Biamp VOCIA AMPLIFIER User Manual

®

Vocia

VA-8600/VA-8600c

Manual

Biamp Systems 9300 S.W. Gemini Drive, Beaverton, Oregon 97008 U.S.A. [phone] www.biamp.com

IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

VOCIA AMPLIFIER 8600/8600c (VA-8600/VA-8600c) ................................... 3

FEATURES ................................................................................... 3

FRONT PANEL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5

Setup and Use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

System Indicators ............................................................................. 4

Chassis Indicators ............................................................................. 5

REAR PANEL ...............................................................................6-9

Device ID Switches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Power Entrance ............................................................................... 6

NM-1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Reset Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Logic I/O ..................................................................................... 6

Ethernet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Network Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

AM-600 and AM-600c ........................................................................... 7

Output ....................................................................................... 7

Amplier-to-Amplier Failover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Channel-to-Channel Failover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

VA-8600/VA-8600c & AM-600/AM-600c CARD SPECIFICATIONS ...................10

BLOCK DIAGRAM ..........................................................................11

WARRANTY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

VOCIA AMPLIFIER 8600/8600c (VA-8600/VA-8600c)

The VA-8600 and VA-8600c are digital networked multi-channel ampliers. Both the VA-8600 and the VA-8600c are CobraNet® enabled
and feature eight channels of modular amplication, and DSP with optional channel-to-channel or device-to-device failover. The VA-8600c
is designed to be used specically with EN 54-16 certied systems, with the AM-600c card. It can support up to eight amplier cards that
are individually software congurable from 100–600 Watts for up to 2400 Watts of power per chassis, with software-selectable 70V, 100V,
and low-impedance outputs per card. The on-board DSP provides comprehensive xed-chain digital signal processing within the device,
including volume control, ducking, equalization, compressor/limiter, speaker crossover, delay, and output gain. Emergency messages for
life-safety compliant systems are stored in non-volatile memory within the VA-8600 and VA-8600c. Intuitive software provides audio system
design via PC computer. Two RJ45 connectors on the rear panel of the VA-8600 and VA-8600c provide redundant connectivity to control
data and audio over a single Ethernet cable.

FEATURES

Modular based design•

Amplication modules have software congurable power •

levels/load options

– 8 amplication modules per frame with 100W to 600 Watts
per module (maximum of 2400W per chassis)
– 70 V or 100 V with direct drive capability, or low-impedance
(4 or 8Ω) operation
– Maximum of 2400 watts of power in 3 rack unit device

Failover capability between channels and ampliers•

Local non-volatile storage of emergency messages•

LED Indication: •
– Amplier failure
– Clip present
– Fan stuck-rotor
– Heat sink temperature fault
– Signal Peak
– Signal present

Setup and Use

The Vocia software provides the interface for conguring and programming the VA-8600 and VA-8600c. The information supplied by this

manual relates to hardware installation, physical connections, and device and channel failover concerns. For more details on software
setup, please consult the Vocia Software Help File.

Software Monitoring Features: •
– Amplier failure
– Excessive clipping
– Fan stuck rotor
– Heat sink temperature fault
– Peak present
– Short circuit on output

Software-congurable signal processing including •
volume control, lters, compressor/limiting, delay,

speaker equalization, and output sensitivity

CobraNet audio/control with dynamic use •
of available bundles over single Ethernet cable

Dual CobraNet ports for redundancy•

Heavy duty removable terminal block connectors •
for speaker line connections

Rotary switches for unit identication•

CE• marked, UL listed and RoHS compliant

Covered by • Biamp Systems’ warranty

3

VA-8600/VA-8600c FRONT PANEL

amp fault

activity

signal status

power

Figure 1. Front Panel
System Indicators

The LED indicators on the front panel provide information about the function and operational status of the VA-8600 and VA-8600c chassis
and any installed AM-600 or AM-600c amplier modules. Columns one through eight correspond to the eight amplier module slots. The
remaining LEDs correspond to the VA-8600 and VA-8600c chassis.

Channel Indicators Chassis Indicators

Figure 2. System Indicators
Channel Indicators
Amp Fault is a yellow LED that illuminates when a channel fault has occurred. Two types of channel faults can be reported, depending

on the severity of the problem. Flashing yellow indicates a Warning, which means that some aspect of the AM-600 or AM-600c amplier
module is not performing within normal specication. Audio may still be passing, but if the condition causing the Warning is not corrected,
channel failure may occur. Solid yellow indicates a fault, which means that some aspect of the AM-600 or AM-600c amplier module has
failed and audio is no longer passing on that channel. Use Vocia software to determine the specic type of channel warning or fault that

has occurred.

Activity is a two-color LED that illuminates in green when that channel is congured and actively passing audio and yellow when that
channel is congured and in standby. Standby only occurs when a channel has been designated as redundant channel in a conguration

where failover is enabled.

4

VA-8600/VA-8600c FRONT PANEL

Signal is a tri-color LED that indicates audio signal presence on the channel. Green indicates that the audio signal level is between

-50 dBFS and -3 dBFS, yellow indicates a signal level between -3 dBFS and 0 dBFS, and red indicates clipping.

Chassis Indicators
Amp Fault is a yellow LED that illuminates when a chassis fault has occurred. There are two types of chassis faults that can be reported,

depending on the severity of the problem. Flashing yellow indicates a Warning, which means that some aspect of the VA-8600 or VA-8600c

chassis is not performing within normal specication. Audio may still be passing, but if the condition causing the Warning is not corrected, chassis

failure may occur. Solid yellow indicates a fault, which means that some aspect of the VA-8600 or VA-8600c chassis has failed and audio

may no longer be passing through the device. Use Vocia software to determine the specic type of chassis warning or fault that has occurred.

Activity is a tri-color LED that illuminates to show the conguration status of the VA-8600 and VA-8600c unit. If the LED is dark, there is
no conguration in the unit. A green LED indicates that the unit is congured and a yellow LED indicates that the unit is congured and in
standby. Standby only occurs when a unit has been designated as a redundant device in a conguration where failover is enabled. A red
LED indicates a conguration load failure.

Status is a tri-color LED that indicates the health of the VA-8600 and VA-8600c hardware. A green LED indicates that the unit powered
up normally. A ashing yellow LED is shown briey during the power-up self test and should turn solid green upon successful start. A red
LED indicates that the unit experienced a problem during the power-on self test.

Power is a green LED that illuminates when power is applied to the unit.

Table 1. Channel Indicators

LED Row Label Red Yellow Green Dark

1 AMP FAULT Never Flashing-Warning

Never No Amp Faults

Solid-Fault

2 ACTIVITY Never Congured

and in standby

3 SIGNAL Signal above clip

threshold (>= 0dBFS)

Signal above peak but
below clip threshold
(> -3dBFS & < 0dBFS)

1

Congured and active Not congured

Signal above min. but
below peak threshold

Signal below min.
threshold (< -50dBFS)

(> -50dBFS & < -3dBFS)

4 — — — — —

Table 2. Chassis Indicators

LED Row Label Red Yellow Green Dark

1 AMP FAULT Never Flashing-Warning

Never No Amp Faults

Solid-Fault

2 ACTIVITY Conguration

load failure

Congured
and in standby

Congured and active Not congured

2

3 STATUS POST Failure Booting (ashing) Boot succeeded Did not boot

4 — — — — —

1. Only applicable on amplier modules congured for redundancy operation

2. Only applicable on amplier modules congured for redundancy operation

5

VA-8600/VA-8600c REAR PANEL

Figure 3. Rear Panel Layout

Device ID Switches

The rotary ID switches are located on the back of the VA-8600 and VA-8600c and give the unit a unique Device ID. The switches are in
hexadecimal format. All VA-8600 and VA-8600c units must have a unique Device ID to function properly within a Vocia Paging World (i.e.,
it is not possible to have two VA-8600 and VA-8600c units with the same Device ID of hex 07). To assign a Device ID of hex 07, turn the
LSB switch to 7 and leave the MSB switch on 0. To create an ID of hex B7, turn the LSB switch to 7 and turn the MSB switch to B. Device
ID switches should be set using a 0.1 inch (2.5mm) to 0.12 inch (3.0mm) flat blade screwdriver. More information on setting IDs and
the hexadecimal numbering scheme used in Vocia can be found in the Vocia Help File.

Power Entrance

The Power Entrance provides for connection of the appropriate power cord (included with unit). A switch selects the operating voltage
for the power supply, 110–120V or 220–240V at 50/60 Hz.

NM-1

NM-1 is the Network Module that is included with VA-8600 and VA-8600c. This module provides connectivity for control and audio via the
dual CobraNet interface and logic ports for the device failover functionality. The RJ45 connector labeled "Ethernet" is not used at this time.

Reset Button

Reset button, when held down for 5 seconds, performs a chassis restart. The Status indicator will ash yellow during restart and will turn

solid green once the process is complete.

Logic I/O

The Logic I/O connector on the NM-1 facilitates redundant device failover only. It is not a general-purpose contact closure interface.
See the Amplier-to-Amplier Failover section below.

6

VA-8600/VA-8600c REAR PANEL

Network Connection

The VA8600 and VA-8600c are CobraNet devices. All CobraNet routing and bundle assignments are processed by the Vocia devices
locally. Vocia makes dynamic use of available bundles in CobraNet. Vocia devices are currently not interoperable with non­Vocia devices. A 10/100Base-T Ethernet switch (not repeater hub) is required when networking multiple units. CobraNet utilizes
standard CAT5, CAT5e, CAT6, or CAT7 cabling, which has a specied maximum length of 328 feet (100 meters). Additional Ether­net switches, or switches which provide fiber-optic interface, can be used to extend the physical distance between units within a
network. Please note that CobraNet limits network extensions to seven hops (one-way transmissions) within a network.

The primary and secondary CobraNet ports are provided to facilitate connection redundancy. Each connector provides two LEDs that
indicate Ethernet link and network activity (see table below).

Table 3. CobraNet interface status LEDs

Left LED Right LED Description

None None No data connectivity.

None Green Link established.

Flashing
yellow

Flashing
yellow

Flashing
yellow

Green Link established and CobraNet activity detected; the unit is acting as a CobraNet performer.

Flashing
green

None CobraNet fault. Check cabling and conguration for errors.

Link established and CobraNet activity detected; the unit is operating as a CobraNet conductor.

AM-600/AM-600c

AM-600 or AM-600c is the Amplier Module card. A VA-8600 or VA-8600c chassis can be populated with up to eight AM-600 or AM-600c
cards. The AM600c reports a fault if it detects a short to ground on a speaker line, where this short would compromise the capability of the
amplier to deliver emergency messages

Output

Use the yellow plug-in barrier strip connectors to connect loudspeaker level outputs. If stranded speaker wire is used, be sure to incorporate
all strands into the connector, as stray strands can short to the adjacent terminal or chassis. Do not leave excessive bare wire outside

the terminals, as this can lead to shorts.

Please note: The VA-8600 and VA-8600c are powerful ampliers
and can damage loudspeakers. Please treat the VA-8600
and VA-8600c outputs as you would AC mains power outlets.

Always check the loudspeaker’s continuous and peak power

capabilities and match the amplier settings accordingly.

7

VA-8600/VA-8600c REAR PANEL

Logic I/O

Class 2 Wiring

1 2 3

4

Logic I/O

Class 2 Wiring

1 2 3

4

Logic I/O

Class 2 Wiring

1 2 3

4

Logic I/O

Class 2 Wiring

1 2 3

4

Redundant VA-8600

Redundant VA-8600

Primary VA-8600

Primary VA-8600

Speakers A

Speakers B

Logic I/O

Class 2 Wiring

1 2 3

4

Logic I/O

Class 2 Wiring

1 2 3

4

Redundant VA-8600

Redundant VA-8600

Primary VA-8600

Primary VA-8600

Amplier-to-Amplier Failover

Vocia supports one-to-one automatic amplier failover in case of fault. Failover is triggered by one of the following conditions:

Chassis fault•

Channel fault•

Loss of power•

Loss of CobraNet link•

Loss of Logic I/O•

Only faults (e.g., heat sink fault and channel failure fault) trigger the failover mechanism. Warnings indicate abnormal system conditions that
do not immediately impair audio and do not trigger the failover mechanism.

The redundant amplier must have the same conguration as the primary amplier (i.e., amplier module count, watts per module, load
conguration). A wire failover link cable must be connected between the primary and the redundant amplier as shown below. Connect ground
to ground and logic 4 of the primary amplier to logic 3 of the redundant amplier; connect logic 3 of the primary amplier to logic 4 of the
redundant amplier. Leave logic 1 and 2 disconnected. The redundant amplier can be wired in parallel to the existing speaker line or it can
be connected to a redundant speaker line (see gure below). Relays isolate the output terminals on the secondary VA-8600 or VA-8600c
unit. Relays are normally open. When a conguration is received, relays close on the primary VA-8600 or VA-8600c and remain open on

the redundant VA-8600 or VA-8600c. On failover, the relay position is switched.

Primary VA-8600/8600c

Redundant VA-8600/8600c

After replacing the faulty amplier, a power cycle is required to recover from failover. The primary device will resume control after the fail

condition is cleared and the unit is re-powered.

Parallel

Redundant

8

VA-8600/VA-8600c REAR PANEL

OUTPUT

Class 2 Wiring

AM-600

OUTPUT

Class 2 Wiring

AM-600

12

OUTPUT

Class 2 Wiring

AM-600

OUTPUT

Class 2 Wiring

AM-600

12

Primary

Redundant

Redundant WiringParallel Wiring

Channel-to-Channel Failover

In addition to entire amplier failover, Vocia supports channel-to-channel failover, which is triggered by one of the following conditions:

Heat Sink fault•

Short Circuit fault•

Channel Failure fault•

The wire failover link cable is not required when wiring channel-to-channel failover.

The redundant channel can be wired in parallel to the existing speaker line (shown above) or connected to a redundant speaker line.
The primary amplier module will resume control after the fault condition is cleared and the unit is re-powered.

9

VA-8600/VA-8600c SPECIFICATIONS

Vocia Amplier 8600/8600c SPECIFICATIONS

Memory:

5.625 MB

Power:

110-120 & 220-240VAC 50/60Hz

Inputs:

Connection:

Total Output Power:

Environment

Ambient Operating
Temperature Range:
Ambient intake humidity:
Altitude:

RJ45 with shielded Ethernet/PoE cable

(Burst Mode only. Protective thermal limiting

AM-600/600c Card SPECIFICATIONS

Supported Loads:

Continuous operation:

in chassis with fans running
normally and unrestricted
intake and exhaust

20 bits, 48 kHz, 5-1/3 ms (fixed)

(CAT5, CAT 5e, CAT6, or CAT7)

2400W maximum per chassis

will reduce long-term power output

18-80 degrees F (-8 – 42° C)

0 – 100% non-condensing

0 – 10,000 Feet MSL

4Ω, 6Ω, 8Ω, 70-Volt or 100-Volt Line direct drive

600 W: 1 kHz continuous sine wave indefinitely

Overall Dimensions:

Height:
Width:
Depth:

Weight:

Chassis:
AM 600 card:

Compliance:

Frequency
response:

Distortion and
Noise:

5.25 inches (133mm)
19 inches (483mm)

17.25 inches (438mm)

50 lbs. (22.68 kg)

1.25 lbs. (0.57 kg)

EU Directive 2002/95/EC, RoHS Directive

UL listed

CE marked

20 Hz – 20 kHz frequency

response flat +/-1 dB

≤0.3% THD+N (20 Hz – 20k Hz) all

loads and power levels

Signal-to-Noise Ratio:

(unweighted over 22 Hz – 20 kHz)

100W
200W
300W
400W
500W
600W

Low-

impedance 70V 100V

>95 dB >100 dB >101 dB
>98 dB >101 dB >102 dB
>99 dB >101 dB >102 dB
>101 dB >102 dB >103 dB
>102 dB >102 dB >103 dB
>102 dB >103 dB >104 dB

Intermodulation
distortion
(SMPTE):

Inter-channel
Isolation:

DC offset:

<0.2%

>75 dB

(20 Hz-20 kHz, full power out)

<10mV

10

VA-8600/VA-8600c SPECIFICATIONS

NETWORK

MODULE

AMPLIFIER

CARD

CLASS D

AMPLIFIER

DSP

DSP

Display

CobraNet

processor

uC

CobraNet

Audio and

control dat a

ID switches

FAN

CONTROL

FAN

1

SLOT 1
SLOT 2

SLOT 3
SLOT 4
SLOT 5
SLOT 6
SLOT 7
SLOT 8

SLOT 1
SLOT 2

SLOT 3
SLOT 4
SLOT 5
SLOT 6
SLOT 7
SLOT 8

TEMPERATURE

DC

DETECTION

FAN

2

Logic I/O

Failover

link

Vocia Amplier 8600/8600c Block Diagram

11

VA-8600/VA-8600c SPECIFICATIONS

VA-8600/8600c 115 VAC current draw and heat output

To determine the AC line current draw and heat output for the conguration, start by nding the total power for the congured Vocia chassis.
Then refer to the column that describes the type of audio levels the amplier will be producing. If your conguration uses more amplier

modules than the number shown, add 0.1 amps and 37 BTU for each additional module in the chassis.

IDLE 1/8 POWER PINK NOISE 1/3 POWER PINK NOISE FULL POWER SINE WAVE

Total Output Power

(watts)

No cards

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

1000

1100

1200

1300

1400

1500

1600

1700

1800

1900

2000

2100

2200

2300

2400

VA-8600
Modules Amps BTU Amps BTU Amps BTU Amps BTU

0 0.3 106 NA NA NA NA NA NA

1 0.4 143 0.7 227 0.9 244 1.6 406

1 0.4 143 0.8 239 1.3 271 2.7 491

1 0.4 143 1.0 251 1.6 300 3.8 590

1 0.4 143 1.1 263 2.0 333 4.9 668

1 0.4 143 1.3 278 2.4 356 6.1 788

1 0.4 143 1.4 297 2.8 413 7.3 910

2 0.5 177 1.8 418 3.4 551 8.9* 1211

2 0.5 177 2.0 430 3.8 577 10.0* 1296

2 0.5 177 2.1 442 4.2 607 11.1* 1395

2 0.5 177 2.2 454 4.5 640 12.2* 1473

2 0.5 177 2.4 469 4.9 663 13.4* 1592

2 0.5 177 2.5 488 5.3 720 14.5* 1715

3 0.5 211 3.0 609 6.0 858 16.2* 2015

3 0.5 211 3.1 621 6.3 884 17.3* 2101

3 0.5 211 3.2 633 6.7 914 18.4* 2199

3 0.5 211 3.4 644 7.1 947 19.5* 2278

3 0.5 211 3.5 660 7.4 970 20.6* 2397

3 0.5 211 3.7 679 7.8 1026 21.8* 2520

4 0.6 246 4.1 800 8.5 1165 23.4* 2820

4 0.6 246 4.2 812 8.8 1191 24.5* 2905

4 0.6 246 4.4 824 9.2 1221 25.7* 3004

4 0.6 246 4.5 835 9.6 1254 26.7* 3083

4 0.6 246 4.7 851 9.9 1276 27.9* 3202

4 0.6 246 4.8 870 10.4 1333 29.1* 3325

Notes:

For 230 VAC, multiply the current by 0.5.
PN = Pink Noise

For each additional module above 4, add 0.1 A to the current draw and 37 BTU to the heat output.

* Burst mode only. Protective thermal limiting will reduce long-term AC current and continuous power output.

12

585.0267.90A

VA-8600/VA-8600c WARRANTY

BIAMP SYSTEMS IS PLEASED TO EXTEND THE FOLLOWING 5-YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY TO THE ORIGINAL PURCHASER OF
THE PROFESSIONAL SOUND EQUIPMENT DESCRIBED IN THIS MANUAL

1. BIAMP Systems warrants to the original purchaser of new products that the product will be free from defects in material and
workmanship for a period of 5 YEARS from the date of purchase from an authorized BIAMP Systems dealer, subject to the

terms and conditions set forth below.

2 If you notify BIAMP during the warranty period that a BIAMP Systems product fails to comply with the warranty, BIAMP Systems

will repair or replace, at BIAMP Systems’ option, the nonconforming product. As a condition to receiving the benets of this warranty,
you must provide BIAMP Systems with documentation that establishes that you were the original purchaser of the products. Such
evidence may consist of your sales receipt from an authorized BIAMP Systems dealer. Transportation and insurance charges to
and from the BIAMP Systems factory for warranty service shall be your responsibility.

3. This warranty will be VOID if the serial number has been removed or defaced; or if the product has been altered, subjected to
damage, abuse or rental usage, repaired by any person not authorized by BIAMP Systems to make repairs; or installed in any
manner that does not comply with BIAMP Systems’ recommendations.

4. Electro-mechanical fans, electrolytic capacitors, gooseneck microphones, cords connecting handheld microphones, hard-drives,

displays, and normal wear and tear of items such as paint, knobs, handles, keypads and covers are not covered under this warranty.
All server-based devices are warranted for 3 years only.

5. This warranty is in lieu of all other warranties, expressed or implied. BIAMP Systems disclaims all other warranties, expressed
or implied, including, but not limited to, implied warranties of merchantability and tness for a particular purpose.

6. The remedies set forth herein shall be the purchaser’s sole and exclusive remedies with respect to any defective product.

7. No agent, employee, distributor or dealer of BIAMP Systems is authorized to modify this warranty or to make additional warranties on

behalf of BIAMP Systems. Statements, representations or warranties made by any dealer do not constitute warranties by BIAMP
Systems. BIAMP Systems shall not be responsible or liable for any statement, representation or warranty made by any dealer or
other person.

8. No action for breach of this warranty may be commenced more than one year after the expiration of this warranty.

9. BIAMP Systems shall not be liable for special, indirect, incidental, or consequential damages, including lost prots or loss of use

arising out of the purchase, sale, or use of the products, even if BIAMP Systems was advised of the possibility of such damages.

13

COMPLIANCE

1414

COMPLIANCE

1515

IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

16

IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

17

IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

18