnect networks over local or wide areas and provide traffic control and filtering functions. Scope – In a DHCP Server, a range of IP addresses that will be “leased” for use by DHCP client devices.
Appendix B Ethernet Cables Category 5 Cable and patch cords to be used must meet the TIA/EIA 568-A standard. The cable used must also comply with local building codes for in-built wiring. This determines the kinds of insulation that must be used in wiring in various applications. Consult with your network wiring contractor or local authorities regarding these requirements.
Name Pin Cable Color Pin Name TX+ 1 White/Orange 1 TX+ TX- 2 Orange 2 TX- RX+ 3 White/Green 3 RX+ 4 Blue 4 5 White/Blue 5 6 Green 6 7 White/Brown 7 8 Brown 8 RX- RX- Note: It's important that each pair is kept as a pair. TX+ & TXmust be in one pair, and RX+ & RX- must together in another pair. (Just as the table above shows).
Appendix C Installing Microsoft Windows Services for UNIX Services for UNIX consists of a number of different components that bridge between Windows-based and UNIX-based operating systems running in the same network. File Sharing via NFS with Windows Services for UNIX Services for UNIX provides NFS file sharing via components installed on a Windows-based computer. The Ethernet Audio Network makes use three of these components: Server for NFS, Server for NFS Authentication , and User Name Mapping.
Server for NFS Authentication This service authenticates client accesses to NFS Server. Required Components The chart below shows which Windows Services for UNIX components are required for Ethernet Audio. Additional notes follow the chart. Component ActivePerl (Services for Unix 2.0) X Client for NFS CRON Service Gateway for NFS Interix Subsystem (Services for Unix 3.
3. In the User name box, type your name or the name of the server. If the name of your organization does not appear in the Organization box, type the name of your organization there. In the Product Key boxes, type the product key found on the back of the CD-ROM case. You do not need to type the hyphen ( – ) characters. Click Next. 4. Read the End User License Agreement carefully. If you accept the terms of the agreement, click “I accept the agreement”, and then click Next to continue installation.
5. Click Custom Installation. 6. Click the icon next to each component you want to install and click the appropriate option. If you do not want to install a component, click the icon next to the component and click Entire Feature Will Not Be Available. When you are finished choosing components to install, click Next. Utilities can be installed if it is desired to use a UNIX style command prompt to manage files. Server for NFS and Server for NFS Authentication are required.
7. Enter the Full Computer Name of the Ethernet Audio server for User Name Mapping. The Full Computer Name can be found in System Properties under the Network Identification tab. You can highlight the name and copy it to the clipboard using Ctr-C, Then paste it into the field using Ctrl-V: Click Next to continue. 8.
9. Software installation will now begin. The following dialog box will display a percentage complete graph during this process. 10. The following dialog box will be displayed upon completing software installation. Click Finish to clear the dialog box. There is no need to reboot the server. If you are installing Services for UNIX version 3.0 continue with the next step. 11. If you are installing Services for UNIX version 3.0, a change must be made to the Registry to turn on Write Caching.
Select Run from the Start menu. Run the program C:\WINNT\Regedit.exe.
Open Services Open NfsSvr, and select Parameters Double click on UseWriteCache Installing Microsoft Windows Services for UNIX • 55
Replace the 0 in Value Data with a 1. Click OK. Close Regedit. 12. If you are installing Services for UNIX version 3.0, you must also set Case Sensitivity in Services for Unix Administration. This is accessed in Start > Programs >Services for Unix Administration. Click on Server for NFS in the left pane, then on Server Settings in the right pane. In the lower left, uncheck “Case sensitive lookups” and choose “Upper case” for all disk formats listed as shown.
Adding or Removing Windows Services for UNIX Components To add or remove Windows Services for UNIX components. 1. Click Start, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then double-click Add/Remove Programs. 2. If your computer is running Windows NT, in the list, click Windows Services for UNIX, and then click Add/Remove. If your computer is running Windows 2000, in the list, click Windows Services for UNIX, and then click Change. 3.
Appendix D Turning Off Various Windows 2000 Services Disabling the Indexing Service From the start bar, select Control Panel then double-click on Administrative Tools.
In the Administrative Tools window, double-click on Services. In the Services file window, scroll to Indexing Service and look at the setting for Startup Type. If this service is set to start automatically, it must be set to Disabled. Move the mouse pointer over the Indexing Service line and right-click to view the pop-up menu. Chose Properties from the menu to bring up the Indexing Service Properties (Local Computer) dialog box.
On the General tab, check the Startup Type. Change the selection to Disabled using the drop-down menu dialog, if necessary. Click Apply. If the service was running, it must also be stopped. Click Stop to shut down the service. Click OK to exit the properties dialog window. Check the Startup Type and Status columns in the Services file window to make certain that the Indexing Service is disabled and not running.
On the General tab, check the Startup Type. Change the selection to Disabled using the drop-down menu dialog, if necessary. Click Apply. If the service was running, it must also be stopped. Click Stop to shut down the service. Click OK to exit the properties dialog window. Check the Startup Type and Status columns in the Services file window to make certain that the World Wide Web Publishing Service is disabled and not running.
Appendix E Technical Specifications Ethernet Audio Network Characteristics Maximum segment length Maximum network diameter Application Cable Connector 100 meters 200 meters (from switch, assuming no repeaters) Intra-building Category 5 UTP ISO-8877 (RJ-45) Performance Characteristics Simultaneous transfers DigiCart/E units per server File transfer speed Audio Transfers Acknowledgement Audio Delay Time DigiCart-E Recognition File Server operating system Topology Other allowed devices Eight DigiCart/E uni
Appendix F Ethernet Audio Qualified Network Components This list is current as of September 2002. Contact 360 Systems for the latest list of approved components.
100BaseT Specifications and Connection Limits ................................................... 46 Add Files...................................................... 37 Adding or Removing Windows Services for UNIX Components .............. 57 Administration ....................................... 21, 48 Assigning Network Addresses..................... 21 Audio Quality............................................... 11 Audio Workstations Connection .................................................
Playlist (stack).......................................... 36 File Number ................................... See File ID File Transfers to DigiCart/E......................... 10 File Types Mixed types allowed ................................ 11 Files Copy or Move .......................................... 37 Delete ....................................................... 37 Renaming ........................................... 35, 37 Firmware Updates to DigiCart/E ................. 43 Gateway for NFS .......
Portable NAS Server.................................... 19 Protocols Communication........................................ 23 Qualified Network Components .............. 8, 63 RAID Arrays ................................................ 14 Redundancy See fault tolerance.................................... 13 Rename Files.......................................... 35, 37 Reverting to previous firmware version...................................................... 43 Sample Rate Compatibility...................
