Wheatstone Corporation WheatNet-IP BLADE3, Техническое руководство, Страница: 29 / 366

G E N E R A L I N F O R M A T I O N
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WheatNet-IP BLADE 3 / Jan 2016
General Information
Introduction
Congratulations on acquiring the Wheatstone third-generation intelligent WheatNet-IP
system. The WheatNet-IP technology allows you to build a networked audio system of I/O
devices, control surfaces, computers, and controllers, all without using a dedicated audio
router. How do we do this? By using a LAN (Local Area Network) itself to connect the
various devices together and distribute audio and logic data where needed.
Each WheatNet-IP device (we call them “BLADE3”) has its own intelligence/ operating
system that allows it to be a powerful standalone router, be part of a larger system, or con-
trol the entire routing system. WheatNet-IP is an embedded system that does not require
outside intervention or control from 3rd party software running on PC’s. The configuration
of the entire network is stored in each BLADE3.
Each BLADE 3” functions primarily as an audio access point, where analog or digital
audio signals are connected to this network. BLADE3s are built to handle native analog,
microphone, AES/EBU, SPDIF, AOIP, MADI, SDI and AES 67. Once any type of audio
is ingested into the WheatNet-IP network, any type of audio input can be converted to
any other type of output. Example: analog to digital, AES to IP, MADI to AES 67, mics
to AOIP, etc. All BLADE3s are AES67 compatible for use with other AES67-compatible
systems and devices.
Within the WheatNet-IP unit, the audio channels are converted to packets of data that
can travel over an Ethernet LAN. The Ethernet switches that compose the core of the
LAN directly control the distribution of packets and perform the “switching” function
of a traditional audio router. Once the audio packets have been forwarded to the desired
destination end point (typically a PC or another WheatNet-IP device), they are reassembled
into an audio signal and made available. Ability to support AES67 compliant devices
allows WheatNet-IP system to synchronize to IEEE1588 from a PTP grandmaster clock
and ingest /stream AES67 compliant packets.
By converting audio into data packets, the traditional audio wiring infrastructure of
multipair cables, trunk lines, patch bays, and punchblocks is no longer needed. In fact all
the distribution cables you need may already be in place – in the form of your LAN and its
CAT6 cables. You’ll only need to wire your source and destination devices to “BLADE3”
to complete your system. Best of all, the dozens of audio cables and hundreds of logic
connections you used to need to connect up each audio console have been replaced with
a single CAT6 cable to the control surface. What could be easier?
Each BLADE3 contains two stereo 8x2 internal mixers that become a source or input
to the system. This can be useful for grouping several mics to a single output. You can
use the output of each mixer as a talkback source. The BLADE3’s mixers are independent
of each other, so they can feed audio to each other or another BLADE3. The output of
mixer #1 can be brought up on a fader in mixer #2, for example. With balance control on
each fader, this can be useful for recording a telephone mix with the “callers” on the left