HELIX DN9340E/DN9344E
Remote Control Software V4.01
User Guide
HELIX DN9340E/DN9344E Remote Control Software
User Guide
Contact Details
Telex Communcations (UK) Ltd
Klark Teknik Building
Walter Nash Road
Kidderminster
Worcestershire
DY11 7HJ
England
Tel: +44 1562 741515
Fax: +44 1562 745371
Websites: www.midasconsoles.com
www.klarkteknik.com
Due to a policy of continual product improvement, specification and features may be subject to change without notice. E&OE.
HELIX Remote Control Software V4.01
User Guide DOC00047-HELIXRCS
Issue A – September 2006
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User Guide
CONTENTS
1 INTRODUCING THE HELIX REMOTE CONTROL SOFTWARE......................................... 5
2 INSTALLING HELIX RCS............................................................................... 6
2.1 Minimum System Requirements...................................................................................... 6
2.2 Software Installation..................................................................................................... 7
3 GETTING STARTED ...................................................................................... 9
3.1 Opening HELIX RCS within the ELGAR Library Manager ...................................................... 9
3.2 The DN9340 Device Workspace .....................................................................................10
3.3 Quick Tour of the DN9340 Device Views..........................................................................10
4 CONFIGURING THE HELIX ADDIN ...................................................................12
4.1 Network Identification ..................................................................................................12
4.2 Linking and Bypassing Channels ....................................................................................13
5 PROGRAMMING EQ .....................................................................................14
5.1 Graphic Equalisation ....................................................................................................14
5.2 Parametric Equalisation ................................................................................................16
5.3 Dynamic Equalisation ...................................................................................................18
5.4 Filters ........................................................................................................................20
6 WORKING WITH MULTIPLE HELIX ADDINS.........................................................22
6.1 Building your Network Remotely ....................................................................................22
6.2 The FastNav® Screen ...................................................................................................22
6.3 Copy Channels Screen..................................................................................................24
6.4 Global Graphic Screen..................................................................................................25
7 USING HELIX RCS TO CONTROL AN EQUALISER NETWORK .....................................26
7.1 Overview....................................................................................................................26
7.2 HELIX DN9340E/DN9344E unit interconnections ..............................................................26
7.2.1 Connecting the HELIX DN9340/DN9344E units in a daisy chain ................................... 26
7.2.2 Connecting the HELIX DN9340E/DN9344E units to an Ethernet switch or hub................ 27
7.3 Ethernet Connection ....................................................................................................27
7.3.1 Ethernet connection – standard .............................................................................. 27
7.3.2 Ethernet connection – wireless option...................................................................... 28
7.3.3 Configuring the Network Devices ............................................................................ 28
7.3.4 Fault Finding Tips ................................................................................................. 35
7.4 Serial Connection (Option)............................................................................................ 36
7.4.1 Serial connection details........................................................................................ 36
7.4.2 Connection Procedure ........................................................................................... 36
7.5 The System Configuration Window .................................................................................39
7.5.1 Finding ports and device names.............................................................................. 39
7.5.2 The Port Configuration screen ................................................................................ 40
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7.6 Working Online ...........................................................................................................42
7.6.1 Communications Overview..................................................................................... 42
7.6.2 Online Operation .................................................................................................. 43
7.6.3 Activity Indicators ................................................................................................ 45
7.6.4 Bypassing Channels .............................................................................................. 45
7.6.5 Troubleshooting ................................................................................................... 45
7.7 Solo Tracking Operation ...............................................................................................46
7.8 Protecting System Settings ...........................................................................................48
8 STORING/RECALLING MEMORY SETTINGS ..........................................................50
8.1 Memory Working with Individual AddIns .........................................................................50
8.2 Global Memory Management .........................................................................................53
9 APPENDICES .............................................................................................55
9.1 Glossary of Terms and Abbreviations..............................................................................55
9.2 Remote Control Connection Options ...............................................................................57
9.2.1 Single-unit serial connections................................................................................. 57
9.2.2 Multiple-unit Ethernet connections .......................................................................... 58
9.2.3 Multiple-unit serial connections............................................................................... 60
9.2.4 Ethernet and serial ............................................................................................... 61
9.3 Setting up the Lantronix UDS1100 Converter...................................................................62
9.3.1 Configuring the Lantronix UDS1100 ........................................................................ 62
9.3.2 Connecting the system equipment .......................................................................... 64
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1 INTRODUCING THE HELIX REMOTE CONTROL SOFTWARE
The HELIX Equaliser Remote Control Software (HELIX RCS) enables engineers to remotely program a
network of up to 64 HELIX equaliser channels from a laptop or PC for onward downloading to the
DN9340E or DN9344E units at a venue. This means that programming can be done in advance of a
show from home or en-route, leaving more time for fine-tuning.
At the venue, the settings can be quickly downloaded to the equaliser network. Thereafter, a HELIX
RCS laptop/PC can be used for real-time control of the slave equaliser network during both set-up and
performance. Using the HELIX RCS in place of a DN9340E offers an enhanced visual overview of slave
performance, as well as significant time-savings in switching between slave units, navigating
equalisation views and adjusting settings. Furthermore, for optimal control during set-up, the laptop/PC
can be set up to communicate with the slave network over a wireless connection, leaving the engineer
free to move around the venue while adjusting the equalisation settings. For performance, Ethernet
communication is used, although there is an option for conventional serial RS-232, if required. Settings
can also be uploaded from the DN9340E/DN9344E Equalisers to the HELIX RCS.
In addition to the active settings, HELIX RCS can also be used to remotely program all the equaliser
memories, and that includes the 32 lockable Preset (flash) memories, which can only be programmed
from an external computer.
The HELIX RCS runs as an AddIn to the Midas Klark Teknik ELGAR Library Manager, enabling you to
work on settings for your equaliser devices alongside other Midas or Klark Teknik devices, for example,
a console, and save them all in a single show file. The show file can then be reused from venue to
venue. In addition, you can minimise time and effort by copying settings between the HELIX RCS AddIn
devices.
Please note that, for the purposes of this manual, a HELIX DN9340E or DN9344E unit is the actual
physical version connected to the system and an RCS unit is a unit in HELIX DN9340E/DN9344E RCS.
Also, some of the screenshots in the manual may appear slightly different to those on your screen due
to configuration and status of the system, units and your laptop/PC.
Note
Earlier HELIX DN9340 and DN9344 devices (non-E) may be connected to the network and
controlled using the HELIX DN9340E/DN9344E RCS, provided that the connection to these
devices is in accordance with Appendix 9.2 of this User Guide.
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2 INSTALLING HELIX RCS
2.1 Minimum System Requirements
Operating System: Windows 2000 or Windows XP
Computer/Laptop: Display resolution minimum 1024 X 768 pixels set at 96 DPI
Pentium III 500MHz (or equivalent)
256MB RAM
Minimum 10MB of free disk space on hard drive
Connectivity: Connection to the DN9340E/DN9344E units is via Ethernet (also with wireless
option), with the units operating V4.00 host code (or later). There is also an
option for serial connection, achieved via the front panel. Full connection
options and respective equipment requirements are detailed in Sections 7 and
9 of this document.
Software: The following software must be installed prior to installing the HELIX Remote
Control Software:
Microsoft .NET Framework 1.1 available at:
http://microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=262D25E3-F5894842-8157-034D1E7CF3A3&displaylang=en
Midas ELGAR Library Manager Shell available at:
http://www.midasconsoles.com
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2.2 Software Installation
HELIX RCS AddIn is available as an ‘.exe’ file from the Klark Teknik website
(http://www.klarkteknik.com/software.htm) and includes an integral Set Up Wizard that guides you
through the installation process on your laptop/PC.
00
Note We recommend that you save the .exe file to your desktop (or other holding folder) rather than
opening the file while the Internet transfer is in progress. This will avoid the possibility of the
integral Set Up Wizard interrupting the transfer, especially on slower Internet connections.
Once you have downloaded the .exe file, install it on your laptop/PC as follows
1 Run the “HelixRCS_Vn_nn.exe” file (where “n_nn” is
latest software version number). The Setup Wizard
should appear on-screen within a few seconds.
2 Following the on-screen instructions, click to go
to the Information window, which details the latest
improvements to the software. Previous users may find
this information particularly useful.
3 Click to go to the Select Desination Location window.
Leave the Destination Directory as the preset default, that is,
“C:\Program Files\Klark Teknik Group\ELGAR”, unless you
have installed ELGAR in an alternative directory. In the
latter case, specify your alternative ELGAR destination
directory.
4 Click once again; this will take you to the Ready to
Install window.
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5 When you are ready to install, click . After
successful installation, click
The HELIX EQ RCS will now be available through the
ELGAR Library Manager.
to exit the Wizard.
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3 GETTING STARTED
3.1 Opening HELIX RCS within the ELGAR Library Manager
Note To run HELIX RCS you must have installed the Midas Klark Teknik ELGAR Library Manager on
your laptop/PC. The ELGAR Software and User Guide may be obtained from our website at
http://www.midasconsoles.com.
HELIX RCS runs as an ‘AddIn’ to the ELGAR Library Manager which provides a single management
window for various Midas and Klark Teknik remote programming software.
By opening multiple AddIns within the ELGAR Library Manager, you can work on settings for the various
Midas and Klark Teknik devices associated with a show at the same time. For example, you can add-in
a series of Klark Teknik DN9340 Equaliser AddIns to cover your equaliser network, plus a Midas Heritage
1000 AddIn with settings for a H1000 console. Furthermore, as the concurrently opened AddIns are
saved, reopened etc. as a single show file using the ELGAR File menu commands, you will save time in
file management.
To add-in an HELIX RCS device to the ELGAR Library Manager:
1 Open ELGAR by double clicking on the ELGAR
desktop icon.
2 From the ELGAR Main Menu Bar, select
Tools > Add Device > Helix EQ.
A DN9340 device screen, as shown below, is opened inside the ELGAR Library Manager. This device
screen is the workspace where you remotely program scene settings for either a DN9340E or one half of
a DN9344E, that is, a single HELIX equaliser. The screen provides a graphic display and a series of
‘tabs’ that emulate the display and menus of the DN9340E.
A DN9340 fast navigation screen, known as FastNav® (see Section 6.2), is also opened (behind) at the
same time. This becomes useful when you are working with several DN9340 device screens, as it
enables you to quickly switch to any channel on any of the device screens. It is also used for
monitoring connection status of your networked devices during online ‘radio’ operation.
You can open up to 32 DN9340 device screens (generally referred to as HELIX AddIns) within a single
show file.
Device Navigation
screen for switching
between AddIn
Devices
DN9340 Device
screen
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3.2 The DN9340 Device Workspace
The key features of DN9340 device workspace are identified in the figure below.
Channel A and
Channel B
Navigation
strips
EQ Shaping
tabs
View button
Online and
FastNav
buttons
Input, Dynamic EQ and
®
Output ‘LED’ meters
Minimise and
Close Window
EQ Mode
tabs
Frequency
Response
Graphic
Display
3.3 Quick Tour of the DN9340 Device Views
The DN9340 Device workspace has six key views that relate to the main ‘menu pages’ of the DN9340
unit. These are:
Home View
Filter View
Dynamic Equalisation View
Parametric Equalisation View
Graphic Equalisation View
Memory View
The views are shown overleaf.
To quickly switch to a different view on the same channel
Click on either the upper or lower tab of the required view.
Note
The left-to-right order of EQ tabs on the Navigation Strip reflects, and provides a reminder of,
the order in which signal processing is applied to your input. The manual follows the typical
order of programming equalisation, that is, filters, dynamic, parametric and graphic.
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To quickly switch to a different view on the other channel
Click on the required view button on the Channel A or B navigation strip.
As you switch view the display is updated to show the frequency response curve of the currently
selected EQ. Home and Memory views show the combined EQ frequency response.
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4 CONFIGURING THE HELIX ADDIN
4.1 Network Identification
A single show file will usually have multiple HELIX AddIns equating to the networked HELIX units in your
physical set up. Each AddIn must be uniquely addressed and configured to match its physical
counterpart, that is, the slave DN9340 or DN9344 HELIX that it will remotely program, and also the
communication mode must be specified. In addition, to make it easier to navigate between device
screens without confusion, device screens and channels should be labelled. All this is done in the Home
view of the HELIX AddIn.
To configure the HELIX AddIn to match its physical counterpart
1 Switch to the Home view from the Channel A or B Navigation Strip, or by clicking on the
upper or lower Home tab.
A Specify the HELIX unit details in the upper Home tab
2 Type in a Unit Name (maximum 16 characters) to
help identify the unit. The title bar of the
workspace changes to the new name as you type.
3 Specify the numerical Address of the slave HELIX
that you wish this HELIX AddIn to control by
typing in the number (between 1 and 32) or using
the scroll.
Note
4 Configure the network, as detailed in Section 7.3.3.
HELIX RCS will automatically assume the lowest available Address number when you
add-in a new DN9340 EQ (or DN9848) device, up to the maximum of 32. In keeping
with network protocol, HELIX RCS will not allow two devices to be assigned the same
address irrespective of device type. Addresses are unique across the document.
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B Specify channel details in the lower Home tab
5 For each channel, type in a Long Name (maximum 11 characters, upper or lower case) and
Short Name (maximum 3 characters, upper case only) that identifies the channel
function/location in the equaliser network.
Note
The Long Name is used on the alphanumeric display when the slave is a DN9340, while the short name is
used by the ‘starburst’ display when the slave is DN9344. The Long Name is also used to identify channels
in the FastNav
slave DN9340 to indicate which channel is currently on display.
6 Set the Delay for Channel A and Channel B by scrolling the s, ms and µs fields or typing a
7 Set the input gain Level for Channel A and Channel B by typing in a value or by using the
Note
When editing a Channel in the Home tab, it is highlighted in dark grey to indicate that it is
the active view on the graphic display.
®
Screen. Both names are shown above the graphic displays of the HELIX AddIn and
value. The maximum delay allowed is 1s.
slider to the right of each channel panel for coarse adjustment and the field scroll for fine
adjustment. (Clicking above/below the slider pointer increases/decreases the level in 0.5dB
steps.) To mute the input signal, click on Mute . The button changes to red to show that it
is currently active.
When settings are transferred to/from the unit, the Mute is linked to the Off setting,
found just below –40dB (the HELIX units do not have Mute buttons). So that, when
writing settings to the unit, ‘Mute on’ will set the unit to Off. Conversely, when getting
settings from the unit, an Off value at the unit will switch Mute on and set the Level field to
–40dB. The only exception to this is when a signal interruption occurs while working
online (see Section 7.6).
4.2 Linking and Bypassing Channels
To link the channels for identical operation
1 Click on the Navigation Strip of the channel whose settings you wish to retain.
2 Tick the Link AB check box.
The settings of the background channel are overwritten and locked to the channel currently on view.
Both Navigation Strips and both Channel Panels on the lower Home tab are highlighted as active to
indicate that any changes made to settings are applied to both channels. Although the graph is labelled
with only Channel A names, Channel B names are retained for downloading.
To return to separate channel operation, clear the Link AB check box.
To switch a channel out of the equaliser network
Tick its Bypass check box on the respective Channel Panel on the lower Home tab.
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5 PROGRAMMING EQ
5.1 Graphic Equalisation
To switch to the Graphic Equalisation view
Click on the Graphic button of the Channel A or B Navigation Strip, as required. (If staying
on the same Channel, you may prefer to click on a Graphic tab).
Use the All Flat button
to reset all faders
Graphic Mode
tab
Faders can
be adjusted
on the graph
or on the tab
Tick the fader
check box to
The upper Graphic Mode tab is used to set the EQ type, bypass state, autogain etc. for the current
channel. The lower Graphic Shaping tab provides 31 fader controls for adjusting the gain of the 31
bands of the 1/3 octave equaliser; these are mirrored by fader controls along the frequency response
graph.
To specify the EQ mode for the current channel
1 In the upper tab, open the EQ Type drop down
menu and select Proportional, Constant, or
Symmetrical Q. Type in or scroll to the required Q.
or
Select a Klark Teknik DN360 or DN27 emulation
curve from EQ Type drop down menu. The Q field
is disabled for the emulations.
The black graph
shows combined
EQ. The red
graph shows the
response of the
selected fader
Graphic
Shaping tab
Note
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Refer to the DN9340/DN9344 Operators Manual for application notes on Equalisation modes
and Q.
HELIX DN9340E/DN9344E Remote Control Software
User Guide
2 To apply autogain, tick the AutoGain check box and type in (or scroll) the required value in
the field below.
3 Use the Unit Display drop down menu to set the Graphic display mode that DN9340 units
should assume when taken out of slave operation; this only comes into effect if the slave is
a DN9430. The choice made here has no effect on your AddIn device display.
To Bypass the graphic EQ on the current channel
Tick the Bypass check box in the upper tab.
To adjust a fader level
Hint
To help fader selection at the graph, the frequency band and dB level is displayed as you hover
over a fader.
Click and drag the fader on the graph or on the lower tab. The graph and tab faders are
linked so that they move simultaneously.
The overall frequency response (black line) updates as you adjust the fader. The individual response of
the fader is also shown (in red) while the fader is selected.
To adjust a group of faders together
1 Click and drag the cursor diagonally over the group of
faders to enclose them in the selection box. The selected
faders are highlighted in red.
2 Click and drag any of the selected faders to move the
whole group up or down by the same dB while retaining
their relative values.
3 To deselect the group, click anywhere on the graph outside
the group.
The overall frequency response (black) updates as you adjust the
group. The individual response (red) is only shown for the fader that you drag. If required, the
response of the other faders can be checked by clicking on each one in turn.
To reset all faders to zero
Click on the All Flat button in the Global Graphic tab.
To switch a fader out of the circuit
1 Tick the check box directly beneath the fader in the
lower tab.
The fader response is faded to grey on the graph (the
setting is retained for recall) and its contribution is
removed from the overall frequency response.
2 To switch the fader in again, clear the check box.
Fader In
Fader Out
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5.2 Parametric Equalisation
To switch to the Parametric Equalisation view
Click on the Para button of the Channel A or B Navigation Strip, as required. (If staying on
the same Channel, you may prefer to click on a Parametric tab).
Parametric Mode
tab
PEQ sections
are adjusted
by dragging
the ‘target’ o
setting values
PEQ panels
appear as
you add PEQ
Tick the check box to switch the
PEQ section out of the circuit
The upper Parametric Mode tab is used to set the EQ characteristic (EQ type), bypass state and graph
display mode (when a DN9340) for the current channel. The lower Parametric Shaping tab provides a
series of PEQ control panels for added PEQ sections. PEQ sections can also be adjusted at the display
by using the ‘target cursor’.
To set the Parametric EQ mode for the channel
1 Select a Proportional, Constant, or Symmetrical Q
characteristic from the EQ Type drop down menu
(right).
The black graph
shows combined
EQ. The red
graph shows the
response of the
selected PEQ
section
Parametric
Shaping tab
2 Use the Unit Display drop down menu to set the
Parametric display mode that the HELIX unit should
assume when taken out of slave operation; this
only comes into effect if the slave is a DN9430.
The choice made here has no effect on your AddIn
device display.
Note
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Refer to the DN9340/DN9344 Operators Manual for application notes on Equalisation modes
and Q.
HELIX DN9340E/DN9344E Remote Control Software
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User Guide
To Bypass the parametric EQ on the current channel
Tick the Bypass check box in the upper Parametric tab.
To add a PEQ section to the graph
1 Click on the Add button in the lower Parametric tab. A PEQ
panel with Level, frequency and Q is added to the tab (shown
right) and a target appears on the graph at 1kHz.
2 Left click on the target and drag it to the required frequency and
dB level. Right click on the target and drag the mouse up/down
(the target remains still) to increase/decrease the width of the
PEQ section, that is, by adjusting the Q value. The values in the
PEQ panel track the target.
3 If required, fine tune settings by scrolling the PEQ panel Frequency, Level and Q fields.
Hint
Adjusting PEQ positions: The target provides quick but coarse adjustment, the scrolls enable
fine adjustment. If you know the exact values you wish to apply, it may be quicker to type the
values into the PEQ panel. Frequencies in kHz should be entered with a ‘k’ suffix, that is, 12.5k
for 12.5 kHz. Frequencies will be automatically adjusted to the nearest valid increment.
To activate the target at an existing PEQ section
Click anywhere on its PEQ panel, but note that if you click on the very bottom of the panel,
you also click the Out field and thus change the in/out status. The selected panel becomes
highlighted and the target ‘switches’ to the associated PEQ section.
The target cannot be ‘switched’ to another PEQ by clicking on the graphic (this would conflict with its
function as a repositioning control for the underlying PEQ section).
Note
The order of the PEQ panels will not necessarily mirror the order of the PEQ sections on the
graph, as targets can be moved along the frequency axis to suit requirements.
To switch a PEQ section out of the circuit
1 Tick on the Out check box at the bottom of the respective PEQ
panel.
The PEQ section is faded to grey on the graph and its contribution
is removed from the overall frequency response. The target
stays on the PEQ section so that the PEQ can still be adjusted
while switched out.
PEQ In
PE
out
2 To switch the PEQ section in again, clear the Out check box.
To remove a PEQ section from the graph
1 Move the target to the PEQ section you wish to remove by clicking on its PEQ panel. Click
the Remove button in the Parametric Shaping tab.
2 At the prompt, click Yes to confirm the removal the PEQ or No to cancel.
The PEQ section is removed and the remaining PEQ panels re-numbered, if required.
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5.3 Dynamic Equalisation
To switch to the Dynamic Equalisation view
Click on the Dynamic button of the Channel A or B Navigation Strip, as required. (If staying
on the same Channel you may prefer to click on a Dynamic tab).
The black graph
shows overall
response. The
red graph shows
the response o
the selected LO
or HI Dynamic
Tick the check box to switch the
The upper Dynamic Mode tab is used to set the characteristic of the Threshold Dependent Dynamic EQ
( T-DEQ), bypass state and graph display mode (when a DN9340) for the current channel. The lower
Dynamic Shaping tab provides a control panel for each of the two Dynamic EQ sections that can be
applied to the frequency response. The Dynamic EQ sections can also be adjusted at the display by
using the target cursor.
PEQ section out of the circuit
Dynamic Mode
tab
The Dynamic
section’s freq,
level and Q are
adjusted by
dragging the
target’ or
setting values
For a shelf
dynamic, choose
an E
slope
To set the Dynamic EQ mode for the channel
1 Select a Proportional, Constant or Symmetrical Q
characteristic from the EQ Type drop down
menu.
2 Use the Unit Display drop down menu to set the
Dynamic EQ display mode that DN9340 units
should assume when taken out of slave
operation; this only comes into effect if the slave
is a DN9430. The choice made here has no
effect on your AddIn device display.
Note
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Refer to the DN9340/DN9344 Operators Manual for application notes on Equalisation modes
and Q.
HELIX DN9340E/DN9344E Remote Control Software
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To Bypass the Dynamic EQ on the current channel
Tick the Bypass check box in the upper Dynamic tab by clicking on it.
To shape a Dynamic EQ section
1 Click on its control panel in the lower Dynamic tab so that it is highlighted. (Dynamics
initially default to 1kHz).
2 Scroll or type in the Lo Threshold (quiet) and the
Hi Threshold (loud) for the signal level.
3 Left click on the target and drag it to the
required frequency and boost/cut. The
currently selected threshold is marked at the
bottom left of the target. The values in the
Dynamic control panel track the target.
4 Using the double-headed arrow to the top right
of the target, toggle to the other threshold.
5 Left click on the target and drag it to the
required frequency and boost/cut.
Click the arrow to
switch between
high (HI) and low
(LO) thresholds
6 Right click on the target and drag the mouse up/down (the target
remains still) to increase (narrow) or decrease (widen) the Q factor or
choose a shelf response from the EQ slope drop down menu in the
Dynamic control panel.
Note
The Q field is disabled when an EQ slope is selected; reset the EQ
slope to Off to enable the Q field.
7 If required, fine tune the settings at the PEQ panel by scrolling the Frequency, Level and Q
fields.
8 Specify the response to sudden rises in dB level by setting an Attack time between 20 µs
and 100 ms using the scroll to increment in allowable steps for the sample rate or by typing
in a value (use u for µ). Typed in values are automatically adjusted to the nearest
allowable value.
9 Specify the response to sudden drops in dB level by setting a Release time between 10 and
2000 µs, using the scroll to increment in steps of 10 µs or by typing in a value.
Hint
Adjusting the Dynamics: The target provides coarse visual adjustment, the scrolls enable fine
tuning. If you know the exact values you wish to apply to, it may be quicker to type the values
into the Dynamic panel. Frequencies in kHz should be entered with a ‘k’ suffix, that is, 12.5k
for 12.5 kHz. Frequencies will be automatically adjusted to the nearest valid increment.
To activate the target on the other Dynamic
Click anywhere on its Dynamic panel. The selected panel becomes highlighted and the
target cursor switches to the associated Dynamic, on the same threshold as your last edit.
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To switch a Dynamic section out of the circuit
1 Tick the Out check box at the bottom
right-hand corner of its Dynamic control
panel.
The Dynamic is faded to grey on the graph and
its contribution is removed from the overall
frequency response. The target remains active
so that it can still be adjusted while switched
Dynamic
switched out
5.4 Filters
To switch to the Filter view
out.
2 To switch it in again, clear the check box.
The Filter freq,
level, and Q are
adjusted by
dragging the
target’ o
setting values
Control panels
appear as you
Click on the Filter button of the Channel A or B Navigation Strip, as required. (If staying on
the same Channel, you may prefer to click on a Filter tab).
Filter Mode tab
The black graph
shows overall
response. The
red graph shows
the response of
the selected LO
or HI Dynamic
Filter Shaping
tab
Tick the check box to switch
the filter out of the circuit
Choose a notch, pass
or shelf filter
The upper Filter Mode tab is used to set the bypass state and the Graph display mode (when a DN9340)
for the current channel. The lower Filter Shaping tab provides a control panel for each added Filter.
Filter settings can also be adjusted at the display by using the target cursor.
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At the Filter Mode tab
Use the Unit Display drop down menu to set the display mode that DN9340 units should
assume when taken out of slave operation; this only comes into effect if the slave is a
DN9430. The choice made here has no effect on your AddIn device display.
To Bypass all the Filters on the current channel
Tick the Bypass check box in the Filter Mode tab by clicking on it.
To add a Filter to the graph
1 Click on the Add button in the Filter Shaping tab. A notch filter, with target, appears on the
left-hand edge of the graph (20Hz) with the target and a filter
panel added to the tab.
2 Select a Filter Type from the associated drop down menu on the
Shaping tab. The control panel fields change accordingly and
the filter (with target) resets to a suitable default freq., for
example, if you select LPF the filter resets to 20kHz. To obtain
a peaking High or Low Pass filter, select LPF or HPF then select
a Peak from the Type drop down menu (right).
3 Left click on the target and drag it horizontally to the required
frequency or type in a value using a k suffix for frequencies of
1kHz and above.
4 Set the remaining fields, for example, Level and Slope for a hi-
shelf filter. Levels can be coarsely adjusted by dragging the target up or down. Notch filter
Q values can be adjusted by right clicking and dragging the mouse up or down.
5 If required, fine tune the settings at the PEQ panel by scrolling the Frequency, Level and Q
fields.
To move the target onto a different filter
Click on the control panel of the required filter. The selected panel becomes highlighted
and the target cursor moves to the filter.
To switch a Filter out of the circuit
Switching a
filter out
1 Tick the Out check box at the top right-hand corner of
the Filter’s control panel.
The Filter is faded to grey on the graph and its contribution is
removed from the overall frequency response. The target
remains active so that it can still be adjusted while switched
out.
HPF and LPF
Peaks are set in
the Type field.
2 To switch the Filter in again, clear the check box.
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6 WORKING WITH MULTIPLE HELIX ADDINS
6.1 Building your Network Remotely
Working within ELGAR enables you to open a series of HELIX AddIns (DN9340 EQ devices) in a single
show file to match your physical equaliser network. As with the physical network, the maximum
number of devices that can be held in any one file is 32.
In keeping with network protocol, each HELIX AddIn must be assigned a unique network address
(between 1 and 32 for the DN9340E/DN9344E). Addresses do not have to be assigned incrementally,
but HELIX RCS will automatically use the lowest available address when you add-in a new DN9340 EQ
Device. HELIX RCS will not allow two devices to be assigned the same address.
6.2 The FastNav® Screen
To make it easier to work with multiple HELIX AddIns, a global DN9340 FastNav® screen is provided
with several multi-device facilities, including:
• Switching between the devices (detailed below).
• Global channel muting (see later in this section).
• Copying settings between devices (covered in Section ).
• Global Graphic control of faders (covered in Section 6.4).
• Global online controls (covered in Section 7.6).
• Mixing console Solo Tracking button assignments (covered in Section 7.7).
• Function Locking for system Protection (covered in Section 7.8).
• Global memory controls (covered in Section 8).
To switch to the FastNav
Click on the Fast Nav. button in any HELIX AddIn.
Or:
Click on the HelixEQ Navigation icon on the
Windows Start bar (usually at the bottom of
the screen).
®
screen
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The screen provides Channel A and B Navigation Strips for all the HELIX AddIns in the show file and a
series of ‘global’ command buttons. (Only Copy Channels, Global Graphic and Mute All/UnMute All are mentioned
later on in this section; the other global commands are described in Sections 7 and 8.) Channels are
identified by the long names entered in the lower Home tab of the respective AddIn and are sorted by
Network Address. When there are 10 or more devices in the list the window includes a scroll bar. To
the right of each strip is a Mute status (red for mute active) and an Online status indicator.
Global
command
Rapide port
name and
online button
Channels
sorted
numerically
buttons
Online status
indicators
Channel
numbers
and names
Click on a View button in a channel strip to switch straight to that screen
Click on a channel number or name in FastNav
®
will load its home page
Click Mute All to mute all the channels
Click UnMute All to cancel mute all the channels
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6.3 Copy Channels Screen
To copy settings from one device to another
1 Click on the Copy Channels button to open the screen shown below (also see Note below).
On the left is a list of all the source channels that are available for copying from, while on
the right are all the channels that you can copy to. Only Mono channels are shown initially;
a mono channel can only be copied to another mono channel and similarly stereo can only
be copied to stereo.
The channel to be
copied is
automatically
removed from the
Destination list
Toggle this button to switch
between mono and stereo
channel lists
Settings may be
copied to one or
more ticked
channels
2 If required, click on Show Stereo Channels to list the stereo channels. (The button toggles to
Show Mono Channels so that you can return to the previous list when required).
3 Click on the channel to be copied, so that it is highlighted.
4 Tick the To check box of each channel to which the settings are to be copied.
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5 Choose Apply to apply the changes and keep the screen open for further copying.
or
Choose OK to apply changes and close the screen.
Note
Hint
If you see the following message,
this feature is not available as
there are lock flags active.
If copying basic settings to most channels, use Select All to tick all channels in the destination
list, then clear check boxes as required. When starting a new selection, use Reset All to quickly
clear all previous ticks.
6.4 Global Graphic Screen
The Global Graphic screen, accessed from the Global Graphic button in FastNav®, has 31 fader controls.
These faders provide global gain adjustment of the 31 bands of the 1/3 octave equaliser across all
channels and correspond to the ones found on the Graphic Equalisation view, accessed from the Graphic
tabs.
Operation of a fader on the Global Graphic screen causes the corresponding fader on all channels to be
adjusted by the same amount. For example, if you adjust the 100k fader on the Global Graphic screen
by +8dB, then each channel’s 100k fader will be increased by +8dB. This is irrespective of the position
of the channel faders before adjustment. However, if a channel fader is at or near its maximum or
minimum value it may not be able to accept the full amount of adjustment; in this case it will be
adjusted to maximum or minimum.
Once selected, the Global Graphic screen remains on top of the other ELGAR screens and operation is
restricted solely to the Global Graphic faders. Changes to these faders are reflected in the graphs on
the Home, Graphic and Memory screens, and also the Graphic’s faders. You can reposition the Global
Graphic screen (see diagram below) to view more easily what is underneath, but to edit the other
ELGAR screens you must close the Global Graphic screen first by clicking on the Close button.
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7 USING HELIX RCS TO CONTROL AN EQUALISER NETWORK
7.1 Overview
To control an equaliser network, the laptop/PC running HELIX RCS is connected to the network in place
of a Master DN9340E HELIX, assuming control of the daisy-chained HELIX units under pre-set slave
addresses. The following options for connecting the laptop/PC to the HELIX unit(s) are available:
Ethernet: Covers direct Ethernet, Local Area Network or wireless connection, converting to an
RS-232 front panel input via a Lantronix UDS1100 Converter. Wireless offers
increased flexibility during the event set-up, as the engineer can move around freely
with a laptop and adjust the equalisation while listening to the end effect at any place
in the venue.
Serial (option): The optional RS-232 serial connection is via the “PC PORT” on the front panel of the
first HELIX unit. It is possible to connect other HELIX DN9340E/DN9344E units via
the rear Ethernet port(s) when using a serial connection, but note that this will be
slower that using Ethernet.
The following sections describe how to connect the master HELIX DN9848E RCS laptop/PC to the system
for each option and also the interconnectivity of the HELIX DN9340E/DN9344E units.
Note
If Solo Tracking input is required, the first slave HELIX must be a DN9340 and the front panel
RS-232 PC Port must be used.
7.2 HELIX DN9340E/DN9344E unit interconnections
The HELIX DN9340E/DN9344E units in your system can be connected together in a “daisy chain”, or
each one can be connected to an Ethernet switch or hub.
Note When connecting the Ethernet cable to the rear panel of a HELIX DN9340E/DN9344E unit,
either of the Ethernet sockets can be used.
7.2.1 Connecting the HELIX DN9340/DN9344E units in a daisy chain
The diagram below shows a typical example of the HELIX DN9340/DN9344E units connected in a daisy
chain configuration.
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7.2.2 Connecting the HELIX DN9340E/DN9344E units to an Ethernet switch or hub
The diagram below shows each HELIX DN9340E/DN9344E unit directly connected to an Ethernet switch
or hub, which is then connected top a laptop/PC.
7.3 Ethernet Connection
For familiarisation purposes, a basic Ethernet connection may be made to a single unit by connecting
the Ethernet cable to either of the unit’s rear panel Ethernet sockets and to the network socket on the
laptop PC or wireless access point (wireless option).
For Ethernet connectivity, the HELIX DN9340E/DN9344E units must be operating V4.00 (or later) host
code. For details on setting up the IP address of the HELIX DN9340E/DN9344E units, please refer to
the HELIX DN9340E/DN9344E System Controller Operators Manual. For HELIX DN9340E/DN9344E unit
interconnection details, refer to Section 7.2.
7.3.1 Ethernet connection – standard
The standard system set up is an Ethernet connection via Ethernet cable connected to the network
socket of the laptop/PC and to either an Ethernet socket on one of the HELIX DN9340E/DN9344E units
(daisy chain), or an Ethernet switch or hub, depending on system configuration.
Note
If Solo Tracking input is required, the first HELIX must be a DN9340E.
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7.3.2 Ethernet connection – wireless option
The system set up for the wireless option Ethernet connection is via an Ethernet cable connected to the
network socket of the wireless access point and to either an Ethernet socket on one of the HELIX
DN9340E/DN9344E units (daisy chain), or an Ethernet switch or hub, depending on system
configuration. The system is then operated remotely from a tablet or laptop PC.
Note
If Solo Tracking input is required, the first HELIX must be a DN9340E.
7.3.3 Configuring the Network Devices
Before setting up the Ethernet system for operational purposes, you must first configure the system
devices, that is, the laptop/PC and HELIX DN9340E/DN9344E units to communicate with each other
using TCP/IP protocol. This is done by assigning them unique IP addresses on a shared system.
For a description of the Communications option in ELGAR’s System Configuration window and details on adding,
assigning, configuring and editing ports, saving configurations to a file etc., refer to the ELGAR Library
Manager User Guide. However, any HELIX RCS-specific information is detailed in Section 7.5.
To configure an Ethernet device and assign a port to it
1 From the ELGAR menu, select Tools > Options.
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2 In the System Configuration window, select Routing from the Communications option. If necessary,
click
to expand the Communications category.
3 Click Add Port.
4 Select Ethernet Port from the Port Type drop down list.
5 Type in unique port name (up to 12 characters),
for example, “Unit 1”.
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6 Select the IP address of the HELIX
DN9340E/DN9344E unit you wish to connect to
this port, for example, “192.168.1.22”.
7 Make sure Echo is set to Generic Echo Off.
8 Click OK to accept port change, or Cancel to decline.
9 Assign port to device by
selecting device in List of Devices
and selecting port in the
available ports appropriate to
device in drop down list
(right-hand side), for example,
“Unit 1”.
The name of the assigned port
will appear under the Assigned
Port column (highlighted in
yellow opposite).
10 Click OK.
Your system should now be ready for online operation, as described in Section 7.6. Successful
HELIX RCS/unit communication is indicated on the units by the yellow NETWORK LED illuminating.
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IP Addressing
To uniquely identify every device, Ethernet connections use standard IP addresses comprising four
0-255 segments presented in dot notation, for example, 192.168.1.16. To accommodate widely varying
sizes of system, including those with sub-systems, the segments can be used in slightly differing ways.
The format used by a particular IP address is defined by its ‘subnet mask’, as follows:
a) On a small ‘Class C’ system (less than 256 devices), the subnet mask is 255.255.255.0 indicating
that the first three segments identify the system and are shared by all of the equipment on the
system, while the last segment uniquely identifies each device, for example, in 192.168.1.16, the
system subnet is 192.168.1 and the Device ID is 16. Typically, this is the subnet mask used for
IP addresses on either a HELIX DN9340E or DN9344E RCS system.
b) For larger systems, the first one or two segments identify the system and the remaining
segments identify the sub-system, if relevant, and individual equipment. For example, a Class B
medium sized system uses a 255.255.0.0 subnet mask, indicating the first two segments identify
the system and the last two the sub-system and individual device.
Wireless Routing
For wireless connection, the laptop/PC wireless card and Access Point must be set up to locate and
recognise each other, noting that the airwaves are shared with other devices. This is done by initially
making a wired connection from the laptop/PC to the Access Point to assign the appropriate identifiers
etc. After configuration, the wired connection can be removed and the wireless one made. There is no
need to repeat the wired connection step on future set ups, provided no part of the wireless system has
changed.
Two identifiers are used in the recognition process, as follows:
Service Set Identifier (SSID) – The Access Point broadcasts this to enable nearby devices to
locate it. Broadcast may be disabled, so that the Access Point only flags its presence when
another device calls it by name, that is, its SSID. This mode should be used for the HELIX
DN9848E RCS wireless connection to provide security against unauthorised users accessing the
system.
Authentication code – This ensures that the device trying to connect to the Access Point has the
right to access the system, thus providing an extra layer of security against unauthorised users.
Although there are various authentication methods*, the worked example in the next section
specifically covers the basic Wireless Equivalent Privacy (WEP) key scheme, which uses a long
sequence of numbers as the key. If you wish to use a more complex scheme, please consult the
Access Point and wireless Ethernet card manuals.
* WPA-PSK (Wi-Fi Protected Access – Pre-Shared Key) is now available on Access Point and some wireless cards.
In addition, the broadcast channel of the Access Point can be specified (typically channels 1 to 11 are
available); this is particularly useful if there are other Access Points in the vicinity.
Note Every Ethernet connection on your Laptop/PC has a different IP address. Therefore, when you
have both wired and wireless Ethernet cards on your laptop/PC, be sure to enter the correct
settings for each.
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To configure an Access Point and wireless card (wireless set up only)
As set up procedures vary between the commercially available Access Points - and your Access Point
may have a Set Up Wizard - only essential guidelines can be given here. (Some Access Points store
their configuration details on a web page of the same IP address.) Please refer to your product User
Guides to ensure correct wireless operation. Also, operating systems vary amongst users only;
therefore only standard Windows XP wireless configuration screens are covered here. These can
generally be related to screens on other operating systems.
A Access Point
1 Referring to the product’s manual, set up the Access Point to communicate with your
laptop/PC, ensuring you use the following:
IP settings:
Set the Access Point IP address to the same IP network segment as your laptop/PC LAN and
wireless card. The network segment comprises the first three fields of the IP address.
Typically, on a HELIX DN9340E/DN9344E RCS system, the network segment is set to
192.168.1.
Note Your Access Point will have a factory preset IP subnet address, so to locate it
initially you may be asked to temporarily reconfigure your laptop/PC to use
the same IP network address sequence. After you have located and
reconfigured the Access Point to work on your normal laptop/PC IP subnet,
remember to reset your laptop/PC to its normal IP address.
Wireless Network Settings:
Set an SSID (Service Set Identifier) and disable SSID Broadcast. (If you are given the
option to ‘name’ the Access Point in the configuration details, it can be helpful to also use
the SSID as the name.)
Choose a broadcast channel to minimise interference with other nearby Access Points. To
avoid interference, channel numbers should differ by at least 5. Therefore, as most Access
Points default to Channel 11, Channels 1 – 6 are likely to offer the least interference from
other devices in the area.
Security Settings:
For choosing the Network Authentication type, refer to the product manual or use ‘Open
System’.
Set the data encryption to WEP (Wireless Equivalent Privacy) using, for example, 128 bits,
and generate a key. Usually you are asked to enter a phrase from which the key will be
generated. Make a note of the WEP key and keep it in a secure place (remember, the WEP
key is the security code for your wireless system).
Help
If your laptop appears to have problems talking to the system equipment, try
‘pinging’ it using the DOS Command Prompt ‘PING’ followed by the IP
address, for example, PING 192 168.1.10. If it says it cannot reach it, rather
than having timed out, then they are not using the same IP subnet address –
check that you have changed your laptop IP address back to its original
setting. If that’s not the problem, check that the Access Point was configured
correctly.
If using WPA-PSK, configure the Access Point to use WPA-PSK and enter the exact
passphrase (also known as Shared Secret) as used on the client station.
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B Wireless Card
2 Open your laptop/PC’s Control Panel and locate
and open the Wireless Network Connection Properties
dialogue box. If your wireless card is set up
to use Windows to configure its wireless
systems, a screen similar to that shown left
is presented that has a Wireless Networks
tab. Follow the steps given here to configure
the card.
If the Wireless Networks tab is not
available, please refer to the wireless card
manual for configuration instructions. Make
sure that you use the SSID and WEP key
from the Access Point Configuration.
3 Highlight Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) in the list and
choose Properties to open the Internet
Protocol Properties screen (left). If you are
using DHCP refer to your Access Point
manual for details. Otherwise, select Use the
following IP address and type in an IP Address for
your wireless card using the same subnet
address as your Access Point and laptop.
Click OK to return to the previous screen.
4 Switch to the Wireless Networks tab (left).
Tick Use Windows to configure my wireless network
settings. (The SSIDs of previously added
networks automatically appear in the
network lists.)
5 At the bottom panel, click Add… to open the
Wireless network properties window.
6 Type in the SSID address of the Access Point
and turn WEP on. Set Key Index to 1.
Clear The key is provided for me automatically tick
box to unlock the Network key fields. Type
in and confirm the WEP key as noted in the
Access Point configuration.
7 Click OK to confirm the settings and close the
Wireless Network Connections screen.
continued…
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8 The Access Point SSID should now appear in the lower
Preferred Networks list. If necessary, move the network SSID
to the top of the list, using the Move up button, so that
Windows automatically connects to it in preference to
other available networks.
9 Highlight the SSID in the lower list and click Refresh in the
upper panel. After one or two minutes, (depending on
signal strength and quality), Windows should pop up a
notification box to show that it has found a new network.
The SSID should now appear in the upper Available Networks
list, with an active transmitter symbol (as shown).
If the Access Point SSID is not yet visible in the Available
Networks list, refer the Help box below.
10 Click OK to exit the dialogue box.
Help
The Access Point SSID may take some time to register in the Available Networks list, as the Access
Point must complete a re-boot to effect the configuration changes. Try refreshing again but this
time exit the dialogue box by clicking OK . Wait at least two minutes to ensure the Access Point
re-boot has had time to complete, and then re-open the Wireless Network Connections
Properties dialogue box.
If the SSID still does not appear, open up the Network Connections window from the Control
Panel and ensure that the wireless connection is shown and not disabled. If it is correctly
enabled and you cannot make the connection, refer to your wireless hardware equipment
manuals for help.
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7.3.4 Fault Finding Tips
The following tips cover some of the more likely errors in an Ethernet set up that will cause ELGAR to
report a failure in establishing a connection with the HELIX system. If none of these solve the problem,
please refer to your LAN administrator or the fault finding guidance in your wireless equipment manuals.
To contact Klark Teknik Service Support, please refer to our website at http://www.klarkteknik.com/.
If your Ethernet connection failed when you opened HELIX DN9340E RCS
1 Select Start > Programs > Accessories > Command Prompt to open the DOS Command prompt.
Verify the system connections and addressing as follows:
Verify the status and IP addresses of the LAN card and wireless card by typing IPConfig. If
the prompt returns, “Media disconnected”, you need to re-enable the LAN or Wireless
Network Connections in the Control Panel. If IP addresses are successfully found, verify
that their IP Subnet is correct; if not, change the IP address in the Control Panel.
Verify that the laptop can see the Access Point (if relevant) by pinging its address, that is,
type PING followed by the IP address at the C:\> prompt and press [Return]. If there is no
reply, you may have entered the IP address incorrectly at the configuration stage – refer
back to the configuration instructions.
2 Re-boot your laptop. (It is important that the laptop is re-booted after the system has
been connected and powered up, especially if you have changed the set up to/from
wireless).
3 Verify that all cabling and power connections are in place and, where relevant, that the
Access Point is in a suitable location.
4 Ensure that the Helix Units are operating on host code V3.03 or later.
If your laptop/PC has a firewall:
Make sure that you configure the firewall to accept connections to the following ports:
Port 1001 – for TCP IP normal unit communications.
Port 30718 – for UDP device discovery.
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7.4 Serial Connection (Option)
There is an option to control your system remotely from a laptop PC via an RS-232 connection.
7.4.1 Serial connection details
The system set up for serial connection is illustrated below.
7.4.2 Connection Procedure
The HELIX DN9340E RCS laptop/PC is connected to the daisy chain as follows:
To connect, set up and configure your system for serial operation
1 Connect the HELIX DN9340E/DN9344E units in a daisy chain configuration, see
Section 7.2.1.
2 Power up the HELIX DN9340E/DN9344E units and assign each one a unique Comms
channel address, as follows:
On the HELIX DN9340E/DN9344E unit’s front panel, press and hold the HOME (SETUP)
button to access the Comms menu page.
Use the left-hand DATA ENTRY knob to select a unique channel address between 1 and 32.
Press HOME (SETUP) to accept.
The front panel controls, except the HOME (SETUP) button, are locked out to facilitate remote
operation. The display indicates that the unit is under remote control.
Note The order of the addresses does not need to mirror the order of the daisy chain
networking, but each unit MUST have a unique communications channel address.
3 Referring to the following table, connect your laptop/PC to the first HELIX unit in the daisy
chain.
HELIX DN9340E/DN9344E
Unit Connection
PORT”
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Laptop/PC
Connection
D9 COM port Host cable RS-232 input to front panel “PC
USB port KK systems USB/232 converter plus host cable
For details of converters plese refer to
http://www.klarkteknik.com/faq_connections.htm
Cable/Converter Required
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4 Open ELGAR by clicking on the ELGAR desktop icon.
5 Select File > Open from the ELGAR menu to locate and open the KTG show file containing the
HELIX DN9848E unit settings.
6 From the ELGAR menu, select Tools > Options.
7 In the System Configuration window, select Routing from the Communications option. If necessary,
click
to expand the Communications category.
8 To find any new ports that may have been added to your system, click Find Ports and then
click Yes at the Reset Comms Resources window.
9 To find any new devices that may have been added to your system, click Find Device
Names and then click Yes at the Find Devices attached to this PC window.
10 When device polling has finished, click Add Port.
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11 Select Helix Serial Port from the Port Type drop down list.
12 The Port Configuration window will now extend to include
additional fields. In this window you will select and
name a Helix Serial Port. Select the appropriate COM port
from the drop down list.
13 Rename the port name by clicking in the Port Name field,
highlighting the existing text and typing in the new port
name, for example, “Serial 01”.
14 Click OK . The new port appears in the
Communications Ports list, under its new name.
15 Assign the port name to the device
by selecting the port and device
from the Communications Ports and List
of Devices, and selecting the port
name in the drop down list.
16 Click OK.
Your system should now be ready for online operation, as described in Section 7.6. Successful HELIX
RCS/unit communication is indicated on the units by the yellow NETWORK LED illuminating.
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7.5 The System Configuration Window
This section details only the HELIX RCS-specific functions and any ELGAR updates incorporated for this
new software.
7.5.1 Finding ports and device names
The area highlighted in the diagram, which contains the Find Ports , Find Device Names and Cancel
buttons, is new to ELGAR.
ELGAR automatically searches for ports at start up. If any HELIX devices are switched on after ElGAR
has been started, ELGAR may not find them immediately. These buttons are used to trigger ELGAR into
performing a search of the network to find any recently-added devices, such as DN9848E, DN9340E and
DN9344E, and also their non-‘E’ variants attached using UDS1100 converters (see Section 9.2). If
found, these are added to the List of Devices, where the Device Type column identifies which type of device a
port refers to.
To find all ports on your system
1 In the System Configuration window, click on Find Ports .
2 Click Yes.
Any new port IP addresses will be added to the IP Address drop down list in the Port Configuration window.
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To find new devices attached to your PC
1 In the System Configuration window, click on Find Device
Names .
2 Click Yes.
The status bar under the Cancel button shows the progress of device polling and the current port being
polled is shown under the List of Devices. Any new device name will be added to the List of Devices. To
cancel device polling, press Cancel .
Shows current port
being polled
Shows status of new
device polling
progress
7.5.2 The Port Configuration screen
The Port Configuration screen (shown below) allows you to select the type of port applicable to your
system, that is, Ethernet Port or Helix Serial Port. This screen is accessed from the Add Port and Edit Port
buttons.
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The Ethernet Port screen (shown below) allows you to:
• Change the port name in the Port Name field.
• Select the appropriate IP address from the IP Address drop down list.
• Identify an Ethernet port, whose allocated number is shown in the Port field. This port number,
not to be confused with an ELGAR ‘port’, represents the source port number in TCP connections.
It is the number that identifies the channel for remote initiating connections.
Caution!
Unless instructed to do otherwise, you should not alter this field, as changing it may
cause the serial connection not to work.
• Select Generic Echo Off (usually for Ethernet) or Generic Echo On (usually for serial).
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7.6 Working Online
7.6.1 Communications Overview
Referring to the illustration above, in online mode the HELIX RCS laptop/PC and slave units exchange
the following messages:
Metering Requests
and Responses
Get All Requests
and Responses
Data Packets These carry the equaliser settings from the laptop/PC to the specifically
These obtain data for the Input, Dynamic EQ and Output ‘LED’ meters of
HELIX RCS screen. The HELIX RCS continually polls the units in rotation.
These obtain settings from the specifically addressed unit. These may be
initiated by the user or automatically by the HELIX RCS.
addressed units. Data Packets are only transmitted when you make
changes at the laptop/PC.
What happens when there is interruption to the wireless connection
If the wireless connection drops (for example, due to a pillar interrupting the radio signal), the HELIX
RCS suspends the AddIn settings so that no further changes can be made, although you may freely
navigate between screens. Due to the network speed however, there will be a small delay during which
you may make some changes that are not registered at the unit.
During the drop, the HELIX RCS continues to poll the units for metering requests. When a response is
detected, that is, the wireless connection is restored, the HELIX RCS will come back online as follows:
If you were making changes when the connection dropped, that is, data packets were lost, the
HELIX RCS will send a Get All request to the slave network to re-synchronise the HELIX AddIns with
their physical counterparts before unfreezing the Device Screens. Your last change(s) are lost.
Synchronising to the physical units, that is, to the last settings you heard, avoids the possibility of
extreme changes in volume due to any dramatic adjustments you may have made due to the apparent
lack of effect as the units went offline.
If no changes were being made when the units went offline, that is, no data packets were lost,
the HELIX RCS has no need to re-synchronise and smoothly reverts to normal operation without sending
a Get All request.
Note
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Mute On: Normally, the Get All request overwrites the ‘Mute On’ settings at the RCS.
However, if the Get All is initiated automatically due to signal interruption, active Mute
buttons retain their status while the gain value at the unit is transferred to the Level field.
This enables Mutes to be applied to channels for sound testing purposes while ensuring their
true levels are not lost during signal interruptions.
HELIX DN9340E/DN9344E Remote Control Software
User Guide
7.6.2 Online Operation
Important!
We recommend that you always save your show file settings before going online, so that you have the
option of reverting to previous settings after a ‘Get All’ synchronisation.
The slave Units in the network can be set online/offline, individually or globally, as required.
To set a particular unit online (and Get All/Send All settings)
1 Switch to the respective HELIX AddIn.
2 Click on the large red Go Online button to the right of
the Channel Navigation Strips.
3 At the Synchronise Data prompt, choose to
download the PC settings to the Unit (Set All), or
upload settings from the Unit to overwrite the
current PC settings in the respective AddIn Devices
(Get All).
4 Click OK .
When contact is successfully established the button turns green and the text
changes to Go Offline, while at the HELIX unit the NETWORK LED shows
communication activity. If the connection is not immediate the button turns
yellow and displays a ? while it tries to establish wireless contact.
Version
Update
If online contact cannot be established, an error message is returned. This must be acknowledged;
thereafter HELIX RCS will continue polling the unit unless taken Offline by clicking on the yellow ?
button. Continuous polling is primarily designed to facilitate wireless communication, where the link
may briefly disappear, for example, when you walk behind an obstructing object. However, it can also
be useful when fault finding cabled communication, as the button will turn green as soon as the problem
is corrected.
Warning!
Changes should not be made to equalisation settings at the unit while the HELIX RCS is attempting to
establish communication, as this the Unit and AddIn may lose synchronisation.
In response to customer feedback, the online/offline colour coding has been reversed from
earlier versions. Also, the data synchronisation ‘direction’ has been changed; ‘Get All’ is
now the default option.
If online communication cannot be established, check the following
The AddIn device is set to a valid Address, COM Port and Comms Mode in the upper Home tab.
Cabling and power connections are in place.
Network communications are operating correctly (Ethernet setups only) – refer to Section 7.3.4.
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To take a unit offline
1 Switch to the respective HELIX AddIn.
2 Click the green Go Offline button so that it toggles to red Go Online.
To check the online status of the Devices in the network
®
Switch to the FastNav
status of each channel connection is indicated at the right of the Navigation Strip by a
green (Online), red x (Offline) or a yellow ? (trying to establish connection).
To set the Rapide unit online/offline
Refer to Section 6.2.
1 Switch to the FastNav
2 Click Online to set the Rapide unit online.
3 Or, click Online to set the Rapide unit offline.
When the Rapide online button is red ( Online ) the unit is offline. The Rapide online button turns green
(Online ) when contact is successfully established, while at the Rapide unit the ETHERNET LED shows
communication activity. If the connection is not immediate the button turns yellow (Online ) while it tries
to establish wireless contact.
screen, see “To switch to the FastNav® screen on page 22. The
®
screen.
To set the entire network online
1 Switch to the FastNav
2 Choose All Units Online or All Units Offline , as required.
3 At the Synchronise Data prompt, choose to download the PC settings to the Units (Set All),
or upload settings from the Units to overwrite the current PC settings in the respective
AddIn Devices (Get All).
4 Click OK .
The HELIX RCS will poll the networked Units in order of the
FastNav
and updating their Online/Offline buttons as the poll proceeds.
A Please Wait window shows the current progress.
If a unit communication cannot be established with a unit after
a few seconds, a prompt will advise you to set the unit offline
to enable the system to run faster (if left online it will be continually polled for connection and this will
slow the system). To help maintain optimum performance in a busy situation, this prompt has
a countdown whereby the Unit is automatically taken offline if there is no acknowledgement.
®
list, bringing the respective AddIn to the foreground
®
screen.
To cancel online connection during polling
Close the Please Wait window by click on the x . You will be prompted to confirm the action.
Click Yes to cancel or No to resume the poll.
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To take the entire network offline
1 Switch to the FastNav
maximising the DN9340 Navigation icon on the Windows Start bar.
2 Choose All Units Offline .
The buttons on the FastNav® screen and individual Device screens are toggled accordingly.
7.6.3 Activity Indicators
During online operation, the Activity Indicators of the HELIX AddIn provide audio metering for the
respective unit. These mirror the Activity Indicators of the Unit (for further information on metering,
refer to the DN9340E/DN 9344E Operator Manual).
7.6.4 Bypassing Channels
Using HELIX RCS as the Master enables Channels, EQ types or EQ sections/filters to be quickly switched
in an out, as follows:
®
screen by clicking on the red Fast Nav. button in any AddIn or by
To Bypass… From the FastNav® screen …
A channel 1 Select the Home view of the channel.
2 Tick the Bypass box in the highlighted panel of the lower tab (that
is, the active channel).
A EQ type 1 Locate the required channel Navigation Strip and click on the
required EQ view button.
2 Tick the Bypass box in the upper mode tab.
EQ section 1 Locate the required channel Navigation Strip and click on the
required EQ view button.
2 Tick the Out check box for the respect EQ section/filter in the lower
tab.
7.6.5 Troubleshooting
If you are having difficulty setting units online, using either the Go Online button (on device workspace)
for a single unit or the All Units Online global button (on FastNav®) for all the units, try reloading the .ktg
file. If required, save the file first.
If this does not solve the problem, try restarting Elgar.
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7.7 Solo Tracking Operation
If required, the Solo Tracking system of the Midas mixing console in use can be set up to select the
slave equalisers in the Helix Network. To enable this, the various Solo Tracking buttons must be
assigned to Helix channels via the System Solo Tracking Setup screen (shown below) and the settings
downloaded to a DN9340 Helix unit that is currently connected to the console Solo Tracking output (the
DN9344 does not have a Solo Tracking input).
To open the System Solo Tracking Setup screen
List of console
Solos buttons
assigned to the
EQ channels
Switch to the FastNav® screen and choose Solo Tracking .
This field defaults to the
Master Unit set in the
Function Lockout screen
User Guide
Name changes
will be copied
to Device
screens
Solo selections
change to match
Console Type
Clear all the
current
assignments
The screen contains a scrollable list similar to the Solo Tracking System Configuration page of the
DN9340E Helix unit, showing the 32 HELIX equaliser channels and their currently assigned solos.
Assignments are made via the fields in the Solo Tracking Setup panel at the right-hand side. The
available Solo Source and Num settings change to match the chosen Console Type.
To assign solo sources to HELIX channels
1 Specify the console to be used for the performance in the Console
Type field in the top right-hand corner of the screen. Any
current assignments that are not valid for the chosen console
are flagged as invalid by an asterisk in the right-hand column.
2 Highlight the HELIX channel in the list and choose the required
Solo Source from the drop down list on the right-hand panel and
then choose a number from the Num drop down list. (The Num
list changes to suit the selected Solo Source).
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3 If an asterisk appears in the Valid column, the chosen solo button is already assigned to
another HELIX channel; the conflicting HELIX channel will also be marked with an asterisk.
Select another Solo Source and Num combination for one or other of the HELIX channels to
resolve the conflict.
Hint
To write the settings to the DN9340 unit that is currently configured for Solo Tracking
If required, click on Reset STS to quickly clear all the current solo assignments.
1 In the System Solo Tracking Setup screen, select the DN9340 HELIX unit you wish to write
to from the Target Helix Unit drop down list. The Target Helix field defaults to the Master Unit
specified in the Function Lockout screen (see Section 7.8).
2 Click on Write To Unit . You are warned that this will overwrite the data in the unit and are
asked to confirm the action.
Note
If the Write To Unit button is dimmed, you need to set the selected target unit online.
3 Click Yes to continue or No to abort.
4 Click Exit to close the screen when finished.
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7.8 Protecting System Settings
To protect against unauthorised users tampering with key parameters that may affect preset room
equalisation or result in equipment damage, a password protected lockout can be set up via the HELIX
RCS show file using the screen shown below. The lockout settings and password are downloaded to a
specified master unit, generally the DN9340 HELIX with Solo Tracking, such that the system is still
protected when taken out of remote control.
To open the System Solo Tracking Setup screen
Switch to the FastNav® screen and choose Function Locking .
Settings are
protected by
password
access
Graphic, Parametric
and/or Dynamic EQ
settings can be locked
out separately
Initially, when you open the screen the fields will be dimmed out. To access the fields you must enter
the current password. Once accessed, you can:
• Lock out all or some of the EQ screens for all add-ins (and equivalent Unit menu pages via
Master Unit).
• Freeze the Delay and Gain settings for all add-ins (and equivalent via Master Unit).
• Secure linked channels settings.
Lockout settings are
downloaded to the master unit,
e.g. the Solo Tracking DN9340
To change lockout settings
1 Type in the password and click Enter Password . Provided you entered the correct password,
the fields will become active. If the password is incorrect, an error prompt is displayed and
another attempt may be made.
Note
2 If necessary, select the Master Unit from the associated drop down list. Helix RCS will confirm
3 Tick the check boxes of the locks you wish to apply.
4 Click OK .
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If you have not previously set a password this will default to ‘password’ (all lower
case). Password traffic is one way only from the HELIX RCS to the Master Unit; they
are not uploaded with the Get All data command.
the change has been made. Click OK to continue.
HELIX DN9340E/DN9344E Remote Control Software
User Guide
To change the current password
1 Click on Change Password to open the screen shown right.
2 Type in a password of up to 8 characters in length.
Note that the DN9340 Unit regards spaces as part of the
password.
3 Repeat the password in the lower field to confirm it and
click OK .
Provided the passwords in both fields match, Helix RCS will confirm
the change. If there was a mismatch, the change will fail.
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8 STORING/RECALLING MEMORY SETTINGS
The DN9340E and DN9344E HELIX Equalisers are provided with 32 User memories for storing frequently
used Equaliser settings in battery-backed-up SRAM. In addition, they have 32 password-lockable Preset
Memories stored in non-volatile FLASH memory for secure storage of essential settings against
overwriting or battery failure; these can only be programmed using an external computer.
To enable you to quickly program both User and Preset memories, the HELIX RCS AddIn device has 64
equivalent ‘PC memory’ locations in which you can create and store varying equalisation settings for
downloading to the physical unit. Alternatively, memories can be uploaded from the Unit to the
equivalent PC locations.
The memory settings of a HELIX AddIn are viewed, edited, stored and recalled to/from Unit Memories in
the Memory view. (Memory is not included as a button on the channel Navigation Strips as memory
settings apply to the unit as a whole). For simplified global management, you can also read and write
memories to/from multiple Units using the Memory Management Command of the FastNav
8.1 Memory Working with Individual AddIns
To switch to the Memory view
Click on either the upper or lower Memory tab of the AddIn device.
®
screen.
The graph shows
the overall
frequency
response of the
memor
settings
Memories are
recalled and
stored via the
lower tab
Selecting a PC
Memory at the
upper Memory
tab recalls
settings to all
Equalisation
views
The Write All
command
programs both
User and Preset
memories
The graph of the Memory view is the same as the Home view, that is, it shows the overall frequency
response of the current PC memory, which initially defaults to Memory 1 (equivalent to U01 at the Unit).
The upper Memory tab shows the currently selected PC Memory while the lower Memory tab contains
the online store and recall commands
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To remotely program equalisation settings in another PC Memory location
1 Select a memory location from the Current PC Memory
drop down list in the upper memory tab. If you
are currently online, you will be warned that
switching memory will force the unit offline and then
asked to confirm the action.
2 Click OK to continue. The frequency response will be
updated with the settings held in the selected PC
memory.
3 Shape the frequency response of the new memory
location, as required, using the various Equalisation
tabs and working on or offline as appropriate.
Notes
If you go online and choose to Set All initial values from the PC - The settings
of the PC memory will be transferred to the active ‘scratchpad’ at the slave Unit but
they do not overwrite the stored memory settings. The memory location on the
graphic display refers to the last memory recalled to the scratchpad. Hence, you can
program PC memories on the scratchpad without destroying stored Unit memories.
Memories are only overwritten by a Store or Write All command.
If you go online and choose to Get All initial values form the Unit - The active
settings of the Unit will overwrite the settings in the current PC memory at the AddIn
Device.
To name a PC memory for reference purposes
1 Type in a name, maximum 20 characters, in the Memory Name field. Note that certain
symbols are not allowed, for example, % and £. The name will be appended to the number
in Current PC Memory field and will be downloaded to the unit under the Store command.
When a memory is recalled at the Unit to the active ‘scratchpad’, the name appears in the Unit’s
alphanumeric display.
To store the Current PC memory to a User memory at the HELIX Unit
1 Set the HELIX AddIn online.
2 In the lower Memory tab’s middle panel, select the User Memory in which you wish to store
the settings using the respective drop down list.
3 Click on Store User Memory . You are warned that the current memory will be overwritten, and
asked to confirm the action.
4 Click OK to continue or Cancel to abort.
Note Settings cannot be sent to the unit Preset memories on an individual basis. To store a Preset
memory you must use the write all command - this downloads each PC memory to the
equivalently numbered Unit Memory, thus providing an extra safeguard against accidentally
overwriting essential settings.
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To recall settings from a User or Preset memory from the HELIX Unit to the AddIn
Device
1 In the upper Memory tab, select the Current PC Memory that you wish to overwrite.
2 Set the AddIn Device online.
3 In the lower Memory tab’s left-hand panel, select the required Unit Memory location from
the associated drop down list. (The Current PC Memory No. is not affected by the recall
Unit’s memory number since only the settings are recalled.)
4 Click on Recall Unit Memory . You are warned that the current memory will be overwritten, and
asked to confirm the action.
5 Click OK to continue or Cancel to abort.
The memory settings are uploaded to the Current PC Memory and the graphic display is updated. The
recalled frequency response can now be edited by changing the settings in the various Equalisation tabs,
working on or offline as appropriate.
To retrieve all the Memories from a Unit to the AddIn Device
1 Set the AddIn Device online.
2 In the lower Memory tab’s right-hand panel, select Read All Memories .
3 Click OK at the prompt to confirm the overwriting of the PC memories.
As retrieving all 64 memories takes a couple of minutes, the HELIX RCS presents a Status window so
that you can track the current progress. When the operation is complete, the Status window
disappears.
To write all the Memories from the AddIn Device to the unit
1 If you wish to write settings to the Preset memories, ensure they are unlocked at the Unit.
(If they are locked, only the User memories will be overwritten).
2 Set the AddIn Device online.
3 In the lower Memory tab, select Write All Memories .
4 Click OK at the prompt to confirm the overwriting of the Unit memories.
PC memories are sent in numerical order such that the User
Memories are overwritten first, then the Presets; a Status
window tracks the current progress. If Presets are locked, you
are prompted to unlock them. If you click OK without unlocking
them the Write All action is aborted; only the User Memories will
have been transferred.
To copy settings from a Unit’s User Memory to a
Preset Memory
1 Select a PC Memory Location between 33 and 64 which is unused or whose current settings
are no longer required. This will force the unit offline.
2 Set the Unit online.
3 Recall the User memory from the unit, as described above.
4 Store the settings to the Unit using the Write All command, as described above.
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8.2 Global Memory Management
Memories can be simultaneously recalled or stored to/from multiple units from the global Memory
Management screen.
To open the global Memory Management screen
Switch to the FastNav® screen and choose Memory Management .
The screen shown below is opened. It has two tabs (of similar appearance) as follows:
Read \ Write Memories - for globally downloading or uploading all user and preset memories between
AddIns and their respective slave units.
Store \ Recall Memory - for uploading or downloading a specific User Memory between AddIns
and their respective slave units.
The synchronise direction is specified
here for global uploads and downloads
All or a subset of
Units can be
selected for
updating
To Read/Write All Memories from/to multiple units
1 Switch to the Read \ Write Memories tab.
2 Tick the check box of each Unit for which memories should be downloaded/uploaded.
Hint
If uploading/downloading to most units, use Select All to tick all units in the destination
list, then clear check boxes as required. When starting a new selection, use Deselect All to
quickly clear all previous ticks.
The status bars show
progress through
the list (above) and
at the current unit
(below).
3 Set the Synchronisation to Get All Initial values from the Audio System or Set All Initial
values from Computer, as required.
4 Ensure the Preset Memories are unlocked at the relevant Units.
5 Click Read All Memories or Write All Memories as required.
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The HELIX RCS will work through the ticked units in the list, setting each online in turn. As the
download/upload takes some time to complete, the current progress is tracked by the status indicators
to the right of the list while more specific progress remarks are displayed in the Comments column, for
example, success or failed to go online. On completion, remember to relock the Preset Memories!
To Store/Recall settings to/from a specific Memory number, across multiple units
1 Switch to the Store \ Recall Memory tab.
Check the
synchronise
direction before
starting the
global
recall/store
All or a subset of
Units can be
selected for
updating
2 Select the User or Preset Memory to be stored/recalled from the drop down list to the
Note
Settings cannot be stored to Preset memories on an individual basis; if you select a Preset
Memory location, the Store button is faded out. To store a Preset memory you must use the
write all command - this downloads each PC memory only to the equivalently numbered Unit
Memory, thus providing an extra safeguard against accidentally overwriting essential settings.
Either a User or
Preset memory
can be selected
Current progress is
shown by the status bar
right of the ‘tick list.
3 Tick the check box of each Unit that you wish to include in the store/recall.
4 Set the Synchronisation to Get All Initial values from the Audio System or Set All Initial
values from Computer, as required.
5 Click Recall From Memory or Store To Memory as required.
The HELIX RCS will work through the ticked units in the list, setting each online in turn. Progress is
tracked by the status indicators to the right of the list and more specific progress remarks are displayed
in the Comments column.
To return to the FastNav
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®
screen, click Exit .
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9 APPENDICES
9.1 Glossary of Terms and Abbreviations
A
AddIn
Product control software, such as HELIX
RCS, which works under the ELGAR
Library Manager Shell.
B
Bandwidth
In EQ, the width of a band comprising a
range of frequencies that will be boosted
or cut above and below a selected centre
frequency.
D
dB
Abbreviation for decibel.
E
ELGAR
The ELGAR Library Manager Shell is the
generic container of a number of Midas
and Klark Teknik products, known as
AddIns. It provides a single place to
store, load and edit Remote Control
AddIns, such as the Helix RCS.
EQ
Abbreviation for equalization, which is the
process of altering the levels of
frequencies that comprise a signal.
Equaliser
A device that boosts or cuts the volume
of specific frequencies in a signal.
Ethernet
The most common method of networking
computers in a local area network (LAN).
A physical standard that uses several
wires twisted in pairs to allow computerto-computer communication. Also, the
basic communications protocols over such
wires – the same protocols are also used
for Wireless Ethernet.
F
FastNav®
Navigation page for the HELIX RCS.
H
HELIX
Digital EQ system from Klark Teknik that
includes HELIX DN9848E
HELIX Remote Control Software
Software that allows remote PC access to
all the functions of HELIX, including
overall system store and recall.
HPF
Abbreviation for high pass filter.
I
IP address
Unique identifier for networked computer
or device. An IP address comprises a
32-bit numeric address written as four
numbers separated by periods, with each
number ranging from zero to 255.
L
LAN
Abbreviation for local area network.
Short-distance network for linking a
group of computers together within a
building.
LPF
Abbreviation for low pass filter.
P
PC
Abbreviation for personal computer.
PEQ
Abbreviation for parametric equalisation
or parametric EQ. Equalisation where all
of the parameters of equalization can be
adjusted to any amount, such as centre
frequency, the amount of boost or cut in
gain, and the bandwidth or Q.
Q
Q
The sharpness of the peak response in an
equalization circuit. Related to bandwidth
– the larger the bandwidth, the lower the
Q.
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R
T
RCS
Abbreviation for remote control software.
RS-232
Abbreviation for Recommended Standard
232. Also known as RS-232C, the
RS-232 is the standard for asynchronous
serial-port transfers set by the Electronic
Industries Alliance (EIA). The physical
interface has one wire used as the ground
wire, while the rest are dedicated to
detecting carrier signals, managing the
timing of data transfer, and sending and
receiving data. The RS-232 supports two
standard types of connector, the 25-pin
D-type and 9-pin D-type.
S
SSID
Abbreviation for service set identifier.
TCP/IP
Abbreviation for transmission control
protocol/internet protocol. Standard
communications protocol for transmitting
data over networks. TCP/IP is the basic
communication language or protocol of
the internet.
U
USB
Abbreviation for universal serial bus. An
external bus standard that supports data
transfer rates of 12Mbps (megabits per
second), which is significantly faster than
a serial connection. USB is a ‘plug and
play’ interface between a computer and
up to 127 peripheral devices, such as
printers, mice, modems, digital cameras
etc., that lets you plug in a device without
adding an adapter card or even restarting
your PC.
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9.2 Remote Control Connection Options
This section gives the available options for connecting HELIX DN9340E, DN9340, DN9344E and DN9344
units - and also HELIX DN9848E and DN9848 units - to enable remote control via a laptop or PC.
All units in a system must be running the same protocol version. The protocol version is determined by
the first digit in the software version, for example, if a DN9340E unit was running host software version
4.00, the protocol version is 4.
Note Although there are many combinations available for remote operation, it is always worthwhile
remembering that Ethernet provides faster operation than serial.
9.2.1 Single-unit serial connections
Note
The following converters are the only converters supported by Klark Teknik. Even
though other converters may seem to work, we cannot guarantee their correct
functionality and compatibility when used with our products.
To connect a single unit via serial RS-232
The KT RS-232 host cable (supplied with every unit) is connected to the front panel of the unit and then
to the RS-232 port on the laptop/PC.
To connect a single unit – USB to front panel
The KT RS-232 host cable (supplied with every unit) is connected to the front panel of the unit and then
to a KK Systems USB232 USB-to-serial converter. The converter is then connected to a USB port on the
laptop/PC via a USB cable.
To connect a single non-Ethernet unit – USB to rear panel
A serial RS-485 cable is connected to the rear panel of a DN9848, DN9340 or DN9344 unit and then to a
B+B Systems USOTL4 USB-to-RS-485 converter, using a serial RS-485 cable. The converter is then
connected to a USB port on the laptop/PC via a USB cable.
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9.2.2 Multiple-unit Ethernet connections
To connect any Ethernet units in an Ethernet system
This fast Ethernet-only system can incorporate the Ethernet units in any combination. Connect the units
using Ethernet cable, using one of the options in Section 7.2. The first unit is connected to the
laptop/PC via an Ethernet cable. The Ethernet cable can be connected direct to the laptop/PC or to a
wireless access point for wireless operation.
To connect non-Ethernet units in an Ethernet-to-serial system
The HELIX DN9848 units are daisy-chained using serial RS-485 cabling. The first HELIX DN9848 unit is
connected to a Lantronix UDS1100 Ethernet-to-serial converter via either a serial RS-232 or RS-485
cable. Connection to the laptop/PC can be either direct from the Lantronix unit or via a wireless access
point for wireless operation; both these options require Ethernet cable.
To set up the Lantronix UDS1100 converter, see Section 9.3.
In this system the speed of operation is limited by the serial connection.
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To connect Ethernet and non-Ethernet units in an Ethernet/serial system
The PC is connected to the first Ethernet unit using one of the options in Section 7.3. The Ethernet units
are connected together using one of the options in Section 7.2. The last Ethernet unit is connected to a
Lantronix UDS1100 Ethernet-to-serial converter via an Ethernet cable. The Lantronix converter is then
connected to the first non-Ethernet unit via serial RS-485 cabling. All of the non-Ethernet units are
connected together in a daisy-chain configuration using RS-485 cabling.
To set up the Lantronix UDS1100 converter, see Section 9.3.
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9.2.3 Multiple-unit serial connections
To connect a combination of non-Ethernet units serial-to-RS-485
Connect any combination of non-Ethernet units in a daisy chain configuration, using serial RS-485 cable.
Connect the first unit to the PC using any of the methods shown in Section 9.2.1.
To connect any combination of Ethernet units serial-to-Ethernet
Connect any combination of Ethernet units using Ethernet cable, using one of the options in Section 7.2.
Connect the first unit to the PC using the KT RS-232 host cable (supplied with every unit); connect it to
the front panel of the unit and then to the RS-232 port on the laptop/PC.
The speed of system operation is limited by the serial connection to the PC.
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9.2.4 Ethernet and serial
To connect Ethernet and non-Ethernet units in a dual Ethernet-serial system
In this dual system the laptop/PC is connected to the Ethernet units via Ethernet and non-Ethernet units
via serial/USB. In the Ethernet system, connect the Ethernet units using Ethernet cable, using one of
the options in Section 7.2. Connect the first Ethernet unit to the PC via Ethernet using one of the
options in Section 7.3. In the serial system, connect the non-Ethernet units together in a daisy chain
configuration and connect the first of these units to the PC using any of the methods shown in
Section 9.2.1.
In this configuration the Ethernet system provides fast operation, while the serial provides slow
operation.
Note
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In this configuration the Ethernet and serial networks are entirely separate, as they are
connected to the PC via different ports. This allows the networks to be running different
protocols. However, to do this the PC will need to be running two RCS programs of the
equivalent protocols.
HELIX DN9340E/DN9344E Remote Control Software
User Guide
9.3 Setting up the Lantronix UDS1100 Converter
9.3.1 Configuring the Lantronix UDS1100
Please note that the instructions given here relate to the Lantronix Device Installer V3.6 which has the
advantage of automatically locating your UDS1100, even if the factory set IP subnet address does not
match your laptop IP subnet. If your Device Installer is an earlier version please download the latest
version from the Lantronix website at http://ltxfaq.custhelp.com/cgibin/ltxfaq.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=644.
To configure your UDS1100 Converter (all Ethernet setups)
1 Connect the device to your laptop/PC
OR if you are setting up a Wireless Network, connect it to the Access Point.
2 Install the Lantronix Device Installer (V3.6 or later).
3 Open the Windows Start>All
Programs menu and select the
Lantronix > Device Installer
application. The screen shown
right is opened.
4 Choose Search to locate network
devices.
Note: On the initial search, the
Device Installer will find the device
regardless of whether it is currently
on the same subnet IP address as
your laptop/PC.
5 Highlight the UDS1100 in the device
list and choose Assign IP to open the
Assign IP Address Wizard.
6 LAN connection: Refer to the
Network Administrator for guidance
on whether to obtain an IP address
automatically or assign a specific IP
address. Follow the on-screen
instructions to complete the
assignment.
Direct or Wireless: Choose Assign a
specific IP address and click Next> .
Follow the on-screen instructions,
entering an IP address on the same
subnet as your laptop/wireless card
and leaving the Default Gateway
value at 0.0.0.0.
7 On completion, click Finish to return
to the Device Installer screen.
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8 Highlight your device in the
device list and double-click to
access the Device Details,
Web Configuration and Telnet
Configuration tabs.
9 Switch to the Web Configuration
tab and click Go to connect to
the UDS1100’s web
configuration pages (shown
below).
10 Under the Channel 1 heading on the left-
hand side of screen, click on Serial Settings
to access the Serial Settings screen.
11 Make the following settings in the Port
Settings section:
Protocol: as required (with Solo
Tracking you must use the
front panel RS-232 input
for the converter)
Baud Rate: “38400”
Data bits: “8”
Parity: “None”
Stop bits: “2”
Flow control: “None”
Click OK . (Done! will appear next to OK
to showthat settings have been stored.)
Important!
Remember to change the Serial Protocol if you
change from RS-232 to RS-485 input or vice
versa.
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12 Click Apply Settings to apply the changes;
you will see the “Please wait …”
message while the unit saves the
changes and reboots.
13 Close the Device Installer by selecting
File > Exit or by clicking on
right-hand corner of the window.
in the top
9.3.2 Connecting the system equipment
For an overview of the connections, please refer to the HELIX Remote Control Software: Brief Guide to
Setting Up an Ethernet System user guide.
To connect up a HELIX RCS Ethernet System:
1 Connect, power up and set up the addresses of your slave HELIX units in a daisy chain
network as described in the DN9340 Operators Manual. If using Solo Tracking, the ‘first’
HELIX in the daisy chain must be located in the FOH Stack for connection to the console.
2 Connect the UDS1100 Converter to the first
HELIX, as follows:
For RS-232 communications (for example,
when using Solo Tracking), use a male D25
to male D9 cable joined to the host cable
(female D9 to 9-way mini DIN) to connect the
serial port of the Lantronix UDS1100
Converter to the PC port on the front panel of
the first HELIX unit in the daisy chain.
OR
For RS-485 communications, use a male D25
to XLR cable to connect the UDS1100
Converter to the Comm In XLR plug on the
rear panel of the first HELIX unit in the daisy chain.
Important! Ensure that the Serial Protocol is set correspondingly to RS-232 or RS-485 in
the Lantronix Configuration web page. To view the page, enter the IP address of the
UDS1100 box into the web browser address field.
Serial port
RJ-45
port
Activity
LEDs
Power
socket
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3 Connect the UDS1100 Converter as follows:
Direct: Use CAT5 cross over cable to connect the UDS1100 RJ-45 port to the laptop/PC RJ-
45 port.
LAN: Use CAT5 cable to connect the RJ-45 port on the UDS1100 to its network connection
point. Similarly, use CAT5 cable to connect the laptop/PC RJ-45 port to its network
point.
Wireless: Position the Access Point to maintain line of sight visibility to your laptop as you
move around the venue during the sound testing, while remaining in the Access
Point’s radio limits, for example, use a high up location, generally no more than
100m from the furthest sound testing postion. Connect power to the Access Point
as indicated in the product manual.
Use CAT5 cable to connect the UDS1100 RJ-45 port to the Access Point RJ-45 (LAN)
port.
4 Using the provided AC power adapter, connect power to the Lantronix UDS1100 Converter.
5 Boot up (or re-boot) your laptop/PC and open ELGAR by double clicking on the ELGAR
desktop icon.
6 Select File > Open from the ELGAR menu and open the .KTG show file with the HELIX
settings. ELGAR initiates the Ethernet connection and reports success or failure. If it fails,
see Fault Finding tips.
7 In the upper Home tab of each HELIX Add-In:
- specify the Address of the slave unit that the Add-In relates to
- set COM Port to the number you allocated to the Virtual COM Port
- set Comms Mode to Generic Echo On for RS-232 or Generic Echo Off for RS-485 input to the
first HELIX.
Your system should now be ready for online operation.
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