User Manual

Apollo 8 Hardware Manual Rear Panel 24

(31) S/PDIF Ports

The S/PDIF ports provide two channels of digital I/O with resolutions up to 24-bit at

192 kHz via female phono (RCA) connectors. For optimum results, use only high-quality

75-ohm cables speciﬁcally designed for S/PDIF digital audio.

Sample rate conversion can be performed on the S/PDIF input; this setting is enabled

within the S/PDIF channel’s input strip in the Console application. When the sample rate

of the incoming S/PDIF signal does not match the sample rate speciﬁed in the Console

application, the S/PDIF signal is converted to match Apollo 8’s sample rate. If Apollo 8

is set to use S/PDIF as the master clock source, sample rate conversion is inactive.

Tip: The S/PDIF output can be conﬁgured to mirror the Monitor Outputs (#34), for

routing the stereo monitor signal to the stereo S/PDIF input of other devices. This

feature is set with the DIGITAL MIRROR menu in the Hardware panel within the

Console Settings window.

(32) Thunderbolt Ports

Apollo 8 has two Thunderbolt 2 ports. One port is used to connect Apollo 8 to a

Thunderbolt 1 or Thunderbolt 2 port on the host computer. Thunderbolt peripheral

devices may be serially connected (daisy-chained) to the second Thunderbolt port.

When Apollo 8 is properly communicating with the host computer via Thunderbolt, the

HOST indicator (#13) illuminates.

Thunderbolt Bus Power

Per the Thunderbolt speciﬁcation, bus power is supplied to downstream (daisy-chained)

Thunderbolt peripheral devices. Apollo 8 must be powered on for the daisy-chained

peripheral to receive Thunderbolt bus power.