Expanded Systems Guide
2
Whether installing in a computer or an expan-
sion chassis, the basic order of card installation
is the same. Cards should always be grouped ac-
cording to type, and each type should be in-
stalled in the following order:
1
d24 card, primary
2
d24 card, additional
3
MIX Farm cards
4
DSP Farm cards
5
SampleCell cards
Cards and Slot Order
To ensure maximum track counts and trouble-
free operations, it is important that PCI cards are
installed in the appropriate slot locations,
whether in the computer or in an expansion
chassis (if one is being used).
The remaining chapters in this guide have many
examples that specify how PCI cards should be
installed. The subtleties of these configurations
may vary depending on your particular com-
puter or expansion chassis.
PCI Slots, Bus Masters, and Bridges
(Macintosh Only)
The Power Macintosh 9500 and 9600 have six
PCI slots. These slots are grouped in banks of
three, with each being controlled by a PCI
Bridge
Chip
. The first three slots are in one group and
the next three slots are in another.
A
bus master
card is a PCI card that controls the
data transfer to and from the Bridge Chip that
controls its group. The Digidesign MIX Core and
d24 cards are bus masters.
Other cards that act as bus masters include:
• Expansion chassis host cards
• SCSI host bus adapters (HBA)
• Most video capture cards (including AVoption
and AVoption XL)
When configuring a Pro Tools system with a
Power Macintosh 9500 or 9600 (without an ex-
pansion chassis), make sure to install Pro Tools
Core cards on a separate PCI bridge from other
bus master cards.
When using an expansion chassis with a 9500 or
9600, install the chassis host card on a separate
bridge from other bus master cards (such as SCSI
HBAs and video capture cards).
Consult the manufacturer of your third-party
PCI cards to determine if they operate as bus
masters.
Connecting Audio Interfaces
Use the I/O cable included with each Digidesign
audio interface to connect to your Digidesign
audio cards. The primary audio interface, which
functions as the clock master for other inter-
faces in the system, must be connected to the
first Core card.
You can purchase an optional 16-channel pe-
ripheral cable adapter (y-cable) to connect up to
two 8-channel audio interfaces to each MIX
Core, MIX Farm, MIX I/O, or d24 card. When
connecting a peripheral cable adapter to your
Core card, make sure the primary audio inter-
face is connected to the y-cable’s “A” connector.
TDM cards should always be installed next
to one another, in adjacent slots.
Since DSP Farm cards support only eight
channels of I/O, you cannot use a y-cable
adapter with these cards.
Artisan Technology Group - Quality Instrumentation ... Guaranteed | (888) 88-SOURCE | www.artisantg.com