product data sheet
www.grassvalley.com
SWITCH
POINT
WITHOUT
Soft Switch Dunking
WITH
Soft Switch Dunking
Pops and clicks occur when
the levels of switched signals
are differen
t
By bringing both signals to zero,
pops and clicks are reduced
The adaptability of the Apex system
also extends to its signal support.
Unlike other routing systems that force
you to purchase separate board sets
and sample rate converters to handle
multiple signal types, the Apex system
can automatically detect a signal’s
type (synchronous or asynchronous),
its rate (from 30 kHz to 100 kHz), and
then switch it properly—without any
additional modifications or intervention.
It can even switch a signal that has lost
its reference.
An Apex chassis features two sync
references: one video and one audio,
plus a redundant input for each. This
design enables you to use a video
reference for audio switching while
also supporting the proper, uncorrupted
switching of Dolby E signals.
Unrivaled Audio Features
Designed with audio professionals
in mind, the Apex system offers an
unrivaled set of signal-processing
features. These features include a silent-
switching design to minimize unwanted
clicks and pops. You can turn this feature
on or off as needed.
For full mono routing, the Apex system
offers an AES Pair Breakaway feature.
While input and output signals are
always tied together as a left/right pair,
the internal routing engine separates the
pairs—hence the term breakaway—to
handle the signals independently. This
independent routing allows a control
system to view the router as either a
single-level stereo system in which the
pairs switch together, or in a single-
level mono system with two levels of
mono audio. This capability also allows
the Apex system to support a full
complement of audio pair manipulation
modes, including normal, mix, and
reverse.
Ensuring High Reliability
To maximize uptime and reliability, the
Apex system uses redundant TDM
matrix cards. Should the primary matrix
card fail, a secondary redundant card will
take over immediately.
The system also employs redundant
TDM expansion links between chassis—
and connects those links in a fully
connected star topology. This topology
ensures that every chassis is speaking
to every other chassis, eliminating the
weak-link pitfalls of serial or daisy-chain
topologies.
To ensure even, uninterrupted cooling,
the Apex system uses a common air
chamber and an N+1 fan arrangement—
the same high-performance cooling
approach used in the Trinix NXT digital
video routing switcher. Additionally, the
Apex system design curbs overall power
usage by minimizing circuit board and
component counts. This significantly
reduces the load on the cooling system,
increasing the overall reliability of the
system.
SoFT SwiTching AUdio SignAlS
By bringing audio levels to zero at the switch point, clicks and pops in the audio are
reduced.
