Telex ISP-100 - Manual

vii General Information Table of Contents OpenDevice Status Panel on Error ............................................................................... 7-4Display QuickMAP Pop-Up names ................................................................................ 7-4Display Filter Bandwidth in ...

viii 10 July 1998 Table of Contents Polarity Control (+/-) ...................................................................................................... 8-3Mute Control (M) ........................................................................................................... 8-3Bypass ...

ix General Information Table of Contents Bypass Control (master) .............................................................................................. 8-28 Filter ...................................................................................................................................

1-1 Introduction INTRODUCTION An Overview of the ISP-100 Thank you for choosing the ISP-100™ for your signal processing needs.The ISP-100 is the first in a line of high quality signal processingproducts from TELEX Communications, Inc.’s Merlin division. TheISP-100 represents a continued commitment t...

2-1 Setup & Installation SETUP & INSTALLATION Introduction This section details the setup and installation of the MERLIN ISP-100.Information is provided on the following: front and rear panel features,physical requirements, installation of expansion cards, signalconnections for audio, data, ...

2-2 10 July 1998 Rear Panel Features (see Figure 2-2) Figure 2-2 ISP-100 rear panel features. 1. AC Power—Connects to mains via an IEC type AC power cord.2. RS-232 Port—Links the PC to the unit via a RJ-45 connector.3. External Sync—Precision frequency reference input to the unit.4. GPI—Provides a G...

2-3 Setup & Installation Card Installation Procedure Figure 2-3 Battery/module tool. Figure 2-4 Card being inserted. 1. Ground yourself using a wrist strap and anti-static mat.2. Turn off the ISP-100.3. Remove the screws securing the module slot cover.4. If you are not replacing an existing card...

2-4 10 July 1998 Cable Diagrams Analog Audio (MIM-1, MIM-2, MOM-1) Figure 2-6 Analog inputs. Balanced Input from Balanced OutputConnect the positive (+) side of the line to pin 2 of the male 3-pinXLR connector and the negative (-) side of the line to pin 3 of theconnector. In keeping with standard w...

2-5 Setup & Installation Balanced Output to Unbalanced InputConnect the “hot” wire to pin 2 of the 3-pin female XLRconnector and the shield wire to pin 1 of the connector. To avoida 6 dB drop in level, connect pin 3 to pin 1 of the connector. SeeFigure 2-7 for more information. Digital Audio (MD...

2-9 Setup & Installation General Purpose Inputs (GPI) Figure 2-17 GPI connector pinout. Figure 2-18 BNC cable example. Synchronizing to an external clock source requires RG-58 or othersuitable 50 Ω cable terminated with a BNC connector. A precision (±5 ppm) clock source of 12.288 MHz, 6.144MHz, ...

3-1 Troubleshooting TROUBLESHOOTING > > > CAUTION < < < N O U S E R S E R V I C E A B L E P A R T S I N S I D E . H A Z A R D O U SVOLTAGES AND CURRENTS MAY BE ENCOUNTERED WITHINTHE CHASSIS. TO AVOID ELECTRICAL SHOCK DO NOTPERFORM ANY SERVICING OTHER THAN THAT CONTAINEDIN THESE OPE...

3-3 Troubleshooting Figure 3-1 About VUE-IT dialog Retrieving Version Numbers Figure 3-2 Properties dialog. Clicking on the star icon in the Project Manager and then clicking on theProperties button will reveal the ISP-100’s serial number. See Figure3-2. Application, OS, and DSP version numbers can ...

3-4 10 July 1998 Changing the Fuse The universal switching power supply in the ISP-100 adapts to inputvoltages from 90 to 264 VAC, 50/60 Hz. To reduce risk of fire, replaceonly with same type fuse. The fuse holder is located under the securitycover on the front panel. The fuse is a standard 20mm X 5...

3-5 Troubleshooting Caution: Use only the tool attached to the inside of the security cover tochange the battery. The tool is black anodized so it will not short out thebattery or anything else. DO NOT under any circumstance use pliers togrip the battery. Doing so could cause damage. See Figure 3-3....

3-6 10 July 1998 Technical Support Technical questions should be directed to: Customer Service Department - MerlinTelex Communications, Inc.9600 Aldrich Avenue SouthMinneapolis, MN 55420 U.S.A.Telephone: (612) 884-4051Fax: (612) 884-0043 Helpful InformationBe prepared to provide the following inform...

3-7 Troubleshooting Shipping to Manufacturer for Repair or Adjustment All shipments of Merlin products should be made via United ParcelService or the best available shipper prepaid. The equipment should beshipped in the original packing carton; if that is not available, use anysuitable container tha...

4-1 Specifications SPECIFICATIONS Components Compressor Property Range Default Fine Coarse Bypass in/out out n/a n/a Threshold -60 dB to 0 dB 0 dB .5 dB 3 dB Compression Ratio 1.2:1 to 24:1 1.2:1 n/a n/a Attack Time 20 msec to 50 ms 20 msec .02 ms 1 ms Release Time 20 msec to 5 sec 5000 ms 1 ms 100 ...

4-3 Specifications PEQ Property Range Default Fine Coarse Center Frequency 20 Hz to 20 kHz 20 1/12 Oct. 1/3 Oct. Boost/Cut +12 dB to -12 dB 0 dB .1 dB 1 dB Bandwidth 0.08 to 3.0 octaves 1.0 1/12 Oct. 1/3 Oct. Combine Property Range Default Fine Coarse Channel “1” Entry Gain +0 dB to -96 dB 0 dB .5 d...

4-4 10 July 1998 Gate Linkwitz-Riley 3-way Crossover Notch Filter Parametric Equalizer Filter Peaked HighPass Filter Shelving Filter AP is a trademark of Audio Precision, Inc.

4-5 Specifications System Measurements System Frequency Response System Noise Floor System THD+N AP is a trademark of Audio Precision, Inc.

4-6 10 July 1998 MIM-1 & MIM-2* Analog Input Modules Power Symbol Description Minimum Typical Maximum Units VA18P positive analog supply voltage 17.50 18.00 20.00 volts VA18M negative analog supply voltage -17.50 -18.00 -20.00 volts VD5P positive digital supply voltage 4.75 5.00 5.50 volts IA18P...

4-7 Specifications MOM-1 Analog Output Module Power Symbol Description Minimum Typical Maximum Units VA18P positive analog supply voltage 17.50 18.00 20.00 volts VA18M negative analog supply voltage -17.50 -18.00 -20.00 volts VD5P positive digital supply voltage 4.75 5.00 5.50 volts IA18P positive a...

5-1 Installing VUE-IT™ INSTALLING VUE-IT™ Minimum System Requirements CPU: Pentium® processor. OS: Microsoft® Windows 3.1x, Windows 95, or Windows 98 Memory: 8MB RAM Hard Drive: 5MB of available space (beyond swap file needs) Disk Drive: 3.5 inch high-density Monitor: 640X480, 256 color Pointing Dev...

5-2 10 July 1998 Figure 5-2 OS download request dialog. Figure 5-1 OS mismatch dialog. Updating the ISP-100’s Operating System The updating of the operating system contained in the ISP-100’s flashmemory is usually required after loading a new version of VUE-IT on thecomputer. A dialog box such as th...

5-4 10 July 1998 Configuring the Software Turn on the ISP-100. The power switch is located at the far right under thefront access panel. This is accomplished by placing the switch in thedown position. See Figure 2-1 for the location of the power switch. Check to make sure that the LEDs light in a pe...

6-1 Getting Started GETTING STARTED Starting VUE-IT Figure 6-1 VUE-IT workspace. When VUE-IT is started, you will see a screen similar to the one in Figure6-1. The window displayed in Figure 6-1 is the basic environment in whichall interactions with VUE-IT take place. There are six key features of t...

6-2 10 July 1998 Starting a New Project Figure 6-2 Create new project dialog. To start a new project select New Project from the File menu. A panelsimilar to the one in Figure 6-2 will appear. You are allowed to select a name of up to eight characters for the project,assign a path for the project to...

6-3 Getting Started used to create the QuickMAP. The QuickMAPs can be sorted by Name,I/O Configuration, Creation Time, and Modification Time. To sort theQuickMAPs, click on the heading button of the property you wish to sortby (i.e. Name, I/O Configuration, etc.). The first click of the mouse willso...

7-2 10 July 1998 Edit (see Figure 7-2) Figure 7-2 Edit menu. Cut - Removes the selected item(s) and places them on the clipboard. Copy - Places a copy of the selected item(s) on the clipboard. Paste - Inserts item(s) from the clipboard. Tools (see Figure 7-3) Figure 7-4 Options menu. Preferences - A...

7-3 Using VUE-IT Figure 7-5 Windows menu. Cascade - Arranges panels in overlapping layers. Tile - Arranges panels side-by-side. Arrange Icons - Arranges minimized panels side-by-side. Help (see Figure 7-6) Figure 7-6 Help menu. About - Lists the current application software version, OS version, andD...

7-5 Using VUE-IT QuickMAP LibraryThis is the directory under which QuickMAP templates are stored. Tomodify the path, click on the Modify... button located to the right ofthe directory path entry. Company NameThis entry is reserved for possible future use in documenting projects.You can enter the com...

7-6 10 July 1998 able to access ISP-100 statistics such as free memory, number ofQuickSETs, etc. Properties for the ISP-100 Figure 7-10 ISP-100 properties dialog. Properties for the ISP-100 (see Figure 7-10) reports statistics on theISP-100. It is accessed by double clicking on the entry next to the...

7-9 Using VUE-IT Clicking on a component (i.e. Cut, Compressor, Limiter, etc.) in theProject Manager (see Figure 7-9) and then clicking on the Propertiesbutton displays the properties for the selected component.Component Properties allow the user to name the component andenter notes related to that ...

7-10 10 July 1998 Component Import Figure 7-16 Component import dialog. To import component settings from the Project Manager, click on thedesired component entry in the project manager (see Figure 7-9) andthen click on the Import button. You will then see a dialog box likethe one in Figure 7-16. Th...

7-11 Using VUE-IT The QuickSET Manager (see Figure 7-17) allows the user to develop andmanage multiple groups of component settings. The QuickSET Manageris opened when a component is opened. Creating New QuickSETsThe user can name a group of settings by clicking on the New buttonand then entering th...

7-14 10 July 1998 I/O Properties (see Figure 7-21) Figure 7-21 I/O properties dialog. InputThe Input Function controls the levels entering the unit. This functioncan be accessed in any of the following three ways: 1. Clicking on the green input triangles. 2. Right clicking on either the green input ...

7-16 10 July 1998 Status Information Figure 7-22 Digital I/O status panel. Status information can be obtained for card slots 1 and 2 byclicking on the Status button in the desired slot. See Figure7-22. Sample Rate ConverterOn indicates that the sample rate conversion option is selectedon the card. T...

7-17 Using VUE-IT Device Status Panel Figure 7-23 Device status panel. Clicking on the entry next to the star icon (see Figure 7-9) and thenclicking on the Design button in the Project Manager opens the DeviceStatus Panel. See Figure 7-23. The device status panel has five simulated LEDs: Clock Sync ...

7-18 10 July 1998 Output Meters Figure 7-24 Output meter panel. The Output Meters (see Figure 7-24) provide monitoring of the outputs ofthe DSPs before digital-to-analog conversion. To activate the Meters, clickon the green output triangles in the QuickMAP, or click on the Meter Bankentry in the Pro...

8-1 Processing Components PROCESSING COMPONENTS The components used in the VUE-IT interface have a wide variety ofcontrols for adjusting settings. Each component description begins with a full explanation of thecomponent including all of the parameters that can be adjusted. In someareas the explanat...

8-2 10 July 1998 Combine The Combine component (see Figure 8-1) adds multiple input signalstogether and sends the sum to a single output. In QuickMAPs, 2-to-1,3-to-1, and 4-to-1 combines may exist. The combine’s default attenuationis set so that the combine’s output level is unity. In every case the...

8-4 10 July 1998 Compressor Figure 8-2 Compressor component. A compressor (see Figure 8-2) is used in situations where the inputsignal has a greater dynamic range, or ratio of loudest to softest, than isdesired in the output signal. Compression is accomplished by preventingthe output signal from cha...

8-5 Processing Components - Compressor threshold value, no compression takes place and the change inlevel of the output signal exactly matches the change in level ofthe input signal. When the input signal level is above thethreshold value, compression is used and the change in level ofthe output sig...

8-7 Processing Components - Compressor Crest Factor SensitivityA signal’s crest factor is the ratio of a its peak level to its averagelevel. The signal having the lowest possible crest factor is thesquare wave, whose peak and average levels are equal andwhose crest factor is therefore 1.0. The peak ...

8-8 10 July 1998 input signal was going to be, then the Crest Factor Sensitivitycontrol would ideally be set to: Signal Input of Factor Crest 1 Since this quantity is not generally known, it is best toexperiment until satisfactory results are obtained. MeteringThe compressor meter shows the attenuat...

8-11 Processing Components - Crossover Crossover Figure 8-3 Two-way crossover component. Crossovers (see Figure 8-3) are used to divide the audio signal intomultiple bands appropriate for different types of loudspeakers orloudspeaker elements. In QuickMAPs, 2-way, 3-way, and 4-waycrossovers may exis...

8-14 10 July 1998 implementation of Linkwitz-Riley crossovers, for which the ISP-100has been optimized. The filters marked optional in Figure 8-5 will beexplained in the Linkwitz-Riley Crossover section, below. The lowpass filters LP x (except for the optional LP 2 ) and the highpass filters HP x ma...

8-15 Processing Components - Crossover In the ISP-100, 3-way Bessel and Butterworth crossovers areimplemented as shown in Figure 8-6. Bessel crossovers utilize Bessel filters. Bessel filters aredesigned for maximally-flat group delay, meaning that they havenearly linear phase and excellent transient...

8-17 Processing Components - Crossover Four-Way Crossovers Figure 8-8 Four-way crossover implementation. In the ISP-100, 4-way crossovers are implemented as shown inFigure 8-8. This parallel structure was selected over the more common binary-tree structure for its suitability to the distribution of ...

8-18 10 July 1998 The attenuation in each band is continuously variable from -96 dBand 0 dB, plus mute. The polarity in each band is selectable as + or - (in-phase or out-of-phase). Each band may be bypassed, in which case all of the crossoverfilters in that band will be bypassed while the crossover...

8-24 10 July 1998 Cut Figure 8-11 Cut component. The Cut (see Figure 8-11) can apply as much as 96 dB attenuation, ormute completely, and invert polarity. Attenuation and PolarityApplication of attenuation is accomplished by multiplying each datasample by a number whose absolute value lies between 1...

8-26 10 July 1998 Delay Figure 8-12 Delay component. Delay (see Figure 8-12) is used to compensate for differences in thephysical alignment of loudspeakers or loudspeaker drivers. In the ISP-100, the delay in each output channel is adjustable in therange 0 – 2,500 milliseconds (depending on QuickMAP...

8-27 Processing Components - Dither Dither Figure 8-13 Dither component. Dithering (see Figure 8-13) is used when shortening high resolutiondigital audio data words to a lower resolution; for example, when sending24-bit ISP-100 audio data to 20-bit D/A converters, or directly to a 16-bitDigital Audi...

8-29 Processing Components - Filter Filter Figure 8-14 Filter component. Filters (see Figure 8-14) are used to modify the spectral balance,frequency content, or phase response of the signals upon which theyoperate. Filter BandsThe filters in the ISP-100 are arranged in bands, each of whichrepresent ...

8-33 Processing Components - Filter The EQ filters in the ISP-100 are full parametric. Each may beadjusted for center frequency, boost or cut, and bandwidth. Center FrequencyThe center frequency is the frequency at which the maximumboost or cut takes place. In the ISP-100 EQ filters the centerfreque...

8-35 Processing Components - Filter Cutoff FrequencyThe cutoff frequency is the design frequency of the highpassfilter, and is only approximately representative of the location ofthe magnitude peak. In the ISP-100 the cutoff frequency iscontinuously variable from 20 Hz to 20 kHz. AllPass FiltersAllP...

8-39 Processing Components - Gain Gain Figure 8-17 Gain component. Gain (see Figure 8-17) is the first function applied to all ISP-100 inputdata. The gain component performs many operations, including meteringof raw input data (pre-fader), application of up to 18 dB gain, 96 dBattenuation, or full-m...

8-42 10 July 1998 Gate Figure 8-18 Gate component. A gate (see Figure 8-18) is used in situations where the input signal ischaracterized by long periods of silence and a noticeably high noisefloor, such as a signal taken from magnetic tape or from an openmicrophone. Gating is accomplished by attenua...

8-43 Processing Components - Gate Closing TimeA gate monitors the level of the input signal and controls thelevel of the output signal accordingly. When the average inputsignal level decreases from above threshold to below, a gatecloses (applies attenuation) so that the output signal level is lessth...

8-44 10 July 1998 Detection Window is adjustable in the range 20 µSec (onesample) to 5 Sec. MeteringThe gate meter shows the attenuation applied to the signal passingthrough the gate at any given moment in time. When the signal isbelow threshold and the gate is closed, the meter indicates negativeva...

8-46 10 July 1998 Limiter Figure 8-19 Limiter component. A limiter (see Figure 8-18) is used in situations where the output signalmust not exceed a given level, regardless of any increase in the level ofthe input signal. Limiting is often used for system protection purposes,such as the avoidance of ...

8-47 Processing Components - Limiter Release TimeA limiter monitors the level of the input signal and controls thelevel of the output signal accordingly. When the input signal levelsuddenly decreases, a limiter allows the output signal level toalso decrease only as much as is appropriate, given ther...

8-49 Processing Components - Limiter one. The two quantities are then compared and the larger isreturned as the signal level. When the Crest Factor Sensitivity is set to 0.00 the ISP-100limiter operates as a traditional limiter responding to averagesignal levels; when the Crest Factor Sensitivity is...

8-51 Processing Components - Limiter increase or decrease is controlled by the fine/coarse control. Attack, Window, Release, and Crest factor controls.All of these controls can be adjusted in three ways: Using the KnobClick on the indicator on the knob and while continuing to holddown the mouse butt...

8-52 10 July 1998 Select Figure 8-20 Select component. The select function (see Figure 8-20) allows you to set the source thatfeeds portions of a QuickMAP. The user is allowed to select from asmany inputs as the QuickMAP allows. An entire QuickMAP can be fedfrom a single source or multiple sources d...

A-1 Glossary GLOSSARY A to D Analog to Digital. Conversion of an analog signal to a digital representation. Amplitude factor See CREST FACTOR. Attack The rise of a musical note from zero to full volume. Attack time The time required for an applied signal that suddenly increases in amplitude toreach ...

B-1 Standard QuickMAPs STANDARD QUICKMAPS™ VUE-IT ships with eighteen standard QuickMAPs. These mappings were designed to be flexible enough to beapplied in a wide variety of signal processing applications. This appendix provides drawings of theQuickMAPs for reference purposes. The drawings begin on...