HAL1x
Multiprocessor
EXP
Expansion
Data Sheet - 3
HAL1x Expansion Bus
The HAL1x Expansion Bus supports up to 32 daisy-chained
Expanders in any combination. The Expansion Bus requires
shielded CAT 5e (or better) cable with RJ-45 connectors.
The bus supports 512 channels in and 512 out, although
designers need not worry about wiring channels along the bus —
this is automatically done within Halogen software. The Resourc-
es window in Halogen displays the number of channels in use and
updates as you draw the audio wiring. Latency hops on the bus
are 750 nanoseconds per hop. Thus, daisy-chaining 32 Expand-
ers provides a maximum latency of 22.4 microseconds. See the
Latency graphic below to add up the latency of any given path
through the HAL1x, EXPs, RADs, the DSPs and converters.
Thirty-two Expanders maximum, in any order can be daisy-
chained. For example, 16 EXP3x and 16 EXP5x Expanders daisy-
chained, provides 128 outputs (8 out times 16), plus 192 mic/
line/line-plus inputs (12 in times 16).
Some examples max out the Expansion Bus:
• If you need 256 RADs, daisy-chain 32 EXP1x Expanders. This
is 8 RAD ports times 32 Expanders, 8 x 32 = 256 RADs. This
still leaves 4 RAD ports available on the HAL1x.
• For 256 output zones, daisy-chain 32 EXP3x Expanders.
• For 384 mic/line inputs, daisy-chain 32 EXP5x Expanders.
Each Expansion Bus cable can be 100 meters long (300 feet).
This permits spreading Expanders across different locations or
equipment rooms. Yet only a single HAL1x is required at the
head-end of the daisy-chain. Star topologies are not supported —
do not use Ethernet switches, they will not work. And since the
EXP3x & EXP5x contain their own DSP, no DSP resources in
the HAL1x device are used; thus adding these devices adds DSP
resources to the HAL1x System.
Gigabit Ethernet Media Converts
are
supported. Thus, using
multimode fiber, one can separate Expanders up to 2 kilometers
(1.2 miles). Singlemode fiber distance goes up to 12 km (7.5
miles). The Expansion Bus is Ethernet Layer 1 only — there are
no MAC and no IP addresses involved.
Applications
The new 512 x 512 HAL1x Expansion Bus greatly expands the
HAL System’s capabilities with support for 32 daisy-chained
Expanders. The maximum quantity of RADs and DRs supported
jumps from 36 to 256 using the EXP1x — that’s over 700% more
for the same price as the original EXP1.
The new HAL1x’s analog audio I/O capabilities have also
increased with the addition of the EXP3x and EXP5x Expanders.
The EXP3x adds eight Zone outputs per Expander for a total of
256 analog outputs, a 3200% increase in HAL analog outputs.
Each EXP3x also adds 6 DR and 2 RAD ports to support each 8
zone cluster. The EXP5x adds 12 Mic/Line/Line-plus inputs per
Expander for a total of 384 additional analog inputs, a 4800%
increase in HAL analog inputs.
RAD Inputs to
Expansion Bus
466 µs
RAD Outputs
from Exp. Bus
520 µs
EXPANSION BUS
730 ns / hop
EXP1x
Analog Outputs
from Exp. Bus
793 µs
EXPANSION BUS
730 ns / hop
EXP3x
Analog Inputs
to Exp. Bus
758 µs
EXPANSION BUS
730 ns / hop
EXP5x
HAL1x Analog
Mic/Line Inputs
833.5 µs
HAL1x Analog
Line Outputs
624.6 µs
HAL1x
RAD Inputs
445.2 µs
HAL1x
RAD Outputs
499.2 µs
Router
DSP Core
EXPANSION BUS
CAT 5
Acoustic
Echo
Cancelling
20 ms
EXPANSION BUS
730 ns / hop
EXP7x
CAT 5
CAT 5
CAT 5
354.8 µs
62.4 µs
1024 x 1024
512 x 512
HAL1x
Latency
