Appsys Pro Audio ADX-16 Users Guide

ADX-16

Bidirectional Extender for ADAT® and
TOSLINK® connections over Cat5

User's Manual

User's Manual

1. DESCRIPTION

1.1. Foreword

The ADX-16 Kit has been designed to overcome the length limitations (5m/16 ft) of
optical TOSLINK® interconnects running ADAT Lightpipe®, S/PDIF® and other
protocols, and to provide a more robust alternative to sensitive Plastic Optical
Fiber (POF) cable. Although longer optical cables are sometimes available, they do
not guarantee a reliable connection because they attenuate optical signals too
much and make the proper distinction of 0's and 1's in the digital signal dicult. A
typical indication for such problems are clicks, pops and crackles appearing in the
transmitted audio signal.

The ADX-16 solves these problems by converting the optical signals to electrical
ones, which can be losslessly transmitted over up to 100 meters using ubiquitous
and cheap Cat5 cable. Moreover, the ADX-16 reduces cabling by transmitting a
bidirectional signal (that is, one TOSLINK connection in either direction) together
with power for the second unit over a single Cat5 cable.

1.2. Applications

 Economic digital 8x8 snake with lowest latency
 Recording of 8 channels from a remote location, with master clock transmitted

to the remote unit

 Interconnection of ADAT enabled equipment (e.g. DAWs and digital mixers)
 If analog conversion is needed at one or both ends, we recommend using 8-

channel ADC/DACs (e.g. Behringer ADA8000 or Focusrite Octopre mkII
Dynamics) on the respective ends

1.3. Box Contents

 Converter Box ADX-16-S

(1xTOSLINK In + 1xTOSLINK Out to Cat5 with power supply)

 Converter Box ADX-16-R

(1xTOSLINK In + 1xTOSLINK Out to Cat5)

 AC adapter
 This manual

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ADX-16

2. SETUP

2.1. Precautions

Use the Cat5 network cable ONLY to connect the ADX-16
devices together. NEVER connect it to network devices, as this

could result in damage of both the ADX-16 and/or the network
device.

2.2. Connection scheme

First ADX-16 box (with power supply jack, “ADX-16-S”)

 Connect the supplier AC adapter to the “Power” jack
 Connect the optical output of your first device (e.g. mixing desk) to the

“TOSLINK In” jack, and the optical input to the “TOSLINK Out” jack.

Second ADX-16 box (“ADX-16-R”)

 Connect the optical output of your second device (e.g. DAC/ADC) to the

“TOSLINK In” jack, and the optical input to the “TOSLINK Out” jack.

 The second box does not need a separate power supply because it is powered

from the first one over the Cat5 cable.

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User's Manual

2.3. Cabling considerations

 Use up to 100m (330 ft) Cat5(e), Cat6(e) or Cat7 cable to connect the first ADX-16

box to the second one.

 Note: For the ADX-16's signal transmission, the quality of the cable doesn't

matter much (we use 100 meters of the cheapest cable we were able to get for
testing). However, we recommend using good quality cable if mechanical stress
is an issue.

3. SPECIFICATIONS

Model number ADX-16

Input/Outputs Optical connector, F05 Type

TOSLINK® compatible

Maximum distance between sender and receiver 100 m (328 ft.)

Supported audio formats

Note: Both directions operate completely
independent from each other.

• ADAT Lightpipe ®

• S/PDIF ® (up to 96kHz / 24 bit)

• Dolby Digital ® 5.1 (AC-3)

• DTS ®

• all other TOSLINK compatible formats up to 13.2

MBit/s (NRZ-encoding)

Pinout Cat5 cable 1 (orange/white) DATA+ "S>R"

2 (orange) DATA-– "S>R"

3 (green/white) DATA+ "R>S"

4 (blue/white) +12V

5 (blue) +12V

6 (green) DATA-– "R>S"

7 (brown/white) GND

8 (brown) GND

Power supply

9-15V DC 150mA, Polarity: Center Positive

Plug: ID=2.5mm OD=5mm Length=9mm0...50°C

Operating temperature 0...50°C

Storage temperature 0...70°C, non-condensing

Dimensions LxWxH: 66.5x66.5x28mm (each unit)

Weight 60g (each box)

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ADX-16

4. APPENDIX

4.1. Warranty

We oer a full two (2) year warranty from the date of purchase. Within this period,
we repair or exchange your device free of charge in case of any defect*. If you
experience any problems, please contact us first. We try hard to solve your
problem as soon as possible, even after the warranty period.
* Not covered by the warranty are any damages resulting out of improper use,
willful damage, normal wear-out (especially of the connectors) or connection with
incompatible devices.

4.2. Manufacturer contact

Appsys ProAudio
Rolf Eichenseher
Bullingerstr. 63 / BK241
CH-8004 Zürich
Switzerland

www.appsys.ch
[e-mail]
Phone: [phone]
Mobile: [phone]

4.3. FCC Compliance

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a class B
digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to
provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential
installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency
energy and if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may
cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no
guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this
equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which
can be determined by turning the equipment o and on, the user is encouraged to
try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

 Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna
 Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver
 Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit dierent from that to which

the receiver is connected

 Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help

This equipment has been verified to comply with the limits for a class B computing
device, pursuant to FCC Rules. In order to maintain compliance with FCC
regulations, shielded cables must be used with this equipment. Operation with
non-approved equipment or unshielded cables is likely to result in interference to
radio and TV reception. The user is cautioned that changes and modifications

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User's Manual

made to the equipment without the approval of manufacturer could void the user’s
authority to operate this equipment.

4.4. Recycling

According to EU directive 2002/96/EU, electronic devices with a
crossed-out dustbin may not be disposed into normal domestic
waste. Please return the products back for environment-friendly
recycling, we'll refund you the shipping fees.

4.5. About this document

Rev. Changes

6 Reformatted document

Added FCC compliance statement

All trademarks mentioned in this document are property of the respective owners.
All information provided here is subject to change without prior notice.

Document Revision: 6 · 2019-11-21
Copyright © 2010-2019 Appsys ProAudio · Printed in Switzerland

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