Installation guide

Chapter 2: System 5 Overview 7
Chapter 2: System 5 Overview
This chapter provides a basic overview of the System 5 theory of operation, I/O solutions, and system requirements.
Chapter 3, “System 5 Console” presents the console in detail, including physical and environmental specifications.
Chapter 4, “Connecting System Components” illustrates how to interconnect system modules and components.
Theory of Operation
The primary components of System 5 are the DF66 or DF70 SuperCore mix engine, control surface modules, the SC264 System
Computer, and the CO600 MADI Changeover Switch (used in broadcast redundancy configurations). These devices, along with
TCP/IP-controlled devices such as the Modular I/O Remote Preamps, communicate via a 100 Base-T star network.
The SC264 contains the GPIO and serial machine control interface. Secondary peripheral devices, such as the ML530 Mic-Line In-
terface and the MC524 Monitor Interface, connect to the SC264 System Computer and communicate via the System 5 TCC serial
protocol. All Avid I/O devices interface via MADI and connect directly to the DF66 or DF70 SuperCore, or to the CO600 MADI
Changeover Switch.
Digital Signal Processing
The DF66 or DF70 SuperCore performs all System 5 audio processing and routing (Dynamics, EQ, mix busses, aux sends, and
monitor busses). The DF66 can be fitted with up to six SP663 DSP Line cards, each of which provides four MADI I/Os. For systems
that demand more DSP, the DF70 has eight cards that supports up to 454 channels at 48 kHz or 222 channels at 96 kHz. The
actual DSP is allocated using factory-supplied Mixer Model files that provide different numbers of busses and channels.
The number of SP663 Line cards required in a system depends on the number of logical channels desired: a mono input uses one
logical channel, a stereo input uses two, and a 7.1 input uses eight.
The following devices can be used for non-redundant DSP configurations:
• SC264D (1–2 cards)
• SC264 + DF66 (1–6 cards)
• SC264 + DF70 (8 cards)
In broadcast redundancy configurations, two identical DF66s operate in parallel, one as primary and the other as backup. Each
connects to the CO600 MADI Changeover Switch, which monitors the performance of both. If the primary DF66 fails, the backup
is automatically placed online.
The following devices can be used for redundant DSP configurations:
• SC264D + DF66 + CO600 (1–2 cards)
• SC264 + DF66x2 + CO600 (1–6 cards)
SuperCores with six or more SP663 Line Cards require Avantech modules with 1 GB RAM.
All DSP card versions must run the most current firmware. See instructions with the update software.