NTi Audio DR2 User Manual
OPERATING MANUAL
DIGIRATOR DR2
NTi Audio Contact Details
Head Office
NTi Audio AG
Im alten Riet 102
9494 Schaan
Liechtenstein, Europe
Tel.: +423 239 6060
Fax: +423 239 6089
E-Mail: info@nti-audio.com
Web: www.nti-audio.com
NTi Audio is an ISO 9001:2008
certified company.
© All rights reserved.
All information subject to change without notice
Version 1.12 / Dec 2011 / Software 1.12
® Minirator is a registered trademark of NTi Audio.
™ EXEL, XL2, Digilyzer, Digirator and MiniLINK are trademarks of NTi Audio.
Americas
NTI Americas
PO Box 131027
Tigard, Oregon 97281
USA
Tel.: +1 503 684 7050
Fax: +1 503 684 7051
E-Mail: americas@nti-audio.com
Web: www.ntiam.com
China
NTI China
Room 722, 7F, Building 6-3A,
No 1388, Bin He Rd.
215000 Suzhou, China
Tel.: +86 512 6802 0075
Fax: +86 512 6802 0097
E-Mail: china@nti-audio.com
Web: www.nti-audio.com/cn
Japan
NTI Japan
Ryogokusakamoto Bld. 1-8-4
Ryogoku, 130-0026 Sumida-Ku
Tokyo, Japan
Tel.: +81 3 3634 6110
Fax: +81 3 3634 6160
E-Mail: okayasu@nti-japan.com
Web: www.nti-audio.com/jp
Table of contents
1. Digirator Basics ...............................................................4
Introduction ....................................................................4
Notes .............................................................................5
Items included in the package ....................................... 6
Accessories ...................................................................6
2. Overview of the Instrument ..........................................7
Connections ...................................................................7
Buttons and operating elements ....................................8
The screen display ......................................................... 9
The main menu ..............................................................9
Power supply ............................................................... 11
Characteristics of the outputs ..................................... 12
Characteristics of the SYNC input ................................ 13
3. Getting Started ............................................................. 14
Inserting the batteries .................................................. 14
Fitting the protective shock jacket ...............................15
Attaching the hand strap .............................................. 16
Connecting the Digirator .............................................. 17
4. Operation.......................................................................18
Switching Digirator on and off ...................................... 18
Navigation in the menu bar ......................................... 18
Selecting a test signal .................................................. 19
Setting the parameters ................................................ 20
Setting the sampling frequency ...................................22
Setting the Channel Status .......................................... 23
Configuring the output channels .................................. 23
System settings ........................................................... 25
Configurations .............................................................. 26
Table of contents
5. Linear PCM Test Signals ............................................... 28
Signal generation .........................................................28
Sine ..............................................................................29
Sweep .......................................................................... 29
Chirp ............................................................................31
Delay Test ..................................................................... 32
Pink Noise ....................................................................33
White Noise ................................................................. 34
Polarity ......................................................................... 34
Wave File Player ...........................................................35
6. Dolby / DTS Signals .....................................................38
Signal generation .........................................................38
Test signals and formats ..............................................40
7. Measuring Functions DR2 ............................................43
Channel transparency testing ......................................43
I/O Delay test (Latency) ...............................................46
8. Updating the Instrument ............................................. 48
Firmware update .......................................................... 48
9. Tips and Trouble Shooting ............................................49
Faults and their correction ...........................................49
Resetting to the factory settings..................................51
Reloading wav-files ......................................................51
10. Technical Data ..............................................................52
11. Further Information ..................................................... 53
Registration .................................................................. 53
Warranty conditions .....................................................54
Declaration of Conformity ............................................55
Information regarding disposal / recycling ...................55
3
Basics
4
1. Digirator Basics
Introduction
Thank you for purchasing the Digirator. The Digirator DR2 is a
reference grade digital audio generator with AES3, S/PDIF and
ADAT outputs.
As an extension to the common stereo audio test signals, DR2
also supports surround sound sequences for setup and testing
of professional Dolby Digital, Dolby E, ProLogic II and DTS installations. The ultra stable internal clock generator can be synchronized to AES3, DARS, Word Clock as well as video signals.
It further supports the measurements of channel transparency
and I/O delay (latency) as well as clock frequencies.
5
Basics
Notes
Damage to equipment connected
The Digirator is a test generator and thus
allows creating exceptional signals that do
not appear in normal audio operations.
Such generated signals may damage or
destroy systems and loudspeakers if not
operated carefully.
Danger of electric shock
Never connect the instrument to a power
output!
Non-compliance could result in injury to
persons and/or damage to property that is
not covered by the warranty guarantee.
Damage from moisture
Do not use the instrument in damp
environments!
The instrument can be permanently
damaged by penetration of water, moisture
or any fluid.
Damage caused by opening the
instrument
Never open the instrument.
The instrument can be damaged if the
housing is opened and your warranty will
be invalidated.
Basics
6
Items included in the package
• Digirator DR2
• Protective shock jacket
• Test signal backup DVD
• Operating manual
• XLR - BNC adapter (Neutrik NA2MBNC)
• RCA - BNC adapter
• USB cable
• Hand strap
Accessories
• Pouch NTi Audio # 600 000 302
• System Case NTi Audio # 600 000 020
• Mains Power Adapter NTi Audio # 600 000 333
• Calibration Certicate NTi Audio # 600 000 018
You can find further additional information on the website
www.nti-audio.com
7
Overview
2. Overview of the Instrument
Connections
The Digirator provides the following connections:
1 2 43
5 6
1
S/PDIF and AES3-id
output 75 Ω
2
AES/EBU output 110 Ω
3
Optical output
4
DC power socket
5
SYNC input (AES3,
Word Clock, Video)
6
USB connection
Overview
8
wave
sens
mute
freq
esc
level
Buttons and operating elements
1 2 3
9
8
1
esc Terminates an entry and
7
jumps to the top menu level.
2
Rotary
wheel
Slow rotation:
Precise setting of the value.
Fast rotation:
Setting the value in larger steps.
3
Enter Confirming a selection.
4
6
4
wave Selection of the test signal.
5
freq Setting the output frequency. Also directly
jumps to the „PARAM“ menu with the
„SWEEP“ and „CHIRP“ test signals; and to file
selection with „FILE”, „DOLBY” and „DTS”.
6
5
mute When pressed, it illuminates to indicate you
have switched off (Muted) the output signal.
The button also lights up during the cycle
pauses of the „PNOISE” and „CHIRP” signal
waveforms.
7
On / Off Switches the instrument Power off if held down
for one second. Also switches the back-lighting
on and off with a shorter press.
8
sens Changes the sensitivity of the frequency and
level settings.
9
level Setting the output level. You can set the output
signal unit to dBF or %.
The following signals have a fixed output level:
DTS, DOLBY, TRANSPAR, I/O DELAY.
9
Overview
The screen display
The main menu
1 2
34
1
Menu bar
2
Battery symbol:
If the battery symbol lights
up the batteries are almost
completely discharged and
must be replaced.
3
Carrier signal interface set-
tings
4
Audio signal generation set-
tings.
Menu bar
1 2
3
1
Function selection
2
Save and Recall instrument
configurations
3
Select and configure output
channels (individual mute or
invert)
Overview
10
Settings for signal generation
1 2 3
4
567
1
Test signal
2
Start / Stop for certain test
signals
3
Parameters setup
4
Single / continous mode for
certain test signals
5
Output frequency
6
Units for the output level
7
Output level
Settings for interface carrier signal
1
3
1
2
3
2
Settings and display of
sampling frequency and
clock source
Configuration and status
display of the optical output
Channel status settings
11
Overview
Power supply
Battery operation
In order to be always able to use the Digirator flexibly, we recommend the use of batteries.
Only use 3x AA, LR6 batteries.
The battery consumption increases
at higher levels and is based on the
connected load.
During operation, the battery temperature
Operation using mains power supply
You can also connect the Digirator to mains power with a
DC power supply unit. To do this, you will need the corresponding DC power supply accessory unit, which you can order from
NTi Audio.
may increase noticeably. This is not a
defect.
The instrument can also be used with
rechargeable batteries.
We recommend you use only the NTi Audio
DC supply. But if you want to make use of
a different DC power supply unit, you must
observe the following:
Use an electrically-isolated, non-earthed
linear DC power supply unit with
2.1 x 5.5 x 9.5 mm plug and connection
. Only use DC power supply units
with a voltage from 5 to 8 volts and a
current of at least 500 mA.
Do not use a switching power supply.
Unbalanced connections in combination
with a switching power supply can lead to
noise interference and an unpleasantly high
interference level when plugging in and
out.
Damage caused by using an inappropriate
external DC supply is not covered by
warranty.
Overview
12
1
3
2
AES / EBU
XLR - 110 Ω
AES3-id
S/PDIF
RCA - 75 Ω
1
3
2
110
75
75
Word Clock,
Blackburst
Video
AES3,
DARS
Clock
Processing
Digital Audio
Transmitter
fs
Characteristics of the outputs
Electrical Outputs (AES3, S/PDIF)
The Digirator features two electrical outputs that are equipped
with a shared high quality transformer. Both outputs are earthfree and resistant to externally applied Phantom Power.
The outputs feature interface carrier levels with fixed levels:
AES3 : 6.0 Vpp (open) 3.0 ±0.2 Vpp (into 110 Ω)
S/PDIF, AES3-id: 2.0 Vpp (open) 1.0 ±0.2 Vpp (into 75 Ω)
Do not use both outputs in parallel.
The concurrent use of both electrical outputs leads to reduced interface carrier levels that can lead to malfunction.
AES3id
Pin assignments of the XLR Output:
3
1
2
For generating an AES3id compatible
signal please use the supplied RCA to
BNC adapter. The output signals meet the
AES3-id standard and work well for S/PDIF
1
PIN 1
2
PIN 2
3
PIN 3
signals.
Optical output
The optical output may be used concurrently with one of the
electrical outputs. It can be configured either for „2 Channel“
or for „ADAT“ format.
13
Overview
Characteristics of the SYNC input
1
3
2
110
75
75
Word Clock,
Blackburst
Video
AES3,
DARS
SYNC IN
XLR - 110 Ω,
75 Ω, High-Z
Clock
Processing
fs
The sampling frequency of the Digirator can be synchronized
and locked to external devices. In order to do this, the sync
signal is connected to the universal sync input circuitry via a
female XLR connector to the DR2. An adaptor for connecting
a BNC cable to the XLR input is also included as a standard accessory item with the DR2.
Supported sync / clock formats
The Digirator recognizes clock sources automatically as they
are connected. There is no need for a manual selection of the
sync format. The following formats are supported:
• AES3 / DARS 20 kHz to 216 kHz (continuous)
• Word Clock 32 kHz (+/- 100 ppm)
44.1, 48 kHz (x1, x2 , x4) (+/- 100 ppm)
• Black Burst PAL (25 Hz) and NTSC (29.97 Hz)
fs = 48 kHz
Input impedance
AES3 as well as Word Clock signals are separated by an electrically isolated transformer terminated with the nominal impedances of 110 ohm or 75 ohm. But Hi-Z mode is also supported,
allowing trial operation of the DR2 in parallel with other devices.
Jitter suppression
The extracted sampling frequency is fed into a clock recovery
stage with high jitter attenuation. This ensures stable and optimized signals at the DR2 output. With input sampling frequencies that deviate more than 100 ppm from the AES standard
sampling frequencies, no clock recovery will be executed. Under special circumstances this might lead to suboptimal stability of the output signal .
DARS (Digital Audio Reference Signal)
... is an AES3 Signal, intended for synchronizing equipment. Its channel status
data are marked accordingly by setting the
DARS Bits.
Getting Started
14
1.
2.
3. Getting Started
Inserting the batteries
Only use AA, LR6 batteries. You will need
3 AA batteries.
The batteries may significantly warm up
during operation. This is not a malfunction.
The Digirator can also be operated with
rechargeable batteries.
For best battery performance only use
1. Open the battery cover.
2. Insert three AA, LR6 batteries with the same state of
charge, paying attention to the +/- marking in the battery
compartment.
3. Close the battery cover once the batteries have been inserted.
new batteries of the same type and
manufacturer.
15
Getting Started
Fitting the protective shock jacket
1.
2.
The shock jacket protects the instrument against light impacts
without impairing it’s easy operation. It is recommended to
leave it mounted.
1. Push the lower end of your Digirator into the lower end of
the protective shock jacket.
2. Push the upper end of the Digirator into the protective
housing.
Damage through impacts / shocks
The protective shock jacket shields your
Digirator against reasonable impacts that
could occur in normal use.
You must further protect the instrument
from extreme stress, exposure to liquids,
and from extremes of heat or cold.
Please do not drop the instrument!
Damage caused by dropping or impact is
not covered by warranty.
Getting Started
16
2.
1.
3.
Attaching the hand strap
To prevent you from accidentally dropping the DR2, a hand
strap is supplied with the instrument. You can also fit the hand
strap when the protective shock jacket of the DR2 has been
fitted.
1. Pull the hand strap through the opening.
2. Pull the rear part of the hand strap through the loop of the
front part.
3. Pull the hand strap tight.
17
Getting Started
Connecting the Digirator
1.
2.
XLR-connection
Connect the Digirator to your digital audio device using an XLR
cable. Note that the locking pin of the XLR connector will then
be located on the lower side of the instrument!
RCA connection
Connect the Digirator to the digital input of the unit to be tested using a good quality RCA cable. Please note that not all RCA
cables are suitable for digital audio use.
Optical connection
Connect the Digirator to the optical input of the unit to be tested using an optical TOSLINK cable. The cover flap of the output
opens automatically with the insertion of the cable.
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