360 Systems DigiCart/E - Manual (Page 11)

Introduction
• 9
Guaranteed On-Time Network Performance
Ethernet Audio guarantees playback at any point in your plant with zero delay. Twenty-four stereo pairs of
24-bit audio can record or play over the network in real-time. The new DigiCart/E buffers audio from
selected files so it can play cuts instantly, without network delay. And with DigiCart/E, it's possible to make
recordings and perform edits on the local drive, or to the network sever, with equal ease.
High Speed Background Transfers
When it's time to transfer files between the network server and a DigiCart/E recorder (such as a safety copy
for Master Control) the transfer moves at high-speed through the 100 Mbps Ethernet connection.
True 24-Bit Audio Performance
The standard spec for Ethernet Audio products is 24-bit linear PCM. Its analog measurements approach the
limits possible with today's converters.
Digital audio recordings can be 16-bit with 96 dB of SNR, or 24-bit with up to 144 dB. 360 Systems' Bit-for-
Bit™ data standard provides error-free recording, reproduction, transfer and storage of perceptually coded
audio such as Dolby® AC-2, AC-3, or Dolby E.
100BaseT: Fast Ethernet Technology
The term Ethernet is commonly used for all carrier sense multiple access collision detect (CSMA/CD) local
area networks (LANs) that generally conform to Ethernet specifications, including IEEE 802.3u.
Fast Ethernet Architecture
Fast Ethernet networks are 100 Mbps networks based on an architecture designed by the Fast Ethernet
Alliance.
Though Fast Ethernet is used to denote 100BaseT, IEEE 802.3u specifies several physical layer protocols.
Each has a name that summarizes its characteristics in the following format:
speed/signaling method/segment length
Each term is defined as follows:
Speed is the LAN speed in megabits per second (Mbps).
Signaling method is either baseband or broadband.
Segment length is typically the maximum length between stations in hundreds of meters.
For example, 100BaseT specifies a 100-Mbps, baseband LAN, with maximum network segments of
100 meters.
The Fast Ethernet physical layer protocol used by Ethernet Audio networks is 100BaseTX. That is, 100BaseT
over Category 5 unshielded twisted-pair (UTP), Electronics Industry Association/Telecommunications
Industry Association [EIA/TIA]-568-compliant cable.