Aviom AllFrame - Manual (Page 18)

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ALL FRAME
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Multi-Modular I/O System
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Aviom’s A-Net® is the only networking technology conceived, designed, and optimized for managing and
distributing audio using ordinary Cat-5e cables (or fiber by adding fiber optic SFP transceivers to the AllFrame
F6 Modular I/O Frame or MH10f Merger Hub). As implemented in the Pro64® Series products, A-Net can transmit
up to 128 channels of uncompressed 24-bit audio with the reliability and fidelity of analog, and the power and
flexibility of a true digital network.
As implemented in the AllFrame Multi-Modular I/O System, Pro64 A-Net allows variable sample rates in two
ranges, 44.1/48kHz and 88.2/96kHz, with ultra-low latency, jitter, and wander. Pro64 devices can be connected in
any combination of serial (daisy-chain) or parallel (star) topologies. Cable runs between Pro64 devices can be up
to 400 feet (120 meters) on Cat-5e, and miles on fiber optics (with Aviom fiber-capable equipment).
Because A-Net is designed specifically for audio, the technological limitations of Ethernet and Ethernet-based
products are removed, while audio performance and system flexibility are increased. A-Net incorporates Aviom’s
unique patented and patent-pending algorithms for controlling clock jitter and wander, as well as system-wide
latency—regardless of an installation’s size, design, or clocking setup. A-Net offers significant advantages in
fidelity, performance, and flexibility over Ethernet-based products.
A-Net uses the “physical” layer of Ethernet, but it eliminates all the protocol elements that are designed for
computers and IT-style networking. In audio applications, these other layers reduce efficiency, impose system
restrictions, and introduce latency and timing instability. By eliminating Ethernet data structures, A-Net creates a
superior network with enhanced audio performance. With A-Net and the Pro64 Series, Aviom continues to break
new ground in the design and development of innovative digital audio networking technologies and solutions.
AllFrame Supported Sample Rates
Sample Rate Minimum Maximum
1x 44.1/48kHz 39.7kHz 52kHz
2x 88.2/96kHz 79.4kHz 104kHz
Clocking
The Pro64 network offers the most flexible clocking and synchronization options in the industry even when
syncing to an external clock source.
Any Pro64 I/O device can be designated the Clock Master for the network, generating and distributing its internal
clock. Digital I/O devices are capable of syncing to and distributing an external clock from a Word Clock or AES3
source to the network.
Control Data
The Pro64 version of A-Net has built-in, dedicated bandwidth for 14 channels of non-audio control data through
the use of Aviom’s innovative Virtual Data Cables™. These data streams are always available to carry MIDI, RS-232,
RS-422, or GPIO (General Purpose I/O), and they never compete with the audio channels for network resources,
regardless of the system configuration. (Not all VDC data types are supported on every Pro64 device.)