Clear-Com EF-701M User Manual

CLEAR-COM ENCORE

EF-701M INTERFACE

INSTRUCTION MANUAL

EF-701M Interface Instruction Manual
© 2007 Vitec Group Communications. All rights reserved.

Part Number 810363Z Rev. 1

Vitec Group Communications, LLC.
850 Marina Village Parkway
Alameda, CA 94501
U.S.A

Vitec Group Communications
7400 Beach Drive
Cambridge Research Park
Cambridgeshire
United Kingdom
CB25 9TP

Vitec Group Communications
Room 1806, Hua Bin Building
No. 8 Yong An Dong Li
Jian Guo Men Wai Ave
Chao Yang District
Beijing, P.R. China 100022

Clear-Com, CellCom/FreeSpeak and the Clear-Com Communication Systems logo are registered trademarks of The Vitec Group plc.

CONTENTS

OPERATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1

Description. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2

Connecting a Party-Line Channel to a Matrix Frame Port . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2

Converting a Party-Line Channel to 4-Wire Audio. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3

Front Panel Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8

Rear Panel Settings and Connectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10

Mode-Switch Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10

3-Pin XLR Connector (Party Line I/O) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11

DB-15 Connector. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-12

RJ-45 Connector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-12

EF-701M INTERFACE i

INSTALLATION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1

Connecting the EF-701M Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1

Connecting the EF-701M to a Matrix Port. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1

Connecting the EF-701M to a Modem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2

Connecting the EF-701M to RTS-TW Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5

Other Connections. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5

Levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6

Nulling. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7

Adjusting the Null . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8

Troubleshooting Tips for Nulling. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9

Internal Adjustments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10

Removing the cover of the EF-701M . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10

Transmission methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12

Direct Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12

Fiber-Optic. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13

Other Methods. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15

MAINTENANCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1

Troubleshooting Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1

Audio Troubleshooting Tips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2

ii EF-701M INTERFACE

Data Troubleshooting Tips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4

Nulling Troubleshooting Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6

Block Diagram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8

GLOSSARY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1

SPECIFICATIONS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-1

EF-701M technical Specifications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-1

Clear-Com Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-1

RTS format. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-1

General Characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-1

LIMITED WARRANTY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-I

Warranty Period . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-i

Technical Support. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-ii

Warranty Repairs and Returns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-iii

Non-Warranty Repairs and Returns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-iv

Extended Warranty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-v

Liability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-v

EF-701M INTERFACE iii

iv EF-701M INTERFACE

Please read and follow

these instructions

before operating this

product.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

1. Read these instructions.

2. Keep these instructions.

3. Heed all warnings.

4. Follow all instructions.

5. Do not use this apparatus near water.

6. Clean only with dry cloth.

7. Do not block any ventilation openings. Install in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.

8. Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other apparatus (including amplifiers) that produce heat.

9. Only use attachments/accessories specified by the manufacturer.

10. Use only with the cart, stand, tripod, bracket, or table specified by the manufacturer, or sold with the apparatus. When a cart is used, use caution when moving the cart/apparatus combination to avoid injury from tip-over.

EF-701M INTERFACE v

11. Unplug this apparatus during lightning storms or when unused for long periods of time.

12. Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel. Servicing is required when the
apparatus has been damaged in any way, such as power-supply cord or plug is
damaged, liquid has been spilled or objects have fallen into the apparatus, the
apparatus has been exposed to rain or moisture, does not operate normally, or has
been dropped.

13. WA RN I NG : To reduce the risk of fire or electric shock, do not expose this product to rain or moisture.

Please familiarize yourself with the safety symbols in Figure 1. When you see these
symbols on this product, they warn you of the potential danger of electric shock if the
station is used improperly. They also refer you to important operating and maintenance
instructions in the manual.

vi EF-701M INTERFACE

CAUTION

RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK

DO NOT OPEN

This symbol alerts you to the presence of uninsulated dangerous
voltage within the product's enclosure that might be of sufficient
magnitude to constitute a risk of electric shock. Do not open
the product's case.

This symbol informs you that important operating and main­tenance instructions are included in the literature accompanying
this product.

Figure 1: Safety Symbols

EF-701M INTERFACE vii

EMC AND SAFETY

The EF-701M Interface meets all relevant CE and FCC specifications set out below:

EN55103-1 Electromagnetic compatibility. Product family standard for audio, video,
audio-visual, and entertainment lighting control apparatus for professional use. Part 1:
Emissions.

EN55103-2 Electromagnetic compatibility. Product family standard for audio, video,
audio-visual, and entertainment lighting control apparatus for professional use. Part 2:
Immunity.

And thereby compliance with the requirement of Electromagnetic Compatibility
Directive 2004/108/EC and Low Voltage Directive 2006/95/EC

This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the
following two conditions: (1) this device may not cause harmful interference, and (2)
this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause
undesired operation.

viii EF-701M INTERFACE

1

OPERATION

INTRODUCTION

Congratulations on choosing this Clear-Com product. Clear-Com was established in
1968 and remains the market leader in providing intercoms for entertainment, broadcast
and industrial applications. The ruggedness and high build-quality of Clear-Com
products defines the industry standard. In fact, many of our original beltpacks and main
stations are still in daily use around the world.

We recommend that you read through this manual completely to better understand the
functions of the EF-701M. If you encounter a situation or have a question that this
manual does not address, contact your dealer or call Clear-Com directly at the factory.
Our applications support and service people are standing by to assist you. (Refer to
Chapter 6: “Warranty” for contact information.) Thank you for selecting Clear-Com for
your communications needs.

Thank you for choosing this Clear-Com Intercom Systems product.

EF-701M INTERFACE 1-1

The EF-701M 4-Wire and Matrix Direct Interface is a flexible and powerful tool for
connecting 2-wire intercom systems or stations together over various 4-wire transmission
media. The EF-701M Interface can also connect a 2-wire intercom system directly to a
Clear-Com Matrix frame port.

DESCRIPTION

CONNECTING A PARTY-LINE CHANNEL TO A MATRIX FRAME PORT

An EF-701M Interface can connect a channel of standard or TW party line directly to a
Clear-Com Eclipse Matrix frame port, allowing the party-line intercom to be located
quite a long distance from the Matrix frame. At the same time, the EF-701M interfaces a
DC-voltage call signal or 20-kHz call signal to the Matrix.

The EF-701M is recognized by the Matrix as a Clear-Com CCI-22 Interface. It provides
the same function as the CCI-22 Interface with the following exceptions:

• the EF-701M supports only one channel.

• the EF-701M also supports the 20-kHz call signal protocol.

• the EF-701M is a stand-alone unit and does not require an interface frame.

Note: The EF-701M must be powered from the party-line connection.

1-2 EF-701M INTERFACE

Matrix

EF-701M

3

RJ-45

RJ-45

3

3

= Male 3-Pin XLR

3

= Female 3-Pin XLR

Party-Line Intercom

3

3

Figure 1-1: Connecting a party-line channel to a Matrix intercom

CONVERTING A PARTY-LINE CHANNEL TO 4-WIRE AUDIO

The EF-701M Interface converts a channel of standard or TW party line to 4-wire audio
and, at the same time, converts a DC-voltage call signal or 20-kHz call signal to RS-422
data. This 4-wire audio and RS-422 data can then be sent to a fiber-optic converter
(modem); over copper, unshielded twisted-pair (UTP) cable such as Category 3, 5, or
above; or it can simply be used as an excellent stand alone 2-wire to 4-wire converter. In
most cases though, EF-701M units will be used in pairs, because once the signal is

EF-701M INTERFACE 1-3

converted to go over the chosen transmission medium, it must be reconverted to 2-wire
mode to properly connect to the party-line system or station at the other end of the line.
The EF-701M obtains its DC operating current from the local party-line connection on
pin 2 of the XLR connector. This current is not conducted between EF-701M units, so
each EF-701M must be powered by an intercom line as shown in Figure 1-2.

Party-Line Intercom EF-701M

DB15

3

3

3

3

Fiber Modems

Cat 3 or Cat 5

EF-701M

Party-Line Intercom

3DB15

3

3

Twisted Pair

3

= Male 3-Pin XLR

3

= Female 3-Pin XLR

Figure 1-2: Each EF-701M unit must be powered by an intercom line

Call signaling can serve as more than simply a visual indicator. A call signal can activate
relays and trigger functions in other connected Clear-Com equipment. The Clear-Com
TW-47 Two-Way Radio Interface and KB-702 Speaker Station use this feature. Imagine a
party-line (PL) system connected to a fiber-optic system over a 1-kilometer fiber as shown

1-4 EF-701M INTERFACE

in Figure 1-3. At the other end of the fiber there is another EF-701M unit and PL system
with walkie-talkies interfaced through a TW-47 Interface. The EF-701M allows the
people on the first PL system to communicate with the people on the walkie-talkies over a
kilometer of fiber, with the call signal determining transmit or receive operation.

Party-Line Intercom

EF-701M

EF-701MFiber Modems TW-47

PK-7

Base

Walkie

Talkie

Remote

Walkie
Talkies

3 DB15 3DB15 3 3 3 DB9

3

3

= Male 3-Pin XLR

3

= Female 3-Pin XLR

3 3

Figure 1-3: Interfacing two party-line systems over a kilometer of fiber

Note: The terms modem, codec, and interface all refer to devices that convert one type of

signal for transmission or reception to a different type of signal.

Because of the EF-701M’s low profile and compact size, it can function either as a
stand-alone device, or it can be mounted on utility rack shelves. Up to three units will fit

EF-701M INTERFACE 1-5

horizontally in one-rack unit (1RU) of space and will offer sufficient vertical clearance to
accommodate a variety of mounting methods. While the EF-701M may be used as a
single-ended 4-wire-to-party-line interface with excellent results, it is uniquely equipped
to work in point-to-point pairs. Much of the discussion in this manual addresses the
issues of operation in this latter mode.

Due to the superior nulling capability of the EF-701M, more than a single pair of
EF-701M units can be used to link various locations to a single channel.

As an example consider the following scenario: The three Channel A ports of an MS-702
main station are each connected to an EF-701M. (For an illustration, see Figure 1-4.)

Each of those three is in turn connected to a fiber-optic modem and sent through fiber to
another fiber-optic modem, EF-701M unit, and party-line system at the three remote
destinations. All four locations are now sharing the same channel, linked through fiber,
with a total of six “nulls” on the channel. While the nature of 2-wire to 4-wire hybrids
may limit the maximum number of external 2-wire party lines that can be combined, six
EF-701M units on a common channel, properly nulled, should generally provide a stable
system.

Because the EF-701M will be used with a wide variety of third-party systems and devices,
it is not possible to address all the variables of setups and transmission methods. The key
point is that the modem, multiplexer, or converter for the transmission medium (the

1-6 EF-701M INTERFACE

system that the EF-701M connects to via the DB-15) must accept line-level (-15 dBu to
+4 dBu) 4-wire audio and, if call signal is desired, RS-422 data.

Party-Line Intercom

EF-701M

Fiber Modems

EF-701M

Party-Line Intercom

3

= Male 3-Pin XLR

3

= Female 3-Pin XLR

3

3

3

3 DB15 3DB15

EF-701M

3 DB15 3DB15

EF-701M

3 DB15 3DB15 3 3

EF-701M

3

EF-701M

3

PK-7

3

3

PK-7

Figure 1-4: Six EF-701M units link various locations to a single channel

EF-701M INTERFACE 1-7

3

FRONT PANEL CONTROLS

4-Wire Interface

Local PL

RecvSend Data

RLC

On

Null

Tes t

EF-701M

Figure 1-5: Front panel of an EF-701M unit

Local Send controls the audio signal level from the local 2-wire intercom (the system
connected to this EF-701M) to the audio out of the 4-wire I/O.

Local Receive controls the audio signal level from the audio in of the 4-wire I/O to the
local 2-wire intercom.

1-8 EF-701M INTERFACE

Sidetone Null Adjustment This set of three trimpots includes R=Resistance,
L=Inductance, and C=Capacitance. These compensate for each component of the line
impedance, providing the best null possible. To prevent damage to the level control and
nulling trimpots, do not force them past their stop points.

Power LED This green LED will illuminate when the EF-701M is receiving power from
pin 2 of the party-line XLR connection.

Data LED This amber LED has four modes. The first three relate to call signal data.

1. ON- Either a successful data link has been established with a remote EF-701M unit, or

the Matrix Direct mode has been selected at the local EF-701M unit.

2. OFF- There is no data connection at the local EF-701M unit.

3. RAPID BLINK- There is data connection at the local EF-701M unit, but a “break”

condition is present. Depending on the modems used, this can indicate a problem at
the remote end.

4. SLOW BLINK- A test earbud or headphone has been plugged into the test tone jack at

the local EF-701M and the nulling test tone is on.

Call signals will not transmit unless the LED is steadily illuminated. Audio is still
transceived by a connected unit.

EF-701M INTERFACE 1-9