Grass valley APEX DATASHEET

PRODUCT DATA SHEET

www.grassvalley.com

KEY FEATURES

Apex

H I GH - D E NSI T Y, L A R G E- SCALE

DIGITAL AUDIO ROUTER

The Apex router combines the features

that audio professionals love with the

adaptability, reliability, and serviceability

that broadcasters demand—all while

using less power and less space than

any other system available.

Grass Valley

™

solutions include one

of the broadest selections of routing

switchers, including the new Apex

digital audio routing switcher, the

highest density and most highly reliable

audio router available for large-scale

infrastructures.

The Apex router combines the features

that audio professionals love with the

adapt abilit y, reliability, and serviceability

that broadcasters demand—all while

using less power and less space than

any other system available. This industry-

leading design has a dozen patents

pending.

Central to the Apex system is its

adaptability. Scaling to 1024x1024 via a

unique Time Division Multiplexing (TDM)

switching architecture, it offers the

simplest expansion path available—for

both studio and mobile users. It handles

any data rate a facility could ever need,

supporting simultaneous synchronous

and asynchronous signals from 30 to

100 kHz. And it offers a set of audio

features not found in any other system—

including a silent-switching design that

eliminates unwanted clicks and pops.

The Apex router is also highly reliable

and serviceable. It uses redundant TDM

matrix cards to keep signals moving

through a facility without interruption.

It features redundant power supplies to

maximize uptime. It uses a common air

chamber and an N+1 fan arrangement to

ensure even, uninterrupted cooling. Plus

its components are front removable and

hot swappable.

Adaptable to Any Large-Scale

Audio Environment

The Apex system uses an 11 RU

256x256 chassis housing a unique TDM

routing core enabling both a dense and

feature-rich product. The system features

cost-effective, reliable linear expansion:

you can interconnect multiple frames to

create matrices as large as 1024x1024

using only a handful of interconnection

cables and without the need for

expensive distribution amplifiers.

The Apex system offers similar physical

flexibility. You can stack its chassis

vertically or horizontally. And should

you need to work at great distances—in

different buildings, in different mobile

units, or even across town—you can

interconnect two chassis up to five

kilometers away.

Each Apex can contain one of two I/O

board types: one for 75Ω signals and one

for 110Ω signals. Each accommodates

32 AES pairs. The 75Ω board offers

unbalanced BNC connectors and BNC

MADI ports. The 110Ω board offers

balanced DB25 connectors and BNC

MADI ports. Both feature a field-

programmable gate array (FPGA) design

that minimizes components and power

requirements and increasing overall

system reliability.

The multi-format support of the Apex

router includes AES digital audio (75Ω

unbalanced and 110Ω balanced), Multiple

Audio Distribution Interface (MADI), and

Dolby E formats.

11 RU 256x256 frame with either:•

75Ω unbalanced BNC connectors —

and MADI BNC ports

110Ω balanced DB25 connectors with —

MADI BNC ports

Up to four frames can be connected •

linearly to create routers up to

1024x1024

Simultaneous synchronous/•

asynchronous support for 30 kHz to

100 kHz signals

Conforms to AES75, AES110, MADI, •

and Dolby E specifications

All active components are front-•

loading and hot swappable.

Fan and power supply modules are •

redundant

Input or output expansion in •

32 crosspoint increments

One video and one audio sync •

reference per chassis (each with

redundant inputs) along with output

monitor ports for quality control

Various audio modes supported, •

including normal, mix, reverse

AES pair breakaway for full mono •

routing

Silent Switching with programmable •

V-fade for noiseless switching

PRODUCT DATA SHEET

www.grassvalley.com

SWITCH

POINT

WITHOUT

Soft Switch Dunking

WITH

Soft Switch Dunking

Pops and clicks occur when

the levels of switched signals

are differen

t

By bringing both signals to zero,

pops and clicks are reduced

The adaptability of the Apex system

also extends to its signal support.

Unlike other routing systems that force

you to purchase separate board sets

and sample rate converters to handle

multiple signal types, the Apex system

can automatically detect a signal’s

type (synchronous or asynchronous),

its rate (from 30 kHz to 100 kHz), and

then switch it properly—without any

additional modifications or intervention.

It can even switch a signal that has lost

its reference.

An Apex chassis features two sync

references: one video and one audio,

plus a redundant input for each. This

design enables you to use a video

reference for audio switching while

also supporting the proper, uncorrupted

switching of Dolby E signals.

Unrivaled Audio Features

Designed with audio professionals

in mind, the Apex system offers an

unrivaled set of signal-processing

features. These features include a silent-

switching design to minimize unwanted

clicks and pops. You can turn this feature

on or off as needed.

For full mono routing, the Apex system

offers an AES Pair Breakaway feature.

While input and output signals are

always tied together as a left/right pair,

the internal routing engine separates the

pairs—hence the term breakaway—to

handle the signals independently. This

independent routing allows a control

system to view the router as either a

single-level stereo system in which the

pairs switch together, or in a single-

level mono system with two levels of

mono audio. This capability also allows

the Apex system to support a full

complement of audio pair manipulation

modes, including normal, mix, and

reverse.

Ensuring High Reliability

To maximize uptime and reliability, the

Apex system uses redundant TDM

matrix cards. Should the primary matrix

card fail, a secondary redundant card will

take over immediately.

The system also employs redundant

TDM expansion links between chassis—

and connects those links in a fully

connected st ar topology. This topology

ensures that every chassis is speaking

to ever y other chassis, eliminating the

weak-link pitfalls of serial or daisy-chain

topologies.

To ensure even, uninterrupted cooling,

the Apex system uses a common air

chamber and an N+1 fan arrangement—

the same high-performance cooling

approach used in the Trinix NXT digital

video routing switcher. Additionally, the

Apex system design curbs overall power

usage by minimizing circuit board and

component counts. This significantly

reduces the load on the cooling system,

increasing the overall reliability of the

system.

SOFT SWITCHING AUDIO SIGNALS

By bringing audio levels to zero at the switch point, clicks and pops in the audio are

reduced.