Specifications

Reliability Considerations

Since on-air audio is often handled by the ADX systems, reliability is of primary

concern. The ADX-series products are designed with highest-quality components

and conservative ratings so as to be as reliable as possible.

In addition, after manufacture, the ADX products undergo an extensive burn-in

process which includes power and thermal cycling to attempt to precipitate out any

early-life failures.

Even with these precautions failures are not impossible, and in addition there are

other components to the system such as Ethernet switches which must also be

considered in evaluating the overall reliability question.

Here are some thoughts on insuring a reliable on-air system:

 Provide a spare announce box and headset. This practice has been going

on for decades with analog systems, and it's still a good idea. It protects

against failure of the ADX-120 and the headset.

 Use the ADX-800 to provide power for the ADX-120s. This unit contains

redundant power supplies and will provide highly-reliable power, even in the

event of the failure of one of the supplies.

 Insure a reliable AC power source in the remote location for the ADX units

and for the Ethernet switch. If there is any question about the reliability of

the AC supply you might consider using a small UPS power supply to provide

battery backup. A small 500 watt unit intended for personal computer use

will provide a half-hour of typical operation in the event of power failure.

 Use reliable Ethernet hardware such as switches, fiber GBICs, etc. Burn in

new switches for a few days before putting them on the air. Keep all

Ethernet cables and fiber in good condition.

 Many switches have two fiber GBIC ports available. If the switches support

'trunking' or 'port aggregation' and most do, two fiber runs could be

connected between switches, thus protecting against fiber and GBIC failure.

 Consider using standard IT methods for providing a fault-tolerant network, if

practical and warranted. Redundant switches and parallel networks may be

used. ADX-120s and ADX-140s with version 5.0 or later firmware include a

sophisticated method of selecting the active ethernet connection based on

both link status and the presence of audio packets. Contact Lance Design

for more information.