Televic PLIXUS User's Installation Manual

conference

PLIXUS

USER & INSTALLATION GUIDE

Copyright Statement

No part of this publication or documentation accompanying this product may be reproduced in any form or

by any means or used to make any derivative such as translation, transformation, oradaptation without the

prior written permission of the publisher, except in case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or

reviews. Contents are subject to change without prior notice.

Copyright © 2018 by Televic Conference NV. All rights reserved.

The authors of this manual have made every effort in the preparation of this book to ensure the accuracy of

the information. However, the information in this manual is supplied without warranty, either express or

implied. Neither the authors, Televic Conference NV, nor its dealers or distributors will be held liable for any

damages caused or alleged to be caused either directly or indirectly by this book.

Trademarks

All terms mentioned in this manual that are known to be trademarks or service marks have been

appropriately capitalized. Televic NV cannot attest to the accuracy of this information. Use of a term in this

book should not be regarded as affecting the validity of any trademark or service mark.

CONTENTS

Introduction

Getting started 8

About this manual 8

Compatibility 9

9

Safety instructions 10

Safety 10

FCC &ICES Information 10

Conformity and Certification Info for Japan 11

Important safety instructions 12

Power connections 14

About Plixus 16

Concept anddesign 16

Plixus components

Components 18

General overview 18

Component range 20

Plixus MME 21

Overview 21

Control dialfunct ionality 21

Rear connectivity 23

Dante™ interface 24

Supported Video Formats 25

Factory defaults restore button 25

Plixus AE-R 26

Overview 26

Recording feature 26

Rear end connectivity 27

Power supply 27

Factory defaults restore button 27

Plixus power supply 28

Plixus AE-R power supply 28

Plixus power supply 28

3

Plixus NEXT 29

DIPswitch table 30

General Network Extender Guidelines 30

Redundancy 31

Video In 33

Video-In box 33

Video request 34

Video-OUT 35

Video-Out box 35

Video selection 36

Video stream routing 37

Delegate equipment 38

Audio only equipment 38

Multimedia equipment 38

Interpreter equipment 39

Installation design

Plixus component properties 41

100 Mbit powered over Plixus Cable 41

1Gbit powered over Plixus cable 41

1Gbit externally powered 42

General installation guidelines 44

Units per branch / loop 44

When to use anetwork extender 44

Installation diagram 46

Configuration with Plixus engine only 46

Configuration with network extender 46

Examples 50

Power supply design 51

Power availability and consumption table 51

Plixus AE-R power supply 51

Calculator tool 52

Cabler equirements 52

Combine Plixus with Confidea G3 54

Combine wired and wireless units 54

Combine interpretation with wirelessunits 55

Range extension with multipleaccesspoints 56

Split andcombine rooms 57

Create redundancy 57

4

Installation process

Introduction 60

Power supply 61

Power uniCOS units and network extenders 61

Power supply of the centr al unit 61

Install cables 63

Install microphones 64

General microphone characteristics 64

Technicalmicrophone characteristics 64

Microphone connector characteristics 65

Microphone Operation Modes 65

Install delegate units 67

Connect Plixus units 67

Connect to Plixus engine 67

Install Confidea G3 68

Connect WirelessConference AccessPoint (WCAP) to Plixus network 68

Configuration

Introduction 70

Plixus Core 70

Plixus Core versus CoCon 70

Configure IP settings 73

Change IP settings in Windows 73

Change IP settings in macOS 75

Getting started with Plixus Core 78

Activate Plixus Core 78

Explore Plixus Core 78

The Home page 81

Initialization 82

Introduction 82

How to initializeunits 83

Discussion options 85

Number of open microphones 85

Microphone mode 85

Microphone LED 87

Recording 88

Record usingthe record button 88

Record usingPlixus Core 88

Manage recor ded files 90

Audio settings 91

5

General volume 91

Dynamics processing 91

Auto gain reduction 92

Audio routing 93

Audio routing configuration 93

Auxiliary levels 95

Additionaloptions 95

Interpretation 96

Add new language 96

Add Interpretation configuration from CoCon 97

Operator 98

Regional settings 99

Network settings 100

Network infor mation 100

Camera protocol 100

RESTAPI 101

Users 102

System info 103

Couple with Confidea G3 105

Couple WCAP with engine 105

Associate units with WCAP 106

Takeover WCAP 107

6

INTRODUCTION

This chapter will give you a short introduction to this manual together with a

general description of the Plixus network and its functionalities.

GETTING STARTED

About This Manual

Throughout this guide we use icons to designate different types of information:

This is a note. A note gives additional information, such as the meaning of the color of the

microphone LEDs. A note also provides information that may only be applicable to some situations.

This is a tip. A tip gives you an alternative way to do a particular step or procedure, or lets you know

of an option that you may find helpful.

This indicates that something is very important. Important information is something that you need to

do in order to accomplish a certain task.

This provides safety precaution information, that is, information that you need to be careful about to

prevent potential problems when using our systems.

GET TI NG S TAR TED 8

Compatibility

This user manual applies to the following products:

Product Version

Plixus MME ≥

Plixus AE-R ≥ CRP 5.2

Confidea WCAP G3 ≥ 3.1

Confidea G3 delegate units ≥ 3.1

GET TI NG S TAR TED 9

SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

The safety instructions contain general safety guidelines that integrators, installers, operators, end users,

and anyone else who installs or uses Televic material is required to read and follow at all times.

Safety

All Televic systems are state of the art devices and have been designed to meet all quality standards.

Nevertheless, the individual components of the conference system can cause danger for persons and

material assets if

the conference system is not used as intended,

the conference system is set up by personnel not familiar with the safety regulations,

the conference system is converted or altered incorrectly,

the safety instructions are not observed.

FCC & ICES Information

(U.S.A and Canadian Models only).

This Class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian norm ICES-003.

Cet appareil numérique de la classe B est conforme à la norme NMB-003 du Canada.

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to

Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful

interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency

energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to

radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular

installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be

determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by

one or more of the following measures:

Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna

Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver

Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is

connected

Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help

SA F ETY IN STR UCT IONS 10

Consult the Federal Communications Commission’s manual “How to Identify and Resolve

Radio-TV Interference Problems”

Wireless discussion units and the Wireless Access Point comply with Part 15 of the FCC Rules and with RSS-

210 of Industry Canada.

Operation is subject to the following two conditions:

1. This device may not cause harmful interference

2. This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause

undesired operation.

Changes or modifications made to this equipment not expressly approved by Televic Conference

NV may void the FCC authorization to operate this equipment.

Wireless discussion units and the Wireless Access Point comply with FCC radiation exposure limits

set forth for an uncontrolled environment. These Wireless discussion units and the Wireless Access

Point should be installed and operated with minimum distance of 20 cm between the radiator and

your body. The RF-parts of the Wireless discussion units and the Wireless Access Point must not be

co-located or operating in conjunction with any other antenna or transmitter.

Conformity And Certification Info For Japan

This device has been granted a designation number by Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications

according to:

Ordinance concerning Technical Regulations Conformity Certification etc. of Specified Radio
Equipment (特 定 無 線 設 備の技 術 基 準 適 合証 明 等 に関する規 則 )

Article 2 clause 1 item 19/3

Approval No.:

202WW10120791/2”

202XW10120791/2

This device should not be modified, otherwise the granted designation number will be invalid.

SA F ETY IN STR UCT IONS 11

Important Safety Instructions

1. Read Instructions. All the safety and operating instructions should be read before the product,

device or system is operated.

2. Retain Instructions. The safety and operating instructions should be retained for future

reference. The instructions should be kept in the vicinity of the product or system.

3. Heed Warnings. All warnings on the product and the operating instructions should be closely

adhered to.

4. Follow Instructions. All instructions for installation or operating/use should be followed

closely.

5. Cleaning. Unplug this product from the wall outlet before cleaning. Do not use liquid cleaners or

aerosol cleaners. Use only a damp cloth for cleaning.

6. Ventilation. Any slots and openings in the device or equipment are provided for ventilation and

to ensure reliable operation of the product and to protect it from overheating. These openings must

not be blocked or covered. The openings should never be blocked by placing the product on a bed,

sofa, rug, or other similar surface. This product should not be placed in a built-in installation such as

a bookcase or rack unless proper ventilation is provided or the manufacturer's instructions have

been adhered to.

7. Heat. The product should be situated away from heat sources such as radiators, heat registers,

stoves, or other products (including amplifiers) that produce heat. Do not use or operate any

equipment in environments that exceed the standard operating temperatures.

8. Modifications. Do not use any modifications, extension, or other attachemnts not

recommended by the product manufacturer as they may cause hazards.

9. Accessories. Only use attachments/accessories specified by the manufacturer. Do not place this

product on an unstable cart, stand, tripod, bracket, or table. The product may fall, causing serious

injury to a child or adult, and serious damage to the product. Use only with a cart, stand, tripod,

bracket, or table recommended by the manufacturer, or sold with the product. Any mounting of the

product should follow the manufacturer's instructions, and should use a mounting accessory

recommended by the manufacturer.

10. Water and Moisture. Do not use this product near water or in a moistures environment - for

example, near a bath tub, wash bowl, kitchen sink, or laundry tub; in a wet basement; or near a

swimming pool, in an unprotected outdoor installation; and the like.

11. Moving. A product and cart combination should be moved with care. Quick stops, excessive

force, and uneven surfaces may cause the product and cart combination to overturn.

SA F ETY IN STR UCT IONS 12

12. Power Sources. This product should be operated only from the type of power source indicated

on the marking label. If you are not sure of the type of power supply to your home, consult your

product dealer or local power company. For products intended to operate from battery power, or

other sources, refer to the operating instructions.

13. Power Lines. An outdoor system should not be located in the vicinity of overhead power lines

or other electric light or power circuits, or where it can fall into such power lines or circuits. When

installing an outdoor system, extreme care should be taken to keep from touching such power lines

or circuits, as contact with them might be fatal. U.S.A. models only - refer to the National Electrical

Code Article 820 regarding installation of CATV systems.

14. Grounding or Polarization. Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized or ground-type

plug. A polarized plug has two blades with one wider than the other. A grounding type plug has two

blades and a third grounding prong. The wider blade or the third prong are provided for your safety.

If the provided plug does not fit into your outlet, consult an electrician for replacement of the

obsolete outlet.

15. Power-Cord Protection. Power-supply cords should be routed to that they are not likely to be

walked on or pinched by items placed upon or against them, paying particular attention to cords at

plug, convenience receptacles, and the point where they exit from the product.

16. Lightning. For added protection for this product during a lightning storm, or when it is left

unattended and unused for long periods of time, unplug it from the wall outlet. This will prevent

damage to the product due to lightning and power-line surges. (Not applicable when special

functions are to be maintained, such as evacuation systems.)

17. Overloading. Do not overload wall outlets, extension cords or integral convenience receptacles

as this can result in a risk of fire or electric shock.

18. Object and Liquid Entry. Never push objects of any kind into this product through openings as

they may touch dangerous voltage points or short-out parts that could result in a fire or electric

shock. Never spill liquid of any kind on the product.

19. Inflammable and Explosive Substance. Avoid using this product where there are gases, and

also where there are inflammable and explosive substances in the immediate vicinity.

20. Heavy Shock or Vibration. When carrying this product around, do not subject the product to

heavy shock or vibration.

21. Servicing. Do not attempt to service this product yourself as opening or removing covers may

expose you to dangerous voltage or other hazards. Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel.

22. Damage Requiring Service. Unplug this product from the wall outlet and refer servicing to

qualified service personnel under the following conditions:

SA F ETY IN STR UCT IONS 13

a. When the power-supply cord or plug is damaged.

b. if liquid has been spilled, or objects have fallen into the product.

c. If the product has been exposed to rain or water.

d. If the product does not operate normally by following the operating instructions. Adjust

only those controls that are covered by the operating instructions as an improper

adjustment of other controls may result in damage and will often require extensive work

by a qualified technician to restore the product to its normal operation.

e. If the product has been dropped or damaged in any way.

f. When the product exhibits a distinct change in performance-this indicates a need for

service.

23. Replacement Parts. When replacement parts are required, be sure the service technician has

used replacement parts specified by the manufacturer or have the same characteristics as the

original part. Unauthorized substitutions may result in fire, electric shock, or other hazards.

24. Safety Check. Upon completion of any service orrepairs to this product, ask the service

technician to perform safety checks to determine that the product is in proper operating condition.

25. Coax Grounding. If an outside cable system is connected to the apparatus, be sure the cable

system is grounded. U.S.A. models only: Section 810 of the National Electrical Code, ANSI/NFPA

No.70-1981, provides information with respect to proper grounding of the mount and supporting

structure, grounding of the coax to a discharge apparatus, size of grounding conductors, location of

discharge unit, connection to grounding electrodes, and requirements for the grounding electrode.

Power Connections

For permanently connected equipment, a readily accessible disconnect device shall be incorporated in the

fixed wiring; For pluggable equipment, the socket-outlet shall be installed near the equipment and shall be

easily accessible.

This label may appear on the bottom of the apparatus due to space limitations.

SA F ETY IN STR UCT IONS 14

The lightning flash with an arrowhead symbol, with an equilateral triangle, is intended

to alert the user to the presence of un-insulated ‘dangerous voltage’ within the

products enclosure that may be of sufficient magnitude to constitute a risk of electric

shock to persons.

The exclamation mark within an equilateral triangle is intended to alert the user to the

presence of important operating and maintenance (servicing) instructions in the

literature accompanying the appliance.

To reduce the risk of fire or electric shock, do not expose this appliance to rain or moisture. Do not

open the cabinet; refer servicing to qualified personnel only.

To prevent electric shock, do not use this (polarized) plug with an extension cord receptacle or

other outlet unless the blades can be fully inserted to prevent blade exposure.

Installation should be performed by qualified service personnel only in accordance with the

National Electrical Code or applicable local codes.

Installation should be performed by qualified service personnel only in accordance with the

National Electrical Code or applicable local codes.

SA F ETY IN STR UCT IONS 15

ABOUT PLIXUS

Concept And Design

Figure 1-1 : Plixus CAT 5e cable characteristics

Plixus is a state-of-the-art conference architecture that excels in performance, security & reliability.

It is a packet-based IP network that radically simplifies the conference architecture by sending all

information over a single CAT 5e cable. HQ audio, HD video, and data travel over a single cable. Dedicated

bandwidth is reserved for audio and video. The result is permanent and uninterrupted crystal-clear audio

and video. Plixus also eliminates the large amount of equipment and cabling that was traditionally required

to bring video to each delegate. Video splitters, distribution amplifiers and several cables to each delegate

position are no longer needed. As a result, Plixus drastically reduces the installation cost and simplifies the

maintainability of the total system architecture.

The Plixus architecture is also engineered with redundancy & maintenance in mind. All delegate stations

are interconnected in daisy-chain and the last unit in the chain can close the loop for increased reliability

and redundancy. Moreover, Plixus is conceived with a self-healing topology: data will always travel the

shortest route and in the case of an error, Plixus will self-correct and reroute data via the fastest available

pathway. Ultimately, it offers all parties peace of mind with Plixus’ rock-solid reliability.

Finally, Plixus offers the best of both worlds. The mission-critical part of the central unit is entirely closed off

while the DANTE™ interface enables third-party devices to communicate with the closed core network. As

a result, Plixus acts as a gatekeeper who guarantees safe & secure communication and allows device

extensibility via the DANTE™ interface.

AB O UT P L IX US 16

PLIXUS COMPONENTS

The Plixus architecture allows for a mix & match of components: from flushmount

devices to multimedia units and interpreter desk to PTZ cameras and third-party

Dante™-enabled applications.

This chapter will describe all available hardware components together with how

you can use these components to match your needs.

COMPONENTS

General Overview

2

2

2

3

4

5

6

15

16

16

17

17

18

1

5

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

12

14

19

20

Plixus Network Plixus Power LAN HDMI/SDI Dante™

Wireless Co upling

1

Plixus Multimedia Engine

2

Plixus Network Extender

3

CoCon Software & Data Ser ver

4

Video Conference System

5

Lingua Interpreter Desk

6

HD Monitor

7

Confidea T

uniCOS Multimedia 7"

9

uniCOS Multimedia 10"

10

Confidea F

T-ReX Recording Software

T-Cam PTZ Camera

13

Video Source

14

T-Cam Video Switcher

11

12

Dante™ Enabled Devices

Video-IN Box

Video-OUT Box

Video-SELECT Panel

Confidea G3 WCAP

Confidea G3 DIV

15

16

17

18

19

20

8

Figure 1-2 Plixus architecture diagram with example setup

The Plixus architecture allows for a mix & match of components: from flushmount devices over multimedia

units and interpreter desk to PTZ cameras and third-party Dante™-enabled applications.

A typical setup consists of the following components:

A central engine (multimedia or audio-only)

CAT 5e network cables

Depending on the size of the network: one or more power supplies.

Depending on the size of the network: one or more network extenders. Each network extender

powers a separate branch. It permits 4 branches or 2 loops.

CoCon management software to manage every aspect of the meeting

T-Rex recording software to record audio

A combination of units

uniCOS units: multimedia flushmount units

Confidea T units: tabletop units (discussion/voting/interpretation)

CO MPO N EN TS 18

Confidea F units: flushmountunits (discussion/voting/interpretation)

Confidea G3 units: the wireless solution

Lingua Interpreter Desks

Video IN-OUT boxes

A combination of peripherals

PTZ cameras

External displays

Dante™-enabled devices

CO MPO NEN TS 19

COMPONENT RANGE

As discussed earlier, you can include different components in your Plixus network. These components can

be divided into four different categories:

Central equipment: the heart of the Plixus network, with these devices you can set up,

configure and maintain the Plixus network.

Network equipment

Multimedia: these devices support the usage of multimedia during the meeting such as

viewing video on delegate units or video injection / extraction from the Plixus network.

Audio: these units only support receiving and sending audio.

Interpreter equipment:

CO MPO N EN T R A NGE 20

PLIXUS MME

Overview

Figure 1-3 Plixus MME front view

The Plixus Multimedia Engine is the heart of the Plixus system. It controls all delegate units and

interconnects to other systems either via the external audio connections or control ports (camera control,

Dante, central software, API).

The central unit can drive a maximum of 80 Plixus units directly from the engine. In case a large number of

units are required, the system can be extended with multiple Plixus Network Extenders.

Control Dial Functionality

The front of the Plixus MME/AE-R has a Jog Wheel with the following options:

Push the dial to select a Level 1 setting

Turn the dial to select a Level 2 setting

The following table details the control dial options:

Level

Function

1 2

0 to max Loudspeaker volume

PL I X U S M ME 21

Level

Function

1 2

Microphone mode: Direct access

Microphone mode: Request

Microphone mode: VoX

Microphone mode: Group

0 to 8 Maximum number of open microphones

0 to max Plixus MME headphone volume

Additional icons are displayed to indicate different states:

indicates that CoCon server is connected to the Plixus Multimedia Engine

indicates an error state.

indicates a Master/Slave setup.

Control button key lock activation/deactivation. Press and hold control dial for 5 sec. You can

still browse through the settings when locked.

PL I X U S M ME 22

Rear Connectivity

Figure 1-4 Plixus MME rear view

The rear of the Plixus MME/AE-R has the following connectivity options:

1. AC power inlet & fuse holder

2. Balanced (XLR) and two unbalanced (RCA) audio outputs

3. Balanced and (XLR) two unbalanced (RCA) audio inputs

4. 48 V power output (400W)

5. Two redundant DANTE™ network ports

6. Two USB 2.0 ports (for future use)

7. IP configuration port (LAN)

8. Digital video output (HDMI) (for future usage)

9. SDI video input

10. SDI video output

11. Two back bone conference network ports that are not powered (for future use)

12. Four powered Plixus conference network ports

PL I X U S M ME 23

Dante™ Interface

The optional Dante™ card should be installed as follows:

1. Make sure the Dante card connectors face the top and put the card in under a 45° angle.

2. Press the card down and secure it with two screws, one at each corner of the card.

Please switch off power before inserting the DANTE™ card into the Plixus MME/AE-R.

PL I X U S M ME 24

Open the cover of the central unit and insert the card in the position as indicated in the picture. Fix the

Dante™ card by means of two screws and put the cover back on the central unit.

Supported Video Formats

SD SDI

PAL

NTSC

HD SDI

720p: 23.976, 24, 25, 29.97, 30, 50, 59.94 and 60 Hz

1080p: 23.976, 24, 25, 29.97 and 30 Hz

1080i: 50, 59.94 and 60 Hz

3G SDI

1080p: 50, 59.94 and 60 Hz

Factory Defaults Restore Button

Figure 1-5 Reset button on Plixus MME

To restore factory default settings , push the button inside the small hole , next to the headphone connector

for at least 10 sec and release.

PL I X U S M ME 25

PLIXUS AE-R

Overview

Figure 1-6 Plixus AE-R front view

The Plixus audio engine is a 19" rack mountable device that provides audio processing and signal handling

required for the Plixus network. It controls all delegate units and interconnects to other systems either via

the external audio connections or control ports.

With the volume dial you can adjust the volume and using the record button you can easily start or stop

recording the meeting. In contrast to the multimedia engine the Plixus AE-R does not have an internal

power supply, meaning you will need at least one external power supply.

Recording Feature

Figure 1-7 How to use the recording feature

With the Plixus AE-R you can record the floor and up to three different languages. You can use the button

on the engine or the Plixus Core web server to control recording.

The LED next to the recording button shows the status of recording. The Plixus AE-R has an internal

recording capacity of 8GB. Depending on the selected bitrate you can record over 100 hours of audio. Use

the USB port on the back to expand the recording memory.

You can download all Recorded meetings from the Plixus Core web server. There is an option to configure

different recording features using the web server. See "Recording" on page88 for more information.

PL I X U S A E- R 26

Rear End Connectivity

Figure 1-8 Back view of Plixus AE-R

1. On/off switch

2. Two power connectors for power supply injection

3. Plixus conference ports

4. Two redundant Dante™ network ports

5. Balanced (XLR) and two unbalanced (RCA) audio outputs

6. Balanced (XLR) and two unbalanced (RCA) audio inputs

7. USB 2.0 port to plug in USB device for audio recording

8. LAN port

Power Supply

The Plixus AE-R does not have an internal power supply. By default one external power supply of 220W is

delivered together with the engine. You can use a second power supply for redundancy. However for larger

setups you need the additional power to power the units, preventing you to use the second power supply for

redundancy. See "Power supply design" on page51

Factory Defaults Restore Button

Figure 1-9 Reset button on Plixus AE-R

To restore factory default settings , push the button inside the small hole , next to the headphone connector

for at least 10 sec and release.

PL I X U S A E- R 27

PLIXUS POWER SUPPLY

The Plixus MME has an internal power supply of 48V/10A(480W). However the Plixus AE-R does not. By

default you receive one Plixus power supply with the AE-R. When the internal power supply of the MME or

the external power supply of the AE-R is insufficient, a separate power supply is necessary.

For more information on how many power supplies your system requires see "Power supply design" on

page51.

Plixus AE-R Power Supply

In contrast to the MME the Plixus AE-R doesn't have an internal power supply. By default the Plixus AE-R

comes with one external power supply.

Plixus Power Supply

The power supply is a 19" rack mount version. The front panel is equipped with a rocker mains switch with

built-in indicator and two mains fuses.

The use of an additional power supply is needed when the internal power supply of the Plixus MME/AE-R is

insufficient.

The 230 V mains is connected to the power supply through a male connector (1) at the back of the power

supply. A power good TTL output on a D9 connector (2) allows you to check whether the power is okay. Six

female Phoenix connectors (3) are available to branch off the 48 V.

Figure 1-10 Rear power supply connections

PL I X U S P O W ER SU PP L Y 2 8

PLIXUS NEXT

Plixus NEXT is the next generation of Plixus network extenders which have the same functionality and

connectivity, but additionally offer the option to configure (via DIP switches) a delayed power up of the

conference extension ports (see DIP switch table below).

1. Two Plixus network conference ports (uplink).

a. Gives Plixus network signal to conference extension ports of the central engine or other

network extender.

b. Allows connection in branch / loop.

2. LAN ports are not used.

3. 48V power supply: powers the four conference ports.

4. Four Plixus network conference ports (downlink).

5. DIP switches enable / disable power of conference ports and allow sequential startup.

PL I X U S N EX T 29

DIP Switch Table

DIP switch

settings

Ports powered

at startup

Startup delay

of first port(s)

Port interval(s) Remark

1 1 1 1 All ports 0 0 Standard settings

0 0 0 0 None NA NA

No power, only data.

Switches activated after startup,

will power corresponding ports

1 0 0 0 Port 1 0 NA 1 port powered

0 1 0 0 Port 1 + 2 0 0.5 2 ports powered

1 1 0 0 Port 1 + 2 + 3 0 0.5 3 ports powered

0 0 1 0 All ports 0 0.5 delay 0 to 1.5

1 0 1 1 All ports 2 0.5 delay 2 to 3.5

0 1 1 0 All ports 4 0.5 delay 4 to 5.5

1 1 1 0 All ports 6 0.5 delay 6 to 7.5

0 0 0 1 All ports 8 0.5 delay 8 to 9.5

1 0 0 1 All ports 10 0.5 delay 10 to 11.5

0 1 0 1 All ports 12 0.5 delay 12 to 13.5

1 1 0 1 All ports 14 0.5 delay 14 to 15.5

0 0 1 1 All ports 16 0.5 delay 16 to 17.5

1 0 1 1 All ports 18 0.5 delay 18 to 19.5

0 1 1 1 None NA 0 Remote control*

*planned for future releases

General Network Extender Guidelines

The maximum distance between the central unit and the first Plixus network extender or

delegate unit in the branch is 100 m.

The maximum distance between two Plixus network extenders is 100m.

PL I X U S N EX T 30

The Plixus network extender must be powered externally (through power supply of Plixus MME

or Plixus power supply).

One branch or loop cannot consist out of more than 8 Plixus network extenders (for optimized

packet propagation)

One branch or loop may consist of no more than 20 Plixus devices (less if power is limiting

factor).

Restrict a downlink port branch to 1 network speed: 100 Mbit or 1 Gbit!

Figure 1-11 Example network extender configuration

Redundancy

In Plixus it is possible to insert a type of fail-safe mechanism by creating redundancy. You can get

redundancy by inserting loops in your network. When there is a loop, Plixus can still access the device using

a different route when a cable or a device in one side of the loop breaks.

PL I X U S N EX T 31

Central

Unit

Network
Extender

Delegate

Unit

Redundancy for cables and
delegate units

Redundancy for cables, network extenders
and delegate units

Dante

TM

LAN

USB

PORT 1

1

ON WE

23 4

PORT 2 PORT 3 PORT 4

CONFERENCE NETWORK (CN)

48 V / 2A OUT (4x)

AUX OUT

AUX IN

48 V IN
MAX 420W

Figure 1-12 How to create redundancy using a netwotk extender.

PL I X U S N EX T 32

VIDEO IN

Video-In Box

Through the Plixus Video-IN (V-IN) box you can insert a HDMI video stream anywhere in the Plixus network.

There are two modes available for the V-IN box:

Fixed routing

Push to show

You can use multiple V-IN boxes in a Plixus network. Group V-IN boxes in order to create a presentation

stream based on a push to show principle (using the Video-Request button or dry contacts). A total of six

streams can be active in the Plixus network at any given time.

Figure 1-13 Video-IN box

1. Insert HDMI video stream

2. Two Plixus conference ports

3. Dry contacts for video stream input request

4. USB connection to V-REQ

The USB connection for the V-REQ is not a standard USB connection. This connection only works

for the V-REQ.

V ID EO I N 33

The V-IN box supports the following formats:

1920×1080p60

1920×1080p30

1280×720p30

Interlace is not supported

Video Request

The video stream input request can be done via dry contacts or by using the Plixus V-REQ (video input

request button), see image below.

Connection of V-REQ to the Video In Box is done through the included micro USB cable.

Figure 1-14 Video-Request button

V ID EO I N 34

VIDEO-OUT

Video-Out Box

You can use the Plixus Video-OUT Box to extract any HDMI video stream from the Plixus network to an

external device using HDMI. Two modes are available:

fixed stream routing

selection of available streams (using Video-Selection (V-SEL) or dry contacts)

You can assign multiple V-OUT boxes to a group, routing a specific stream to these boxes.

Figure 1-15 Video-OUT box

1. HDMI OUT connection

2. Two Plixus conference ports

3. Dry contacts for video stream selection (six streams available)

4. USB connection for V-SEL

The USB connection for the V-SEL is not a standard USB connection. This connection only works for

the V-SEL.

The V-OUT box supports the following formats:

V ID EO - O U T 35

Supports all resolutions with a maximum of 1920×1080p60

Interlace is not supported

Video Selection

Video stream selection can be done via dry contacts or by using the Plixus V-SEL accessory. Connect the V-

SEL to the Video-OUT Box is done through the included micro USB cable.

21

3

4

5

Figure 1-16 Plixus V-SEL accessory

V ID EO - O U T 36

VIDEO STREAM ROUTING

You can configure video stream routing using the CoCon Video application (CoCon & Plixus CRP version ≥

5.0).

Figure 1-17 Configure video stream routing in CoCon

In the application you can define the video input and create input groups ( shown on the left side of the

figure). In the middle you can see the six available video streams, you can change the name of each of

these streams. Disable streams by unchecking the option Available for delegates, these streams will not

be available for the V-SEL.

Assign a specific input to one or more streams, the downwards arrow indicates that the input is put on that

video stream. The output is shown on the right side, the arrow pointing to the right indicates that the video

stream is connected to the output.

See CoCon user guide for more information.

V ID EO S TRE AM R O U TI NG 3 7

DELEGATE EQUIPMENT

You can add different types of units and other peripherals to your Plixus architecture depending on your

requirements. Below you can find a list of all delegate equipment that you can combine with Plixus together

with a short description.

Audio Only Equipment

Product Description

Confidea (tabletop or

flushmount)

The audio only unit of the Plixus network.

Lingua interpreter desk Unit specifically designed to support interpretation. This unit only supports

audio.

Multimedia Equipment

Product Description

uniCOS (7" or 10") The touch screen multimedia unit. Allows delegates and chairmen to see additional

information, video, but also documents that are relevant for the meeting or the

agenda.

For more information on how to use these different peripherals consult their dedicated user guides. How to

set them up in the Plixus network is explained in the chapter "Installation design" on page40.

DE L EGAT E EQUIPMENT 38

INTERPRETER EQUIPMENT

Within the Plixus network it is possible to configure interpretation. Different units are availble for

interpreters. Below you can find a list of all these units, together with a short description.

Product Description

Lingua interpreter desk

(video enabled)

Unit specifically designed to support interpretation. In the video enabled version you

can extract video from the units HDMI output.

Lingua Interpreter desk

(Audio)

Unit specifically designed to support interpretation, that does not support video.

IN TER PRE TER EQ UIPMENT 39

INSTALLATION DESIGN

This chapter describes how to set up the installation of the Plixus network before

you can physically install it. You will find more information on the technical details

of the different components and how to combine and configure them.

PLIXUS COMPONENT PROPERTIES

It is not possible to combine all Plixus components on the same branch because some units are powered

over the Plixus cable, while others require external power.

In addition there is a difference in network speed for audio-only devices versus multimedia devices. As a

consequence, three different categories of devices are possible that you cannot mix on the same branch.

The following tables list the properties of all components. Please note the different categories:

100 Mbit powered over Plixus Cable

1 Gbit powered over Plixus Cable

1 Gbit externally powered

100 Mbit Powered Over Plixus Cable

Component type Plixus Network Speed Power over Plixus cable

Max Power

Consumption

Confidea F 100Mbit

+

5 W

Confidea T 100Mbit + 5 W

Confidea CS 100Mbit + 2 W

Lingua ID (audio only) 100Mbit + 11 W

Confidea G3 WCAP 100Mbit + 10 W

1Gbit Powered Over Plixus Cable

Component type Plixus Network Speed Power over Plixus cable

Max Power

Consumption

Lingua ID (video) 1Gbit + 12 W

Confidea F-DIV-C 1Gbit + 12 W

Video Out Box 1Gbit + 7 W

Video In Box 1Gbit + 7 W

PL I X U S C O MPO N ENT P R O PER TIES 41

1Gbit Externally Powered

Component type Plixus Network Speed Power over Plixus cable

Max Power

Consumption

uniCOS 7" F/ MM 1Gbit - 15 W

uniCOS 10" F/MM 1Gbit - 15W

Plixus NEXT 100Mbit / 1Gbit - 7 W

A branch cannot mix products with different network speeds. A single branch is

restricted to components from one and the same category.

Figure 1-18 Dos and don'ts of combining units

PL I X U S C O MPO N ENT P R O PER TIES 42

It is strongly recommended to only place Plixus Network Extenders in one branch, and not to mix

them with uniCOS Multimedia units (although they belong to the same category).

PL I X U S C O MPO N ENT P R O PER TIES 43

GENERAL INSTALLATION GUIDELINES

The following installation design rule apply for one branch / loop powered only by the Plixus engine (internal

48 Vdc power supply) or an external Plixus Power Supply:

A maximum of 100 W

A specific maximum of devices per product family per branch / loop

A maximum cable length between two units of 100 m

Units Per Branch / Loop

Depending on the type of unit we advise to add a maximum amount of devices per branch. This is to ensure

that the last device in the branch receives enough power (only for devices powered over Ethernet) and limit

delay data transmission.

In the table below you can see the maximum allowed devices per branch.

Device type Max. number per branch

Confidea T/F 20

Confidea F channel selector 30

uniCOS F/MM 30

Lingua Interpreter Desk 8

uniBox 30

Video IN / OUT 8

Plixus NEXT 8

Confidea G3 WCAP 8

Confidea F-DIV-C 8

When To Use A Network Extender

When the four Plixus conference ports provided by the engine are insufficient for your system, you can

extend your range by using network extenders (Plixus NEXT). A network extender has four additional

conference ports, which allows you to add much more units to your network.

GEN ERAL IN ST ALL ATION G U ID ELIN ES 44

There a two possible configurations to use these network extender, you can daisy-chain them or put them in

a tree structure. When you daisy-chain network extenders you can use a maximum of 32 extenders (eight

per branch and this for the four Plixus conference ports). In a tree structure there are no limitations. See

"Installation diagram" on the next page for a schematic representation of these cases.

GEN ERAL IN ST ALL ATION G U ID ELIN ES 45

INSTALLATION DIAGRAM

Configuration With Plixus Engine Only

televic

POWER48vDC

PORT 1 PORT 2 PORT 3 PORT 4

CONFERENCE NETWORK (CN)

48 V / 2A OUT (4x)

Plixus Engine

Room Equipment

Plixus Power Supply



FLOOR MICROPHONE MUTE

! " # $ % & ' 

FLOOR MICROPHONE MUTE

! " # $ % & ' 

FLOOR MICROPHONE MUTE

! " # $ % & '

Figure 1-19 Example of Plixus network with engine only

For a setup where you only need an engine, connect the units directly to the conference ports of the Plixus

engine. Daisy chain the different units in the branch. If your system contains uniCOS units, you need an

external power supply.

Only mix compatible units in one branch. For more information on which units you can combine see "Plixus

component properties" on page41. In this table you can also see the power consumption, which you need

to know how many units you can have in one branch. Use the power calculator tool to validate your

configuration ("Power supply design" on page51).

Configuration With Network Extender

DAISY-CHAIN NETWORK EXTENDERS

When you daisy-chain network extenders, you can have a maximum of 32 network extenders ( eight per

branch and this forthe four Plixus conference ports).

IN STA L L ATIO N D IA G R A M 46

Dante

TM

LAN

USB

PORT 1

1

ON WE

23 4

PORT 2 PORT 3 PORT 4

CONFERENCE NETWORK (CN)

48 V / 2A OUT (4x)

AUX OUT

AUX IN

48 V IN
MAX 420W

Max. 8

Max. 32

Figure 1-20 How to put network extenders in daisy-chain configuration

To create redundancy in your system you can insert loops (see "Plixus NEXT" on page29

Dante

TM

LAN

USB

PORT 1

1

ON WE

23 4

PORT 2 PORT 3 PORT 4

CONFERENCE NETWORK (CN)

48 V / 2A OUT (4x)

AUX OUT

AUX IN

48 V IN
MAX 420W

Figure 1-21 Plixus network with daisy-chained network extenders and loops

TREE STRUCTURE OF NETWORK EXTENDERS

For larger setups you can put the netwok extenders in a tree structures. Here there is no limitation on the

amount of network extenders you can put in the tree.

IN STA L L ATIO N D IA G R A M 47

Dante

TM

LAN

USB

PORT 1

1

ON WE

2 3 4

PORT 2 PORT 3 PORT 4

CONFERENCE NETWORK (CN)

48 V / 2A OUT (4x)

AUX OUT

AUX IN

48 V IN
MAX 420W

Figure 1-22 How to use network extenders in a tree structure

You can also create redundancy in a tree structure, the figure below shows you how to achieve this.

Dante

TM

LAN

USB

PORT 1

1

ON WE

2 3 4

PORT 2 PORT 3 PORT 4

CONFERENCE NETWORK (CN)

48 V / 2A OUT (4x)

AUX OUT

AUX IN

48 V IN
MAX 420W

IN STA L L ATIO N D IA G R A M 48

Figure 1-23 Plixus network with network extenders in tree structure and with loops

PLIXUS SETUP WITH NETWORK EXTENDERS

televic

POWER48vDC

PORT 1 PORT 2 PORT 3 PORT 4

CONFERENCE NETWORK (CN)

48 V / 2A OUT (4x)

Plixus Engine

Room Equipment

Room

Equipment

Room

Equipment

Plixus Power Supply

Max. 800 W / Power Supply

48 V



FLOOR MICROPHONE MUTE

! " # $ % & ' 

FLOOR MICROPHONE MUTE

! " # $ % & ' 

FLOOR MICROPHONE MUTE

! " # $ % & '

Figure 1-24 Example of Plixus network with network extenders

For installation with a network connector, use the conference port on top of the network extender to

connect with the Plixus engine. Use the second top conference port to form a daisy chain with another

network extender. Use the conference ports on the bottom of the extender to connect the units inside the

room. To connect the extender to the units the same principles apply as for the direct connection of the

engine to the units. See "Configuration with Plixus engine only" for more information.

The network extender and uniCOS units require an external power supply. There is a maximum of power

that the power supply can foresee. Use the power calculator tool to see how many power supplies you

require ("Power supply design" on page51).

The Plixus AE-R does not have an internal power supply and comes with one power supply of

220W by default. Check the table with power consumption details and use the power calculator

tool to check how many power supplies you need. You can find more information on the power

needed for your system in "Power supply design" on page51.

IN STA L L ATIO N D IA G R A M 49

Examples

EXAMPLE WITH 50 CONFIDEA F UNITS

IN STA L L ATIO N D IA G R A M 50

POWER SUPPLY DESIGN

Power Availability And Consumption Table

Power availability

Plixus MME total power supply 500W (400W available for Plixus ports

Plixus AE-R power supply 220W

One single Plixus port allows 100W (engine ports or extension ports)

Maximum power consumption

Confidea F/T 5W

Confidea CS 2W

uniCOS 7" 15W

Plixus NEXT 7W

Lingua Interpreter Desk - Audio only 11W

Lingua Interpreter Desk - Video 12W

Video-IN / Video-OUT box 7W

Confidea WCAP 10W

Maximum distance between units 100m (signal regenerated in every unit)

Minimum required voltage per unit 36V

The general rule states that you should use a maximum 20 delegate units per branch / loop.

Plixus AE-R Power Supply

The Plixus AE-R does not have an internal power supply, however it does have two power connectors. By

default you get one power supply together with the engine. You can extend this power supply with another

as redundancy or when the system requires more power.

To check how many power supplies you require, consult the flowchart shown below.

PO W ER SUP PLY D ESI G N 51

Plixus NEXT needed?

More than 40 units?

More than 200 W?

Plixus AE-R (71.98.2902)
Plixus Power Supply (71.98.2930)

required for network extender

Plixus AE-R Power Supply (71.98.2931)
for power redundancy

Plixus AE-R (71.98.2902)
Plixus AE-R Power Supply (71.98.2931)

to power units

2 x DIN Rail Power Supply 48 Vdc - 10 A
for power redundancy

Plixus AE-R (71.98.2902)

Plixus AE-R Power Supply (71.98.2931)
for power redundancy

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

No

Figure 1-25 How to decide to need an additional Plixus AE-R power supply

Calculator Tool

The Plixus Power Calculator Tool allows to you to validate a configuration in more detail. It takes

into account the network cable lengths, power cable lengths and the different types of equipment.

The Plixus Power Calculator Tool can be easily found on the Televic Partner Domain.

Regardless of the calculator values, the maximum values above still apply. If more units, more power or a

larger length is needed, then you need to create a separate branch using a Network Extender.

Cable Requirements

Televic advises to use minimum CAT 5e F/UTP 23 AWG for run cables and CAT 5e F/UTP 24

AWG patch cables.

Televic strongly advises that cables for all video-enabled products are created in loop.

Please follow the cable guidelines described here, they are important to guarantee correct system

performance.

PO W ER SUP PLY D ESI G N 52

Keep all cable runs under 90% of the maximum distance supported for each media type as

specified in the relevant standard. This extra headroom is for the additional patch cables that

will be included in the end-to-end connection.

Always use the same type of cable (except AWG) in the end-to-end connection.

Cabling installations and components should be compliant with the ISO/IEC 11801 standard.

Do not stress the cable by doing any of the following

Applying additional twists

Pulling or stretching beyond its specified pulling load rating

Bending it beyond its specified bend radius

Creating tension in suspended runs

Stapling or applying pressure with cable ties

Avoid placing copper cables near equipment that can generate high levels of

electromagnetic interference. Generally avoid locations near power cords, fluorescent lights,

building electrical cables and fire-prevention components.

Use the Plixus Power Calculator to ensure sufficient power for all units in the network.

PO W ER SUP PLY D ESI G N 53

COMBINE PLIXUS WITH CONFIDEA G3

Combine Wired And Wireless Units

With Plixus it is possible to combine wired and wireless units this can be the case when disabled people

require a wireless microphone. You can also use the wireless units to extend the amount of people that can

join the meeting. A third reason to combine wired and wireless, is to use the wireless system as backup.

televic

REC

Wired Wireless

Figure 1-26 How to combine wired and wireless units in a single Plixus setup

CO MBI NE PL IX US W ITH CO N F ID EA G 3 54

Combine Interpretation With Wireless Units

In the Confidea G3 unit product range, multiple units that can support that support channel selection are

available. Couple such units with the Plixus engine to receive the channels from the Lingua Interpreter

Desks in your Plixus network.

televic

REC

Interpretation
over RF



FLOOR MICROPHONE MUTE

! " # $ % & ' 

FLOOR MICROPHONE MUTE

! " # $ % & '

Figure 1-27 How to distribute languages using radio frequency

CO MBI NE PL IX US W ITH CO N F ID EA G 3 55

Range Extension With Multiple Access Points

Improve the range of your room by using multiple WCAPs. By using multiple WCAPs you are able to

connect to much more units spread out over the entire meeting room. Formore information on how to

position the WCAPs for optimal transmission see the Confidea G3 dedicated user guide.

televic

REC

WCAP 1 RF range WCAP 2 RF range

Figure 1-28 Improve the range of your system by using multiple WCAPs

CO MBI NE PL IX US W ITH CO N F ID EA G 3 56

Split And Combine Rooms

Use the WCAP in standalone mode for small meetings. For larger meetings you can combine multiple

rooms by coupling the WCAPs with the Plixus engine. In this way you can manage all units centrally using

the Plixus engine and web server.

When you need to split the room again, simply uncouple the WCAP from Plixus. The WCAP will go back to

standalone mode where it remembers all its previous settings.

The Plixus engine will remember the WCAPs once they were coupled. Just couple them using the web

server whenever you need to combine rooms.

WCAP 1 Standalone

WCAP 1 & 2 combined in Plixus

WCAP 2 Standalone

televic

REC

Figure 1-29 Use the WCAPs in standalone mode when you need to seperate rooms or combine to rooms into

one by coupling the WCAPs to the Plixus network.

Create Redundancy

Use multiple WCAPs to create redundancy. When one WCAP fails you can easily switch to associated units

to another empty WCAP using the web server. See "Couple with Confidea G3" on page105

CO MBI NE PL IX US W ITH CO N F ID EA G 3 57

WCAP 2 without
associated units

Units associated
with WCAP 1

televic

REC

Use web server to transfer
units to backup WCAP
in case of problems

Figure 1-30 Create redundancy by having a backup WCAP in your Plixus system with no associated units.

Transfer units in case of problems to this backup WCAP by using the Plixus Core web server.

CO MBI NE PL IX US W ITH CO N F ID EA G 3 58

INSTALLATION PROCESS

This chapter describes how to physically set up and install the Plixus network. Here

you can find all technical details needed to correctly install all Plixus components.

INTRODUCTION

Before you start, make sure to take all necessary precautions. Refer to the tables above and ensure

all components are installed and sufficiently powered.

Before you install the Plixus system, make installation design as described in "Installation design" on

page40 to ensure correct installation. In this design you will calculate the following elements:

The system Power consumption

The amount of external power supplies needed

Cable length needed

IN TRO DUCT IO N 60

POWER SUPPLY

Power UniCOS Units And Network Extenders

To supply power to the uniCOS units or network extenders, 48VDC is required. A WAGO Power Connector

supplies the necessary power. It is advised to use strain reliefs (see: Figure ). Note that each power

connector has 2 x 3 contacts which allows daisy chaining of units.

When connecting the power cables, please note the correct order of the cables and their

corresponding colors, see the picture above.

Power Supply Of The Central Unit

When connecting power at the back of the central engine, please note the correct order of the

cables and their corresponding colors

PLIXUS AE-R

To supply power to the Plixus AE-R using the power outlets on the engine. You can add two 220V power

supplies. Use a second one when 220V is insufficient or as a redundant power supply.

Figure 1-31 How to supply power to the Plixus AE-R

PLIXUS MME

The Plixus MME has an internal power supply. To supply power to the units using the Plixus MME put the

cables in the correct order:

1. Blue cable = 0V

2. Green / yellow cable= earth

3. Brown cable = 48VDC

PO W ER SUP PLY 61

Figure 1-32 Power connection of Plixus MME

You can supply power the units over Ethernet. Each conference ports can supply a maximum of 100W.

PO W ER SUP PLY 62

INSTALL CABLES

Use CAT 5e cables to connect Plixus AE-R or MME to the delegate and chairmen units, and to connect the

different units in a branch / loop. For more information on cable details, see "Cable requirements" on

page52.

Televic has standard pre-made cables available in different lengths:

YPC/2 2 m

YPC/5 5 m

YPC/10 10 m

YPC/20 20 m

The voltage level at the output of the central unit is 48 V. A voltage drop is caused by the length of the cable

and the number of units. The last unit of the branch should receive at least 36 V.

IN STA L L CABLES 63

INSTALL MICROPHONES

General Microphone Characteristics

All Plixus compatible units have a screw-lock connector to insert pluggable microphones.

The recommended speaking distance from the mouth to the top of the microphone is between 20 to 40cm.

In order to accommodate the variety of speakers and speaking distances, microphones are available in

three different lengths: 30cm (D-MIC30SL), 40cm (D-MIC30SL) and 50cm (D-MIC50SL).

Technical Microphone Characteristics

Parameter Specifications

Material Brass

Color Matt black, RAL 9011

Transducer principle Back electret (condenser)

Operating principle Pressure gradient

Polar pattern Unidirectional

Nominal conditions

Bias resistor = 1k2

Vdd = 3.3 VDC

SPL = 1Pa

Max SPL @ 1 kHz 110dB SPL (1% THD+N)

Signal to noise ratio > 67dB(A)

Free field sensitivity 9.4 mV/Pa ± 3dB @ 1 kHz or

-40.5 dB, 0 dB = 1V/Pa @ 1 KHz

Power supply 3.3 VDC, 0.5mA

Consumption 0.5mA (without LED ring)

Max. 25mA (with LED ring)

Connection Screw lock

IN STA L L MIC R O PH O N ES 64

Microphone Connector Characteristics

Confidea D-MIC microphones have a 5-pin connector to plug into the different Plixus compatible units.

Each pin has a distinct function:

Figure 1-33 Microphone connection

1. Pin 1: Microphone GND

2. Pin 2: Microphone signal

3. Pin 3: not used

4. Pin 4: LED +

5. Pin 5: LED -

Microphone Operation Modes

The microphone contains the following elements:

Indicator ring: shows the status of the microphone

Union nut: attaches the removable microphone to the unit

Microphone plug: connects the microphone to the unit

The color of the microphone indicator ring shows the status of the microphone:

IN STA L L MIC R O PH O N ES 65

Color Status

Red (continuous) Microphone is active

Red (blinking)

Last minute of speech time (if set via software)

Speech Request (if set via software)

Green (continuous) Microphone is initialized

Green (blinking) Microphone request

IN STA L L MIC R O PH O N ES 66

INSTALL DELEGATE UNITS

Keep at least one meter between two consecutive units to prevent howling effects.

Connect Plixus Units

For all system cable connections use CAT 5e FTP cables with an RJ-45 shielded connector. Plixus units have

an automatic port sensing feature. This means that it doesn’t matter which port is used, the units

automatically detect whether it is an input or output.

Each unit has two conference ports, below you can find a list with all Plixus compatible units and the

location of their conference ports.

Unit type Conference port location

Confidea T Bottom side of unit

Confidea F Built-in part of unit, location may vary depending on the type of unit.

uniCOS Built-in part of unit

Interpreter Desk Back side of unit

Connect To Plixus Engine

After connecting the different Plixus units to each other, connect the branch of units to one of the

conference network ports of the Plixus AE-R, MME or a network extender.

The Plixus AE-R and MME have four conference network ports.

General rule: 80 units can be supported directly by the central unit. However this depends on

type on units , cable sections and length. To calculate the exact amount with the Plixus power

calculator tool.

The central unit can deliver 400 W for external loads (for the Plixus AE-R this is 200W, which

you can increase to 400W with an additional external power supply)

The cable length to the first unit should not exceed 100m.

The cable length between the units should not exceed 100m.

IN STA L L DELEG A TE U NITS 6 7

INSTALL CONFIDEA G3

Within Plixus it is possible to connect the engine to a Confidea G3 wireless system. When connected, Plixus

will treat the units the same way as all other wired units.

Connect Wireless Conference Access Point (WCAP) To
Plixus Network

Use the conference ports on the WCAP to connect to the Plixus engine or a network extender. In some

cases you want to have multiple WCAPs available ( see "Combine Plixus with Confidea G3" on page54 for

more information). You can daisy chain multiple WCAPs in one branch. We suggest not to put more than

eight WCAPs on one branch.

24V

AUX.

BALANCED

PORT 1 PORT 2

0.625A

Figure 1-34 Back view with conference ports on Confidea G3 WCAP

To supply power to the WCAP you can use its external power supply, but you can also use the power

supplied by the engine or network extender with power over Ethernet.

IN STA L L CO NF ID EA G 3 6 8

CONFIGURATION

This chapter describes how to configure the Plixus network using the Plixus Core

web server. It includes a description of how to connect to the built-in web server

together with how to initialize units and configure audio settings to guarantee a

successful meeting.

INTRODUCTION

Plixus features three different software components:

Default web server: the web server you see when you first use the system. Contains basic

functionalities that are also covered by Plixus Core.

Plixus Core: is a bundle of conference logic that runs on the Plixus system and allows to run the

conference system without a dedicated computer, but with the use of a web server.

CoCon: is the complete software suite for conference management.

Plixus Core

From CRP 5.1 onwards, the Plixus system provides the possibility to use Plixus Core. Below you can find a list

containing all functionality that is available in Plixus Core. This guide will discuss all these features together

with how to configure and use them.

Initialization of the units, creation of booths

Discussion parameters for microphone modes

Configuration of different audio settings such as the dynamics processor, auto gain reduction,

auxiliary input and output levels

Selection of basic audio routing presets (normal audio routing, N-1, external equalizer)

Interpretation configuration up to 11 languages and possibility to send language channels to

Dante

Operator page to control microphones

Recording of one or more channels

Regional settings such as date and time format

Manage network settings

Camera protocols

API

Plixus Core Versus CoCon

There are some differences between Plixus Core and the CoCon software. You cannot configure all

parameters of each feature in Plixus Core, for this you need a CoCon license. For a detailed description of

IN TRO DUCT IO N 70

the difference between the two, see the table below.

Plixus Core CoCon 5.2

Start/Stop initialization Yes Yes

Retrieve initialization Yes Yes

Creation of synoptics No Yes

Support for multiple synoptics No Yes

Configuration of interpreter booths Yes Yes

Changing seat priority (delegate –

chairman)

Yes Yes

Default microphone mode No default, the last configured

mode is used

Yes

Meeting management No Yes

Delegate management (delegate

names, groups)

No Yes

Agenda creation No Yes

Voting management No Yes

Speech timers No Yes

Services (uniCOS) No Yes

Messaging (uniCOS) No Yes

Badges and authentication No Yes

Operator control Yes, limited through web server

Operator page

Yes, full Operator control

available

Activation of microphones Yes Yes

All microphone modes supported Yes Yes

Meeting statistics No Yes

Import/export of meeting data No Yes

Voting control No Yes

Signage No Yes

IN TRO DUCT IO N 71

Plixus Core CoCon 5.2

Basic interpretation Yes, up to 11 language

configurable from web server in

Standalone

Yes

Advanced interpretation (with all ISO

90107 features)

No Yes

Three basic audio configuration

(normal, distance conferencing,

external equalizer)

Yes, configurable from web

server

Yes, included in Plixus Core

web server

Advanced audio configuration No, but once created with

CoCon, selectable from web

server

Yes, full audio routing matrix

available with Audio

application

Camera protocol Yes, sent from Plixus engine Yes, sent from Room Server

IN TRO DUCT IO N 72

CONFIGURE IP SETTINGS

Before you start using the Plixus web server you need to configure your local IP settings to be able to access

the web server. Follow the procedure below to configure this.

To be able to access the web server your computer needs an IP address and subnet mask that can access

the IP address of the engine. The default IP address of the engine is 192.168.0.100, which means the

computer should have an IP address that is within the same subnet, like 192.168.0.200. The subnet mask

must be the same for all equipment on the network, being 255.255.255.0.

Change IP Settings In Windows

1. Go to Control panel.

2. Click Network and Internet and then Network and sharing center.

3. Click Change adapter settings in the menu on the left.

CO NF IG URE IP S ET TING S 73

4. Right-click the Local Area Connection and select Properties.

5. Select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and click Properties.

6. To assign a fixed IP address to your computer, click Advanced.

CO NF IG URE IP S ET TING S 74

7. Click Add in the IP address pane.

8. Enter an IP address in the range of the engine, for example 192.168.0.26. Fill in 255.255.255.0

as subnet mask.

9. Click OK. You are now ready to access the WCAP.

Change IP Settings In MacOS

1. Go to the Apple Menu and select System Preferences.

2. Select Network from the menu.

CO NF IG URE IP S ET TING S 75

3. Click the Advanced button.

4. Select TCP/IP in the menu on top.

5. Change Configure IPv4 to Manually.

CO NF IG URE IP S ET TING S 76

6. Enter an IP address in the range of the engine, for example 192.168.0.25. Fill in 255.255.255.0

as subnet mask.

7. Click OK.

CO NF IG URE IP S ET TING S 77

GETTING STARTED WITH PLIXUS
CORE

Activate Plixus Core

To access the web server of the Plixus system, enter the IP address of the Plixus engine in your browser. The

default IP address of the Plixus engine is 192.168.0.100 with subnet mask 255.255.255.0.

The first time you will need to activate Plixus Core. Go to Settings, select Info and click Start Plixus

Core.

Figure 1-35 Start Plixus Core from the default web server

If the web server does not refresh automatically, you can refresh it manually. Loading the new web

server may take up to 1 minute, the very first time.

Explore Plixus Core

The layout of the web server was designed to be intuitive and easy to use. All pages have a similar layout

which eases configuration. The general layout consists out of two parts:

The header element (1): this part contains the name ofthe product together with the title of
the page. From here you can also access the main menu by clicking the menu icon .

The body element (2): on this part of the page you can view and configure all settings. The

content will change depending on the menu item you select.

GET TI NG S TAR TED WITH P L IX US C O R E 78

Figure 1-36 General layout of the web server

When you want to configure a certain setting, you simply select the correct sub menu from the main menu (

). The following sub menus are available:

Icon Sub menu Description

Home Return to the home screen where you see the most

important features and their configuration.

Initialization Define and configure units present in the Plixus network.

Discussion options Configure discussion options such as microphone to

define how to activate a microphone.

Audio Configuration of different audio options such as dynamic

processing and auto gain reduction.

Audio routing Configure the audio routing and the auxiliary input and

output levels.

Interpretation Configuration of the interpretation channels.

Operator Control all microphones in a meeting.

Recording Options to record the meeting.

Regional settings Change regional settings.

GET TI NG S TAR TED WITH P L IX US C O R E 79

Icon Sub menu Description

Network Configure network settings and set camera protocol.

Users Change user name and password.

System info Contains system information such as license information,

system logging, (de)activation of Plixus Core and

configuration management.

Update versions Overview of all firmware and software version together

with the option to update to another version.

GET TI NG S TAR TED WITH P L IX US C O R E 80

THE HOME PAGE

This is the default landing page of the web server and it shows general together with crucial information

about the current state of your conference system. Click the feature name to go to the dedicated page to

configure the setting.

On the left side you can see the following information:

General volume

Microphone mode

Number of active units

Number of faulty units

Number of connected but uninitialized units

Faulty units, means that there are units missing, that are normally in the initialization list. If this is

the case, this is indicated in red. A reason could be that they are not booted correctly or that they

are physically disconnected from the Plixus network.

On the right side you see the following items:

IP address o the system

MAC address of the Plixus engine

Connection status with CoCon Room Server

Connection Status with Plixus Core

By default it is not possible to disconnect from Plixus Core, however when Plixus Core crashes

home page will show Plixus Core Not connected. Click Restart to restart Plixus Core.

TH E H O ME PAGE 81

INITIALIZATION

Introduction

The Plixus system always works with seats. A seat is a conceptual name for a unit or a group of units which

are combined on that seat. By default this is a one-to-one mapping, so every unit has one seat. However,

there can be more advanced cases where units are manually combined on a seat. During initialization you

can assigns units to seats.

Figure 1-37 Initialization page

1. In Initialization on the left side of the page you select the mode of initialization.

2. System status shows the status of all units, you can see the amount of initialized, faulty and

not initialized units. Faulty units are units that were initialized, but are now missing. Not initialized

units are connected, but not yet initialized.

3. In the Advanced settings you can define the maximum number of desk per booth (for

interpretation).

4. The Initialization list on the right side shows all unitialized units, per unit you can see the

following information:

a. Seat number: position of the unit in the meeting room

b. Unit type

c. Chairman capabilities: can unit acts as chairman, indicated by star icon.

IN ITIAL I ZA TIO N 82

d. Serial number: of the unit

e. Booths: all available booths together with the amount of desk per booth and the units.

How To Initialize Units

There are two initialization modes possible: Open access and Manual initialization.

OPEN ACCESS

This is the default mode. The main purpose of this mode is to provide a quick way to set up

and/or test the system.

Seats are automatically assigned to the units after startup. Assigning seats is done according to

the cabling topology of the units. This means that seat one is assigned to the first unit at port

one of the Plixus engine.

For network extenders connected to the Plixus port, seats will also start with port one of the

network extender. The system automatically discovers the redundant loops.

Interpreter desks are automatically divided into booths according to the setting Number of

desk per booth, under Advanced settings.

Upon restart of the Plixus engine (or Plixus Core) in Open Access, the network will be

rescanned and seats and desks will be assigned accordingly.

In Open Access mode, it is not possible to edit the configuration of the units (seat number or

delegate/chairman priority), nor change the configuration of the booths.

When changing from Open access to Manual Initialization, the initialization and seat order

is preserved.

MANUAL INITIALIZATION

Use Manual initialization when you want to define which unit is assigned to which seat

number. This can be important when using camera tracking as well as CoCon seat allocation.

Manual initialization allows you to edit the configuration in terms of chairman / delegate priority

and booth configuration after initial configuration.

Click Open initialization to start the initialization phase. This causes uninitialized

microphones to blink red and initialized microphones to blink green. Add units to the

initialization list by pressing the microphone button. During manual initialization you can

perform the following actions on the units:

IN ITIAL I ZA TIO N 83

: click to swap unit. When a unit is faulty, it will be greyed out in the web server.

Click the icon and enter the serial number of the new unit. Click the checkmark icon

to confirm. Note that you can only replace units with units of the same type.

: click to modify the unit number. If you do this during the initialization, the next

assigned unit number will be the highest unit number + 1.

: click to remove individual units during initialization. After removal the

microphone LED will blink red again.

It might take several seconds before the microphones start to blink when you click Open

initialization.

You can only manual initialize units with a microphone button. Units without this button (e.g.

Confidea channel selector) are automatically assigned to a seat.

Click Stop initialization to finish and the seats are automatically assigned to the units.

Stopping initialization might take a while, up to one moment depending on the number of

units. The seat number will automatically map to the unit number and the Lingua ID’s to desks

in booths according to the setting Desk per booth.

Click Edit configuration to change the following settings

Chairman priority: click the start icon ( or ) to change priority of the unit. A

unit that is hardware-wise not a chairman unit can receive chairman properties. This

then becomes a VIP unit.

Booth configuration: click the booth icon to change the booth configuration.

Create new booths or group desks by changing booth and desk number.

Do not reload the page when editing the configuration.

Do not change properties during meetings, because this can disturb your meeting.

You can also use CoCon to configure different settings such as the priority of the unit.

Click Clear initialization to clear the initialization list, as consequence all units will start to

blink red. It is only possible to clear initialization when the initialization is open and units are not

faulty. Confirm to finish clearing the initialization.

IN ITIAL I ZA TIO N 84

DISCUSSION OPTIONS

In this chapter you will find all information to configure the most important settings of your meeting. These

settings are the number of open microphones, the microphone mode and the color of the microphone LED.

Number Of Open Microphones

You can set the number of open microphones be between 1 and 25. This does not include the chairman

microphones. You can activate up to eight additional chairman microphones on top of the 25 delegate

microphones.

Microphone Mode

Different microphone modes are available and depending on the mode, you can configure additional

settings.

DIRECT ACCESS

With direct access delegates can activate their own microphone by pushing the microphone button. The

following additional settings are available:

DI SCU SSION O PTIO NS 85

Parameter Description

Override

> Not-selected: microphone will not become active when the maximum

number of open microphones is reached and you press the microphone

button. Another active microphone must switch off first. Deactivation is

possible by the delegate, via the operator page, through the chairman using

the API or CoCon.

> Selected: when the maximum number of open microphones is reached, the

first activated microphone will switch off when a delegate presses its

microphone button.

Allow delegates to switch

off their microphone

With this option you ensure delegates cannot switch off their own

microphone. Only the operator or chairman can do this.

Button toggle activation

Press the microphone button once to activate the microphone.

Button request activation

Keep button pressed to activate to microphone. When you release the button,

the microphone will switch off.

REQUEST

In request mode you do not automatically get the floor when you activate your microphone. First you have

to request the floor. The chairman then assigns the floor to a speaker using the next-in-line button (or using

the operator page, CoCon or the API). Which delegate may speak first is defined by the first-in-first-out

principle. The chairman units (or VIP units) can always speak immediately and do not have to request the

floor.

For request mode additional settings can be configured:

Parameter Description

Allow delegates to cancel

their request

Select this option to allow user to cancel their request to speak by pressing the

microphone button.

Allow delegates to switch

off their microphone

Select to allow user to switch off their microphone by pressing the microphone

button. If not selected the microphone will only switch off when another

events stops the microphone for example by using the operator page.

Enable reply

Select to enable the reply functionality. With this function you can reply to a

certain speaker which will put you in different request list that has priority over

the default request list. Define which button to use for the reply function

(Reply, Prior, Next).

DI SCU SSION O PTIO NS 86

VOX

Voice activation (VoX) is a mode where the microphone button is not used. The microphone becomes

active when it detects sound above a certain threshold. You can configure Voice activation in the Group

discussion mode. The following settings can be configured:

Parameter Description

Threshold The system will monitor the ambient sound level and will activate the microphone when it is

above the configured threshold value.

Hold time Determines the number of seconds the microphone stays active after detection of the last sound

above threshold.

GROUP MODE

Group mode is a semi-automatic mode for standalone conferences where less protocol has to be followed

and no operator is available. Pressing the microphone button activates the microphone unless the

maximum amount of open microphones is reached. In this case the microphone will go into request mode.

When another microphone becomes inactive, the first unit in the request list will become active.

This mode has 3 activation types: toggle, push to talk and vox.

Mode Description

Toggle Press microphone button once to activate microphone.

Push to talk Keep microphone button pressed to activate microphone.

Voice

activation

Microphone becomes active when it detects sound above a defined threshold. For more

information see "VoX" .

OPERATOR

With the operator mode delegates cannot activate their own microphone. Only a command from CoCon,

the operator page or the API can activate these delegate microphones. Delegates can deactivate their

microphone by pressing the microphone button. Chairman can always activate microphones and use the

priority button if he wants to switch off the delegate microphones.

Microphone LED

Change the LED color of an active microphone ora microphone in request. By default the LEDof an active

microphone is red and for a microphone in request green.

DI SCU SSION O PTIO NS 87

RECORDING

With the Plixus AE-R you have the option to record meetings. You can start recording by pressing the button

on the engine or by using Plixus Core. Save the recording on the integrated hard drive or to an external USB

device.

Record Using The Record Button

Press the record button on the front display of the engine to start recording. A LED light next to the button

indicates that the engine is recording. Press the button again to stop the recording.

Figure 1-38 Record button on Plixus AE-R engine

Record Using Plixus Core

To record your conference using Plixus go to the main menu and select Recording .

REC O R DIN G 88

1. Select where to store the recording. Select Internal storage to store the recording on the engine

locally or select External storage to store the files to an external USB device connected to the

engine. For the internal storage you can see the remaining disk space, this depends on the audio

quality you selected.

2. Select this option to delete the oldest files on the engine or external USB device when there is no

more disk space.

3. This option splits up recordings into different files when the recording time is larger than one hour.

4. Select the channels you want to record. Per channel a different recording will be created.

5. Define a prefix and/or suffix to be automatically added to your recording file name. By default the

date and time are added to the file name.

6. Select the quality of the recording. By default 128kbit/s is selected which renders medium quality

audio files.

7. Click Apply settings to save the configuration.

8. Click Start recording to start and click Stop recording to finish your recording.

REC O R DIN G 89

Manage Recorded Files

Figure 1-39 How do download and remove your recorded files

1. Go to the location where your files were recorded: on the engine itself or on an external USB

device.

2. You can search for specific files using the Search bar.

3. Download or remove single files using the buttons next to the file.

4. Select multiple files using the check boxes next to the file names.

5. Download or remove the selected file by clicking on the Download or Remove button.

REC O R DIN G 90

AUDIO SETTINGS

On the Audio page you can configure all general audio settings for the Plixus system.

General Volume

This sets the volume for the loudspeakers in the room. The value can range from -96dB to +6dB. You can

also change the volume by turning the control dial of the MME or volume dial of the AE-R.

Dynamics Processing

The dynamics processor settings are global settings that are applied to every microphone unit individually.

These settings determine the dynamic range of the audio input.

There are four default presets available for the user, for a detailed description of these presets see the table

below. Click Advanced settings to see these presets and edit them. However, you cannot overwrite

predefined options, you can only save changes as Custom preset 1 or 2.

Preset Description

Default This preset has been optimized for medium-size conference rooms.

Default (without noise gate) Removes the noise gate, use when the noise in the room is limited.

External speakers Shifts the knee-point of the compressor stage to a higher input value resulting

in less chance of feedback when external speakers are used.

AU D IO SE TTING S 91

Preset Description

External speakers (without

noise gate)

Same settings as external speakers, but without the noise gate.

Figure 1-40 Figure 3 13 - Audio - Advanced dynamics settings

Auto Gain Reduction

Auto gain reduction reduces the amount of gain in signal in function of the amount of open microphones.

As the number of open microphones causes the noise to go up, a gain reduction can increase the

intelligibility. There are four presets available with different gain curves:

In rooms where the acoustics are very good, the auto gain reduction may be turned off. In smaller rooms or

rooms where external speakers are quite close to certain microphones, it can be challenging to have

enough intelligibility everywhere without feedback. Therefore a medium or high setting may be required.

AU D IO SE TTING S 92

AUDIO ROUTING

With audio routing you can control all routing configurations and the auxiliary levels. You can configure the

following settings:

Audio routing configuration

Auxiliary input levels

Auxiliary output levels and selection of the output channel

Automatically route interpretation channels to Dante

Figure 1-41 Audio routing page

Audio Routing Configuration

By default there are three preconfigured basic routing options. They are explained here with the picture of

the CoCon routing matrix:

NORMAL ROUTING

No additional audio routing is done.

AU D IO RO UTING 9 3

DISTANCE CONFERENCING

This adds an external signal, using AUX IN, to the local floor signal and sends the local floor signal, using

AUX OUT, to a remote party, for example sitting in a different room.

EXTERNAL EQUALIZER

This option allows you to add an external signal processing equipment or a mixing board.

AU D IO RO UTING 9 4

PRESETS FROM COCON AUDIO APPLICATION

You can use the CoCon Audio application to create additional audio routing configurations. After creation

these are sent to and saved on the Plixus engine. These are then accessible from the web server, even

when CoCon is not running. In contrast to the predefined configurations you can still edit these

configurations.

Auxiliary Levels

Auxiliary input levels and output levels are by default referenced on 0dB. This means there is no

amplification or gain reduction. You can adjust the levels manually by using the scroll bar.

Additional Options

When a predefined audio configuration is selected and you use the web server for the interpreter

configuration, there two additional functions are available.

You can assign an outgoing language channel to Aux 2 and 3. In the drop-down box select the

desired outgoing channel. This is only possible when the languages are configured in the web

server.

All language channels that you configure in the web server can be automatically routed to

Dante when you select the checkbox Automatically route interpretation channels to

Dante.

This means the following for the Dante channels: The floor is always routed to channel

number1. From then on, with the option activated, the other x language channels follow on

channel 2 until x+1

AU D IO RO UTING 9 5

INTERPRETATION

On the Interpretation page you configure the languages needed for the meeting. You can add up to eleven

channels.

Figure 1-42 Interpretation page

Add New Language

To add a language configuration, click the bottom empty field in the table in the Column Name. You can

define the following parameters:

Parameter Description

Name Name the language, not used for display but is used for the API output.

Display Text to display on relays, channels and channel selectors. Limited to seven characters.

Booth Select one of the initialized booths from the drop down box. The value “------“ represents a

virtual booth. This means that you can use the language by selecting it on B/C channels on the

Lingua ID.

Remove the configured language.

Click Apply configuration to activate it.

IN TER PRE TAT IO N 96

Add Interpretation Configuration From CoCon

Figure 1-43 How to add language configurations created in CoCon

You can also configure languages in the CoCon Interpretation application. You can find these

configurations in the drop down list on top of the page. Select the configuration and click Apply

configuration to use it. When you open a different configuration, the default configuration will be cleared.

IN TER PRE TAT IO N 97

OPERATOR

On the Operator page you can control the microphones in the meeting and see how is speaking or

requesting to speak. The Operator page consists out of two parts:

Figure 1-44 The Operator page

List Description

Speakers & request

Shows all active microphones , all requests (only possible with Request

microphone mode) and replies (if configured). Click on an active

microphone to switch it off. Click on a microphone in request or reply to turn

it on.

Available microphones This list shows all microphones, sorted on seat number, with an indication of

the chairman priority and the active or request microphones. Clicking on a

microphone will change the status from either to active or switch off the

microphone.

OPE RATO R 98

REGIONAL SETTINGS

Go to the Regional settings page to change the date and time format.

Figure 1-45 The Regional settings page

Click Push date and time of computer to Plixus to synchronize to time of your Plixus system with that

of your computer.

REG IO NAL SETT IN G S 9 9

NETWORK SETTINGS

On this page you can adjust the network settings of the Plixus engine and configure the camera protocol

which to sent from the Plixus engine to the camera tracking system. Here you are also able to enable the

API.

Figure 1-46 Network settings page

Network Information

You can configure the following network parameters:

Parameter Description

Hostname Is the name of the Plixus engine.

IP address The IP address to access the engine, default value is

192.168.0.100

. When you

change the IP address, you need to restart the engine to complete the action.

Subnet mask Default subnet is 255.255.0.0

Gateway The access point to another network.

Camera Protocol

Camera protocol is disabled by default. When you enable the camera protocol you can configure the

following parameters:

NE TWO RK SET TIN G S 1 0 0