V E R S I O N 3 . 0 Software Manual V E R S I O N 3 .
Crest Audio Inc. 100 Eisenhower Drive Paramus NJ 07652 USA TEL 201.909.8700 FAX 201.909.8744 http://www.crestaudio.com NexSys Software v. 3.0 Manual v 1.
Crest Audio Inc. NexSys v. 3.0 Table Of Contents Page 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 What is included in this manual 1.2 What is not included 1.3 System Requirements 1.4 Manual Conventions 1.5 Software Conventions Use of the Mouse Buttons 1.6 Software Installation 1.7 Technical Support 2. OVERVIEW Devices Plans Groups Snapshots - Plan & Group Scenes Event Monitor Software Security Event Scheduler Load Monitoring Audio Return MIDI Interfaces 3. NETWORK TOPOLOGY 3.1 Amplifier Classes 3.
NexSys v. 3.0 6. BUILDING A PLAN 6.1 Making a New Plan 6.2 AutoPlan 6.3 Manually Adding devices 6.4 Saving Your Plan 6.5 Plan Inventory 6.6 Device Setup Changing the Device’s Name Changing the Device’s Address 6.7 Venue Bitmap Background 7. GROUPS 7.1 Creating a group 7.2 Renaming a group 7.3 Deleting a group 7.4 Adding devices to the group Moving a device Copying a device Selecting Multiple devices 7.5 Quickly Opening a group 7.6 Group Views Group List View & the Plan Inventory Group Console Views 8.
Crest Audio Inc. NexSys v. 3.0 10. SNAPSHOTS 10.1 Inserting a New Snapshot 10.2 Recalling a Snapshot 10.3 Updating a Snapshot 10.4 Editing a Snapshot 10.5 Executing a Snapshot on Startup 10.6 Recalling Snapshots from Outside of NexSys 11. SCENES 11.1 Scene Maintenance 11.2 Recalling a Scene 12. SECURITY 12.1 Access Levels 12.2 Security Setup 12.3 Login / Logout 13. EVENT SCHEDULER 13.1 Event Setup and Operations 13.2 Report Modes 13.3 Example Application 13.4 MIDI HEX Programming 14. MIDI INTERFACE 14.
NexSys v. 3.0 Crest Audio Inc.
Crest Audio Inc. NexSys v. 3.0 1. Introduction Thank you for purchasing NexSys - the powerful computer controlled audio system for your Crest Audio power amplifiers. With its practical and intuitive graphical interface, NexSys has won praise from audio engineers in every discipline. After familiarizing yourself with NexSys, you will realize the value and flexibility that this software package offers. 1.
NexSys v. 3.0 Crest Audio Inc. Chapter 17 CK family Input Modules & Control Panels. Covers signal processing controls for NC modules. Appendix A Menu Reference. A complete NexSys menu reference list. Appendix B Decimal to Hexadecimal Conversion Table. Appendix C Bus Server Dip Switch Setting Reference Table. 1.
Crest Audio Inc. NexSys v. 3.0 ular function. Valid menu selections are displayed in black while those that are not are grayed out. When the cursor is placed over an icon on the tool bar, a description of its function is displayed in the border at the very bottom of the NexSys window. The term active window is used throughout this User’s Guide. An active window is the window in which you are currently working. It is the one with the highlighted title bar.
Crest Audio Inc. NexSys v. 3.0 2. Overview Devices A ‘device’, as referred to in this manual, is a remote NexSys-compatible piece of electronic hardware that is capable of being controlled and/or of reporting its state. The most common devices connected to the NexSys interface are amplifiers. Other devices that may have an interface with NexSys may include Power Processor NC- input signal processors, NCLoad Monitor and NC- Sequential Power controllers.
NexSys v. 3.0 Crest Audio Inc. Groups A group is a collection of devices placed together for the purpose of common control or monitoring. You can create a group by selecting Group | New from the menu. Any device that can be controlled by NexSys can be added to a group. A single device may be added to more than one group. Groups exist to customize a Plan according to your specific needs. They serve as a tool to logically organize your Plan.
Crest Audio Inc. NexSys v. 3.0 You can program the Event Scheduler to initiate tasks at a given time (computer clock) or when some other event (such as a switch closure or a fault) takes place. A scheduled event consists of four parameters: • the event trigger • the task or action to take place, i.e. what to do • the target of the action, i.e. which device or devices to perform the action to • number of times to repeat action & at what frequency (just once, hourly, daily...
Crest Audio Inc. NexSys v. 3.0 3. Network Topology 3.1 Amplifier Classes NexSys hardware is broken into two general groups: components for the CKS, CKV and CKX Series amplifiers or the “CK family amplifiers” and Professional, FCV, CC & CV Series amplifiers or the “Pro class amplifiers”. CK family amplifiers utilize a unique modular approach whereby both NexSys network and Load Monitoring modules are installed in the amplifier itself.
NexSys v. 3.0 Crest Audio Inc.
Crest Audio Inc. NexSys v. 3.0 A network may be made up of one or more busses. The bus connected to the Bus Server is defined as the primary bus. All other busses in the network are referred to as secondary busses and must be attached to the primary bus through a hub or data concentrator. All nodes on the primary bus will have single-tiered addresses as follows: Device CKS 200 CKS 400 CKS 800 Hub (1st) Hub (2nd) Address 1 2 3 10 20 Hubs A network cannot support more than 32 nodes.
NexSys v. 3.0 Crest Audio Inc.
Crest Audio Inc. NexSys v. 3.0 ... and this set up information for channel B: Amplifier Channel Setup Windows Note that the Load Monitor must reside on the same network as the Supervisor. That is, it cannot be separated by a hub. 3.3 Network Terminations & Bus Wire Type In order to minimize data reflections, the network domain must be properly terminated at extreme ends.
NexSys v. 3.0 Crest Audio Inc. 3.4 Network Addressing Hardware address settings are determined in two ways (depending on the amplifier class.) In Pro class amplifiers, the network address is given by its Supervisor’s address. A Supervisor is a unique network node whose address is set via DIP switches on the rear panel. This is the primary address. The rear of the Supervisor holds up to 12 daughter cards – each with 2 ports for a total of 24 ports.
Crest Audio Inc. NexSys v. 3.0 4. Bus Server Installation and Connection 4.1 Installing the Bus Server Card The Bus Server Card (NS-BUS-1) is an 8-bit ISA expansion card which requires installation in a vacant slot inside the NexSys host computer. If you are unsure how to insert an ISA card Device inside your computer, please consult a qualified computer technician for assistance. Otherwise, follow these instructions to ensure a safe and speedy installation. 1.
NexSys v. 3.0 Crest Audio Inc. 4.2 Communicating with the Bus Server The Bus Server resides at an I/O address range in your PC. Its base address (the beginning address of the range) is referred to as the Bus Server’s I/O address, or I/O address for short. This address is set using the DIP switches positioned on the Bus Server’s mounting bracket (at the back of the PC). The default address used for Bus Server testing at the factory is 380 Hex.
Crest Audio Inc. NexSys v. 3.0 5. The Toolbar & Menus 5.1 Toolbar The toolbar offers quick access to more frequently used NexSys functions. The diagram above identifies each functional grouping within the toolbar. • • • • • • • Scene Selector - a drop down selection box to quickly load a new scene (i.e. desktop). Scene Maintenance - brings up the Scene Maintenance dialog. You can create and delete scenes in this dialog. Plan Snapshot Control - snapshot control for plan-wide snapshots.
NexSys v. 3.0 Crest Audio Inc. 5.2 Menus NexSys 3.0 menu hierarchy. Complete listing (with a brief description) of all menu commands is located in Appendix B. 5.3 Right Mouse Menus In many places throughout NexSys, right clicking on an object displays a pop-up menu relating to that object. Look for this icon (shown at left) throughout this manual to indicate that a right mouse selection is available. Page 5.
Crest Audio Inc. Software Manual NexSys v. 3.0 Page 5.
Crest Audio Inc. NexSys v. 3.0 6. Building a Plan A NexSys Plan is made up of user-defined devices, groups, snapshots, scenes, and settings. The Plan is stored on disk as a collection of data files organized in a subdirectory of the NexSys program directory. Plan files have a default extension of “*.nx”. Plan files themselves are normally stored in the root NexSys directory which defaults to C:\NEXSYS. Before proceeding, ensure you have a valid network connection. Refer to Section 4.
NexSys v. 3.0 Crest Audio Inc. There are two principal components to the AutoPlan window: a list of the network nodes and devices AutoPlan finds is on the left and a progress report showing the current state of the search phase is on the right. Each network address that is found to have an active device present is listed. Most times the device will be an amplifier. Any other devices, such as signal processors sharing the same address are shown as well.
Crest Audio Inc. NexSys v. 3.0 amplifier. 2. Make sure the Plan Inventory window (or the group window) is the active window. An active window is the one with the highlighted title bar. 3. Select Device | New | Amplifier from the menu. 4. Fill in the Setup dialog (see section on device Setup) and select OK. 5.
NexSys v. 3.0 Crest Audio Inc. Double-click here to display the planwide amplifier control panel. Double-click on any device to open its control panel. Right-click on any device to pop-up a menu for device setup or to open control panels related to the selected device. Double-click here to display the planwide sequential turn-on control panel. Plan Inventory Window The plan inventory serves as a good repository from which to drag and drop devices to logically-organized groups.
Crest Audio Inc. NexSys v. 3.0 Changing the Device’s Address A device address is based upon the device’s network node address. An address may be single- or two-tiered depending on its connection. Devices connected to a Hub or Supervisor will always be two-tiered. Devices connected directly to the primary bus will be singletiered. A discussion of Networks, Nodes and Buses (Section 3.2) has been presented and is worth reviewing if you’re not familiar with these concepts.
NexSys v. 3.0 Crest Audio Inc. If that device is found by NexSys at the address you selected, the alert will disappear shortly. If the alert remains for several seconds, there is something wrong with the address selected, the device or the network itself. Duplicate address or out of range address are the most common reasons for communication errors. Enter the MIDI Interface's network address here. The MIDI Interface has two MIDI Outs, select which one the MIDI device is connected to here.
Crest Audio Inc. NexSys v. 3.0 7. Groups NexSys groups are designed to facilitate the control of amplifiers and other devices. Devices that make sense to control and monitor together can be organized by moving them to the same group. For example, if we have a two-way stereo system with two amplifiers (left HF, left LF, right HF, right LF), we might want to make groups of Left & Right High Frequency plus Left & Right Low Frequency.
NexSys v. 3.0 Crest Audio Inc. Moving a Device Ensure that the destination group window is open. Select the device from the source group window (or the plan inventory). Press and hold the left mouse button. While moving the cursor over a group window you will see it change to an amplifier icon: This indicates that the device may be dropped into the group beneath the cursor.
Crest Audio Inc. NexSys v. 3.0 7.5 Quickly Opening a Group You can quickly open a pre-established group with the group selection tool on the toolbar. Pressing the down arrow presents an alphabetical listing of all of the groups in the plan. Select the group you want to open from the list. Group Selection Tool 7.6 Group Views Groups may be viewed in two principal formats: list and console. The list view is the most comprehensive of the views.
NexSys v. 3.0 Crest Audio Inc. As you can see from the figure, the amplifier channels are grouped together and the sequential turn-on devices are grouped together. In general, list view separates devices by type. All device types display basic information such as their name, alerts, and address. Some devices, especially amplifiers, present additional information.
Crest Audio Inc. NexSys v. 3.0 Because of its compact format, it is sometimes difficult to know which amplifier channel a module refers to. Balloon help alleviates this problem. Place and hold the mouse cursor in the title bar of the module and a balloon will appear providing the amplifier’s full name, address and channel. When the mouse is moved, the address information is no longer displayed. Balloon Help example Software Manual Page 7.
Crest Audio Inc. NexSys v. 3.0 8. NexSys Faults, Alerts & Events NexSys is always monitoring the system for faults. Faults or alerts are reported on screen and are sent to the Event Monitor/Log. 8.1 Alert Panels The bottom of the NexSys window and the bottom of every group window (in list view) contain panels which illuminate alert icons when a fault is present. Next to each alert icon is a count representing the number of devices (or amplifier channels) that are experiencing the fault.
NexSys v. 3.0 Crest Audio Inc. 8.2 Amplifier Warning Thresholds The warning thresholds window may be accessed by pressing the Warning Thresholds button in the Amplifier Setup (Device | Setup) dialog. User thermal temperature, IGM and clipping are user-definable thresholds. User Thermal-- When the heatsink temperature exceeds this threshold the user thermal fault, is illuminated. The default is 60°C.
Crest Audio Inc. NexSys v. 3.0 You can print or review the Event Log by opening the event log file from a word processor such as Word, Wordpad or Notepad. You may also use these programs to create additional notes within the body of the file. This is helpful in adding system notes to the event file to document such things as routine system maintenance, addition of devices, transducer replacement, etc. Software Manual Page 8.
Crest Audio Inc. NexSys v. 3.0 9. Controlling Amplifiers 9.1 Amplifier Controls Double clicking on an amplifier channel in list view (in a group or in the Plan Inventory) will open its control panel. Selecting Device | Control from the menu is another way to open a control panel. The figures below show the single amplifier control panel. Variations of this control panel appear in the group console view, the most comprehensive of which is depicted in the figure on the right.
NexSys v. 3.0 Crest Audio Inc. Amplifier Solo Control Soloing a single channel is a useful troubleshooting tool. By pressing the solo button, all other channels in the plan will mute, leaving this channel as the only audible one. As its name implies, only one channel may be soloed at a time. Pressing another’s solo will mute the first channel soloed and solo the second. Although useful for troubleshooting, an inadvertent solo while the system is in use can put the operator in an embarrassing situation.
Crest Audio Inc. NexSys v. 3.0 9.2 Related devices When pointing to a device, right clicking will show a menu of related devices those devices sharing the same address. In a CKS amplifier, there may be a crossover, a load monitor, and a sequential turn-on control as well as the two amplifier channels. Each is a separate device as far as NexSys is concerned but all appear on the right-button menu. For instance, right-clicking on CH A shows this related device menu: Related Device menu 9.
NexSys v. 3.0 Crest Audio Inc. A red group mute LED indicates that all channels within that group are muted. A yellow LED indicates that some channels within the group are muted. A gray or dimmed LED indicates that no channel in the group is muted. 9.4 Control Hierarchy A single amplifier channel may be controlled from different points within NexSys. Double clicking on the channel's name within the inventory window will open its control panel.
Crest Audio Inc. NexSys v. 3.0 Control Hierarchy Diagram 9.5 Solo Safety During system testing it is often useful to solo a particular amplifier channel. However, during a performance, soloing one amp channel and muting all others is generally not a good thing to do. Enabling the solo safety prevents amplifiers from accidentally being soloed. Solo safety can be toggled on and off by selecting Options | Solo Safety from the menu. Solo Safety Toggle Software Manual Page 9.
Crest Audio Inc. NexSys v. 3.0 10. Snapshots A snapshot is a record of device settings. Settings include levels, mutes, polarity, solo’s, MIDI patches, NC-module parameters, etc. Once saved, the settings in a snapshot can be instantly recalled at a later time. There are two levels of snapshots: one for the entire plan and one for a group . The snapshot records the control settings of the devices in its domain (either plan or group.
NexSys v. 3.0 Crest Audio Inc. The presence of an active snapshot does not guarantee the system is still configured as that snapshot was saved. The operator may have made changes since the snapshot was recalled. In which case, the system would no longer be in the state indicated by that snapshot. Double-click on a snapshots name to recall a snapshot directly. Selected (highlighted) snapshot can be modified, updated, deleted.
Crest Audio Inc. NexSys v. 3.0 10.5 Executing a Snapshot on Startup You may select one Plan snapshot to be recalled when NexSys starts. This snapshot can be considered your “default” configuration. This is an optional feature and you are not required to enable this feature. If you do not, NexSys will load the settings that were in effect when the plan was last saved. The "Execute on Startup" snapshot is denoted by a red sequence number. Edit Snapshot Window 10.
Crest Audio Inc. NexSys v. 3.0 11. Scenes A scene is a graphical “desk top” arrangement. It is a collection of NexSys windows that you have opened for viewing or control. Once saved, a scene can be quickly recalled by using the Scene Selector on the tool bar. Recalling a scene returns the desktop to the state in which it was saved. Windows will be opened, sized and positioned the way you left them. Scenes, unlike snapshots, have no effect on device settings. Scenes serve two functions.
Crest Audio Inc. NexSys v. 3.0 12. Security Scenes are the basis for setting up Security. NexSys Security functions by establishing two selection criteria; determining which controls are included in scenes and then limiting access to those scenes via password protection. In addition, security is plan-based so different plans can have different users who, in turn, could have different access levels. 12.
NexSys v. 3.0 Crest Audio Inc. Security Administrator Dialog Window - The highlighted scenes have been selected for ‘Dan’ to access as a restricted user. Finally, activate security by selecting the "Enable Security" checkbox. Once enabled, you can only access NexSys by logging in with a valid user name and password. Be sure to save your plan for security to take effect the next time NexSys is started. 12.
Crest Audio Inc. NexSys v. 3.0 13. Event Scheduler The event scheduler is one of the most powerful and useful tools in the NexSys system. It allows the system operator to automate all functions that can be executed by a user. A desire to automate some NexSys function is the first step in utilizing the event scheduler. For example, to perform a weekly Load Monitor impedance sweep of all speaker lines in the system is a common system use criteria.
NexSys v. 3.0 Crest Audio Inc. Other setup parameters include saving the Event Schedule by selecting: File | Save As... from the pull down menus, and then defining the desired file name. You can also define the event scheduler to always be the top window on the desktop by selecting: Options | Always On Top This will place the event monitor window on top no matter which window is active at the time.
Crest Audio Inc. NexSys v. 3.0 select Periodically. A Repeat Response Period window will display allowing you to define how often the event will be repeated. In our case, we will use the up arrow key in the days display to define that we want the event to take place every 7 days. Note that after clicking on the OK button, details of each event parameter are displayed to the right of the window. We can choose to log the event to NexSys event monitor at each execution, or not.
NexSys v. 3.0 Crest Audio Inc. Patch changes are of the format Cn NN. Where Cn is the byte containing the channel number (C0 - CF Hex) and NN is the byte containing the patch number (00 - FF Hex corresponding to patches 1-256.) Any incoming MIDI message that is not a patch change will be disregarded by the MIDI Interface. Page 13.
Crest Audio Inc. NexSys v. 3.0 14. MIDI Interface NexSys and the Event Scheduler can interact with MIDI equipment via the optional NexSys MIDI Interface. MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) equipment can range from signal processing devices and show controllers to mixing consoles. The NexSys MIDI Interface is bi-directional and can send or receive MIDI data. Patches, a common MIDI construct, may be sent directly by creating a MIDI device within NexSys.
Crest Audio Inc. NexSys v. 3.0 15. Load Monitoring Optional NexSys Load Monitoring is a powerful diagnostic tool that provides a consistent means to verify performance of the drive lines and speakers in the system. Load Monitoring inserts a test signal into the amplifier and then measures load impedance & current to derive an impedance versus frequency response curve. Pro class systems have an oscillator within the Supervisors to generate the test signal.
NexSys v. 3.0 Crest Audio Inc. band, number of sample points, number of cycles per sample point, and test signal attenuation. Once this data is entered a test sweep may be conducted by clicking on the sweep button located below the graph. When the reference curve is completed you may elect to save the reference which means that that exact curve will be used as the baseline for all subsequent tests.
Crest Audio Inc. NexSys v. 3.0 Other parameters that can be set include the Grid Scale and Limit Offset. These are adjusted by clicking on the up and down arrows as appropriate. Once Load Monitoring parameters are setup, these parameters can be copied to other amplifiers by selecting an amplifier from a group or Plan window and dragging it onto the open Load Monitor window which has the desired test values. Pass/Fail Limits Load monitor pass/fail limits automatically set to ± 10%.
NexSys v. 3.0 Crest Audio Inc. Curve Names When initiating a new test curve you will be prompted to enter a name for that curve. If you do not enter a name the date and time of the curve will be automatically entered. All saved curves will be listed chronologically in the history box just below the grid. Double clicking the left mouse button on any of these stored curves will open that test and will display the curve on the grid. Multiple curves may be opened at one time.
Crest Audio Inc. NexSys v. 3.0 16. CK family Sequential Turn-On/Turn-Off (STO) Sequential Turn-On/Turn-Off is a standard feature on CK family amplifiers. The STO feature allows the user turn on their amplifiers sequentially with a delay between each one. This protects the electrical system from excessive current draws due to in-rush current demands of the amplifiers. NexSys Sequential Turn-On/Turn-Off control is accessed in several ways.
Crest Audio Inc. NexSys v. 3.0 17. CK family Input Modules & Control Panels Signal processing controls for NC modules are setup and displayed in much the same way as other controls described in this section. Controls are accessed by double clicking on the Device to be controlled in the Plan inventory window or the group window. This will expose the control panel for that particular Device. Controls are set using the mouse with a clickhold and drag technique.
Crest Audio Inc. NexSys v. 3.0 Appendix A - Decimal to Hexadecimal Conversion Table Dec. 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Hex. 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C D E F 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 1A 1B 1C 1D 1E 1F Dec. 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 Hex. 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 2A 2B 2C 2D 2E 2F 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 3A 3B 3C 3D 3E 3F Dec.
Crest Audio Inc. NexSys v. 3.0 Appendix B - Menu Reference (A reference description of all the pull down menu commands Plan New Open... Save Save As...
NexSys v. 3.0 Crest Audio Inc.
Crest Audio Inc. Addendum for Nexsys software manual—Appendix C NexSys v. 3.
100 Eisenhower Drive Paramus NJ 07652 USA tel: 201.909.8700 fax: 201.909.8744 h t t p : / / w w w. c r e s t a u d i o . c o m V E R S I O N 3 .
