User guide

No. The only cards tested by Digidesign to be installed in an expassion chassis are TDM based cards, and Sample
Cell II TDM and non-TDM cards.
The Audiomedia III card, and the Digi 001 system were not tested by Digidesign inside an expansion chassis. Note
that some companies other than Digidesign have tested these cards inside an expansion chassis. In case of
troubleshooting, the Digidesign Tech Support department reserves the right to ask that the system be installed in a
supported configuration.
For the most up-to-date compatibility list, check the Digidesign Compatibility Documents
Expansion Chassis Index | All FAQ Index
[4280]
Can I use any expansion chassis that is currently available?
No. The capacity for digidesign software to communicate with digidesign cards inside an expassion chassis has to be
specifically written into the software. Additionally, very specific configurations are tested by Digidesign to insure full
system functionality. Specific computers and configurations can only work with specific expansion chassis models.
For these reasons, only expansion chassis that have been approved by Digidesign for your specific computer can be
used. For the most up-to-date compatibility list, check the Digidesign Compatibility Documents
Expansion Chassis Index | All FAQ Index
[4281]
Can expansion chassis be used both in Macintosh and PCs?
Yes. expansion chassis have been approved to be used with Pro Tools and Sample Cell systems on both Macintosh
and PC computers.
Expansion Chassis Index | All FAQ Index
[4282]
Is there an order to PCI slots, or are all slots the same?
PCI slots are not all the same. The PCI protocol (or "PCI Spec", as it is usually called) orders the slots from lowest
to highest, using alpha-numeric denomination. The term "alpha-numeric" simply means that the slots may be labled
using a letter, a number, or both (for instance, Slots A, B, C …; Slots 0, 1 ,2 …; or Slots A1, A2, A3 …). Digidesign
uses mainly numbers to refer to slot order.
Expansion Chassis Index | All FAQ Index
[4283]
How can I find out the numbering of the slots in my computer and expansion chassis?
Sometimes the slot numbers are silk-screened onto the circuit board itself, but usually the best way to know slot
numbering is looking at the documentation that came with the computer and with the expansion chassis.
There are also some software that can probe the hardware and display slot numbering, and sometimes even what
type of card is installed into the PCI slot. An example of these would be the Apple System Profiler, and Digidesign’s
Digitest. Note, however, that not all types of PCI cards will be properly recognized by all applications. If you need to
find this information with certainty, you should visually inspect the computer and expansion chassis.
Expansion Chassis Index | All FAQ Index
[4284]
What slots do I install Digidesign and third-party cards into? What is the slot order?
Every configuration will have a specific slot order. Your Pro Tools system should come with a booklet entitled, Pro
Tools Expanded System Guide. In this document you will find the specific slot order for your system.
Slots in the computer: there is no general rule for the slot order of the host card in the computer (sometimes it
goes in the lowest slot, sometimes in the middle, and sometimes at the highest numbered slot). Additionally, other
cards may have to be installed in the computer, such as a supported SCSI card, or a video capture card.
Slots in the expansion chasis: for Digidesign cards in the expansion chassis, the general order to follow (from
lowerst to highest slot number) is, Mix Core, Mix Farms, d24s, Mix I/Os, DSP Farm II’s*, DSP Farm I’s*, and
Sample Cell II’s (TDM or non-TDM).