page 37
DriveCore Install DA Series Operation Manual
Using Dante
Using Dante
Dante Introduction
Dante is a licensed technology from Audinate. It uses standard Internet protocols over a 100Mb or Gigabit network and is capable of transporting professional-quality,
low-latency audio. Dante runs on inexpensive off-the-shelf computer networking hardware and does not require dedicated network infrastructure; Ethernet switches transmit
Dante digital media streams alongside ordinary data traffic. The physical Dante connections must be made using Category 5e or Category 6 cables when using a Gigabit
network (Category 5 cables may be used for purely 100Mbps networks).
The two Dante (RJ-45) ports on the back of the DCi DA amplifiers can be used to connect to other Dante-enabled devices for transmission and receival of high-resolution
digital audio over standard Ethernet cabling. The Dante protocol supports 24-bit resolution with a sample rate of either 48kHz or 96kHz. All DCi DA amplifiers support 8
Dante input channels and 8 Dante output channels.
Dante Specifications
• Supports 48kHz or 96kHz sample rates
• 24-bit audio resolution
• Dante data can co-exist on a network alongside control information and other
standard data traffic
• Supports high channel counts; maximum channel count varies based on
network speed (e.g., 100Mbps, Gigabit, etc.)
• Dante protocol based on networking technology standards, allowing the
transport to operate with off-the-shelf networking peripherals
• Supports cable distances of up to 100m/328ft over Category 5e or Category
6 cable between devices (Category 5 cable can be used for purely 100Mbps
networks)
• Supports fiber runs using fiber-enabled network switches
• Typical Dante transport latency contribution to a system is approximately
150μs or less
• Supports unicast (point-to-point) or multi-cast (one-to-many) audio packet
transmission
• Supports redundancy using the Secondary Dante ports and a secondary
network switch
Connecting Dante Ports
Dante devices have two Dante ports. One is the Primary and the other is the Secondary. When using only two Dante devices, the devices can be connected directly together
using the Primary ports. When connecting more than two devices, they should be connected to an Ethernet switch using a star networking topology.
Fault Tolerance
Dante audio traffic is duplicated to both the Primary and Secondary Dante ports. The Secondary port can be connected to a secondary network switch for redundant
operation in the event a primary cable connection or the primary network is compromised. If using the Secondary Dante ports for redundancy, the Secondary ports should be
connected to a second switch and operated separately from the primary network.
Mastership
The Dante network requires one device on the network to act as master for the whole network. The master will provide the clock for all other Dante devices on the network.
This means that the whole network is synchronized to a single audio clock.
In certain cases, it is possible to use devices of more than one Ethernet transport type (i.e., AVB, CobraNet™, or BLU link) connected within the same Dante network. In
other words, if you’re careful, you can design a HARMAN system that actually includes more than two transports. For example, it’s possible for a HARMAN system to have
CobraNet™ audio being converted to BLU link audio (the BSS Audio BLU-800 and BLU-320 both have the ability to “bridge" CobraNet to/from BLU link), which is then
converted to Dante audio (BLU-806, BLU-326 and BLU-DAN all have the ability to “bridge” BLU link to/from Dante). It all depends on a given transport’s ability to “slave” (or
“re-clock”) to a clock being generated by a separate transport.
Can it be “slaved” to the clock of another transport?
AVB No
BLU link Yes
CobraNet No
Dante Yes
The previous list has critical implications on system design when combining two or more transports. Any system based on Soundweb London (including Architectural
Media Systems) supports the following five multi-transport combinations:
• BLU link + AVB (AVB provides the clock)
• BLU link + CobraNet (CobraNet provides the clock)
• BLU link + Dante (either BLU link or Dante provides the clock)
• BLU link + Dante + AVB (AVB provides the clock)
• BLU link + Dante + CobraNet (CobraNet provides the clock)
