DCS Verona Master Clock User Manual
dCS Verona
Master Clock
User Manual
Software Release 1.0x
September 2004
© 2004 dCS Ltd.
All rights reserv ed. No part of this pub lication may be rep roduced, stored in or
introduced into a retrieva l system, or transm itted in any form , or by any means
(electronic, m echanical, photoco pying, recording or other wise) without the prior
written permission of dCS
relation to this publicat ion may be liabl e to crimina l prosecution an d civil claim s
for damages.
1
. Any person who does any unauthorised act in
Information contained in this manual is subject to change without notice, and
whilst it is checked for accuracy, no liabilities can be accepted for errors.
1
dCS is Data Conversion Systems Ltd. Company registered in England No. 2072115.
dCS Verona User Manual Manual for Software Issue 1.0x
dCS Ltd September 2004
Manual filename: Verona Manual v1.0x.doc Page 2 email: more@dcsltd.co.uk
English version web-site: www.dcsltd.co.uk
dCS Verona User Manual Manual for Software Issue 1.0x
dCS Ltd September 2004
PRODUCT OVERVIEW
The dCS Verona is a consumer version of the dCS 992 and 995 professional
Master Clocks.
The Verona generates ver y stable clocks at either 44.1 or 48kHz, accurate to
better than 1 part p er m illion. T he usual a pplicat ion is sync hron ising th e units in
SACD / CD systems, where a 44.1kHz Word Clock is used throughout. The
improved synchronisation and stability offered by the Verona enhances the
sound quality, extracting more depth and detail from high quality recordings.
Most customers use the Verona with a set of dCS equipment, however the
Verona m ay be used with any transp ort or other d igital sourc e that will accept a
44.1 or 48kHz reference clock in either Word Clock or SPDIF clock formats.
Verona features an Ex ternal Reference Input, allowing the Master Clock to be
slaved to a even more accurate ref er ence, s uc h as a GP S r ece i ver or an a tomic
clock, if desired. The Verona will convert a variety of audio sample rates or
standard frequencies to either of the two clock frequencies, cleaning the
reference signals in the process.
In common with all dCS converters, the Verona is based o n our flexible digital
audio platform which makes extensive use of software configurable chips –
FPGA’s and DSP’s. This allows the interna l sof tware t o be up dated f rom tim e to
time, either from a dCS CD or from a PC, ad ding extra featur es and facilities to
your system with a minimum of fuss.
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dCS Verona User Manual Manual for Software Issue 1.0x
dCS Ltd September 2004
CONTENTS
Product Overview..............................................................................................3
Contents.............................................................................................................4
About this Manual 6
What does the coloured text mean? 6
About Sample Rates x 6
Step-by-Step Guide ...........................................................................................8
Preliminaries 8
Connecting the System for DSD 9
Connecting the System for Dual AES 9
Typical Applications........................................................................................10
Using a Verona with an upsampling transport 10
Using a Verona with a DSD upsampler 11
Using a Verona with a GPS clock 13
The Software – The Menu...............................................................................14
Using the Menu 14
Opening the Menu 14
Types of Menu Page 14
Closing the Menu 15
Menu Sequence 15
Couple – Setting the format of the Ext Ref Input 15
Bright x - Display Brightness 16
TimeOut – Menu Time Out Setting 16
Test - Display Test 16
Issue – Software Issue State 16
Temp – Unit Internal Temperature 16
Serial – Unit Serial Number 17
Contact - Contact information 17
CDUpdate – Software Update By CD 17
Factory – Restoring Factory Defaults 19
The Hardware – Controls and Connectors ...................................................20
Front Panel 20
Key to Front Panel 20
Power Button x 20
Clock Frequency Button (
Dither Button (
Status Indicator x 21
Remote Control Sensor x 21
Main Display x 21
Mode Indicator x 21
Menu Button (
Step Back)20
Step)21
Select)21
Rear Panel 22
Key to Rear Panel 22
Word Clock Outputs 1 - 5 22
SPDIF Outputs 1 – 3 22
External Reference Input 22
1394 Interface 23
Power Link 23
SUC 23
Power switch 23
IEC Power Inlet 23
Mains Fuse 23
Additional Information 23
Verona Technical Information .........................................................................24
Digital Interface Specifications 24
Output Frequencies 24
Clocking 24
Synchronising to Ext Ref In x 24
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dCS Verona User Manual Manual for Software Issue 1.0x
dCS Ltd September 2004
Power requirements 25
Size and Weight 25
Operating Conditions 25
General Technical Information.......................................................................26
Clock Dither 26
Using your dCS Verona for the first time ........................................................28
What’s in the Box? 28
Safety Notice 28
Mains Voltage Setting 29
Positioning the Unit 29
Options.............................................................................................................30
Mains Supply Voltage 30
Having Your Options Changed 30
Maintenance and Support...............................................................................32
Service & Maintenance 32
Mains Fuse 32
Replacing a Blown Fuse x 32
Updating your Verona 33
Software Updates x 33
Hardware Updates x 33
Safety and Electrical Safety 34
Cleaning the Case 34
Troubleshooting ..............................................................................................36
Fault Indication 36
Power interruption 36
Power up test errors 36
Troubleshooting Guide 37
The unit fails to power up 37
The DAC/DDC suddenly mutes, Verona repeats its’ power-up sequence 37
The system fails to lock to Verona 37
Periodic clicks are heard from the loudspeakers 37
The Display turns on briefly when a control is operated, then turns off 38
Menu Timeout does not work 38
If You Need More Help ....................................................................................39
Other Information 39
Indexes and Software Version Numbers.......................................................40
Software History 40
Definitions and Abbreviations 40
Key to Cable Identification 41
List of Tables 42
List of Figures 42
Keywords and Phrases 43
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dCS Verona User Manual Manual for Software Issue 1.0x
dCS Ltd September 2004
About this Manual
If you have not used a Verona before, please read the s ection “Using your dCS
Verona for the first time” on page 28.
This manual has be en arranged with th e most comm only used s ections placed
first:
• table of contents (page 4)
• step-by-step (page 8) and applications guides (page 10)
• detailed software and hardware infor mation (page 14)
• technical information (page 24)
• information for first time users (page 28)
• options, maintenance and troubleshooting (page 30)
• index section (page 40)
What does the coloured text mean?
If you are reading a colour print or a soft copy of this manual, you will notice that
some types of text are in colour:
• Brown text in bold is a reference to another section or page. Sometimes, if
you are reading a soft copy of the m anual, page numbers are h yperlinks –
click on them and you will go there.
• Blue text is used for controls and connectors, described in the hardware
section.
White text in bold on black is used for alternat ive control functions , such
•
as menu operation.
• Pink text is a menu page or setting.
• Green text in bold shows what appears on the display.
• Purple text in bold is used for indicators.
IMPORTANT! Important information is presented like th is - ignoring this may cause yo u to
damage the unit, or invalidate the warranty.
The manual is designed to be helpful. If there are points you feel we could cover
better, or that we have missed out - please tell us.
About Sample Rates x
All references to sample rates in this manual use the unit kS/s (kilo Samples per
second) rather than the technically incorrect kHz.
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dCS Verona User Manual Manual for Software Issue 1.0x
dCS Ltd September 2004
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English version web-site: www.dcsltd.co.uk
dCS Verona User Manual Manual for Software Issue 1.0x
dCS Ltd September 2004
STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE
This section guides you t hroug h s ett ing up the unit for basic o per at io n. You may
find this useful if you have not used the Verona for a while.
Preliminaries
The Control Summary sheet details the menu struc ture and out lines th e use of
the front panel contr ols. For more information, see the Menu section on page
14.
For digital interfaces, use with cables designed for digital audio:
• for Word Clock interfaces, use 75Ω coax cables fitted with BNC plugs.
• for SPDIF RCA interfaces, use 75Ω coax cables fitted with RCA Phono
plugs.
do this: Connect the power cable suppl ied to the Power inlet on the Verona r ear panel,
plug the other end into a convenient power outlet. Set th e power s witch beside
the power inlet to the on position (I).
IMPORTANT! Please do not use an excessively thick power cable as this may damage the
power inlet connector. Such damage is not covered by the warranty.
do this: Press the Power button and wait about 5 seconds while Verona configures
itself.
The display will show in sequence: Verona, Testing and either 44.1kHz or
48kHz.
If the unit is likely to be set in an unfamiliar state, you can reset it as follows:
do this: Press the
shows Factory. Press the
The unit will display Defaults. T he PWR indicator and perh aps the OK indicator
will be lit, the others should be off.
Menu button once, then press the St ep Back button so the disp lay
Select button and wait a second.
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dCS Verona User Manual Manual for Software Issue 1.0x
dCS Ltd September 2004
Connecting the System for DSD
Most owners will use the Verona to clock other dCS equipment at 44.1k Hz.
do this: If necessary, use the Clock Frequency button to set the outputs to 44.1kHz.
do this: Connect one of the Verona‘s Word Clock Outputs to the W ord Clock input of
each unit in the chai n – the transport, the DSD upsam pler and the DAC. The
five outputs are the same.
do this: Connect a 1394 cable f rom the Verdi to the DAC and from the Purcell to the
DAC. Connect an AES cable from the Verdi to the Purcell’s AES input.
IMPORTANT! It is essential to lock the transport to the Verona. If this is not done, the
source will not be synchronised to the rest of the system, causing locking
problems or regular clicks.
A Verdi or La Scala will s lave to the Verona automatically, the WClk indicator wil l
light to confirm this.
do this: For Purcell (v2.00 or later), select the required input then set the WClk menu
page to WClk: In. The WClk indicator will lig ht to confirm that the upsampler is
locked. Set the Output to DSD.
do this: For Elgar Plus or Delius, select the 1394 input then set the MS menu page to
MS: Sync. The SDIF indicator (Elgar) or WClk indicator (Delius) will light to
confirm that the DAC is locked.
See the “Typical Applications” section on page 10 for more details.
Connecting the System for Dual AES
For owners who prefer to use Dual AES it is important to choose compatible
sample rates. The Dual AES sample rate MUST be exactly 2 or 4 times the
source sample rate and clock frequency.
do this: If necessary, use the Clock Frequency button to set the outputs to 44.1kHz.
do this: Connect one of the Verona‘s Word Clock Outputs to the W ord Clock input of
each unit in the chai n – the transport, the DSD upsam pler and the DAC. The
five outputs are the same.
IMPORTANT! It is essential to lock the transport to the Verona. If this is not done, the
source will not be synchronised to the rest of the system,causing locking
problems or regular clicks.
do this: Connect a 1394 cable f rom the Verdi to the DAC. Connect an AE S cable from
the Verdi to the Purcell’s AES input. Connect 2 AE S cables from Purcell’s AES
outputs to the DAC’s AES inputs.
A Verdi or La Scala will s lave to the Verona automatically, the WClk indicator wil l
light to confirm this.
do this: For Purcell (v2.00 or later), select the required input then set the WClk menu
page to WClk: In. The WClk indicator will lig ht to confirm that the upsampler is
locked. Set the Output to 88.2 kS/s Dual AES or 176kS/s Dual AES.
do this: For Elgar Plus (v4.30 or la ter) or Delius (v2.30 or later), select the Dual AES
input then set the MS menu page to MS: Sync. The SDIF indicator (Elgar) or
WClk indicator (Delius) will light to confirm that the DAC is locked.
If the source sam ple rate is 48kS/s or 9 6kS/s and has a W ord Clock input, set
Verona to 48kHz and set Purcell to upsample to 96 or 192kS/s.
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dCS Verona User Manual Manual for Software Issue 1.0x
dCS Ltd September 2004
TYPICAL APPLICATIONS
Using a Verona with an upsampling transport
This is the simplest disc-only system using the Verona. The La Scala outputs
DSD data whether you play SACDs or ordinary CDs.
12345 123
44.1kHz Word Clocks
CAUTION: VISIBLE AND INVISIBLE
LASER RADIATION. WHEN OPEN,
DO NOT STARE INTO BEAM.
AES
L R OUTPUT
LEVEL
HIGH
LOW
EXT. RE F. I NSPDIF OUTPUTSWORD CLOCK OUTPUTS
CH2
BNC
LRAES 1 AES 2 RCA1 S T
PUSH PUSH
CH1RCA TOSLINK
IN
SDIF
WORDCLOCK
OUT
A
BNC
POWER
LINK
POWER
LINK
(SACD+CD)
CH1
TOSLINKRCA2
IN - WORDCLOCK - OUT
SUC1394
1
POWER ~
dCS Verdi La Scala
CLASS 1
LASER PRODUCT
SUC1394
1
DSD
SUC
CH2
DSD / SDIF
1394
dCS Verona
SACD Transport
dCS Elgar Plus
B
POWER
REC OUT
Master Clock
DAC
LR
Balanced
Outputs
- or -
RL
Unbalanced
Outputs
To Power Amplifier or Preamplifier
Figure 1 – Using Verona to clock a La Scala and an Elgar Plus
do this: Connect up as shown in Figure 1.
do this: The first time you use th is arrangement, open the menu and run the Factory
routine on all three units. This sets the Verona to 44.1kHz.
do this: If necessary, use the Input b utton on the Elgar Plus to select the 1394 input.
Open the Elgar’s menu and set the MS page to MS:Sync.
It is as simple as that.
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dCS Verona User Manual Manual for Software Issue 1.0x
dCS Ltd September 2004
Using a Verona with a DSD upsampler
If you have a Verdi rather than a La Scala, you can still upsample your CDs to
DSD by adding a 1394-equipped Purcell to the system.
EXT. REF. INSPDIF OUTPUTSWORD CLOCK OUTPUTS
12345 123
44.1kHz Word Clocks
CAUTION: VISIBLE AND INVISIBLE
LASER R ADIATION. WHEN OPEN,
DO NOT STARE INT O BEAM.
AES
BNC
CH1RCA TOSLINK
CH2
IN
SDIF
WORDCLOCK
OUT
16 bit / 44.1kS/s
(CD)
DIGITAL INPUTS DIGITAL OUTPUTS POWER
AES RCA
PUSH
ST
RCA
TOSLINK
BNC
WORDCL OCK
AB
OUT
IN
AES1 AES2
POWER
LINK
POWER
LINK
LASER PRODUCT
DSD
(SACD)
BNC
1
CLASS 1
1
dCS Verona
SUC1394
POWER ~
dCS Verdi
SUC1394
dC S Purcell
OPTION
SUC
1394
1
Master Cloc k
SACD Transport
Upsampler
DSD
LROUTPUT
LR
Balanced
Outputs
- or -
LRAES 1 AES 2 R CA1 ST
LEVEL
HIGH
LOW
PUSH PU SH
RL
Unbalanced
Outputs
To Power Amplifier or P reamplifier
(SACD+CD)
SUC
CH2
1394
TOSLINKRCA2
CH1
DSD / SDI F
IN - WORD CL O C K - O U T
A
BNC
dCS Elgar Plus
B
POWER
REC OUT
DAC
Figure 2 - Using Verona to clock a Verdi, a Purcell and an Elgar Plus
do this: Connect up as shown in Figure 2.
do this: The first time you use th is arrangement, open the menu and run the Factory
routine on all four units. This sets the Verona to 44.1kHz.
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dCS Verona User Manual Manual for Software Issue 1.0x
dCS Ltd September 2004
do this: If you prefer, you can connect one of the Purcell’s other inputs to the Verdi
instead of using the AES input. Select that input using the Purcell’s Input
button.
do this: Open the Purcell’s menu and set the WClk page to WClk:In. The Purcell will
lock to the Verona.
do this: If necessary, use the Input b utton on the Elgar Plus to select the 1394 input.
Open the Elgar’s menu and set the MS page to MS:Sync.
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dCS Verona User Manual Manual for Software Issue 1.0x
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Using a Verona with a GPS clock
If you have a GPS clock or atomic clock, you can slave t he Verona to the clock,
improving the accurac y of the Verona to that of the clock.
GPS clock
1PPS 10MHz RS-232 ANTENNA
The Bang-On
GPS Clock Co.
Roof-mounted
GPS antenna
10MHz +/-1ppb
12345 123
EXT. REF. INSPDIF OUTPUTSWORD CLOCK OUTPUTS
POWER
LINK
SUC1394
1
POWER ~
dCS Verona
Master Clock
Word Clock Outputs
Figure 3 – Slaving the Verona to a GPS clock
do this: Connect up as shown in Figure 3.
do this: The first time you use th is arrangement, open the menu and run the Factory
routine on all four units. This sets the Verona to 44.1kHz.
do this: Open the menu and set the Couple page to Bipolar.
The Verona will lock to the clock. All the outputs will be at 44.1kHz, at the
accuracy of the clock.
do this: If you need 48kHz, press the Clock Frequency button.
do this: Use the Verona‘s outputs to synchronise the audio equipment together.
Note that a GPS clock relies on receiving a sa tellite transmission. Any gaps in
GPS satellite coverage will result in the frequency accuracy of the outputs
reverting to that of the Verona – which is quite adequate for audio use.
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dCS Verona User Manual Manual for Software Issue 1.0x
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y
dCS Ltd September 2004
THE SOFTWARE – THE MENU
Press "Step >" to move al ong the M enu, pr ess "< St ep" to m ove back.
Press "Select" to set a menu option or change opt i ons.
Menu Couple Bright x Time Out Test Issue
First page of the
Menu
End CDUpdate Factory Contact Serial Temp
Closes the Function
Menu
Sets the format of
the Ext Ref Input
TTL Bright 7 None 1.0x
Bipolar .... 5 seconds
Starts software
update from a dCS
CD
Sets the display
brightness
Bright 0 15 seconds
Restores standard
factory settings
Sets the Menu time
Displa
out delay
30 seconds
1 min / 3 mins
s dCS email
address
Runs a display test
routine
Displays the unit
full serial num ber
Figure 4 – Menu flow chart
Displays the
software version
number
Displays the
internal
temperature
Celsius
Fahrenheit
Using the Menu
Opening the Menu
Types of Menu Page
The Menu gives the user acces s to a wide range of addit ional features. It also
allows new features and performance enhancements to be added at a later date
by software upgrades.
The Menu is controlled by three buttons:
• the Menu button opens the menu and doubles as the
• the Step →→→→ button pages forward through the Menu – the
• the ←←←← Step button pages backward through the Menu – the
Select button.
Step button.
Step Back
button.
When you first open the Menu, the display will show Menu.
Successive presses of the
Step butto n page through t he Menu. You cann ot go
directly to any particular page, but must enter at the top of the Menu and th en
page through until you reach the page you want.
There are three types of page in the Menu - Parameter Pages, Information
Pages and Test Pages.
Parameter pages allo w the user to check and also change the current settings
of the operating parameters, for example Bright. When a parameter page is
displayed, the first press of the
Subsequent presses of the
Select button change the page setting.
Select button shows the current setting.
Information pages display information about the unit, for example Software
Issue. When an information page is displayed, pressing the
Select button
displays the information held on that page.
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