Specifications

Pro Tools|HD Getting Started Guide12
Installing Pro Tools|HD Cards
This section shows how to install Pro Tools|HD
cards into a Windows computer. To install cards
into an expansion chassis, see the Expanded Sys-
tems Guide.
To install Pro Tools cards:
1 Turn off your computer and any peripherals.
Leave your computer’s power cable plugged in
so the computer is grounded.
2 Disconnect all cables attached to the com-
puter (such as hard drives, displays, USB and
FireWire devices) except for the power cable.
3 Open the computer case.
4 Remove the metal access port cover behind
the slot you want to use by removing the screw
and sliding the cover out from the access port.
5 Depending on your system, do one of the fol-
lowing:
• Install the Accel Core (for PCIe) card in the
first PCIe slot.
– or –
• Install the HD Core (for PCI) card in the
first PCI slot.
6 If you are installing additional Pro Tools cards
(or other cards), skip to the next step. If you
have no additional cards to install, do the fol-
lowing:
• Secure the card in place with the slot access
port screw you removed earlier.
• Close the computer case.
• Skip to “Connecting Audio Interfaces” on
page 13.
7 Install the first HD Accel card (if any) in the
second PCI slot.
8 Install any remaining HD Accel cards in the
remaining consecutive PCI slots.
9 Install any HD Process cards in the remaining
consecutive PCI slots (64-bit or 32-bit).
10 If you are installing a SCSI host bus adapter
(HBA) card, install it in the highest-numbered
remaining slot.
11 Check to be sure that your cards are installed
in the proper order for your system, starting
with the lowest numeric slot:
• Display card for your computer monitor
• Accel Core (for PCIe) or HD Core (for PCI)
card
• HD Accel cards
• HD Process cards
• SCSI host bus adapter (HBA) card
12 Secure each card in place with the slot access
port screws you removed earlier.
Connecting Pro Tools|HD Cards
In systems that include more than one card, you
must connect all the Pro Tools|HD cards to each
other with TDM FlexCables.
Each Pro Tools|HD card has two ports along the
top of the card, labeled Port A and Port B. The
FlexCable has two connectors, also labeled
Port A and Port B, to ensure proper connection.
Data communication across multiple cards is
achieved by connecting Port B of the first card
to Port A of the next card with a TDM FlexCable.
Before handling any card, discharge static
electricity from your clothes or body by
touching a grounded metal surface, such as
the power supply case inside your computer.
The first FlexCable always goes from Port B
on the core card to Port A on the first
expansion card, as described in the follow-
ing steps.