Axel Falcon 50 FM Operating Manual

Operating manual

(Rel. 1.3)

PART ONE: INSTALLATION

Via Caduti Di Sabbiuno 6/ F - 40011 A nz ola Emilia - Bologna - Italy

Tel. [phone] - Fax. + 39 051 736170

e-mail: [e-mail]

- web site: www.axeltechnology.com

Falcon 50 FM

6 Band DIGITAL audio PROCESSOR

Pag. 2

FOREWORD

ENG

Pag. 3

1 FOREWORD

F

rom all of us at Axel Technology, thank you for choosing the Falcon 50 FM digital

audio processor.

A great deal of effort went into the design and construction of this precision device.

With proper installation and calibration the processor will give you the most
accurate results for audio processing and modulation.

Take the time to go through the steps provided in this manual to ensure you get the
most out of your equipment.

Used properly, the Falcon 50 will give you many years of enjoyment.

Measurements of the Falcon 50 yield excellent results by any standards. However, the Falcon 50 audio quality can not
always be represented only by measures. We therefore invite You to a complete and enjoyable listening session...

ENG

Pag. 4

For your own safety and to avoid invalidation of the warranty all text marked with
these Warning Symbols should be read carefully.

Information i n this manual is subject t o change without notic e and does not repre sent a com mitment on t he
part of the vendor.

Axel Technology shall not be liable for any loss or damage whatsoever arising from the use of information or
any error contained in this manual, or through any mis-operation or fault in hardware contained in the
product.

It is recommended that all maintenance and servi c e on the product shoul d be c ar r ied out by Axel Technology
or its authori sed agents. Axel T echnology cannot accept any liability whatsoever for any loss or damage
caused by service, mai ntenanc e or r epair by unauthorised personnel.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ENG

Pag. 5

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS

1

FOREWORD.........................................................................................................................................3

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS........................................................................................................................5

3 INTRODUCTION...................................................................................................................................6

3.1 APPROACHING AN FM AUDIO PROCESSOR ..........................................................................................8

4 INSTALLATION CONSIDERATIONS................................................................................................... 9

5 BLOCK DIAGRAM............................................................................................................................. 10

6 SAFETY WARNINGS......................................................................................................................... 11

7 FOREWORD.......................................................................................................................................12

8 SAFETY WARNINGS......................................................................................................................... 13

9 CONSIGNES DE SÉCURITÉ IMPORTANTES.................................................................................... 15

10 ISTRUZIONI IMPORTANTI PER LA SICUREZZA........................................................................... 17

11 WICHTIGE SICHERHEITSHINWEISE............................................................................................. 19

12 INSTRUCCIONES IMPORT ANTES DE SEGURIDAD ..................................................................... 21

13 UNPACKING AND INSPECTION.................................................................................................... 23

14 FIRST INSTALLATION REC OM ME N D ATIONS.............................................................................. 24

14.1 POWER SUPPLY CABLE .........................................................................................................................24

14.2 AC MAINS VOLTAGE SETTING (230 V / 115 V).....................................................................................24

14.3 FUSE REPLACEMENT.............................................................................................................................25

14.4 PROTECTION AGAINST LIGHTNING ....................................................................................................25

14.5 VENTILATION .........................................................................................................................................26

15 AUDIO AND MPX GENERAL SETTINGS....................................................................................... 27

15.1 AUDIO INPUT IMPEDANCE....................................................................................................................27

15.2 MPX OUTPUT SETTINGS........................................................................................................................28

16 GENERAL DESCRIPTION.............................................................................................................. 30

16.1 REAR PANEL VIEW.................................................................................................................................30

16.2 FRONT PANEL SOCKETS AND SIGNALLINGS .....................................................................................32

17 AUDIO I/O WIRING......................................................................................................................... 33

17.1 ANALOG AUDIO INPUT..........................................................................................................................33

17.2 ANALOG AUDIO OUTPUT ......................................................................................................................33

17.3 AUDIO CABLING.....................................................................................................................................34

17.4 DIGITAL AUDIO INPUT...........................................................................................................................34

10.2.1 Converting between AES/EBU and S/PDIF interfaces..........................................................................34

17.5 DIGITAL AUDIO OUTPUT.......................................................................................................................34

17.6 DIGITAL AUDIO SYNCHRONIZATION INTERFACE............................................................................35

18 COMMUNICATION PORTS, AUDIO JACK AND GPI/O WI RING .................................................... 36

18.1 SERIAL PORT ...........................................................................................................................................36

18.2 USB PORTS...............................................................................................................................................37

10.2.1 INSTALLING USB DRIVERS..............................................................................................................37

18.3 ETHERNET PORT*...................................................................................................................................39

18.4 GP INPUT INTERFACE ............................................................................................................................40

18.5 GP OUTPUT INTERFACE.........................................................................................................................42

18.6 FRONT HEADPHONE SOCKET...............................................................................................................43

18.7 MPX AND AUX CONNECTIONS.............................................................................................................44

19 INSTALLING THE REMOTE CONTROL SOFTWARE.................................................................... 45

INTRODUCTION

ENG

Pag. 6

3 INTRODUCTION

Congratulati ons on your purc hase of the F alcon 50 FM . The Ax el Technol ogy design team is conf ident you
will enjoy the outstanding performance of the DA P for many years. In case you are int erested in technical
details, what f ollows is a bri ef outline of some of the key technologies i n y our new processor.

A brief overview

Relying on Axel Tec hnology’s extensive know -how in audio processin g techniques, the Falcon 50 FM has
been designed and built using a new approach that incorporates the most up-to-date components and
technologies. Its efficient design allows the Falcon 50 to produc e top-level results in a cost-ef fective way.
The largest cont rol set allow s you to paint a t ruly unique and c ompet itive on- air sound: from detailed and f lat
to heavy and loud. Its except ional audio quality is maintained even at extreme settings.

The largest connecti on capab il ities

Whether your audio system contains analog, digit al or both formats, t he Falcon 50 FM can be configured to
fit in perfectly. A sophisticated module allows flex ible sw itching between inputs, e.g. for em er genc y purpose.
Fail-safe operat ion is as s ur ed by an internal bypass on all the audio and MPX I/O circuits.
Two Composite Baseband Outputs are provided, each with independent level control. The MPX clipping
stage is user-enable and adjustable. MPX power can be limited accor dingly to ITU R-BS 412 Specification.
Two serial RS232 por ts, an USB p ort and a TCP/ IP Ethernet connec tion (the lat ter available as an option)
permit remote c ontrol and monitoring from almost any location t hrough the use of a standard PC and the
dedicated control software which comes with the unit.

User-friendly controls

Falcon 50 FM set-up is quic k and easy, thanks to a wizard based on less /more controls . User-configurable
remote control f unct ions (includi ng pr eset pr ogr amming) ar e avai lable t hrough o ptoc oupled input s. For more
convenience, a complet e day - par t automation is also completely self- c ontained.

Control from anywhere

The Falcon 50 can be remot ely controlled, either fr om a locally attached c omputer, or from anywhere in t he
world.
There are many ways to do this.

- Using Falcon 50’s IP connect ion or modem connection y ou can control processor fr om any where in the
world using the prov ided r em ote Control Software.

- Falcon 50’s serial and USB interfaces allow you t o connect any PC running the provided remot e Control
Software.

- Falcon50’s programmable TTL inputs give you six “contact closure” inputs that can be used to control
certain funct ions , like ‘switch audio input’ or ‘change audio curve’.

State-of -a r t cir cuitation and plenty of he a dr o om

Falcon 50’s analog and d igital audio input and output cir cuits are stat e-of-the-art f or high quality, low nois e
and low distortion audio. The processor’s levels on analog input assure plenty of headroom for all
applications without t he need for audio limiters. Professional qualit y AES/EBU digital audio in put and output ,
with internal high- quality rate converters are standar d.

INTRODUCTION

ENG

Pag. 7

Built-in automatic audio changeover

The Falcon 50 features two inputs: analog and digital.
The selection b etween input s may be ac hieved manu ally or t he programme s ource may be forc ed to eit her
input Analog or input Digital by ac tivating one of six GP Input, accordingly t o S our c e Select ion m enu.
The Falcon 50 also incoporat es an audio detec tor s tage, whic h can be used t o autom atically select between
two identical stereo programme paths (Analog or Digital), in the event the main program runs under­threshold (set at – 35 dB), exti nguis hes or the difference on levels between Left and Right channels ex c eeds
20 dB.
Once the Falcon 50 has sw itched f rom Main to S tand-by input, the Main input may be kept m onitored t ill the
Main audio input resumes. Also when Main audio appears, a settable tim e may be awaited before inverse
switching (from B to A) is perfor m ed.

OPTIONAL FEATURES DESCRIPTION

TCP –IP

The TCP IP interface allows user s to v iew/take control of Falcon 50 from any
Windows machine networked with the processor.

NOTE: the presen t manual d escribes th e processor in its compl ete configu ration. Dep ending on the
chosen configuration and on the chosen options, Yr actual equipment might not provide some of the
here-below descri bed features or controls.

INTRODUCTION

ENG

Pag. 8

3.1 APPROACHING AN FM AUDIO PROCESSOR

An audio processor i s a nonl inear process, that is, even if the ouput signal mi ght be slightly more attrac tive in
respect to the input si gnal, it has surely more distortion respect t o the input.

For this reason, al ways try to use the cleane st possible audio m aterial to get the cleanest ouput audio and
remember that the correct adjustment of a multiband processor is a quite complicated task, so, don’t be
frustrated if aft er thirty minutes you still cannot get your sound.

Remember al so that “extr eme loudness” set tings are well suit ed only f or cert ain kinds of music (pop, disco,
rap…) while are awful for other kinds of music; so always adapt the processor to the format of your radio.

General settings often sound well with most music formats ev en if t hey hav e not t he same loudnes s.
The output sound is al ways a trade-of f bet ween loudness distor tion and cl eaness and you m ust choose the
trade-off between them according your taste.

Another last t ip is that you mi ght avoid the use of hi gh stereo expander lev els expecially with l ow bitrate
MP3s; MPEG compression puts a l ot of “trash” into t he stereo im age so, often, enhanc ing the stereo im age
you could enhance j ust “MPEG noise” ( a sort of “tingling” you may hear at medium-high frequencies).

Last recommendat ion is to use a good qualit y audio boar d wi th a “flat” output, that is no further bass or treble
equalization must be added. This is the only way you may expect to have a good peak control and a
satisfact or y audi o quality.

INSTALLATION CONSIDERATIONS

ENG

Pag. 9

4 INSTALLATION CONSIDERATIONS

Installing t he Falcon 50 requires a bit more than mounting it in the rack , connecting some cables, and then
putting it on the air.

Among the factors you should consi der are:

1. Monito r Location . You should have a good location in which the system , once on the air, can be
monitored. We suggest a good tuner, with good recept i on, feedi ng a set of studi o monitor speakers
to be sufficient. While car radio and other “typical listener situation” settings are important, they
should not be the main ref er enc e points.

2. Good, Clean Sou rce Material. If you are using poor source m aterial, or poor performing pl ayback
equipment, you will not get maximum sonic benefit from your equipment. Anomalies that you
perceive to be processing probl ems, may be source problems that the proc essing is exaggerating!
Make sure that you start out with a good first step - good source material!

3. Mic Processing. Thi s may appear trivial, but the perceiv ed sound of “live” voices over the air can
change dramati cally with dif fer ent proc essing system s. W hatev er the eff ect your on-ai r mic rophones
will probably change when you change your proc es sing. If you utiliz e mic proc essing, you m ay hav e
to adjust it to sui t t he oper ati on of t he ne w processi ng system . Most anno uncer s dev el op a “c omf ort
zone” with respect to t he sound of their voic e over the air. When that “comfort zone” i s changed or
modified, t he comm on response is that somet hi ng is wrong. Mi c proc essing can be a v er y import ant
part of your overall station sound.

4. Operating L evels. T his i s another simpl e area wher e tr ouble c an dev elop. Make sure t he i nput an d
output level s of the processor are at the operat ing at the proper lev el within y our system. If you are
comparing the F alcon 50 wit h other processor s, be sure t hey are oper ati ng at t he same l evels. Y our
modulation monit or is an important tool in any processing compari son.

Equipment internal Clock is powered by a capacitor instead of a traditional battery. The capacitor keeps the
clock operati ng and pr otects the system memory to prevent the loss of stored pr ogr ams during power failure
around one week long (dependi ng on the environmental conditions). Capac ity charge needs at least 30’ of
normal operation. Clock tolerance might amount to about 1 sec per day.

A correct i nstall ation and an opt i m um level setting ar e cruc ial f or a good operat i ng and t he ex pl oitati on of all
the equipment capabi lities. Please pay attention to all notes contained in the user manual.

BLOCK DIAGRAM

ENG

Pag. 10

5 BLOCK DIAGRAM

OPTIONAL

32,44.1,48,96

KHz

47.5Ks/sec

D

I

G

I
T
A
L

A
N
A
L
O
G

Digital

Input

Analog

Input

AD Clipping

Point

Input

mode

switch

Primary

Input

Selector

Input

mode

switch

MPX

Power

Limiter

Hi-Pass

30Hz

Hi-Pass

30Hz

2-Band

AGC

Monitor

6-Band

6-Band

Opto Interface

6-Band

FM-Proc

FM-Proc

FM-Proc

FM-Proc

FM-Proc

DAB/IBOC

FM-Proc

Generator

EQ

Generator

Generator

Monitor

Multiband

Input

Input

Input

Input

Input

5-Band

C
O
M
P
R
E
S
S
O
R

L

I

M

I

T
E
R

E
X
P
A
N
D
E
R

Stereo

Enhancer

Super

Bass

External

Signals

User

Command

ModulationFreq.

Mode

Selection Command

Logic

Phase

Rotator

Phase

Rotator

Look
Ahead
Limiter

&

Expander

A
U
X
2

A
U
X
3

A
U
X
1

A
N
A
L
O
G

H
E
A
D
P
H
O
N
E
S

D

I

G

I
T
A
L

D
A
B

I
B
O
C

M
P
X
2

M
P
X
1

O
U
T

O
U
T

O
U
T

O
U
T

O
U
T

O
U
T

I

N

I

N

I

N

I

N

I

N

Input EQ

Block diagram

1°2°3°4°5°6°1°

2°

3°

4°

SAFETY WARNINGS

ENG

Pag. 11

6 SAFETY WARNINGS

SAFETY WARNINGS

CONSIGNES DE SÉCURITÉ IMPORTANTES

ISTRUZIONI IMPORTANTI PER LA SICUREZZA

WICHTIGE SICHERHEITSHINWEISE

INSTRUCCIONES IMPORTANTES DE SEGURID AD

(Rel. 1.0)

FOREWORD

ENG

Pag. 12

7 FOREWORD

For your own safety and to avoid inval id at io n o f th e warran ty all text marked with these Warning
Symbols should be read carefu ll y.

Information i n this manual is subject t o change without notic e and does not repre sent a com mitment on t he
part of the vendor.

The manufactur er shall not be li able for any l oss or damage whatsoev er ari sing from t he use of i nformation
or any error contained in t his manual, or through any mis-operat ion or fault in hardware contained i n the
product.

It is recommended that all maintenance and service on the product should be carried out by the
manufacturer or its authori sed agents. The manufact urer cannot accept any liabilit y whatsoever for any loss
or damage caused by servic e, m aintenance or repair by unauthorised personnel.

SAFETY WARNINGS

ENG

Pag. 13

8 SAFETY WARNINGS

The installation and servicing instructions in this manual are for use by qualified personnel only.

-

Read All Instru ctions. All safet y and operati ng instructi ons must be read bef ore operati ng the product .
They also must be retai ned for future ref erence, as it contains a num ber of useful hints for determining
the best combinati on of equipment settings for Yr particul ar application.

-

Heed All Warnings. All warnings on the pr oduct and those l isted in the operat ing instruc tions must be
adhered to.

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Heat. This product must be situated away from any heat sources such as radiat ors or other products
(including power amplifiers or transmitters) t hat pr oduc e heat.

-

Power Sources. This product must be oper ated f r om the type of power source i ndi cat ed on the marking
label and in the instal lati on instructions. If you are not sure of the ty pe of power suppli ed to your facili ty,
consult your l ocal power c ompany. Make sure the AC m ain voltage corr esponds to that indi cated in t he
technical speci fications. If a different voltage (ex. 110/115 VAC) is available, open the equipment closure
and set the voltage switc h on the main supply circuit, located behind the AC socket

-

Power Cord Protecti on. P ower supply c ords m ust be rout ed so that t hey are not l i kel y t o be wal ked on
nor pinched by i tems pl aced upon or agai nst t hem . Pay part ic ular at tenti on to the cords at A C wall pl ugs
and convenienc e recept ac les, and at the point where the cord plugs int o the produc t

- Clean only with dry cloth

-

Use only with a cart, stand, tri pod, bracket, or tabl e specified by t he manufactur er, or sold wit h
the apparatus. When a car t is used, use caution when mov ing the cart/apparat us combinati on
to avoid injury from tip-over.

-

Lightning. For added protection f or this product during a lightning storm, or when it is left unattended and
unused for long peri ods of time, unplug it from the AC wall out let and the audio connections. Thi s will
prevent damage to t he product due to lightning and power line surges

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Installation. Configuration and installation should only be carried out by a competent installation engineer

-

Cabling. Using high quality wires, well protected. M ak e sure the cable integrity.

-

Equipment design. This manual images coul d diff er a bit from the equipment actual design

This symbol alerts you to the p resence of dangerous voltage inside the closure –
voltage whi ch may be sufficient to constitute a risk o f shock. Do not perform any
servicing o ther than that contained in th e operating inst ructions. Refer all servicing
to qualified pers on ne l

The exclamation poin t withi n an eq ui lateral triangle is intended to alert the user to the
presence of important operating and maintenance (servicing) instructions in the
literature accompanying the appliance.

SAFETY WARNINGS

ENG

Pag. 14

Do not change the voltage settin g o r repl ace t he mains fuse without first turning the
unit off and unplugging the mai ns cord.

This apparatus must be EART HED !

To avoid risk of fire use the correct valu e f use, as indicated on the label stuck on the
right side of the unit.

Make sure the AC main voltage corresp onds to that indicated in the technical
specifications.

This apparatus uses a single pole mains switch and does therefore not separate the
unit completely from the mains power. To completely separate from mains power (f.i.
in the event of danger) unplug main s power cord. As the MAINS plug as the
disconnect devi ce, the disconnect device shall remain readily operable.

CONSIGNES DE SÉCURITÉ IMPORTANTES

ENG

Pag. 15

9 CONSIGNES DE SÉCURITÉ IMPORTANTES

-

Lire ces consignes

-

Conserver ces consignes

-

Observer tous les avert issements

-

Suivre toutes les consig nes

-

Ne pas utiliser cet appareil à proximité de l’eau

-

Nettoyer uniquement avec un chiffon sec

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Ne pas obstruer les ouvertu res de ventilation. Installer en respectant les consignes du fabricant

-

Ne pas install er à proxi mité d' une source d e chal eur tell e qu'un radi at eur, une bouc he de chal eur, un
poêle ou d'autres apparei ls (dont les amplificateur s) produi sant de la chaleur.

-

Ne pas annuler la sécurité d e la fiche de terre, la troisième branche est destinée à l a sécurité. Si la
fiche four nie ne s'adapte pas à l a prise élec trique, demander à un él ectri cien de rem placer la prise hor s
normes.

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Protéger le cordon d'alimentation afin que personne ne marche dessus et que rien ne l e pince, en
particulier aux fiches, aux prises de courant et au poi nt de sortie de l’appareil

-

Utiliser uniquement les accessoires spécifiés par le fabricant

-

Utiliser uniquem ent avec un chari ot, un support ou une table spécifi é par le fabric ant ou vendu
avec l’apparei l. Si un chariot est util isé, déplacer l’ensem ble chariot–appareil avec précaution
afin de ne pas le renverser, ce qui pour r ait entraîner des blessures

-

Débrancher l’appareil pendant les orages ou quand il ne sera pas utilisé pendant longtemps.

-

Confier toute réparation à du personnel qualifié. Des réparations sont nécessaires si l’apparei l est
endommagé d’une façon quel conque, par exemple: cordon ou prise d’alim entation endommagé, liquide
renversé ou objet tombé à l’intérieur de l’appareil, exposition de l’appareil à la pluie ou à l’humidité,
appareil qui ne marche pas normalement ou que l’on a fait tomber.

-

NE PAS exposer cet appareil aux égouttures et aux éclaboussements. Ne pas poser des objets
contenant de l' eau, comme des vases, sur l'appar eil

Ce symbole indique la présen ce d'un e tension dangereuse dans l'appareil con st ituant
un risque de choc électrique.

Ce symbole indique que la docu mentation fournie avec l'appareil contient des
instructions d'utilisation et d'entretien importantes.

CONSIGNES DE SÉCURITÉ IMPORTANTES

ENG

Pag. 16

Avant de modifier l e commu tateur d e chang ement de ten sion ou replacer l e fu sible il
faut débrancher l’appareil de la prise électrique

Pendant son usage, l’appareil doit etre branchee à la prise de terre

Utiliser le fusibl e pri ncipal AC avec le valeur qui est indiquée sur l'étiquette collée sur
le coffret.

Assurez-vous que la tension principale AC correspond à celle indiquée dans les
spécificatio ns techniques.

L’interrupteur d’alimentation interrompt un pôle du réseau d’alimentation excepté le
conducteur de terre de protection.
En cas de danger, debranch er le co rdon d' ali mentation. Parce que la prise du réseau
de alimentation est util isée comme dispositif de déconnexion, ce dispositif doit
demeuré aisément accessible.

ISTRUZIONI IMPORTANTI PER LA SICUREZZA

ENG

Pag. 17

10 ISTRUZIONI IMPORTANTI PER LA SICUREZZA

-

Leggere le presenti istruzioni

-

Conservare quest e istruzioni

-

Osservare tutte l e avvert enze

-

Seguire scrupolosamente tutte le istruzioni

-

Non usare questo apparecchi o in prossimità di acqua

-

Pulire l'apparecchio solo con un panno asciutto.

-

Non ostruire alcuna apertura per il raffreddamento. Installare l’apparec c hio seguendo le istruzioni

-

Non installare l'apparecchio accanto a fonti di calore quali radiatori, aperture per l'afflusso di aria
calda, forni o altri appar ec c hi ( amplificatori inclusi) c he generi no c alore

-

Non rimuovere il t erminale di connessione a terra sul cordone di alimentaz ione: esso ha lo scopo di
tutelare l’inc olumità dell’utilizzatore. Se la spina in dotazione non si adatt a alla pr esa di corrente, rivolgersi
ad un elettrici sta per far eseguire le modifiche necessarie.

-

Evitare di calpestare il cavo di alimentazione o di comprimerlo, specialmente in corrispondenza della
spina e del punto di inserzi one sull’apparato.

-

Utilizzare solo dispositivi di collegamento e gli accessori specificati dal produtto re.

-

Utilizzare l ’apparecchio solo con un carrell o, un sostegno, una staffa o un t avolo di tipo
specificat o dal produttor e o venduto insi eme all’apparec chio. S e si utilizza un car rello, fare
attenzione negli spostamenti per evitare infor tuni causati da ribaltamenti del carrello stesso

-

Scollegare l’ap parecchio dalla presa di corrente durante i t em por ali o quando inutilizzato a lungo

-

Per qualsiasi intervento, rivolgersi a personale di assistenza qualificato. È’ necessario intervenire
sull’apparecchi o ogniqualv olta si verifi cano danneggiam enti di qual siasi natur a. Ad esempio, la spina o il
cavo di alimentazione sono danneggiati, è entrato liquido nel l’apparecchio o sono caduti oggett i su di
esso, l’apparecchio è stato esposto alla pioggia o all’umidità, non funziona normalmente o è caduto.

-

Non esporre a sgocciol amenti o spruzzi. Non appoggiare sull 'apparecchio oggetti pieni di liquidi, ad
esempio vasi da fiori.

Questo simbolo indica l a presenza d i alta tensione all'interno del l'apparecchio, che
comporta rischi di scossa elettrica.

Questo simbolo indica la presenza di istruzioni importanti per l'uso e la manutenzione
nella documentazione in dotazione all'apparecchio.

ISTRUZIONI IMPORTANTI PER LA SICUREZZA

ENG

Pag. 18

Non sostituire il fu sibile o cambiare la tensione di alimentazione senza aver prima
scollegato il cordo ne di alimentazione.

L’apparato deve essere co nn esso a terra durante il suo utilizzo.

Sostituire il fusibile generale con uno di identico valore, come indicato sulla etichetta
applicata sul mobil e del l’ apparato.

Assicurarsi che la tensione di rete corrisponda a quella per la quale è configu r ato
l’apparecchio.

Questo apparato utilizza un interruttore di alimentazione di tipo unipolare e
l’isolamento dalla rete elettrica non è pertanto completo.
Per ottenere un isolamento totale (ad esempio in caso di pericolo), scol legare il
cordone di alimentazione. Inoltre, poichè la spina di alimentazione è utilizzata come
dispositivo di sezio namento, essa deve restare facilment e ragg iu ng ib il e.

WICHTIGE SICHERHEITSHINWEISE

ENG

Pag. 19

11 WICHTIGE SICHERHEITSHINWEISE

-

Diese Hinweise LESEN

-

Diese Hinweise AUFHEBEN

-

Alle Warnhinwei se BE ACHTEN

-

Alle Anweisungen BEFOLGEN

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Dieses Gerät NICHT in der Nähe von Wasser verwen den

-

NUR mit einem sauberen Tuch REINIGE N

-

KEINE Lüftungsöffnungen verdecken. G em äß den Anweisungen de s Herstellers einbauen

-

Nicht in der Nähe von Wärmequellen, wie Heizkörpern, Raumheizungen, Herden oder anderen
Geräten (einschließlich Verstärkern) i nstallieren, die Wärme erzeugen

-

Die Schutzfunktion des Schukosteckers NICHT umgehen. Bei Steckern für die USA gibt es
polarisier te Steck er, bei denen ein Lei t er brei ter als der ander e ist; US-S teck er mit Erdung v erfügen über
einen dritten Schut zleiter. Bei di esen Steckerausf ührungen dient der breit ere Leiter bzw. der Schut zleiter
Ihrer Sicherhei t. Wenn der mitgeli eferte Stecker nicht in die Steckdose passt, ei nen Elektriker mit dem
Austauschen der ver alteten Steckdose beauftr agen

-

VERHINDERN, dass das Net zkabel gequetscht oder darau f getreten wird, i nsbesondere im Bereich
der Stecker, Netz stec k dosen und an der Austrittsstelle vom Gerät

-

NUR das vom Hersteller angegebene Zubehör und entsprechende Zusatzger äte verwenden.

-

NUR in Verbindung mi t einem v om Herstell er angegebenen oder m it dem G erät verk auften
Transportwagen, St and, Stativ, Träger oder Tisch verwenden. Wenn ein T ransportwagen
verwendet wird, beim Verschieben der Transportwagen-Geräte- Einheit vorsichtig
vorgehen, um Verlet z ungen dur c h Umkippen

-

Das Netzkabel dieses G eräts während Ge witt ern oder bei längeren S till standszei ten aus der St eckdose
ABZIEHEN.

-

Alle Reparatur- und Wartungsarbeiten von qualifiziertem Kundendienstpersonal DURCHFÜHREN
LASSEN. Kundendienst ist erf orderlich, wenn das Gerät auf irgendwelche Wei se beschädigt wurde, z.B.
wenn das Netzkabel oder der Netzstecker beschädigt wurden, wenn Flüssigkeiten in das Gerät
verschüttet wurden oder Fr emdkörper hineinfi elen, wenn das Gerät Regen oder Feuc htigkeit ausgesetzt
war, nicht normal funktioniert oder fallen gelassen wurd e.

-

Dieses Gerät vor T ropf- un d Spritzw asser SCHÜT ZEN. KE INE mit Wasser gefül lten G egenstände wie
zum Beispiel Vasen auf das Ger ät STELLE N.

Dieses Symbol zeigt an, dass gefährliche Spannungswerte, die ein Stromschlagrisiko
darstellen, innerhalb dieses Geräts auftreten.

Dieses Symbol zeigt an, dass das diesem Gerät beiliegende Handbuch wichtige
Betriebs- und Wartungsanweisungen enthält.

WICHTIGE SICHERHEITSHINWEISE

ENG

Pag. 20

Vor Änderung der Netzspannung oder Sicherungswechsel Netzkabel trennen.

Das Gerät muss für den Betrieb geerd et werd en.

Hauptsicherung nu r mit ein er gleichwertigen austauschen
(s. entsprechende E tikette).

Vor Einschalten Netzspannungseinstellung am Gerät überprüfen bzw. anpassen.

Inpoliger Netzsch alter. In Notfälle oder für Wartungsarbeiten Netzkabel trennen. Der
Netzstecker fungi ert auch als Trennelement muss deshalb zugänglich bleiben

INSTRUCCIONES IMPORTANTES DE SEGURIDAD

ENG

Pag. 21

12 INSTRUCCIONES IMPORT ANTES DE SEGURIDAD

-

LEA estas instruccio nes

-

CONSERVE estas inst rucci on es

-

PRESTE ATENCION a todas las advert encias.

-

SIGA todas las instrucci ones

-

NO utilice este aparato cerca del agua

-

LIMPIESE UNICAMENTE con un trapo seco

-

NO obstruya ninguna de las aberturas de ventilación. Instálese según lo indicado en las
instrucci ones del fabricante

-

No instale el aparato cerca de fuentes de calor tales como radiadores, registros de calefacción,
estufas u otros aparatos (i nc luyendo amplificadores) que produzcan c alor

-

NO anule la fun ció n de seguridad del enchu f e po larizado o con clavij a de puesta a tierra. Un enchufe
polarizado ti ene dos patas, una m ás ancha que la ot ra. Un enchuf e con puesta a t i erra ti ene dos patas y
una tercera clavij a con puesta a tierra. La pata más ancha o la tercera clavij a se proporciona para su
seguridad. Si el t oma corriente no es del tipo apropi ado para el enchufe, consul te a un electricista para
que sustituya el t om a corri ente de estilo anticuado

-

PROTEJA el cable eléctrico para evitar que personas lo pisen o estrujen, particularmente en sus
enchufes, en los toma cor ri entes y en el punto en el cual sale del aparato

-

UTILICE únicament e lo s accesori os especificados por el fabricant e

-

UTILICESE únicamente con un carro, pedestal, escuadr a o mesa del tipo especific ado por
el fabri cante o vendido con el aparato. Si se usa un carro, el mismo debe moverse con
sumo cuidado para evitar que se vuelque con el aparato

-

DESENCHUFE el aparato durante las tormentas eléctricas, o si no va a ser utilizado por un lapso
prolongado.

-

TODA reparación debe ser llevada a c abo por téc nicos calif i cados. El aparat o requi ere repar aci ón si ha
sufrido cualqui er tipo de daño, i ncluyendo los daños al cor dón o enchufe eléc trico, si se derram a líquido
sobre el aparato o si caen obj etos en su interior, si ha sido expuesto a la lluvia o la humedad, si no
funciona de modo norm al, o si se ha caído.

-

NO exponga este aparato a chorros o salpicaduras de l íquidos. NO coloque objet os llenos con líquido,
tales como florer os, sobre el aparato .

Este símbolo indica que la unidad contiene niveles de voltaje peligrosos que
representan un riesgo de choques eléctricos.

Este símbolo indica que la literatura que acompaña a esta unidad contiene
instrucciones importantes de funcionamiento y mantenimiento.

INSTRUCCIONES IMPORTANTES DE SEGURIDAD

ENG

Pag. 22

Antes de cambiar la ali mentacio n d e voltaje o de cambiar el fusible, desconect e el
cable de alimentacion.

Para reducir el riesgo de descargas electricas, esta unidad debe ser conect ada a
tierra.

Remplaze el fusible con lo mismo, qu e corresponde a lo indicado en el panel del
equipo.

Antes de encender, cont rol ar que la linea de alimentacion de voltaje co rrespo nd a a la
indicada.

El interrupto r de aliment ación es unipolar. En el caso de peligro, desconect e el cable
de alimentación. Porqu e la clavija de conexion a red sirve por la desconection de l a
unidad, la clavija deb e ser ubicada en proximidad de la unidad.

UNPACKING AND INSPECTION

ENG

Pag. 23

13 UNPACKING AND INSPECTION

Your equipment was packed carefully at the factory in a container designed to protect the unit during
shipment. Neverthel ess, we recomm end maki ng a caref ul inspecti on of t he shippi ng cart on and the c ontent s
for any signs of physical dam age.

Damage & Claims

If damage is evident, do not discard the container or packing material. Contact your carrier immediately to file
a claim for dam ages. Custom aril y, the c arrier r equir es you, the c onsignee, to mak e all dam age cl aims. It will
be helpful to retain the shipping documents and the waybill number .

Save all packi ng materials! If You should ever have t o ship the u nti (e.g. fo r servicing), it i s best to
ship it in th e origin al carto n with i ts packing materials b ecause b oth the cart on and packin g materi al
have been carefully designed to protect the unit.

Under normal conditions no user maint enance or calibration ar e required. Internal li nks and preset control s
may be set to configure the unit during installati on. Any service work required should be carried out by

qualified servi ce personnel only.

We are abl e to offer furt her pr oduct support through o ur worl dwi de net work of approv ed deal ers and serv i ce
agents.

To help us pro vide the most effi cient service please w ould you keep a reco rd of the
unit serial number, and date and place of purchase to be quoted in any
communication regarding this product.

The actual equipment Serial Number is indic ated on the silv er label

stuck on the rear panel of the equipment

closure.

Model :

Manufacturer

S-N :

XXX

VA
VA

mAT

mAT

230V
115V

KKKK

Tools And Equipment Needed

Only standard technician’s tools are required t o install this equipment.

FIRST INSTALLATION RECOMMENDATIONS

ENG

Pag. 24

14 FIRST INSTALLAT ION RECOMMENDATIONS

14.1 POWER SUPPLY CABLE

A power supply cable of approx. 2 m length is supplied with the device. The type of plug f or the power supply
depends on the count r y in which it is delivered. Supply cables should be laid in such a m anner that one does
not step or walk on them. They should not be squashed by any objects.

THIS EQUIPMENT MUST BE EARTHED.

The chassis is always connected to mains earth to ensure your safet y: c hec k your m ai ns wiring and earthing
before switching on.

14.2 AC MAINS VOLTAGE SETTING (230 V / 115 V)

BE SURE THAT THE UNIT IS SET TO THE CORRECT MAINS/LINE VOLTAGE FOR
YOUR COUNTRY BEFORE PLUGGING IT INTO THE WALL OUTLET !

The actual M ains volt age is i ndicat ed on the l abel

stuck on the equipm ent closure. Shoul d t he type of power

at the operation location not be known, please contact your dealer or electricity company.

Model :

Manufacturer

S-N :

XXX

VA
VA

mAT

mAT

230V
115V

KKKK

If, for some reason, the uni t is to be operated at a mains input volt age which is different to that as supplied,
you need to open the top cov er and set properl y the voltag e change-over switch

which is located inside,
close to the tr ansformer. You al so need to replace the AC m ain fuse, accordi ng to information pr ovided on
the external l abel or on the Technical Specifications table at t he end of t his user manual.

CAUTION: TO RE DUCE THE RISK OF ELECT RICAL SHOCK, ALWAYS DISCONNECT

THE AC MAINS CABLE BEFORE ALTERING THE CHANGE-OVER SWITCH. NO USER
SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE. REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED SERVICE
PERSONNEL.

FIRST INSTALLATION RECOMMENDATIONS

ENG

Pag. 25

14.3 FUSE REPLACEMENT

The power supply socket ha s an int egral fuse dra wer contai ni ng the A C power fuse and a spare, bot h of the
same value.

BEFORE REPLACING THE POWER FUSE, MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TYPE
OF FUSE FOR THE VOLTAGE TO BE PROTECTED.
USING WRONG FUSE TYPE WILL RESULT IN INSUFFICIENT PROTECTION.

Make sure that the power is swit ched off and the power cable is disconnected from the equipmen t.
Open the fuse drawer using a small blade screwdriver.
Replace the fuse locat ed at the inn er po sition
Push the fuse socket back into the original position

Perform the set-up under stat ic control conditions. Static c har ges are likely to completely
destroy one or more of the CMOS semiconductors employed in the unit. Stati c dam age will
not be covered under warranty.
Basic damage prev ention consists of minimizing generation, discharging any accum ulated
static charge on y our body and preventing that discharge from being sent to or through any
electronic c om ponent.

Uninsulated dangerous voltage are inside the enclosure, v oltage that may be sufficient to
constitute a risk of shock.
Always disconnect to AC Mains before removing the top cover

14.4 PROTECTION AGAINST LIGHTNING

Should the devi ce be put out of action due to bei ng struck by lightning or exc ess voltage,
disconnect it from the power supply without delay. Do not reconnect until the device has
been checked. If i n doubt contact the technical support servi c e.

Make sure there is suitable lightning protection to protect the device.
Alternativ ely you should disconnect all connect ors from the devi ce during a storm or when
the device is going to be unsupervised or not used for a longer period of tim e.
These measures will pr otect against damage by lightning or exc ess voltage.

FIRST INSTALLATION RECOMMENDATIONS

ENG

Pag. 26

14.5 VENTILATION

The equipment will oper ate as a free-standing unit without requiring any special cooling ar r angement.
However, slots and openings in the product are pr ov ided for ventilation. They ensure reliable operation of the

product, keeping it from overheating. These openings must not be blocked nor covered during operat ion.

YOU MUST LEAVE AT A MINIMUM ONE RACK UNIT OF EMPTY SPACE ABOVE THE EQUIPMENT TO
ENHANCE VENTILATION AND TO GET A LONGER EQUIPMENT LIFE.

AUDIO AND MPX GENERAL SETTINGS

ENG

Pag. 27

15 AUDIO AND MPX GENERAL SETTINGS

15.1 AUDIO INPUT IMPEDANCE

The analog input impedance may be set to 600Ohm, rather t han the default 10kOhm, by moving t he two
jumpers J4 and J5 placed at the back of input XLR connectors (see figure below).

AUDIO AND MPX GENERAL SETTINGS

ENG

Pag. 28

15.2 MPX OUTPUT SETTINGS

The Falcon 50 is fitt ed with t wo MPX outputs with independent level adjustements and three Auxiliary inputs.
The AUX input gains may be set to 0 dB (i.e. unity gain, DEFAULT setting) or to – 20 dB (1/10 gain) through
the J1, J2 and J3 jumpers l oc ated just at the back of the respective Bnc connectors.

Please note, the AUX 1 input allo ws to inject signals on the OUTPUT 1 only; the AUX 2 input allows to
inject signal s on the OUTP UT 2 only, while the AUX 3 inpu t allows to inject signals on both outputs.

AUDIO AND MPX GENERAL SETTINGS

ENG

Pag. 29







SyncOUT

Aux

Inputs

MPX Outputs

M

P
X

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

ENG

Pag. 30

16 GENERAL DESCRIPTION

16.1 REAR PANEL VIEW

17

16 15 14 13 12

I I I I I I

L

R L R

Ether net

CAUTION

RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK

DO NOT OPEN

SyncIN

Outputs

Inputs

Outputs Inputs

Serial RS-232 USB

AES/EBU AES/EBU

S/PDIF S/PDIF



Outputs

InputsSyncOUT

Aux InputsMPX Outputs

R
E
M
O
T
E

C
O
N
T
R
O
L

G
P

M
P
X

D

I

G

I
T
A
L

A
N
A
L
O
G

132

132 132132

132

132

132

I I I I I I I I I I I

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

8 9 10 11

1 ON/OFF Switch, AC MAINS FUSE AND AC POWER RECEPTACLE. main ON/OFF switch, the LED

inside switches on/off accor dingly. An AC

mains fuse i s provided which disconnects the Falcon 50 from

the wall outlet ’s AC power under fault conditions. If this fuse should “blow” for any reason, r eplace it
only with the sam e value fuse. If it blows a second ti me, please contact your Axel Technology deal er
for service.
Two fuses (one for spare) ar e c ontained in a small drawer close to the cord recept acle.
For 220/230 V AC the fuse is slo-blo 5x20mm rated at 315 mA T; for 110 V AC it is rated at 630 mA T

This apparatus uses a single pole mains switc h and does therefore not separat e the
unit completely from the mains power. To completely separate from mains power;
unplug mains power cord.

Never operate the F alcon 50 with ungrounded outlets: plugging the processor int o an
ungrounded outlet or defeating the ground pin, can create a potentially hazardous
condition. Axel T ec hnology can not be held responsibl e for problems caused to Falcon
50 or any associated equipment with improper AC connection.

2 RS232 Serial P ort: This port is intended f or the processor setting and programm ing by means of the

supplied Pc control software application (bidirectional connection). Supported Baud Rate: 19200. A
regulat POTS modem may be connected to t he same port to, for the rem ote control of the proc essor
from a telephone line.

3 USB port: T y pe B connect or ( 1.1 version). It supports full connecti on to Pcs equipped with USB ports.
4 Sync-out: 19KHz synchronism output at 5Vpp, to lock ex ternal equipment (such as RDS coders)
5 MPX OUT 1: main MPX output . Accordi ngly to t he current confi gurati on, the out put BNC connect or will

include t he composite / MPX program signal with the RDS / SCA subcarri er mixed into and with or
without signals i njected from AUX inputs. The output level is set via software.

6 MPX OUT 2: additional MPX output, wit h independent l evel control. T his output can be reconf i gured i n

software as a Pi lot Reference Output usef ul for RDS (RBDS) subcarri er generators that require an
external sync reference

.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

ENG

Pag. 31

7 AUX 1 Input: Bnc female connector. Dependi ng on the MPX board confi guration, it all ow the injection

of RDS/SCA or MPX signal s from external encoders/gener ators. The resultant signal is av ailable on
the Output connectors OUT 1 or OUT 2. Factory preset: - 20dB gain. Gain my be altered to 0 dB

8 AUX 2 input: B nc female connector. Depending on the MPX board configuration, it allows the injection

of RDS/SCA or MPX signal s from external encoders/gener ators. The resultant signal is av ailable on
the Output connect or s OUT 1 or OUT 2. Factory preset: - 20dB gain. Gain my be altered to 0 dB

9 AUX 3 inpu t: Bnc female connec tor. Depending on t he MPX board configurati on, it allow the i njection

of RDS/SCA or MPX signal s from external encoders/gener ators. The resultant signal is av ailable on
the Output connectors OUT 1 or OUT 2. Factory preset: 0dB gain. Gain my be altered to – 20 dB

10

ANALOG AUDIO OUTPUT: It provides the L and R pr oces sed audi o si gnals on whi ch i t i s possibl e to

enable/disabl e pr e- em phasis. The level is set via the menu.

11

ANALOG AUDIO INPUT: bi-channel audio input electronically balanced on XLR female. The input
level is set via menu.

12

DIGITAL AUDIO INPUT: This has two connectors: use the XLR for balanced AES/EBU coaxial

connections and the t os-link for optic al S/PDIF connections.The XLR i nput conforms to the 110 ohm
impedance standard u si ng a 3-pin XLR female connector. Use only r ated digital audio cables. Ordinary
audio cable can cause jit ter, resulting in noise or distorti on in the audio.

13

DIGITAL AUDIO OUTPUT: This has two connectors: use the XLR for balanced coaxi al connections

and the tos-li nk for optical connecti ons. The AE S/EBU output c onform s to the 110 ohm standar d using
a 3-pin XLR male connect or. It is capable of driving any standard di gital audio cable run. Be sure to
use only digital audio rated cabling for best results.

14

SYNC IN When runni ng di git al audi o i nterface, the F alcon 50 may synchronize to t he AES/EBU signal

provided to t his input. Alternatively , it may synchronize to the regul ar AES/EBU input signal, or to the
default int er nal c rystal oscillator if no digital audio input is present.

15

OPTO INPUT PORT: SubD 15-pin female I nterface. It supports 6 optoi nsulated “tri gger” inputs which

can be used to control various Falcon 50 internal functions, such as audio input selection, current
processing curve, mix balance between MPX outputs and AUX inputs, et c

16

OPTO OUTPUT INTERFACE: SubD 15-pin male Interface. It supports 4 optoinsulated outputs for
various purposes (signalling, alarms, etc).

17

ETHERNET port*. RJ45 (LAN) c onnec tor. A TCP/IP connect ion may be set up with a PC on whic h the
remote control software provided runs. The data exchange is achieved via a simple IP Port Protocol.

* availabl e as an option

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

ENG

Pag. 32

16.2 FRONT PANEL SOCKETS AND SIGNALLINGS

The processor front panel c ontains 3 red LEDs with the following meaning:
OPERATE

this LED normally flickers on when the processor works correctly. It is
important in that it gives you a visual indication of how active your system
is, and can help ensure that it is worki ng correc tly. THE PROCESSOR IS

OPERATING NORMALLY WHEN ACTIVITY LED IS FLASHING

PC LINK

While the PC is properly connected to the procxessor, this LED should be
lit up. If t his is not the case, then check t he connection parameters and
cable.

ALARM

this LED (normally off) lights in the relevant cases set via the control
software (f.i. primary audio source failure, Internal Temperature
exceeding 60 °C, etc).

POWER

It display s the power supply presence. I f the LED is not lit, confirm that
the main power sour ce is activ e, that t he main switch is on and that the
connector on the cor d is securely mated with the plug on the back panel.

HEADPHONE SOCKET

Any channel pai r that is going through t he processor can al so be routed
to the headphone jack on the front panel using the MONITOR selector
switch in the software.
Headphone volume is al so cont r olled from the software.

USB PORT

B Type port, designed f or the easi est c onnec tion to the processor.
Special drivers are needed to be installe don the pc for proper
connection. Refer to the Chapter ‘COMMUNICATION PORTS, AUDIO
JACK AND GPI/O WIRING’

AUDIO I/O WIRING

ENG

Pag. 33

17 AUDIO I/O WIRING

Where possible use balanc ed connect i ons f or t he audio i nputs and out puts to m i nimise noi se pick- up. Avoid
running audio cabl es near to mains or li ghting cables or thyristor dimm er units, power supplies etc. T hese
may cause audible hum and buz z.
The use of low impedance source s significantly reduces i nterference pick-up. Chec k the cables for correct
wiring to avoid problems with phase reversal and unreliable c onnec tion.

17.1 ANALOG AUDIO INPUT

The processor featur es el ec tronically balanced XLR female input s.

Input

L R

132 132

Pin 1 Gnd
Pin 2 Signal
Pin 3 Return

An hardware byp ass directl y connect th e two input XLRs t o the ou tput ones
in the event of power failure or processor switched off.

In case of unbalanced connec tions, please connect the cold pole (Pi n 3) t o the ground ( Pi n 1) .
Factory preset input impedance is 10 kOhm. This impedance may also be set to 600Ohm

by moving the two
internal jumpers on the analog I/O board (see previous chapters).
Make sure that the earth connec tion is good and that earth and audio ground are separated.

NOTE: alsoMONO sources may be connected, refer to soft ware settings.

17.2 ANALOG AUDIO OUTPUT

The processor features XLR analog outputs electronically balanced by high-quality buffers, capable of
withstanding ev en low-impedance loads (600Ohm), wi th levels of up to +20 dBu.

Output

L R

132 132

Pin 1 Gnd
Pin 2 Signal
Pin 3 Return.

In case of unbalanced connec tions, connect the cold pole (Pin 3) to the gr ound ( Pi n 1) .
For output level adjusting, and to change or disable the pre-emphasis setting, please refer to software
settings.

AUDIO I/O WIRING

ENG

Pag. 34

17.3 AUDIO CABLING

As with all professional audi o applicati ons, utmost care shoul d be taken with audio cabl ing for your F alcon

50. For all balanced audio cabling, only high-quality, shielded twisted-pair audio cables should be used,
mated to high- quality XLR connectors. With proper cabling techniques, long l engths can be used, but ex cess
cable should be av oided.
Unbalanced audio cabl e t echni ques can al so be used with t he Fal con 50; ho wev er, cabl e lengt hs should be
limited to less than 15 mt, less if in a high RF environment. Only high quality shielded audio cable and
connectors should be used.

17.4 DIGITAL AUDIO INPUT

The digital input f eatures two connect ors: coax i al and optic . Only one c onnector may be c onnected at a tim e
to avoid malfuncti ons (T OSLINK optical connector should be kept cover ed whi le not used).

XLR female connector is designed f or AES/EBU sources (“professional standard” interf ace), whil e TOSLINK
connector is designed t o c ar ry S/PDIF signals (“consumer standard” i nterface).

The digital input automatically recogni zes the digital f ormat (AES/EBU, S/P DIF, etc.), the type of connecti on
(optic or coaxial) and can seamlessly handle 32KHz, 44.1KHz, 48KHz and 96KHz sample rates.

Coaxial input (on XLR) is tr ansf ormer balanc ed, and so highl y immune f rom exter nal distur bances and noi se
(EMI).

Digital Input

1

3

2

Pin 1 Gnd
Pin 2 Signal
Pin 3 Return

To enable the digital input level, see chapter E rrore. L'origi ne riferimento non è st at a t rovata.. The Digital
Input LED on the front panel indic ates while the digital input is active.

10.2.1 Converting between AES/EBU and S/PDIF interfaces

Ther e ar e a n um ber of di ff eren ces in th e el ect ri cal char ac teri sti c s of AES/ EBU an d S/P DIF int erf ac es
which in some cases can render them completely incompatible. Although the audio data is the same in
both AES/EBU and S/ PDIF interfaces, they are indeed different formats, at least in their subcode.

AES converted to coax is NOT S/PDIF, and S/PDIF converted to XLR balanced is NOT AES.
For proper performance, AES/EBU input (XLR connector) should therefore not be used for

connection to consumer equipment providing S/PDIF format.

17.5 DIGITAL AUDIO OUTPUT

The digital out put features two connectors: coaxial and opt ic. Only one connector may be connect ed at a
time to avoid malfunctions. Please keep the tos-link connector covered while not used.

The coaxial input (on XLR) is tr ansformer balanced, and so highl y immune from external disturbanc es and
noise (EMI).

AUDIO I/O WIRING

ENG

Pag. 35

Outputs

S/PDIF

132

Pin 1 Gnd
Pin 2 Signal
Pin 3 Return.

17.6 DIGITAL AUDIO SYNCHRONIZATION INTERFACE

SyncIN Outputs

AES/EBU

S/PDIF

132132

Pin 1 Gnd
Pin 2 Signal
Pin 3 Return.

The Falcon 50 features three m odes of sync hr onization for AES/EBU out put streams.
Accordingly to the selected configuration (user-definable via the Pc control software), the processor will
disable the on-board P LL and instead u se the clock recovered f rom the AES/EBU receiver at input nam ed
‘SYNC IN’ or the clock rec ov er ed from the AES/EBU signal provided at the DIGITAL audi o input.

COMMUNICATION PORTS, AUDIO JACK AND GPI/O WIRING

ENG

Pag. 36

18 COMMUNICATION PORTS, AUDIO JACK AND GPI/O WIRING

There are four ways of connec ti on bet ween the Pc running t he Remote Cont rol Soft ware and the proces sor
unit: seri al RS232, USB, Ethernet and Modem. T he first two are called ‘Local Connections’, while t he latter
two are called ‘Remote Connections’.

Only ONE connect ion can be active at a time. Therefore, even if more than one Pc are
simultaneously connect ed to Fal con 50 (f.i . via US B, Lan, Etc), onl y one of t hem will control
it.

18.1 SERIAL PORT

The processor f eatures an optoisol ated serial port for rem ote control t hrough PC (directl y connected or vi a
satellite c hain) of all mac hine functions and parameters.
Alternativ ely, a modem may be connected t o the the Falcon 50 serial port in order to remotely control the
processor through a regulat telephone line and a pc equipped with a modem, too. IN THE EVENT OF

MODEM CONNECTION, YOU NEED TO ENABLE THE MODEM INTERFACE FROM THE CONTROL
SOFTWARE (see the Communication page)

A standard, not cro ssed

serial c able (9p m ale – 9p fem ale) is provi ded with the equi pment, compatibl e with

all configurati ons.

Serial RS-232

RS-232 Serial p ort f eatur es the Tx and Rx signal s pl us the DT R signal (t he lat ter
required for modem connection only). Connect a standard serial cable (not
crossed cable) bet ween the RS-232 c onnect or and a serial port connec tor on the
computer running the Control Software. Typically, a DB-9 male to DB-9 female
serial cabl e is required. S upported max Baud Rate: 19200. Cabl e length should
not exceed 30 mt.

SERIAL PORT 1 c onnec tion pin-out

Note: Pin 4 (DTR – Data Terminal Ready) is us ed only in connection with a modem.

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18.2 USB PORTS

USB

The processor f eatures two standard USB – B Type USB ports (one located on
the Front Panel and one on t he Rear Panel) . Connect the USB -B connec tor of t he
computer’s USB cable to the appropriate USB port on the Falcon 50 unit and
connect the other end to an available USB-A port on your computer.

The USB connection can be operated ONLY with proper drivers
installed on Yr Pc. Refer to the next Paragraph for USB driver
installation.

If you connect The Falcon 50 to a computer via USB port, do NOT
disconnect the USB cabl e while is being accessed by a computer. If you
do, you may corrupt the data on the proc essor memories.

The two ports run indepen dently, so that You may keep connected two
pcs at the same time, even if only one of them at a time will give control
over the processor.

10.2.1 INSTALLING USB DRIVERS

Plug your Falcon 50 USB cabl e to your PC's USB port.
The following message may appear on your PC's Taskbar:

The New Hardware Found Wiz ar d should appear:

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On the screen above, selec t " In st all f rom a list or specific location (Advanced) " t hen cli c k the [ Next >]
button.

On the next screen:

- Select "Search for the best driver in these locations"

- Check "Include thi s location in the search:"

- Use the [Browse] button to find the USB DRIVER folder (usually C:\P r ogram Files\Axel Technology\F alc on
50 x.y/driver s), unless you chose a different folder when you installed the software)

- Click [OK]
Click the [Next >] button. The following dialog should appear:

When this dialog appear s (O n XP o.s. system), click the [Continue Anyway] but ton.. The following dialog
should appear:

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18.3 ETHERNET PORT*

Ethernet

The Falcon 50 may communicate with one or more host comput er s on a l oc al ar ea
network via an et hernet connecti on (ethernet po rt available as an opti on). The
ethernet port operates at 10 or 100 megabits per second, carrying Internet
Protocol (IP ) packets that conform to the UDP protocol.
The IP address that the F alc on 50 uses m ay be assigned m anuall y by the user or
chosen by default. See the "Network Configuration" section. The Falcon 50
responds to "ping" r equests on i ts assigned IP address.

WIRING CONSIDERATIONS

As always, quality CAT-5 cabling should be used. A CAT5 cable is used to
connect the network port on the back of the Falcon 50 to a port on a switch, hub or
router. It i s also possible to connect the Falcon 50 direc tly to a host computer's
ethernet port usi ng a crossover cable.

LAN connections are typically limited to 100 meters without a hub, router or
switch. Ethernet Extenders are available from vendors such computer stores.
These devices can extend Ethernet cabling distances to well ov er 1000 m eters.
When connecti ng the Fal con 50 to a c omputer directl y (i.e. with no inf rastructur e),
you must use a crossed

CAT-5 cable as shown in Figure. When connecting a

Falcon 50 to an infrastr uc ture (hub, switch, router...) , use a strai ght-through cable.

When powering-up the processor, the Falcon 50 FM Network interface needs 30
seconds or more for complete auto-setup and inizialization.
During this period, no communication with the Pc through the Lan will be possible.

The network interface wi ll be unavailabile for the same period (at least 30 seconds) also
when altering it s IP address or connecting/disconnecting it fro m the mother board for
maintenance.

For Network Port configur ation You will need to communicate with the processor via RS232 or
USB connection. The def ault IP Address (i.e factory default) of Falcon 50 FM network
interfac e (when instal led) is 192.168.0.20, wit h Subnet Mask 255.255. 255.0.

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18.4 GP INPUT INTERFACE

Inputs

The Falcon 50 pr ov ides a general purpo se i nput (GPI) interface for triggering cues
and event s. The pinout for t he GPI connector (DB-15 15-pin female) is provided in
the following char t. All inputs are opt o-i solated for reliable operat i on in a v ariet y of
electrical environments. There are six trigger inputs which can be assigned via
software to diff er ent ‘events’ or actions.

R

R

R

R

R

R

Rv

INP1

INP3

INP5

INP2

INP4

INP6

+12EXT

1

3

7

2

6

8

9

1114101315

12

5

4

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PIN

DESCRIPTION DIRECT. PIN DESCRIPTION DIRECT.

1

Anode of photocoupl er input 1

IN

9

Cathode of photocoupler input 1

IN

2

Anode of photocoupl er input 2

IN

10

Cathode of photocoupler input 2

IN

3

Anode of photocoupl er input 3

IN

11

Cathode of photocoupler input 3

IN

4 + 12 V via 100 Ohm r esi stor OUT

12 GND /

5 + 12 V via 100 Ohm r esi stor OUT

13

Cathode of photocoupler input 4

IN

6

Anode of photocoupl er input 4

IN

14

Cathode of photocoupler input 5

IN

7

Anode of photocoupl er input 5

IN

15

Cathode of photocoupler input 6

IN

8

Anode of photocoupl er input 6

IN

Inside the processor, a 100 ohm resistor connects the pins 4 and 5 to a +12V power supply. When nothing is
connected to the GPI input, the input voltage therefore is +12V.

Inside the processor, 470 ohm resistors also are inserted on seri es on each opt oisolator anode (see pins 1, 2
,3, 6, 7 and 8) for current limiti ng. Nominal current on optoisolators is 5 mA, while the max current is 10 mA.

EXAMPLE N° 1 –activation of GP INPUT 1 by external TTL (+ 5V) command

DB-15p

MALE

470 OHM

GND

1

9

15

8

EXTERNAL

TTL COMMAND

(connector internal view)

External TTL signal must be applied through a 470 Ohm

carbon resistor to the SPLIT photodiode (pins 1 and

9). Max current allowed: 10 mA. Nominal: 5 mA

EXAMPLE N° 2 – SPLIT acti v ation by clean contact

DB-15p

MALE

INPUT 1 ACTIVATION

1

9

12

15

8

The external switch (cl ean contact) is used to shortcut pin 1 and pin (hav ing pin 9 and 12 tied together)

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18.5 GP OUTPUT INTERFACE

Inputs

The Falcon 50 provi des a general pur pose output ( GPO) int erf ace for signalli ng or
controlli ng external equipment. The pinout for the GPO connect or (DB15 – Male)
is provided in the following chart. All inputs and outputs are opto-isolated for
reliable operation in a variety of electrical environments. There are four out puts.

RRR

R

Rv

OUT1

OUT1

OUT2

OUT2

OUT3

OUT3

OUT4

OUT4

+12 V

12

5

4

1

2

3

6

9

10

11

13

PIN

DESCRIPTION DIRECT. PIN DESCRIPTION DIRECT.

1

Collector of photoc oupler output 1

OUT

9

Emitter of photoc oupler output 1

OUT

2

Collector of photoc oupler output 2

OUT

10

Emitter of photoc oupler output 2

OUT

3

Collector of photoc oupler output 3

OUT

11

Emitter of photoc oupler output 3

OUT

4 + 12 V via 100 Ohm r esi stor OUT

12 GND /

5 + 12 V via 100 Ohm r esi stor OUT

13

Emitter of photoc oupler output 4

IN

6

Collector of photoc oupler output 4

OUT

14 N.C. /

7 N.C. /

15 N.C. /

8 N.C. /

Each optoisolator is capable of sinking up to 60 mA of current.

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OUTPUTS # 1 AND # 2 can be associated to a variety of events (Temperature exceeding 60 or 70 °,
Failures one audio inputs, etc) in order to pro

vide ALARM signallings to external devices by means of

Contact closures. Ref. to the User Manual – PART TWO
OUTPUTS # 3 AND # 4 are directly driven via software from external controlling devices or systems (such as

automated radi o systems) running a suitable Remote Control protocol.

18.6 FR ONT HEADPHONE SOCKET

The Falcon 50 front panel contains a 1/4” jack audio socket for connecti on to
monitoring headphones.
The Headphone output wil l c ontain the same audio content as provided by the
Analog output on XLR connectors at the rear panel. The Headphone v olum e is
controlled f r om the Mai n screen of Pc control software. Headphone impedanc e
should be 70 Ohms or higher.

COMMON

LEFT

RIGHT

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18.7 MPX AND AUX CONNECTIONS

When not otherwise specified, the MPX board com es with J1, J2 and J3 jumpers on 0 dB gain position
(default). S ee Chapter 15.2

The AU X 1 , AUX 2 a n d AU X 3 i nput s (B NC connect or, 10 k Ohm impedanc e) al l ow exter nal signal s (ti picall y
RDS) from external encoder s to be injected on the MPX output of the processor.
The input gain of the injec ted signals may be set by means of J1, J2 and J3 jumpers to 0 dB or to – 20 dB.

Factory preset is - 20dB gain for AUX 1 and AUX 2, while AUX 3 is factory preset to 0 dB gain.
Anyway, gains my be altered to 0 dB (- 20 dB ) by moving the respective Jumpers J1, J2 and J3 on the MPX

output board.

The processor can m ix SCA signal s of any frequency with i ts own MPX signal , as long as
the former are compati ble with the composite stereo signal and RDS signal spect r a.

The MPX OUT 1 and MPX OUT 2 (BNC connector) provide the FM composite signal + any RDS signal
(internally generated or injected from an external encoder) and SCA signal. MPX OUT 2 output can be
reconfigured in software as a Pilot Reference Output useful for RDS (RBDS) subcarrier generators that
require an exter nal sync r eference

.

Two attenuation switches (fully configurable) are provided on the processor to deal with
changing RDS/SCA input signals. Using the att enuators (applied to the internall y sourced
MPX signal) will reduce t he overall level of the signal out put from the processor. See the
Chapter (MPX OUTPUT cali br ation & Setup).

Remarks:

- The stereo multi plex output level is adjusted by soft ware. Factory preset is 0 dBm, i.e. approx im ately 2.2

Vpp.

- The output impedance of the BNC jack is approximately 10 ohms sourced by an output driver capable to

drive 600 Ohm loads (typical). Maximum performance is achievable w hen using up t o 10 meters of RG -
58 cable. Alternat iv ely , 75 Ohm cable may also used for short runs.

- Contrary to Left / Right audio out puts, pre-emphasis is always p resent on the MPX output and you

can NOT disable it. Nevertheless, You may set the pre-emphasis time to 50 or 75µ sec.

- The 19 kHz pilot phase and level may be adjusted via the control software.

- MPX Out provide various refer ence tones consisting for easier t ransmitting chai n set-up. To enable the

reference tone, see Pc c ontrol software operation

- Each MPX output is individually buffered so that a short circuit on one output will not affect the other.

The SYNC OUT (BNC connector) outputs a 19KHz / 5Vpp square wave for external equipment
synchronization (i.e. RDS encoders). The Sync output must be enabled via the control software

INSTALLING THE REMOTE CONTROL SOFTWARE

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Pag. 45

19 INSTALLING THE REMOTE CONTROL SOFTWA R E

The Falcon 50 is remote-controlled using a PC with the Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000 and XP operating
systems. For this purpose special PC remote control software i s i ncl uded in the scope of delivery.

To install the soft ware:
A) Using standard Windows procedures, access the PC REMOTE SOFTWARE folder and run the

SETUP.EXE file under t he Mi c r osof t W indows® ’95, ’98, ME, 2000, NT and XP operating system.
B) The instal l program install s Pc rem ote Control applic ation ont o the computer 's hard disk. T he install ation

screen will also suggest a destination directory for the software. If You have a reason to specify anot her
directory for installation, use the Browse button or t y pe an alternative path.

C) Click to Install and Next to complete installation. This takes only a few seconds. W hen the software is
successfully installed, Finish message will appear at the bottom of the installing box. Click Close to close the
install ation screen.

D) Standard Windows procedures can be us ed to create a shortcut to the program on the desktop.

it is advised to complet ely un in st all po ssib le existing older versions before runnin g the new one.

To uninstall the exisi ting Pc control software, proceed as follows:

- enter t he Windows «Control Panel»

- clic k on the « Install Applications » icon

- choose the item of current version from the list and sel ect it

- clic k on the «Add/Remove» button

- confirm deletion of all proposed fil es

- run the new Remote Control program starti ng from the 'Progr ams' Menu of the Start button on Yr Pc