Telos NX12 User Manual 2

TELOS Nx12

Advanced Digital Broadcast Telephone System

USER’S MANUAL

Manual Version 1.5 for software version 1.0 and later
28 June, 2008

Telos Nx12 Manual

© 2007 TLS Corporation. Published by Telos Systems/TLS Corporation. All rights reserved.

Trademarks

Telos Systems, the Telos logo, Zephyr, ZephyrExpress, Zephyr Xstream, Nx12, TWOx12, Series 2101,
Desktop Director, and Status Symbols are trademarks of TLS Corporation. All other trademarks are the

property of their respective holders.

Notice

All versions, claims of compatibility, trademarks, etc. of hardware and software products not made
by Telos mentioned in this manual or accompanying material are informational only. Telos Systems
makes no endorsement of any particular product for any purpose, nor claims any responsibility for
operation or accuracy.

We reserve the right to make improvements or changes in the products described in this manual,
which may affect the product specifications, or to revise the manual without notice.

Warranty

is product is covered by a one year limited warranty, the full text of which is included in this manual.

Updates

e operation of the Nx12 is determined largely by software. We routinely release new versions to
add features and fix bugs. Check the Telos web site for the latest. We encourage you to sign-up for the
email notification service offered on the site.

Feedback

We welcome feedback on any aspect of the Telos Nx12 or this manual. In the past, many good ideas
from users have made their way into software revisions or new products. Please contact us with your
comments.

Service

You must contact Telos before returning any equipment for factory service. We will need the serial
number, located on the back of the unit. Telos Systems will issue a Return Authorization number
which must be written on the exterior of your shipping container. Please do not include cables or ac­cessories unless specifically requested by the technical support engineer at Telos. Be sure to adequately
insure your shipment for its replacement value. Packages without proper authorization may be refused.
US customers please contact Telos technical support at [phone]. All other customers should
contact your local representative to make arrangements for service.

We support you...

By email workdwide: [e-mail]

e Telos Web site has plenty of useful information. http://www.telos-systems.com

By phone/Fax in the USA: Customer service is available from 9:30 AM to 6:00 PM USA Eastern
Time, Monday through Friday at +1 216.241.7225. Fax: [phone].

By phone/Fax in Europe. Service is available from Telos Europe in Germany at [phone].

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Telos Systems USA

This symbol, wherever it appears, alerts you to the presence
of uninsulated, dangerous voltage inside the enclosure –
voltage which may be sufficient to constitute a risk of shock.

This symbol, wherever it appears, alerts you to important
operating and maintenance instructions. Read the manual.

2101 Superior Avenue

Cleveland, OH 44114

USA

Telos Europe

Johannisstraße 6

85354 Freising

Germany

Notices and Cautions

CAUTION:

THE INSTALLATION AND SERVICE INSTRUCTIONS IN THIS MANUAL ARE FOR
USE BY QUALIFIED PERSONNEL ONLY. TO AVOID ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT
PERFORM ANY SERVICING OTHER THAN THAT CONTAINED IN THE OPERATING
INSTRUCTIONS UNLESS YOU ARE QUALIFIED TO DO SO. REFER ALL SERVICING
TO QUALIFIED PERSONNEL.

WARNING:

TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRICAL SHOCK, DO NOT EXPOSE THIS PRODUCT
TO RAIN OR MOISTURE.

USA CLASS A COMPUTING DEVICE INFORMATION TO USER. WARNING: is
equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio-frequency energy. If it is not installed and used as
directed by this manual, it may cause interference to radio communication. is equipment complies
with the limits for a Class A computing device, as specified by FCC Rules, Part 15, Subpart J, which
are designed to provide reasonable protection against such interference when this type of equipment
is operated in a commercial environment. Operation of this equipment in a residential area is likely
to cause interference. If it does, the user will be required to eliminate the interference at the user’s
expense. NOTE: Objectionable interference to TV or radio reception can occur if other devices are
connected to this device without the use of shielded interconnect cables. FCC rules require the use of
shielded cables.

CANADA WARNING: “is digital apparatus does not exceed the Class A limits for radio noise
emissions set out in the Radio Interference Regulations of the Canadian Department of Com­munications.” “Le present appareil numerique n’emet pas de bruits radioelectriques depassant les
limites applicables aux appareils numeriques (de Class A) prescrites dans le reglement sur le brouillage
radioelectrique edicte par le ministere des Communications du Canada.”

iv |

Table of Contents

We support you... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .i

1 Introduction 1

Welcome to the Nx12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Features & Benets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Why ISDN Makes Sense for Broadcast Talk Show Systems . . . . . . . . . . 2

Two-Studio Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

A Step up in Quality and Flexibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

2 Installation 5

2.1 Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

2.2 Connections to the Telco circuits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

2.3 Connecting the Nx12 to Analog Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

2.4 ISDN Technology 101 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Alphabet Soup: U, S, and NT1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Data and Voice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Hunt Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Special Considerations for Euro-ISDN (ETS 300) users . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Ordering Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

2.5 Connecting the Nx12 to ISDN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

ISDN in USA & Canada: Using the U Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

ISDN Worldwide (outside the USA & Canada): The S/T Interface . . . . . . . . 9

2.6 Integration with a PBX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Using ISDN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Using POTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

2.7 Studio Audio Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Mix-Minus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Using a modern broadcast console’s mix-minus capability . . . . . . . . . . 11

‘Making do’ with an older console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

TELOS NX12 MANUAL | V

Using a small mixer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Using a production-style console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Phones and Remotes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Input (To Caller ). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Output (Caller) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

2.8 Desktop Director Ports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Connecting Desktop Directors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Desktop Director Assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

2.9 Ethernet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

2.10 Parallel GPIO Remote Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

2.11 AC (mains) Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

3 Basic Conguration 25

3.1 Step-by-Step . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

3.2 Conguration for Telephone Lines. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Analog Phone Line Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

ISDN Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Is the ISDN working? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

3.3 Audio Input and Output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Levels, Levels, Levels. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Time to test it out! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

What now? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

4 User Operation 33

4.1 Desktop Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Status Symbol Icons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Line Button Columns. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Hold & Drop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Talent Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Block All . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Dialing Keypad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Function Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

LCD Screen and Associated Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

vi |

Changing Between Producer and Talent Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Using the Director in Producer Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Using the Director in Talent (on-air) Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

4.2 The Call Controller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

4.3 The Console Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

5 Detailed Conguration & Reference 43

First Step... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

5.1 Level Metering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

5.2 Status Displays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Line Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Desktop Director Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

5.3 Using the LCD/Buttons and Web for Conguration . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

The LCD/Button User Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

The Web User Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

5.4 The Audio Menu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Nominal Input Level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Nominal Output Level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Meter Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Phone Send Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Call Ducking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Receive AGC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Noise Gate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Receive EQ (Caller Dynamic Digital EQ – DDEQ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Feedback Reduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Mix Minus Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

AES Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

5.5 The Telco Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

POTS Country . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Hookash. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Loop Current Checking (Web only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Enable Auto Call Drop (Web only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Ring-in Before CID (Web only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

TELOS NX12 MANUAL | VII

ISDN Protocol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

SPIDs and MSN/DNs (Web Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Clock Loss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

5.6 The System Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

TCP/IP Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Contrast (LCD Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

Show Mode (LCD Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

Hold on Select (LCD Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

Audio Loop (LCD Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Factory Defaults (LCD Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Reboot (LCD Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Firmware Update (Web Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

5.7 Show Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Single-studio Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Sharing the Nx12 – Two-studio Modes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Selecting a Show on the Desktop Director and other controllers . . . . . . . 64

5.8 Livewire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

Quality of Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

Axia Consoles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

5.9 Firmware Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

5.10 Other Uses of the IP/Ethernet Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Call-control Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Telnet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

5.11 System Signal Flow and Audio Processing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Receive (Caller) Audio Processing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

6 Technical Data & Troubleshooting 75

6.1 Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

6.2 System Software & Firmware. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

Viewing Version Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

6.3 General Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

Thinking about Problem Solving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

6.4 Troubleshooting ISDN Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

viii |

Status Screen for ISDN troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

Condition: Can’t Get ISDN Ready Indication. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

Condition: System says Ready but attempted calls do not complete . . . . . 79

Condition: Intermittent ISDN Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

6.5 Troubleshooting Desktop Director Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

6.6 Replaceable Modules and Hardware Servicing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

6.7 ISDN Cause Phrases/Values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

CLASS 1.1 (normal) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

CLASS 1.2 (resource unavailable) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

CLASS 1.3 (service or option not available) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

CLASS 1.4 (service or option not implemented) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

CLASS 1.5 (invalid message; e.g. parameter out of range) . . . . . . . . . . 87

CLASS 1.6 (protocol error; e.g. unknown message) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

CLASS 1.7 (interworking class) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

7 Specications 91

General. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

Processing Functions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

Audio Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

Switching Matrix and Conferencing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

ISDN Telephone Line Connectivity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

Analog Telephone Line Connectivity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

Desktop Director Ports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

Control Ports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

Two-Studio Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

Four-Column/Four-Hybrid Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

“Euro” Operation Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

8 Warranty and Application Caution 97

A1 USA SPIDs by Telco 99

A2 Telephone Terminology Guide 103

TELOS NX12 MANUAL | IX

A3 USA ISDN Ordering Guide 115

Dealing with the Phone Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115

Details, Details . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115

FAXABLE ISDN ORDER FORM (for the USA & Canada). . . . . . . . . . . . 117

A4 Euro-ISDN Ordering Guide 123

Details, Details . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123

FAXABLE ISDN ORDER FORM (for Euro ETS 300) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124

| 1

1

Introduction

Welcome to the Nx12

e Telos Nx12 combines a 12-line selector and 4 hybrids with advanced signal processing to
deliver all you need for your on-air phones. e four hybrids make it ideal for programming
where multiple callers are aired simultaneously. It also has the flexibility to serve two studios
with two hybrids for each.

At the heart of any broadcast telephone system are the hybrids and associated signal processing.
Based on the latest Telos technology, the Nx12 includes the very best broadcast hybrids avail­able.

Depending on the version ordered, the Nx12 can use six ISDN (Integrated Services Digital
Network) BRI circuits (with 2 channels per circuit) or 12 analog lines, or a 50/50 mixture of the
two types.

e Nx12 has support for up to eight Telos third-generation control surfaces such as our Call
Controller and Desktop Director. It also supports control via IP/Ethernet.

Studio equipment can connect with analog, AES3, or Livewire IP audio.

Features & Benets

Telos products have earned a reputation for ease of use and outstanding performance, and the
Nx12 lives up to that reputation. It integrates a suite of audio processing functions to achieve
unsurpassed audio quality. Its features include:

Excellent send-to-receive isolation using the latest generation of Telos’ field-tested Adap- ♦
tive Cancellation technology. Each hybrid automatically and continuously adjusts to phone
line conditions, eliminating the hollowness, feedback and distortion that occur when send
audio “leaks” into the caller output signal.

Sophisticated AGC/limiting functions and three-band Digital Dynamic Equalization ♦
(DDEQ) ensure controlled caller audio levels and spectral consistency.

Four high-perfomance adaptive digital hybrids.

♦

Studio-grade 20-bit audio conversion, combined with noise gating and shaping, extracts ♦
the best possible audio quality from real-world telephone lines.

High-precision sample rate conversion for ISDN circuits.

♦

Full metering for setup and operation. ♦

Adjustable Caller Ducking (override). ♦

2 | Section 1

Why ISDN Makes Sense for Broadcast Talk Show Systems

e Nx12 works with either traditional analog Telco lines or with ISDN (Integrated Services
Digital Network). We recommend ISDN service for telephone connections whenever possible.
Contrary to the perceptions of some, ISDN is widely available, cost-effective, and offers many
advantages for studio on-air telephone systems. It is yet another example of digital technology
enhancing broadcast operations. ere is no comparable technology for getting audio to and
from the public telephone network. Even compared to VoIP, ISDN is superior, with its lower
delay and higher Quality of Service.

Conference linking lets you set up high-quality conferencing between callers with no ♦
external equipment needed.

Caller ID support on both ISDN and POTS lines.

♦

e Nx12 can serve two studios, each with two hybrids. ♦

In the two-studio modes, lines can either be shared or exclusive to each studio. In the latter ♦
case, there is no possibility for accidental interaction.

Support for up to eight Desktop Directors.

♦

Compatibility with Telos Assistant Producer and third-party call control software applica- ♦
tions.

To assist you to have a smooth, troublefree installation, we provide plenty of advice right here
in this manual, and live support by people with years of ISDN experience. (Many thousands of
Telos ISDN interfaces and Zephyrs are deployed around the world!)

Currently, the dial-up telephone network is nearly entirely digital. Only the “last mile” copper
connections from the telephone Central Office exchange to the customer’s site remain with the
archaic (more than a hundred years old…) analog scheme. ISDN offers us a way to link our
studios directly into the Telco digital infrastructure without the usual impairments of analog
connections.

In all-digital studio facilities, the telephone interface can maintain a digital path all the way
using either AES or Livewire networked audio on the studio side

While the application of digital signal processing to the problem of separating announcer
and caller audio – pioneered by Telos and used in all of our telephone interfaces – has made
a dramatic improvement over analog-only hybrids, using digital phone lines for on-air calls
further improves performance for several reasons:

Exceptional send-to-receive isolation. 1. Traditional analog phone lines multiplex both
speech directions in order to use a single pair of wires for a conversation. is causes what’s
referred to as ‘leakage’ – when the announcer’s audio is present on the hybrid output,
creating an annoying ‘hollow’ or ‘tinny’ sound. Telos digital adaptive hybrids reduce this
problem. But ISDN offers independent and separated signal paths, so our hybrids only have
to operate on the far-end analog line, if any. e result is much lower leakage.

Higher send levels2. . We don’t have to be concerned about regulations designed to prevent
crosstalk on analog lines, so we can increase send-to-caller levels.

Lower distortion3. . e analog-digital conversion chips used in telephone central offices
are poor compared to the converters used in professional audio equipment. Fidelity is not
an important consideration when telephone equipment designers choose parts for this
function. In a professional interface for studio applications, we can afford to design-in much
better converters. Noise-shaping functions permit a larger word-length converter to provide

INTRODUCTION | 3

significantly better distortion and signal-to-noise performance.
Lower noise4. . Because they are digital, ISDN lines are not susceptible to induced noise.

Analog lines are exposed to a variety of noise and impulse trouble-causers as they snake
across town on poles and through your building. Hum is the main problem, given most lines’
proximity to pole transformers and AC power wires, but there is also impulse noise from
motors, switches, and other sources. Digital lines convey the bits precisely and accurately
from the network to your studio equipment without any perturbation – so the audio remains
clean. Even when the caller is using an analog phone line, the digital connection on the
studio side makes for noticeably lower noise and better overall quality.

Higher gain and reduced feedback during multi-line conferencing. 5. When conferencing
is required on analog circuits, hybrids are needed to separate the two audio paths in order
to add gain in each direction. When the gain around the loop exceeds unity, the unpleasant
result is feedback. Since the conference path in a studio on-air interface usually includes four
AGC functions, the hybrids must be sufficiently good to cover the additional gain that may
be dynamically inserted by these AGCs. With digital telephone lines, the hybrid function is
more effective – and more reliably so across a variety of calls. at means more gain can be
inserted between calls before feedback becomes a problem.

Digital call setup and supervision6. . Analog lines use a strange mix of signaling to convey
call status. Loop-current drop signals that a caller has disconnected and blasts of 90 Volts
at 20 Hz mean someone wants you to answer. Should we be using a mechanism designed
to bang a hammer against a metal bell to transmit network status information in the 21st
Century?

ISDN uses a modern digital approach to controlling calls and conveying status information
about them. ISDN call set-up times are often only a few 10s of milliseconds, enhancing
production of a fast-paced show. Perhaps more importantly, when a caller disconnects
while waiting on hold, the ISDN channel communicates this status change instantly. is
contrasts with the usual 11-second delay on most analog lines. One of the most common
complaints of talk hosts is that they go to a line where they expect a caller to be waiting,
only to be met with a blaring, annoying dial tone. e chance of this happening with an
ISDN line is nearly zero.

Another common error is the condition where a talent punches-up a line that looks free, but
which actually is just about to begin ringing and connects to a surprised caller. is condi­tion, called glare, results from the delay in the ring signaling, which comes from the nature
of the analog line’s ringing cadence. ISDN eliminates the ambiguous status period.

We don’t know why the condition of picking up a line which was about to ring and getting an incoming
call instead of dial tone is called glare. Perhaps it’s because the looks air sta give engineers when this
happens too often! If you nd out, be sure to let us know.

Better Line Monitoring, Call Setup and Supervision. 7. Since there is a full-time connection
between the central office and the terminal on the D channel, it is possible to detect when a
line is not working. On an analog line, one discovers a problem only from a failed attempt to
use the line. With ISDN, you can quickly detect when a line is a not working.

Even when ISDN Basic Rate Interface (BRI) lines are not routinely available, ISDN Primary
Rate (PRI) lines are. BRIs have 2 channels per line, while PRIs have either 23 or 30. PRIs are
well entrenched for use with large corporate PBXs, so are likely to be around for a long time.
ere are devices on the market that convert from PRI Telco lines to BRI for internal use, so
this is a way that the Nx12 could be used long into the future on ISDN.

4 | Section 1

Two-Studio Modes

e Nx12 can be used with two studios independently. Lines may be independent or shared.
Each studio has two hybrids. ere are two Progam-on-Hold inputs, one for each studio. Two
sets of Telos’ Assistant Producer application can be used independently.

Note the following:

A Step up in Quality and Flexibility

Whether being used with analog or ISDN lines, the Nx12 takes on-air telephone operations
beyond the ordinary. Its four hybrids let you have excellent conferencing quality with four
simultaneous callers. Or you can serve two studios with one Nx12, with two hybrids for each.

With analog audio in/out, there are only two total inputs and outputs. So the Nx12 must

♦

be used in a mode that combines the two hybrids assigned to each studio into one input/
output.

e AES option provides 4 input and 4 output channels total, so all hybrids are accessible

♦

with each studio using one AES connection’s two channels. Program-on-Hold remains an
analog input.

Livewire provides the full 4 hybrid input channels, 4 hybrid output channels, and 2

♦

Program-on-Hold inputs.

e hybrids in the Nx12 includes long-tail echo cancellation to improve quality on calls
originating from VoIP or mobile telephones. Each hybrid is complemented by powerful signal
processing functions to extract the best possible quality from real-world phone lines. ere are
filters, AGCs, multi-band spectral equalizers, and duckers. Sophisticated feedback reduction
processing using both acoustic echo cancellation and frequency-shifting enhances performance
when an open microphone-to-loudspeaker acoustic path is required.

Telos Desktop Director call controllers offer an easy-to-use but powerful interface for operators.
e “Status Symbol” icons provide clear information as to line status with high-contrast LED
displays.

Telos Assistant Producer software package gives you what you need for call screening and com­munication between the producer and talent. Because it connects via Ethernet/IP, it can easily
work from remote sites. Because the Telos control protocol is open and published, third-party
software has become available offering yet more capability, such as database look-up of caller
information and storage of contest results.

Livewire integration is standard. When used with a compatible network and mixing consoles,
a single Rj-45 connects all audio and control signals. With the power of the network, new
possibilities open such as displaying caller ID on the console’s monitor.

| 5

2

Installation

2.1 Getting Started

e Nx12 mounts in a 2RU high space in a standard 19” rack. You do not need to pay special
attention to cooling or ventilation, as the unit will operate in any environment where the stirred
air temperature around the unit is between 0 to 40 degrees Celsius (32 to 104 degrees Fahren­heit) with a relative humidly of 0 to 98% (non-condensing).

Next installation steps are:

Connect the Telco circuits. Learn about telephone service options.

♦

Connect audio, via either analog, AES3, or Livewire. Learn about mix-minus. ♦

Connect your Desktop Directors. ♦

If needed, connect a PC for Web user interface, either directly or via a LAN (local area ♦
network). You can use the front-panel LCD/button interface for most operations, but you
will need the Web interface for ISDN and Livewire configuration. And you will need the
LAN connection if Telos Assistant Producer or other call screening software is to be used.

Connect any needed parallel GPIO. ♦

is Installation section covers all of the above. After completing these steps, you will be ready
to move on to configuration and testing.

2.2 Connections to the Telco circuits

e Nx12 has two slots for Telco interface modules, each supporting up to 6 lines. Any combi­nation of POTS or ISDN line cards can be used.

If your Nx12 will be “behind” a PBX (private telephone system), see Section 2.6 for more on
this integration.

IMPORTANT

Being a broadcast station, you will probably have high call volume. If your PBX has a PRI or
T-1 coming from the phone company that will be shared for business operations, it may need
to be programmed to reserve some capacity for those calls. One option would be to have
the Telco provision (congure) the PRI or T-1 into separate trunk groups for the Business and
On-air telephone numbers. You should discuss this with both your local telephone service
provider and your PBX provider. You should also inform your Telco that this will be a high
volume application so they can be sure that your contests will not interfere with 911 and
other emergency services.

6 | Section 2

2.3 Connecting the Nx12 to Analog Lines

e Nx12 uses plug-in interface modules to attach to POTS (regular, analog loop start,
telephone lines). e Country setting in the Telco menu configures the characteristics of the
interfaces for your country. If you do not see your country listed you should use CTR21 or USA.
ese modules have 6 modular jacks. e type of jack will be a 6 position 4 pin RJ-11 style. e
connection is to the center two pins of this jack.

Note: Unlike our older products, the Nx12 does not have the loop through provision for POTS
lines. e POTS lines used with the Nx12 should be dedicated. e yellow and black leads (pins
2 and 5) of the modular connectors should be disconnected and insulated.

IMPORTANT

When we say POTS lines, we mean just that – plain old analog loop start telephone lines. A
rule of thumb – if a line works with an analog modem or fax machine, it will work with the
Nx12.

Analog Ground Start lines can be used for incoming calls only. However you will need to set
Loop Check in the Telco menu to No for these lines to be recognized properly.

Be careful not to connect the NX12 to PBX ports intended for proprietary telephones. These
sometimes have voltages that could damage the NX12.

2.4 ISDN Technology 101

Since ISDN will be new to some users, we give you here an introduction to the technology here.
If you are using analog telephone lines (POTS) or already know ISDN basics, you can skip on
to the next section.

ISDN lines come in two varieties: Basic Rate Interface (called BRI, SØ, or ISDN 2 in various
parts of the world) and Primary Rate Interface (PRI, S2 or ISDN 30). BRI lines are the kind
we normally see in broadcast stations, as these are what are used with MPEG codecs such as the
Telos Zephyr and Zephyr Xstream. BRIs have a capability of one or two active 64 kbps chan­nels. Since the Telos Nx12 is used with BRI lines, we will only consider that type here.

Alphabet Soup: U, S, and NT1

An ISDN line from the central office is a single copper pair identical to a normal (unloaded)
analog line. When it arrives at the subscriber, it is called the U-interface. It is a two-wire con­nection, usually via an RJ-11 style modular jack.

e S-interface is at the user side of the Network Termination Type 1 (NT1) device. e NT1
is sometimes generically called a NCTE (Network Channel Terminating Equipment) or, in
some countries an NTBA. It is a four-wire connection, via an 8-pin RJ-45 style modular jack.
(Sometimes the S-interface is called S/T. ere is a subtle distinction between the two, but it is
not relevant for our purposes here, and the two may be considered to be the same.)

In the USA & Canada NT1 functionality is usually included in the terminal equipment, and
indeed the Nx12 in these countries supports the U-interface. In other parts of the world, the
telephone company provides the NT1.

Only one NT1 may be connected to a U-interface. However, as many as eight terminals may be
paralleled onto the S bus.

INSTALLATION | 7

In the USA & Canada a direct connection to the “bare copper” 2-wire U interface is required.
erefore, the USA & Canada interface module includes an integral NT1 and has RJ-11 style
jacks. In the rest of the world, the telephone company provides the NT1, and the 4-wire ISDN
S-interface will be used with an 8 pin RJ-45 style jack. Normally we ship Nx12s to North
America with the U-interface module and to other areas with the S-interface module.

In either case each ISDN interface has three connectors. Since each ISDN connection has two
channels, this means each interface module handles 6 ‘dialtones’ or ‘lines’.

Data and Voice

ISDN lines may be used for voice signals encoded in standard fashion to allow inter-working
with analog telephones, or may be used to transmit digital data streams. e latter mode is used
for such applications as high-speed Internet access. It is also the mode used with MPEG codecs,
in which case the ISDN line may be carrying voice signals, but is doing so in a format that is
not compatible with the analog part of the telephone network. e distinction is made in the
automatically conveyed Setup message that begins each call.

Normally, the Telos Nx12 uses only the voice mode, so data capability is not necessary. Often
voice costs extra, whereas this is rarely true for data. Of course, you may use a line with both
capabilities. Just be sure the BRI circuit supports the Circuit Switched Voice (CSV) capability
as well as data.

TIP

If this line may be “borrowed” at times for use with an audio codec, such as the Telos Zephyr,
you need to be sure that the Circuit Switched Data (CSD) capability is enabled.

Hunt Groups

e most common configuration for on-air phone system is to have the different phone num­bers linked in a “Hunt Group,” also called “Rollover Lines,” or “Incoming Service Grouping
(ISG).” A hunt group allows you to give out a single number to the audience and each call will
“hunt” to an unused line. Sometimes one or two numbers will be reserved for a “hot line” or
“warm line” in which case those numbers would not be part of the hunt group.

In some cases ISDN lines configured to hunt may deliver all calls to a single DN (phone
number). In this case, you must enter this same DN for each of the DNs on each of the hunting
channels.

Special Considerations for Euro-ISDN (ETS 300) users

Some Euro-ISDN implementations deactivate BRI circuits that have been idle for more than a
given length of time. Since this is a normal occurrence, the Desktop Director and system front
panel will not show these lines out of service when this happens. While this will not interfere
with normal operation, it can give a false sense of “security” that everything is working when, in
fact, the circuit could have stopped working. It is impossible for the Nx12 to distinguish be­tween a deactivated circuit and a malfunctioning circuit until you try to use it. For this reason, if
you are using ETS 300, and your phone system is mission critical, you should ask your telephone
company to disable this function.

8 | Section 2

Ordering Help

Appendix 3 to this manual describes the ISDN ordering process for USA/Canada in detail, and
Appendix 4 does the same for ETS-300 Euro-ISDN. Both include ready-to-go forms that can
be sent directly to your telephone company.

2.5 Connecting the Nx12 to ISDN

e Nx12 uses plug-in modules to attach to ISDN. ese ISDN modules have three modular
jacks. e type of jack will be either a 6 position RJ-11 style or an 8 position RJ-45 style
depending upon whether it is the version for USA & Canada or the rest of the world.

e correspondence between the interface slot to the system line number for is from left to right
when viewing the Nx12 from the rear. erefore, the leftmost jack in slot A would be lines one
and two, and the rightmost jack of an ISDN card in slot B would be lines 11 & 12

All ISDN BRI circuits must use the same ISDN protocol setting.

ISDN in USA & Canada: Using the U Interface

Connect the ISDN line from the telephone central office directly to the RJ-11 style U-interface
modular jack on the rear panel. Each module has 3 jacks and each jack has an associated LED.

IMPORTANT

Remember that the U interface connects to a long telephone line and can convey lightning
surges into the Nx12. Surge protectors intended for analog lines work to protect U-interfac­es. We recommend that you install one for each line.

U-interface Status LEDs

e small green LED on the ISDN interface card near each U jack indicate the status of the
corresponding ISDN circuit. Rapid flashing (about five times per second) indicates a loss of
the ISDN at the lowest (physical) level. If the Nx12 can contact the central office or an active
U repeater, the LED will blink slowly – about once per second. e LED will come on solid
when handshaking is completed and all is OK. If these LEDs do not light continuously once
you have connected your ISDN circuits, you may wish to skip ahead to Section 6.4 for help with
troubleshooting the problem.

Nx12 U-interface (RJ-11)

PIN DESCRIPTION

1 N/C

2 N/C

3 Line R

4 Line T

5 N/C

6 N/C

Note that the polarity of the line connections doesn’t matter.

INSTALLATION | 9

Hot Tip

Normally your telephone company should supply an RJ-11 style jack for the U interface.
This is the same 4 or 6-pin plug used for analog lines. However, sometimes you may nd an
8-pin RJ-45 style jack–and sometimes you may even be charged extra for it! If you have this
situation, an RJ-11 plug can be inserted into the center of an RJ-45 jack to make things work.
If you discover that the Telco charged you extra, be sure to request a refund!

ISDN Worldwide (outside the USA & Canada): The S/T Interface

e S-interface version of the Nx12 connects to the NT1 at one of its terminal jacks. e NT1
is sometimes generically called a NCTE (Network Channel Terminating Equipment) or, in
some countries an NTBA.

Nx12 S-Interface (RJ-45)

PIN DESCRIPTION

1 N/C

2 N/C

3 Transmit to network +

4 Receive from network +

5 Receive from network -

6 Transmit to network -

7 N/C

8 N/C

ISDN S-interface cable

Use only an 8-conductor RJ-45 style cable. Unshielded twisted pair category 3 or better cable
should be used.

ISDN S-Interface Cable (RJ-45)

PIN COLOR DESCRIPTION

1 White/Green PS3 power +/ground (optional)

2 Green PS3 power - (optional)

3 White/Orange Transmit to network +

4 Blue Receive from network +

5 White/Blue Receive from network -

6 Orange Transmit to network -

7 White/Brown PS 2 power - (optional)*

8 Brown PS 2 power +/ground (optional)*

TIA 568A Category 5 cable colors shown. Both ends are wired identically - not crossover.
* e NX12 does not use these power connections

When fully wired, this cable has 4 twisted pairs ‘straight through’ just as with cables used for
Ethernet. Both ends are wired identically. e outside pairs are not required and may be omit­ted.

10 | Section 2

2.6 Integration with a PBX

e Nx12 will usually be used independently of any other phone system in your facility. But it is
possible to have one or more of the lines come off another phone system. Depending upon the
PBX and your preferences, this can be either ISDN BRI or POTS.

You might be able to save money by using a T1/E1 or ISDN PRI as your Telco link and having
the PBX generate local ISDN BRI or POTS lines for the Nx12.

Consider having at least one line directly from the Telco to keep your Nx12 up and running
even if the PBX or its Telco connection goes down.

Using ISDN

Telos equipment has been used satisfactorily using BRI off the following PBX Switches:

USA and Canada

♦

Nortel Meridian Option 11, 2 wire (U interface). Protocol ID = 6. [user report]

Lucent/Avaya Definity, 2 wire (U interface) [user report] ♦

Avaya IP Office (must use Q.931 mu setting on Telos) [user report] ♦

Outside of the USA

♦

Siemens HiCom series, 4 wire (S interface) [user report]

ETS300 Euro-ISDN is available from many PBX systems outside the USA and compatibility
is generally good.

Unless your PBX is listed above, its support of US/Canada National ISDN-1 is not certain. We
recommend you arrange a test for compatibility before committing to the purchase of the PBX
ISDN module.

Contact Telos support for the latest information, or to report your experiences with other
switches.

Using POTS

Most PBX or VoIP telephone systems can provide analog ports for analog equipment such as
modems and fax machines. You will need such ports to connect a POTS Nx12 to a PBX.

With all calls passing through the PBX, calls into the main station number can be transferred
over to the on-air system. If the PBX supports ‘hook flash transfer’ on the analog ports, you can
even use this feature of the Nx12 to transfer lines from the on-air system back to the PBX. is
can also be done if the PBX and Nx12 share Centrex lines.

A few years ago, we advised that hybrid performance was best when equipment was connected
directly to the lines from the Telco. Today, this is not always true. If the PBX is connected to the
Telco using digital lines (such as T1, E1, PRI, S2M, etc), performance through a digital PBX
will generally be better than direct connections to copper analog circuits. is is particularly so if
you are located a significant distance from the Telco central office.

e biggest variable when connecting to a PBX analog port is the quality of the analog port. We
have found that many PBX manufacturers offer more than one analog port option. e better
port can usually be distinguished by its higher cost, and the fact that it may offer 48 volts rather
than 24 volts. e Nx12 will work with either voltage; however experience has shown that the
48-volt version usually has better quality transformers and other components, resulting in better
hybrid performance.

INSTALLATION | 11

e other thing to investigate is whether the PBX offers ‘Loop Current Wink’ or ‘CPC’ (Call­ing Party Control) on the analog ports. Without this supervision, the Nx12 will not detect
that a caller on hold has hung up, and your talent will get a recording “please hang up and dial
again…” or dial tone when attempting to air such calls.

2.7 Studio Audio Connections

Mix-Minus

e Nx12 must be fed send-to-caller audio that is free of the caller audio, a mix-minus. A
mix-minus is a mix of all of your audio sources that will be placed on-air (or recorded) except
the caller audio – thus the mix-minus designation. e European term M-1 (mix minus one) is
perhaps a clearer name. A mix-minus is also sometimes referred to as a clean feed. e important
thing to remember is that the hybrid must not “chase its tail” – the condition when its output
makes its way somehow back to the input.

Hot Tip

Many hybrid installation problems are caused by an inadvertent signal path which creates a
loop from the hybrid’s output back to its own input. Some consoles allow this when certain
control combinations are selected by the user. In some cases, it may be as simple a mistake
as assigning the hybrid to whichever bus is feeding the hybrid. This is the rst place to look
when strange or erratic performance is experienced. The quickest test is to bring up only the
hybrid in question on the board and select a line. Dial tone should not appear on the send
meter of the hybrid in question.

Using a modern broadcast console’s mix-minus capability

Most modern broadcast consoles have provision for multiple mix-minus busses. e best allow
selective feeds to the phone system. is is useful since sometimes you want only one micro­phone feeding the phone, but sometimes you want three or four mics (during the morning show,
for instance), and sometimes you want to play some audio piece that callers need to hear and
react to such as contest sound effects, etc. Some even provide for separate ‘on-air’ and ‘off line’
(recording) telephone modes.

When multiple hybrids are used, each caller will need a separate mix-minus that includes the
other hybrids so that callers can hear one another.

Hot Tip

The Axia Element mixing console was designed with today’s extensive use of phones and
remote codecs in mind. It has all the features described above. It can have as many mix­minuses as faders. It oers an integrated phone controller module that works smoothly with
the Nx12 over Ethernet. It has a one-button Record function that does everything needed
to record an announcer + phone call o-line. Because it uses Livewire networking, only one
RJ-45 is needed to connect the Nx12’s four hybrids input and output, two program-on-hold
inputs, and all needed control.

12 | Section 2

Line

Inputs

Hybrid

Utility Bus

PGM Bus

To Telco

{

PGM Out

To Rec Ch.1

To Rec Ch.2

‘Making do’ with an older console

Consoles made before around 1990 rarely had good support for mix-minuses, and almost never
for more than one or two. With one of these oldsters, some clever improvisation is going to be
needed.

Here we describe a possible scenario that can be used as a starting point for your situation. We
assume an older console with Program and Audition as the main busses. ere is another bus
of some kind that can be adapted for mix-minus application. We’ll call this the ‘Utility’ bus. All
sources, including the hybrid, will be assigned to Program, so the audience can hear them, as
usual. We will also assign most of these sources to Utility as well, just never the fader with the
hybrid’s own audio.

is arrangement is flexible, allowing the operator to place any or all sources in Utility for the
caller to hear. In our example we have the fortunate case that the console permits the Utility bus
to be fed pre-fader, letting the announcer easily use the telephone system for off-air conversa­tions.

A recorder can be attached to the Utility and hybrid outputs to record announcer + phone audio.
is is often done as shown here, with each signal to a separate track.

A drawback is the potential for the operator to accidentally put the hybrid in Utility, in which
case it is no longer a mix-minus. To avoid this error, the signal path could be permanently
disconnected by removing the summing resistors, or some such creative operation.

If no bus is available to feed the Nx12, you could use an external mixer that bridges the micro­phone inputs to achieve the same effect.

INSTALLATION | 13

Mic P reamp

AUX 1

AUX 2

OUTPUT

FROM

H Y B #1

OUTPUT

FROM

H Y B #2

LEFT OUTPUT

RIGHTOUTPUT

AUX1OUT

AUX2OUT

TO H YB #2 "IN 2"

TO H YB #1 "IN 2"

UTILITY

MIXE R

Mic 1

C aller 1

C aller 2

NOTE

:
This mus t be turned
down or AUX 1 will no
longer be a mix- Minus

NOTE

:
This mus t be turned
down or AUX 2 will no
longer be a mix- Minus

e Nx12 has multiple hybrids and works best if two faders can be assigned to the telephone
system with two associated mix-minuses, one for each telephone line column on the Director.
is is probably not going to be easy with an older console. But the Nx12 has an option to work
with a single external mix-minus by making an internal cross-connection of the hybrids. See
Section 5.7 for more on this.

Using a small mixer

In this scenario, a small audio mixer is used to record interviews off the telephone line using a
single hybrid. e mixer’s main bus is fed to the recording device. Both the microphone and the
hybrid will be brought up on the faders so the interview can be recorded.

Most small mixers (such as those made by Mackie) have one or two Aux send busses, so we will
use these to feed the telephone system. We will turn up Aux for the microphone but we will
make sure it is turned fully off for the each channel that has the corresponding caller audio.

Using a production-style console

e production-style consoles often used for TV audio will have multiple Aux send busses that
can be used in a similar way to the small mixer example above. Each hybrid is sent from an Aux
bus and everything the caller needs to hear is mixed into that bus, taking care to keep the hybrid
itself off the bus.

Phones and Remotes

When on remote, to save money and hassle, calls are usually received at the studio, rather than
at the remote site. In this situation, caller audio must be fed to the remote talent so that they
can hear and respond to callers. Moreover, the callers need to hear the talent. In many cases, the
remotes are sufficiently distant that talent cannot monitor the station for the caller feed. Even

14 | Section 2

if they could, the profanity delay would be a problem, since the talent needs to hear the callers
pre-delay.

All perceptual codecs (such as the Telos Zephyr) have too much delay for talent at remote
locations to hear themselves via a round-trip loop. erefore, another mix-minus is required to
feed a codec.

e talent hears callers via the codec return path. As before, you feed this return with mix­minus: a mix of everything on the program bus minus the remote audio.

As for the second half of the equation, the callers hear the talent because the remote feed is
added to the telephone mix-minus bus. is is no problem if you have a set-up that permits
selective assignment to the hybrid mix-minus.

A problem could result from a hybrid with too much leakage and the codec delay. If the hybrid
isn’t doing a good job of preventing the send audio from leaking to its output, the remote mix­minus is corrupted. Remember, if any of the announcer audio from the remote site is returned, it
will be delayed by the digital link, causing an echo effect in the announcer’s headphones.

e Telos Nx12 really shows its stuff in this situation. Because it has such good trans-hybrid
loss, leakage is not at all likely to be a problem. And should there ever be a problem, you can
solve it increasing the amount of ducking. See Sections 5.4 and 5.11.

Input (To Caller )

e Nx12’s can be ordered with either analog or AES3 audio connections. A label near the XLR
connectors will tell you with which your unit is equipped. In the case of analog there are two

inputs. In the AES case there are two physical inputs, corresponding to four signal inputs.

Analog Inputs

e analog inputs have the following characteristics:

Active balanced

♦

Line level: -10dBv to +8dBu nominal level ♦

Maximum input level (clip point): +24dBu ♦

INSTALLATION | 15

Bridging impedance (10k ohms) ♦

Analog Input XLR

PIN DESCRIPTION

1 Ground

2 Audio +

3 Audio -

e inputs are designed to be sourced from balanced, line level signals. Usually shielded cables

have the shield wire connected only on one end to prevent ground loops. Older equipment
with a transformer output stage may need a terminating resistor across pins 2 and 3; consult the
manual for your equipment for how to use it with high impedance inputs.

When using unbalanced sources, we recommend using pin 2 and 3 to connect the signal and
ground, respectively. Usually pin 1 is not connected in order to avoid ground loops.

e sensitivity of the send inputs are adjusted using Nominal Input Level in the Audio menu.
e Input meter indicates the level after the adjustment and before the AGC. See Sections 3.3,

5.1, and 5.4 for additional information on level adjustment.

Note

The Telos Nx12 uses the currently-favored pin-outs for three-pin XLRs. You can easily remem­ber the correct signals when wiring connectors by using the phrase “George Washington
Bridge.” Pin 1 = G = Ground, Pin 2 = W = “+” = White (typical color in mic cable, if there is no
white there will be a red conductor), and Pin 3 = B = “-” = Black.

AES Digital Inputs

ese are inputs for AES/EBU format digital audio signals and are only present if the unit was
purchased with this option. e AES inputs have the following characteristics:

AES3 compliant

♦

110 Ohms ♦

Sample-rate converted, so may accept sources at any of the common rates, from 32 to 48 ♦
kHz.

16 | Section 2

AES Input XLR

PIN DESCRIPTION

1 Ground

2 Signal +

3 Signal -

So that all four hybrids are accessible in spite of the limited rear panel space for connectors, we
use one AES input for two hybrids. e relationship is as follows:

Most mixing consoles with AES outputs are able to deliver the required split. If not, you might
need an external AES router or combiner to provide this input. An alternative could be to use
an Nx12 configuration requiring only a single mix-minus (see Mix Minus Modes in Section

5.4). e role of each hybrid depends upon the configured Show Mode, which is described in
Section 5.7.

POH (Program on Hold) Inputs

is analog input is for whatever audio you want callers to hear when put on hold, usually your
main program feed. is is an XLR female. is signal is processed by an AGC within the
Nx12.

AES 1 Left is to Hybrid A

♦

AES 1 Right is to Hybrid B ♦

AES 2 Left is to Hybrid C ♦

AES 2 Right is to Hybrid D ♦

Output (Caller)

Analog Outputs

e analog audio outputs have the following characteristics:

Active differential

♦

Output level: -10 to +8 dBu, nominal ♦

Clip point: +24dBu ♦

Impedance: < 60 Ohms x 2 ♦

Analog Output XLR

PIN DESCRIPTION

1 Ground

2 Audio +

3 Audio -

When feeding unbalanced devices, use pin 2 for the signal and pin 3 for the ground. Do not tie
pin 3 to pin 1. (Note that this is different from most devices with active balanced outputs. e
Nx12 has a sophisticated output stage that emulates a transformer source.)

AES Digital Outputs

e AES outputs are only present if the AES option was ordered. Characteristics are:

AES3 compliant

♦

INSTALLATION | 17

110 Ohms ♦

e output is synced and sample-rate converted to either the frequency of the AES Input ♦
1 signal or an internal 48kHz clock, depending upon a menu selection.

AES3 Output XLR

PIN DESCRIPTION

1 Ground

2 Signal +

3 Signal -

Since, like the inputs, each AES output has two hybrids, you may have to use a routing switcher,
distribution amp, or console routing function to direct the two signals appropriately for your
installation. An alternative would be to bridge two AES inputs across each output, which is
generally an acceptable practice. en, the mixing console’s input selector would be used to
extract the correct hybrid signal for each telephone fader channel.

♦

AES 1 Left is from Hybrid A

AES 1 Right is from Hybrid B ♦

AES 2 Left is from Hybrid C ♦

AES 2 Right is from Hybrid D ♦

2.8 Desktop Director Ports

At the time this manual was released, the following devices were available to connect to these
ports:

Desktop Director

♦

Extended Desktop Director ♦

Console Director ♦

Call Controller ♦

e Nx12 has four Desktop Director ports. Each supports two devices via simple parallel
connection, allowing up to eight total devices. However, the Nx12 can only power four devices.
If you have more than four devices, you will need to use the external Desktop Director power
supply kit, available from Telos.

(e Extended Director counts as two devices for power purposes, but uses one connection. e
Nx12 can control eight Extended Desktop Directors, but will power only one of them.)

It does not matter what port you plug your first four devices into, since all ports support power.
You can plug two devices into one port with the Desktop Director power supply kit - it comes
with a “Y” cable that allows two devices to be powered by one supply.

18 | Section 2

Desktop Director

is is the most common control surface. It serves as both a phone and call controller, depend­ing on whether it is set to Talent (on-air controller) or Producer (Screener phone). It has two
telephone line columns.

e Desktop Director is suitable for Producer screener mode telephone in all cases.

Extended Desktop Director

In Talent mode, adds two more telephone line columns, making four in total.

Call Controller

e call controller, along with a POTS telephone, emulates the functionality of the Desktop
Director. It is suitable for any case where a reduced footprint, reduced complexity, or reduced
cost is required.

Console Director

Telos provides a kit that can be used to make a drop-in module for many types of mixing
consoles.

Note

The Nx12 can also be controlled over Ethernet using Telos Assistant Producer or other soft­ware applications, and by the Axia Element Console’s Phone Fader or Call Control modules.

INSTALLATION | 19

Nx12 Desktop Director Ports (RJ-45)

PIN DESCRIPTION

1 N/C

2 N/C

3 Transmit to Nx12 +

4 Receive from Nx12 +

5 Receive from Nx12 -

6 Transmit to Nx12 -

7 Power -48VDC

8 Power +

Connecting Desktop Directors

Direct Connection

Up to four Desktop Directors can be plugged directly into the Nx12.

Extended Distance with Power Supply

If the Desktop Director must be located more than 250 feet (76 Meters) from the Nx12, you
will need to use an external power supply (Telos Desktop Director Power Supply Kit part #
2091-00001).

In that case, your set-up will look like this:

e Desktop Director must be within 2300 feet (700 meters) of the Nx12. e power supply
must be 250 feet (76 Meters) or less from the Desktop Director.

Multiple Desktop Directors on a Single Port

Two Desktop Directors can be connected to a single port on the Nx12. You will need to use
an external power supply and modular splitter (Telos Desktop Director Power Supply Kit part
#2091-00001). You might choose this method to save on cable runs back to an Nx12 located
some distance away.

Your set-up will look like this:

20 | Section 2

To connect two Desktop Directors to one port, a power supply and RJ-45 modular splitter is
required.

One of the Directors must have its termination removed. is unterminated Director must be
within 33 feet (10 meters) of the power supply.

Desktop Director Termination Removal

Desktop Directors are shipped with the internal termination resistors enabled. When two
Directors are used in a single port, the termination on the Director closer to the power supply
will need to be disabled. To do so, follow these steps:

Disconnect the Desktop Director from the Nx12.1.

Remove the handset and turn over the Director so you can see the bottom of the unit.2.

Remove the round black cover. is can be pried off with a knife blade. Or a miniature 3.
screwdriver may be pushed firmly under the lip and then lifted out to pop the cap loose.

You will see a black rectangular transformer labeled T1. To the right of T1 locate and 4.
remove the jumpers labeled JP1 & JP2. ese are small jumper blocks, which can be lifted
off with needle-nose pliers.

You’ll want to save the jumper blocks. You can store each of them on one of the jumper 5.
pins.

Replace the access cover removed in step 3 by pushing it firmly in place.6.

Reconnect the Desktop Director cable.7.

Check for proper operation8.

Desktop Director Cable

Each Desktop Director is supplied with a 25-foot cable. If you need another length, you can
make your own cable. e Director connection is electrically identical to the ISDN S-interface,
so the wiring scheme is the same. A straight-through (not crossover) cable is used between
the Nx12 and the Director. TIA 568A or 568B standard Category 5/5e cables may be used.
Category 3 cable is acceptable for this wiring. But since category 5e is so common and low-cost,
we recommend that you use it instead.

INSTALLATION | 21

Tip

Power-over-Ethernet and our ISDN-based Director use dierent connections for power. It
is wise to carefully label wiring used with RJ-style connectors to reduce the risk of applying
power to something that does not expect it. We suggest that you use dierent colored cables
(or connector boots) on the Desktop Director cables so that you can tell them from your
Ethernet cables.

Desktop Director Assembly

Connections

e black “curly cord” plugs into the handset. e other end of this cord should be plugged into
the small 4-position/4-pin miniature modular (RJ-22 style) jack near the front left of the unit.
is jack is identified with a telephone handset icon and is closest to the front of the Director.
e second jack at this location can be used to directly connect a telephone headset and is
identified with a headset icon. Route these cables through the small slots to the left so they do
not interfere with the unit sitting flat on the table.

When a headset is attached, it will automatically mute the handset microphone to prevent
extraneous noise. Disconnecting the “quick-connect” inline connector on the headset cable will
re-enable the handset microphone.

Tip

We have tested and recommend the Plantronics model P51-U10P “Supra Polaris noise-can­celing unamplied monaural” or model P61-U10P “Supra Polaris noise-canceling unamplied
binaural “ headsets for direct connection to the Desktop Director. www.plantronics.com.
Other headsets can be used; however an external amplier/interface would be required
between Desktop Director’s handset jack and the handset to interface to the headset.

Line Designation Strip

e Desktop Director ships with several pre-cut paper designation strips to allow labeling the
lines of the Director. Place the paper strip on the director and then cover with the clear plastic
protector, inserting the plastic tabs in the slots on the Director to hold it in place. Should you
decide to change things later, simply lift one end of the plastic and slide out the strip.

Mounting Options

e Desktop Director legs can be mounted in an alternative vertical orientation. To do so,
remove the legs by removing the two Phillips head screws on each leg. e legs can then be
mounted in the alternative orientation using the same screws.

e Desktop Director can be mounted on a wall or other vertical surface. First remove the legs
by removing the two Phillips head screws on each leg. e unit can then be hung from two
screws on 5 inch (127 mm) centers. Care should be taken that the screws do not protrude more
than 1/8 inch (3 mm) from the mounting surface.

2.9 Ethernet

e Ethernet 100Base-T port is used for Web-based configuration, connection to Telos Assis­tant Producer and other software applications, and interface to Livewire networked studio audio
components.

22 | Section 2

e Nx12 fully supports Livewire. For more information on using the Nx12 with a Livewire
Audio-over-IP network, see Section 5.8.

e 100Base-T connector has two integrated LED indicators:

For details on using Web-based configuration, see Section 5.3.

IMPORTANT

If you are not using a Livewire-ready network, do not enable Livewire streams or you will
ood your Ethernet network. Only when a properly congured Livewire-compatible Ethernet
switch is present should Livewire streaming be enabled. The Audio menu includes LW
enable/disable as the rst item.

e green Link LED indicates the presence of a live physical connection to a working

♦

Ethernet hub (or other device). If the green indicator does not light you should check
your network wiring. Absence of the link light could also indicate a hardware failure of
the Nx12.

e amber Activity LED indicates network activity on this segment of the network. ♦
Depending on network activity, this indicator may only illuminate occasionally; flickering
of this light is normal.

For information on using Telos Assistant Producer and other call screening applications, see
Section 5.10.

2.10 Parallel GPIO Remote Control

is port provides inputs to and outputs from the Nx12. Inputs can be connected to logic
outputs or switch closures. Outputs can be connected to external device logic inputs.

When any of the two-show modes are used, functions labeled 1 are used for Show 1 and func­tions labeled 2 are used for Show 2. When show mode is One Show, only the functions for 1 are
available.

e available functions are:

Record Control Outputs (See Section 4.3)

Ring Mute In – is input will mute the ringers on all of the Desktop Directors connected to

this Nx12.

User Out (Delay Dump) – is output will be active (low) when the User button is pressed. It
will remain asserted until that button is released.

Ringing Out – is output is active (low) whenever the system has one or more lines in the
ringing state.

Priority Ringing Out – Active (low) when a line designated as a Priority Line is ringing.

Nx12 GPIO D-Connector

PIN DESCRIPTION

1 Ground

2 User Out (Dump) 1

3 Ringing Out 1

4 Priority Ringing Out 1

INSTALLATION | 23

PARALLELCONTROL

1

8

30vma

x

+5V

PIN DESCRIPTION

5 Record Start 1

6 Ring Mute In 1

7 N/C

8 +5VDC (50mA max)

9 Record Stop 1

10 User Out (Dump) 2

11 Ringing Out 2

12 Priority Ringing Out 2

13 Ring Mute In 2

14 (reserved)

15 N/C

Note for the Curious

The DB- designation for D-Sub connectors is from Cinch Corp’s part numbering system. The
proper Cinch designation for a 15 pin D-Sub connector is a DA-15p (plug) or DA-15s (socket)
not DB-15! (Our thanks to Mike Schweizer, for contributing this tidbit.)

Input Characteristics

♦

e NX12’s inputs are designed to be universal. ey accept either a voltage source up
to 24VDC, or a closure to ground, which may be provided by switches, relays, or logic
outputs. In the latter case either ‘totem-pole’ or open-collector will work. e inputs are
active low.

A built in 1k Ohm pull up resistor is provided. ♦

Parallel logic input circuit:

Output Characteristics

♦

Open collector to ground.

ese will require a pull-up resistor to drive TTL-style logic inputs. Most equipment has ♦
the pull-up built into the input, but if there is no pull-up, you’ll have to add one, connect-

24 | Section 2

ing it from the output to the +5v source on pin 8. An appropriate value is 2.2kΩ.

Sink (pull-down) current must be limited to 400mA maximum per output with total

♦

output restricted to 1 amp (200mA each output if all five will be used).

If you want to drive a relay, lamp, or high-current LED, you will need an external power source.
Connect your external power source negative to Nx12 ground at pin 1 and positive to the relay.
e other side of the relay goes to the output pin. (e Nx12’s +5v output is fed through a 100Ω
resistor and a 50mA fuse, so cannot source much current.)

2.11 AC (mains) Power

e AC receptacle connects mains power to the unit with a standard IEC (International
Electrotechnical Committee) power cord and provides an on/off switch. e power supply has a
universal AC input, accepting a range from 100 to 240 VAC, 50-60 Hz.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

Surge Protection

Precautions should be taken to prevent damage caused by power surges. Standard line surge
protectors can be used to offer some degree of protection. It is the user’s responsibility to ensure
that protection adequate for their conditions is provided.

Grounding

is equipment is designed to be operated from a power source which includes a third ground­ing connection in addition to the power leads. Do not defeat this safety feature. In addition to
creating a potentially hazardous situation, defeating this safety ground will prevent the internal
line noise filter from functioning.

| 25

3

Basic Conguration

3.1 Step-by-Step

Here is a step-by-step guide to basic Nx12 configuration for a new installation:

Enter TCP/IP addresses, if used, for Web interface, remote control, and Livewire audio

♦

networking. See Section 5.3.

Set Input Source for Analog, AES3, or Livewire. See Section 5.8 if you will be using

♦

Livewire.

If you are using Livewire, configure it using the Web interface.

♦

Connect your mixing console mix-minus(es) to the Nx12’s inputs, and the Nx12’s outputs ♦
to console inputs.

If you have analog Telco lines, configure for your region. See Sections 3.3 and 5.5.

♦

If you have ISDN Telco service, ♦

Are you familiar with ISDN? If not, read Section 2.2. ♦

Configure ISDN. See Section 3.4. ♦

Confirm ISDN is working. ♦

Read-up on Desktop Director Operation. See Section 4. ♦

Configure the various audio options for processing, etc. See Section 5.4. ♦

If you will split the Nx12 between two studios, see Section 5.7. ♦

You may use either the Web interface or the front panel LCD/button interface for most
configuration operations. e Web may be more convenient since you have a PC’s rich interface
at your service and you can work by remote.

Some configuration can only be done by Web, such as setting ISDN Directory Numbers and
SPIDs and making Livewire channel assignments. See Section 5.3 for detailed information on
using these interfaces.

3.2 Conguration for Telephone Lines

e Nx12 has two Telco interface positions, designated A and B. ere are three module types,
and you can determine which you have by noting the connectors:

Analog POTS. ere will be 6 RJ-11 jacks.

♦

ISDN U-interface. ere will be 3 RJ-11 jacks. ♦

26 | Section 3

With ISDN, there are two voice channels for each physical connection, so only half as many
jacks are needed.

e line list in the LCD Telco menu will correspond to the installed module types, and your
configuration entries will vary accordingly.

Analog Phone Line Setup

When POTS lines are used, the only configuration required is to set the Country in the Telco
menu. is adjusts the Nx12 for correct impedance, loop current, and signaling. If your country
is not listed, try using CTR21 (a European standard) or USA.

ISDN Setup

Determine which physical circuit will represent each line of the system. It might help to fill out
the chart below before proceeding. Recall that each BRI has two voice channels, each of which
will appear to be a ‘line’ on the Desktop Director.

SLOT A

ISDN S-interface. ere will be 3 RJ-45 jacks. ♦

SPIDs (USA/Canada only) Telephone # DN/MSN

BRI 1 Line 1 ______________________ _________________________

Line 2 ______________________ _________________________

BRI 2 Line 3 ______________________ _________________________

Line 4 ______________________ _________________________

BRI 3 Line 5 ______________________ _________________________

Line 6 ______________________ _________________________

SLOT B

SPIDs (USA/Canada only) Telephone # DN/MSN

BRI 4 Line 7 ______________________ _________________________

Line 8 ______________________ _________________________

BRI 5 Line 9 ______________________ _________________________

Line 10 ______________________ _________________________

BRI 6 Line 11 ______________________ _________________________

Line 12 ______________________ _________________________

You will need to use the Web interface for ISDN configuration. e following are step-by-step
instructions. See Section 5.3 to learn how to use the Web interface. For additional information
and numerous tips on ISDN, see Sections 2.4 and 5.5.

Open your Web browser and point it to the Nx12.1.

BASIC CONFIGURATION | 27

Click on the Telco menu. With ISDN modules installed in both Telco interface positions, 2.
you will see a page similar to the one below.

Choose the ISDN Protocol. For the USA and Canada, this will usually be Natl.I-1. For 3.
Europe and much of the rest of the world, it will be ETS300.

For Natl.I-1, enter the SPIDs for each voice channel given to you by the telephone 4.
company. Leave this blank for other protocols.

Enter the DN (Directory Number) or MSN for each voice channel. e DNs, sometimes 5.
called Listed Directory Numbers or LDNs, are your (usually 7-digit) phone number as
listed in the telephone directory. ey normally do not include the area code.

In some cases, you may need to enter 10 digits for your DNs. If you have difficulties with 6.
incoming calls, try this.

Click 7. Apply, then Reboot Now to activate the ISDN circuits.

Tip

Each ISDN Line has a certain ISDN protocol (or ‘switch type’), which the phone company
should have given you. By far the most common protocols in the USA & Canada are National
ISDN-1 & National ISDN-2 in which case you should set the Telco setting to Natl.I-1.

If are in the USA or Canada and you do not know what protocol your line is congured for, try
Natl.I-1 rst. If that does not work, see Section 5.5 for hints on how to guess your protocol.

28 | Section 3

Is the ISDN working?

Successful initialization of a line will be indicated by the idle line state on the Desktop Director.
is state is shown with a single dot in the center of the LED icon display being lit.

More Tips

Incorrectly entered SPIDs are the most common problem users in the USA & Canada have
placing ISDN calls. Compare the SPIDs you have entered with the SPIDs provided to you
on by the phone company to be certain that you have entered them correctly. Do not add
anything to your SPIDs. Note that there are no hyphens, dashes (-), or spaces in SPIDs so the
system will not allow you to enter any non-numeric characters. If your installer has included
them in the SPID, ignore them.

For a list of known working USA SPIDs by telephone company, see Appendix A.

If you have PTP (AT&T Point-to-Point) or ETS300 (Euro-ISDN) ISDN protocol, you should not
enter anything in the SPID elds.

Hot Tip

If you experience problems only with incoming calls, check your DNs.

You can also check the line status on the Nx12 main box LCD. Press any menu button twice
and then press the ∇ button to cycle through the status screen. You should see a screen that has
A – ISDN B – ISDN at the top. If you do not see this screen, just repeatedly press the ∇or ∆
button until you see this screen.

If you do not see READY for each ISDN channel on the Status screen, try rebooting the
system from the System/Reboot menu. If you still do not get READY, you will need to check
both your ISDN lines and the ISDN configuration settings.

IMPORTANT

Users in the USA & Canada should see READY status for each line whenever the system is idle.
On certain ETS-300 ISDN lines, the lines may go from READY to DEACTIVATED after a time
interval. This is no cause for alarm and you can proceed with the following steps.

Once you see READY for each channel on the Status screens, you can proceed to make a call
and verify that the ISDN lines are, in fact, working. We will start with the simplest case, a call
from your line 1 to your line 2, as follows:

Confirm that the Desktop Director you will be using has power and says Talent at the top ♦
of the screen. If it says Producer, follow the directions in Section 4.1 to change to Talent
mode.

Pick up the handset and push each line button in the left column and listen for dial tone.

♦

You should see the ⇐ icon as each line is selected.

Select line 1 and enter the phone number for line 2 using the numeric keypad.

♦

You should now hear a ringing sound and see the ringing Status Symbol (an expanding ♦
square) on line 2. Press the right column line 2 button to answer this call. You should see
the ⇒ icon.

BASIC CONFIGURATION | 29

Drop this test call by pressing the right ♦ Drop button.

Having completed that first call, you know your lines 1 and 2 are working. (If you are

♦

using ISDN, you have now tested the first BRI.)

Now repeat this test by calling from line 2 to line 3, line 3 to line 4 etc. until all lines have

♦

been tested.

Press the

♦ Drop button after the final call.

Tip

Many phone lines have per-minute usage charges. Don’t forget to drop the call once your
testing and conguration are complete.

3.3 Audio Input and Output

e Nx12 can take audio input from analog, AES3 (if the option is installed), or Livewire
sources. When the AES module is installed, the XLR connectors are used for AES and analog
connections are not possible.

When Livewire inputs are activated, the analog/AES inputs are switched off. However, should
LW inputs fail, analog/AES will automatically be switched-on.

On the output side, both analog/AES and Livewire can be simultaneously active.

Levels, Levels, Levels

Ok, we assume that you are able to make a call to yourself. And that you have configured your
audio input/output settings. Congratulations, you just have some tweaking to do and your basic
installation and configuration will be complete.

Bring up some audio on the mixing console. Observe the two Input meters. Confirm that ♦
audio is present and that levels are OK. Section 5.1 has more information on the Nx12’s
metering.

Tip

If the levels are too high, hybrid performance will be signicantly diminished and leakage
may occur.

First set the Nominal In Level in the Audio menu to a nominal level close to that used in ♦
your facility (i.e. –10, 0, +4, or the Euro PPM +9dBu or -9dBfs settings). is control sets
the level for analog, AES, and Livewire inputs. Section 5.4 has more.

You should see the audio from the phone line on the Output LED bargraphs.

♦

If you have two mix-minuses properly set-up, you should see the audio that is output ♦
from hybrid 1 on hybrid 2’s input and vice-versa.

Bring up the fader for Phone 1 on your console.

♦

Adjust the Nx12’s Nominal Out Level in the Audio menu. is sets the level for all ♦
outputs. Check that all are providing correct levels to your mixing console.

30 | Section 3

Time to test it out!

Ok, you made it! Another hour and you can go home for the day! First we will check that the
mix-minus for each hybrid is correct. en we will make a test call.

Confirm that the Desktop Director you will be using is working and says Talent at the

♦

top of the screen. If it says Producer, follow the directions in Section 4.1 to change this
Director to Talent mode.

Next, pick up the handset and press the left column line 1 button to select the line for

♦

dialing. You should now hear dial tone on the handset.

Enter the phone number for a telephone line which has audio present, using the keypad

♦

(calling either the time or weather service works well for this).

Press the left column line 1 button and hang up the handset to place the call on the

♦

Phone 1 output.

Bring up Phone 1 on the console. You should hear the audio from the phone line.

♦

Look at the Input 1 meter on the Nx12 and verify that this audio is not present. If the ♦
phone audio is seen here, you are not feeding a mix-minus and you must fix this problem
before you proceed.

IMPORTANT

If you are using one of the mix-minus schemes that require only a single mix-minus you
should not have seen audio on either the 1 or 2 bargraphs in the previous test. In that case
you can skip the next test. See Sections 2.7 and 5.4 for detailed information about the Nx12’s
mix minus options.

Now we will verify the second mix-minus.

Press right column line 2 button to move the call.

♦

Bring up Phone 2 on the console. You should hear the audio from the phone line. ♦

Look at the Input 2 meter on the Nx12 and verify that this phone audio is not indicated ♦
here. If phone audio is present here, you are not feeding hybrid 2 a mix-minus and you
must fix this problem before you proceed.

Drop the call by pushing the

♦ Drop button.

Ok, now we just need to test the system as whole. We suggest calling your spouse or partner and
reporting that you will be home for dinner after all!

Confirm that the Desktop Director you will be using says Talent at the top of the screen. 1.
If it says Producer, follow the directions in Section 4.4 to change this Director to Talent
mode.

Press the left column line 1 button to select that line for dialing. You should now hear dial 2.
tone through the mixing console.

Enter a phone number to make a call.3.

Bring up Phone 1 on the console. You will hear the audio from the phone line.4.

Put on some headphones, bring up the microphone, and greet the party at the far end. 5.
Check that your mix-minus level is OK on the Nx12’s Input 1 meter.

Your voice should sound normal in your headphones, without any tinny or hollow 6.

BASIC CONFIGURATION | 31

artifacts, and the caller should sound clear.

Move the call to Phone 2 by pressing the right column line 1.7.

Repeat steps 4 through 6 using lines on the right column.8.

What now?

Your basic installation is complete. Next you will want to look over other sections of this manual
to familiarize yourself with the system and to set up the following parameters:

Desktop Director operation See Section 4

♦

Receive EQ, AGC & Noise Gate See Section 5.4 and 5.11 ♦

Caller ducking adjustment See Section 5.4 and 5.11 ♦

Feedback reduction (when using open speakers) See Section 5.4 and 5.11 ♦

Send EQ, AGC See Section 5.4 and 5.11 ♦

Mix-minus modes See Section 5.4 ♦

Show Modes (one Nx12 serving two studios, etc.) See Section 5.7 ♦

32 |

USER OPERATION | 33

4

User Operation

4.1 Desktop Director

e Telos Desktop Director is both a control surface for putting calls on-air and a telephone
set for conversations with callers on the studio telephone lines. e Director has two modes of
operation – Producer (screener) mode and Talent (on-air) mode.

Tip

Since certain functions work dierently in Talent versus Producer mode, it is important to
understand that there are two modes, and how to switch between them.

Status Symbol Icons

e Desktop Director uses Status Symbol icons displayed on the LED matrixes located between
the two columns of line select buttons. Here is what each icon means:

Line is ready for incoming or outgoing calls

Line is in-use by another studio (in two-studio modes only)

Line is ringing

Call is on hold

Call is On-Air – Column 1

34 | Section 4

Call is On-Air – Column 2

Call is On-Air & Locked – Column 1

Call is locked and cannot be dropped or placed on hold. To unlock, press

the line button to the

left of this icon.

Call is On-Air & Locked – Column 2

Call is locked and cannot be dropped or placed on hold. To unlock, press the line button to the
right of this icon.

Screened Hold - Call is on hold and has been screened by the Producer

Call is on hold, has been screened, and is Next

Press the Next button to put this line on-air.

Block All Mode

Press the X Button to cancel.

Call is on the handset

Call is on the speakerphone

USER OPERATION | 35

Line is not operational

Line Button Columns

Talent Mode

Each line has 2 buttons, the left column for Caller 1 and the right column for Caller 2. Pressing
a line button places the caller on that line on-air using the corresponding hybrid.

Note: When the Nx12 is using a two-studio Show Mode (see Section 5.7), only the left column
will be active.

Pressing a line button when a call is already on-air locks the call. To unlock, press the line
button a third time.

If the handset is lifted or hands-free is active (the LED next to the hands-free button is illumi­nated), the left line column will connect the line to either the handset or the Director’s internal
speaker/mic, rather than to the usual on-air hybrid. e right line column will continue to work
as usual. To move a caller on the handset to air, press the line button on either the left or right
columns.

Producer Mode

e left row of buttons is used to answer calls on the handset (or headset). Pressing a left
column line button while you have a call on the handset (or in hands free mode) locks the caller.
To unlock press that Line button a third time.

e right row of buttons is used to place a caller on Screened Hold. For more details on how
screened hold works, see the section on the Next button, below.

Hold & Drop

Talent Mode

ese affect only the corresponding line button column above them. A locked line will not be
affected. All unlocked lines in that column will be dropped.

Producer Mode

e left hold button is normal hold while the right hold button places a caller on “screened
hold”. For more details on how screened hold works, see the section on the Next button, below.
e right hold button may be replaced by with a keycap labeled with a check-mark if a Desktop
Director will be used primarily for screening.

Next

Talent Mode

is button will cause the call designated by the call screener as next to be taken on line column

1. Any unlocked caller will be dropped. (It is possible to configure the system to put the caller
back hold instead - see ‘Direct Hold’ option, Section 5.6.)

A producer working as a call screener can place a call on screened hold and the check-mark icon
will appear for the line. is indicates that the caller has been checked by the screener, and is
ready to go on air.

36 | Section 4

Calls placed on screened hold in this manner are being queued up from the first selected to
the last one selected by the screener. e next caller line icon is represented by a blinking check
mark.

If there is no screener to select and order calls, the line which has been ringing the longest will
be selected instead. If no line is ringing, the line on hold the longest will be selected.

Note that if the handset is off-hook, the caller will be directed to the handset, using the same
priorities outlined above.

Producer Mode

e Next button will select the line which has been ringing longest. If no line is ringing, it
selects the line that has been on (normal) hold longest.

When Next is pressed, any unlocked caller will be dropped. It is also possible to configure the
system to put the caller back hold instead. See the ‘Direct Hold’ feature, Section 5.6.

Block All

Pressing this key will clear all lines except lines on-air, on the handset, on hold and ‘priority’
lines such as the studio hotline. is allows you to prevent early callers from getting in on
contests until after the DJ has made the announcement and turned off block all.

Ringing lines, other than lines designated priority, will be dropped and blocked from accepting
any calls. For ISDN lines, the caller may get a busy signal, or they may continue to hear ringing.
For analog lines, the ringing calls will be connected to a silent audio channel. Further calls will
get a busy signal.

Pressing Block All again will release the lines and allow incoming calls.

Dialing Keypad

ese are used for dialing out, which can be on the handset, on the speakerphone, or on-air.
ey remain active during a call for voice mail and other services.

Function Buttons

Speakerphone Button

is button places a call that is on the handset onto this Desktop Director’s built-in speaker­phone. If the handset is on-hook this button places the next line selected on the left column on
the speaker phone.

Mute Button

is button mutes the handset microphone and hands free microphone on the Desktop
Director. e LED beside this button will light to indicate that these microphones are muted.
Pressing this button again will cancel the muting function.

Hook flash/Transfer

is button performs a hook flash (briefly interrupts loop current) on POTS lines. Depending
on the telephone lines used, this key may serve to activate features such as transfer or 3-Way
Calling. is button does nothing on ISDN lines.

User Assigned Control Button

is button controls an output on the parallel control port. is output can control equipment
external to the Nx12 such as the “delay dump” input on an obscenity delay unit.

USER OPERATION | 37

Record Control

is is intended to control an external recording device. It operates only if connected.

Pressing the button once when nobody is on air, arms the recording feature (LED blinking).

Once armed, taking a call starts the recorder automatically (LED solid). When the call is
dropped, the recorder will be stopped and the system will re enter the “armed” state.

Pressing the button when a call is already on air starts the recorder (LED solid).

While recording (LED solid), pressing the button stops the recorder and puts the system back
in the armed (LED blinking).

When in armed state (LED blinking), pressing the button cancels the recording feature.

When the Nx12 is used in any of the two-studio modes, the record logic will only operate from
Desktop Directors accessing SHOW1. e Record button is disabled for any Director con­nected to SHOW2.

LCD Screen and Associated Buttons

e LCD is used for general information and for configuring the Desktop Director.

Items can be selected and changed using the six buttons immediately below the LCD screen.
e buttons in the row immediately below the LCD screen are “soft keys” and their function
will be indicated on the bottom row of the screen.

Here is the main, default screen:

DD1 Hybrid1&2 [Talent]

menu lcd volume

Menu Navigation

e LCD screen and menu navigation buttons are used to adjust volume, LCD screen backlight
and contrast, and to change configuration items. e function of the three soft keys, immedi­ately below the LCD screen will vary depending on context and will always be displayed on the
screen. In most cases, the left soft key offers a back function. is takes you back to the main
screen without saving unconfirmed changes (except for in the Volume and LCD screens, where
changes are effected immediately).

e ∆ & ∇ buttons scroll through the options in a menu list, and the Select button chooses a
menu item or confirms an entry.

Volume Menus
Pressing the soft key button below the word Volume will display the following screen:

38 | Section 4

Press ∆ or ∇ to choose which level you want to adjust. Pressing [-] will decrease, while pressing
[+] will increase the volume level for the item displayed. e change will take place immediately.
Pressing the soft key button under the word back or the Select button will return you to the
main screen. e following volume levels can each be individually adjusted:

Other Menu options
After selecting menu from the main LCD screen, the following are offered:

Adjust Volume

Ringer 5

Speaker 5

Handset 5

back [-] [+]

♦ – Adjusts the volume of the ringer. Note that the ringer will usually be turned off

Ringer

whenever a microphone channel is on.

Speaker

♦ – Adjusts the level of the Desktop Director’s loudspeaker.

Handset

♦ – Sets the level of the caller on the handset. If you are using a headset attached

to the Desktop Director, this will adjust the level in the headset as well.

Select Ringer ♦ – It is possible to change the ringer tone on each Desktop director. ere
are four different choices. Press Select to apply your changes.

Configure Shows

♦ – is gives access to the programing functions for two-studio modes,

where each pair of hybrids is assigned to one of two studios. See Section 5.6.

Adjust LCD Panel

♦ – Gives access to the same menu as the LCD button on the main

screen.

Diagnostics

♦ – is gives a status report of the connection between the Desktop Director

and the Nx12 unit to which it is connected. Two values are reported:

Near End: the number of lost or corrupted data packets in the Nx12 to Desktop

♦

Director direction since this Director was powered on.

Far End: the number of lost or corrupted data packets in the Desktop Director to

♦

Nx12 direction since this Director was powered on.

Version

♦ – Reports the currently running Nx12 software version number and the currently

running Desktop Director software version number.

About

♦ – General information.

Changing Between Producer and Talent Modes

A Desktop Director can be in either Producer or Talent mode. is can be changed at any time
independently for each Director in the system. Producer mode can be thought of as ‘screener
phone’ mode while Talent mode can be thought of as ‘on-air’ mode. To change between Pro­ducer and Talent modes:

On the main screen, press the soft key button below the word 1. Menu. You should now see
a screen that looks similar to the following:

USER OPERATION | 39

Main Menu

Change Director Mode

Select Ringer

Congure Shows

∇ Adjust LCD Panel

back

e words Change Director Mode should be highlighted.

Now press the 2. Select button. You will now see a screen like this:

Main Menu

Producer (screener)

Talent (on air)

back

Press 3. ∇ or ∆ to change the setting.

Press 4. Select to confirm your choice or press the soft key below the word back to return to
the main menu without any change taking effect.

Using the Director in Producer Mode

e first text line on the LCD tells you which mode you are in. You will see [Producer] if
you are in this operation mode.

Answering calls

You use the left column of line buttons to answer calls on the handset (or headset).

e Next button will select the line which has been ringing longest. If no line is ringing, it
selects the line which has been on normal hold longest. When the Next button is pressed, any
lines not locked will be dropped (or put on hold, if your system is configured for “direct hold”
operation).

Normal Hold

e left hold button places a call on normal hold.

Screened Hold

e right hold button places a call on “screened hold”. (is button’s keycap may be labeled with
a check mark if the Desktop Director will be used primarily for screening.)

Designating the Next Call

Normally, when the talent presses his Next button, the call waiting on hold for the longest time
is selected to air. However, the Producer can force any line to the top of the queue. You use the
right column of line buttons to select which call is designated as next - the call that goes on-air
when the talent presses his Next button. e line status icon will change to the blinking check
mark.

40 | Section 4

Block All

Pressing this key will clear all lines except lines on-air, on the handset, on hold and “priority”
lines such as the studio hotline. is allows you to prevent early callers from getting in on
contests, until after the DJ has made the announcement and turned off Block All.

Ringing lines other than priority lines will be dropped and then be blocked from accepting any
calls. For ISDN lines, the caller may get a busy signal, or they may continue to hear ringing. For
analog lines, the ringing calls will be connected to a silent audio channel. Further calls will get a
busy signal.

Pressing the Block All button again will release the lines and allow incoming calls.

Conferencing callers on the handset/headset

e usual operation of the line button is such that selecting a line will cause an existing line in
use to be dropped (or placed on hold if your system is programmed to do so). To conference
multiple callers, you can use the lock function: With the first call on the handset, press the left
line button to lock that call. Now you can select another line without losing the first call. If you
wish to add a third party, lock the second line by pressing the line button for the second caller.
You can add additional lines in this manner. To unlock a line, press the line button for that line.

Hot Tip

You can use this feature to re-order the next queue at any time. Simply press the right line
buttons for the calls in reverse order from the order you wish to air them. Press the right line
button rst for the call to be aired last, then the button for the next line to be aired before
that and so on pressing the right line button for the call to be aired next last.

At any time, you can drop all unlocked calls by pressing Drop, or you can place all unlocked
calls on hold or screened hold by pressing the appropriate Hold button.

Using the Director in Talent (on-air) Mode

e first text line on the LCD tells you which mode you are in. You will see [Talent] if you
are in this operation mode.

Answering calls

Each line has two buttons, the left column for Caller 1 (your console fader might be labeled
“Phone 1” or something else) and right column for Caller 2. Pressing a line button places the
caller on that line on-air on the corresponding fader. When you select the line, the Status
Symbol icon will change to an arrow pointing to the line column you used.

Note: In some cases, when an Nx12 system is shared between two studios, only the left column
is used.

Pressing a line button when that line is already on-air locks the caller. You can use this capability
to prevent accidentally losing a guest. To unlock, press that line button a third time.

If the line has already been screened, the Screened symbol - a check mark - will be displayed. If
the caller has not been screened, the hold symbol or ringing symbol will be displayed.

Drop and Hold

A call may be dropped or placed on hold by using the buttons below the line columns. Also, if
you select another line on the same column, any other active non-locked lines will be automati­cally dropped.

USER OPERATION | 41

Next

is button will take the call designated as next on the left line column. If no call is currently
designated next, the call which has been on Screened Hold the longest will be taken. If a
screener is not used, the line which has been ringing longest will be taken. If no line is ringing,
the line on hold the longest will be taken.

Block All

Pressing this button will clear all lines except lines on-air, on the handset, on hold and “prior­ity” lines such as the studio hotline. Calls ringing-in on lines other than priority lines will be
dropped and the lines will then be blocked from accepting any calls. Pressing Block All again
will release the lines and allow incoming calls.

is allows you to prevent early callers from getting in on contests until after the announcement
is made and Block All is switched off.

Hot Tip

As you may know, there have been several lawsuits in the USA regarding to the fairness of
radio contests. By consistently activating the Block All feature before announcing a contest
you will reduce the liability for yourself and the station.

Conferencing multiple callers on-air using call locking

If you only need two calls at once, you can just use the two line columns, with one call on each.
However, if you need more than two, or if your system is serving two studios and you only have
one active line column, you can use the lock function for conferencing.

♦

Press an already on-air line button a second time to lock the line. e status symbol will
change to display the locked icon.

If you take another line on the same column, any locked lines will remain on-air.

♦

When a locked line button is pressed, the call reverts to normal and the left or right- ♦
pointing arrow icon is displayed.

e

♦ Drop and Hold buttons have no effect on a line in locked status, but apply to any

other active calls.

Using the lock feature, you can organize any combination of calls to be conferenced. You can
also drop or add calls to an active conference group.

Locking VIP calls

As described above, any line on the air can be locked by hitting the line button a second time.
is is a handy feature for use with VIP guest callers – by locking your guest you cannot drop
the call by accident, no matter how crazy things get in the studio!

Using the Director as a Telephone
Making a call using the handset. Pick up the handset, select a line using the left column and

dial. If you wish to place this caller on air, you can press a left or right line column button. If you
hang-up the handset, the caller will be lost unless you have placed them on hold or on-air.

Using the studio microphone and cue speaker. is is identical to placing callers on-air - just
be sure that your microphone and phone faders are in cue, not program! If you experience

42 | Section 4

feedback, lower the cue speaker volume.

Making calls using the built-in speakerphone. Press the Speakerphone button, select a line
using the left column and dial. If you wish to place this caller on air, you can press a left or right
column line button.

Answering calls with the handset. Pick up the handset and select a line using the left column
or press Next to select the line which has been ringing longest.

Answering calls using the speakerphone. Press the Speakerphone button and select a line
using the left column or press Next to select the line which has been ringing longest.

4.2 The Call Controller

e Call Controller, together with a user-provided telephone, emulates a Desktop Director. See
the Call Controller manual for additional information.

Because there is no LCD, the dialing keypad is used to change modes, as follows:

*PRODUCER (*77638237) changes to Producer mode

*TALENT (*825368) changes to Talent mode

*DD (*33) is current ID for this unit

*SHOW1 (*74691) connects this controller to Show 1

*SHOW2 (*74692) connects this controller to Show 2

4.3 The Console Director

Telos provides sub-assemblies to a number of mixing console manufacturers, allowing them to
offer you a console-mounted control surface compatible with the Nx12, 2x12, and Series 2101
systems. e Console Director works much like the Desktop Director in Talent mode.

| 43

5

Detailed Conguration & Reference

First Step...

After power-up and initialization, the status screen appears.

When you see this screen, and if

ISDN or POTS lines are connected and functioning correctly, and

♦

the Nx12’s basic configuration settings have been adjusted to the requirements of your ♦
installation,

then the Nx12 is ready for next steps.

You may confirm that ISDN lines are ready with the ISDN status screens. Press any menu
button twice and use the up and down arrows to scroll through these screens. If all is OK, you
will see the Ready indication for each ISDN B channel.

If you do not see READY as the ISDN status, first cycle power to the Nx12 off and then back
on. If you still do not seen READY on the ISDN status screen, review the information in
Sections 2.4, 2.5, and 3.2 and check both your ISDN settings and set-up information. If the
information there does not help, there is in-depth troubleshooting information in Section 6.

Tip

Users in the USA & Canada should see READY status whenever the system is idle. On certain
ETS-300 ISDN lines the system will go from READY to DEACTIVATED. This is no cause for
alarm.

5.1 Level Metering

e Nx12 includes four LED bargraph meters. e ballistic (time) characteristic of these meters
changes depending on the Audio menu Input Level setting to match the expected console
meter type. In VU mode, they have the usual 300ms time-constant. In PPM mode, they have a
10ms attack and 2.8sec release characteristic.

e meters are selectable to various points in the system with Meter Mode in the Audio menu.
Note that the marked meter names are correct only when the Studio 1&2 mode is selected. See
Section 5.4 below.

44 | Section 5

5.2 Status Displays

Telco line and Desktop Director status information is available on both the Web interface and
the LCD.

On the LCD, pressing any menu button twice displays the status screens. ese status screens
display information about the state of the Nx12, but do not allow you to make any changes. e
∆ & ∇ buttons cycle through the following screens:

Slot A through B: Line Status

♦

Desktop Director Connection Status 1-8 ♦

Line Status

is shows the status of the Telco channels, helping you to confirm that the Nx12 is successfully
configured for each. In addition, information about call status is indicated. One of the following
words will be shown for each Telco channel present:

Deactivated

No line connected, or connected to wrong jack on the Nx12. Or ETS 300 permits the Telco to
put a line to sleep. Deactivated will be displayed when this occurs. Or system is currently testing
for the presence of a POTS line (e.g. looking for loop current)

SPID Pend

SPID has been sent to network (DMS Cust. And Natl I-1 only). Network has not approved
SPID (SPID is incorrect).

SPID Error

e SPID has been sent and rejected by the CO switch.

Ready

e unit sees a live ISDN S interface (i.e. external NT1 is present or internal NT1 has complet­ed startup). Or loop current has been detected on a POTS line and the line has been declared
‘in service’ by the system.

Pending Seize

Outgoing call in process; Request for call has been sent to Telco switch. Or outgoing POTS call
is pending – system if ‘off-hook’ and waiting for loop current.

Seized

Outgoing call in process; Telco switch has acknowledged the call request. Or Loop current has
been detected on a POTS line after going ‘off-hook’.

Call Proceeding

Outgoing call in process; Telco switch waiting for routing info from network.

Outgoing Ring

Outgoing call in process; far end has generated a call alert signal

Disconnecting

Request to disconnect has been made. Awaiting acknowledgment. Or the POTS interface has
gone ‘on-hook’ and system is waiting for loop current to cease.

Incoming Ring

An incoming call request has been detected and is being processed.

DETAILED CONFIGURATION & REFERENCE | 45

Accepting Call

Nx12 has accepted an incoming call and is waiting for the Telco switch to connect it. Or incom­ing POTS call is pending – system is ’off-hook’ waiting for loop current.

Connected

All signaling is complete – the ISDN voice channel is available for use. Or a POTS line is
‘off-hook’ and loop current has been detected.

Desktop Director Status

is screen shows the status each Desktop Director. CH represents the channel number. As it
is possible to connect two Desktop Directors on the same port, there are two channels per port.
ese are numbered left to right as viewed form the rear of the unit, with two channels per port.

Each channel is assigned a Desktop Director number: DD notification. us, by looking at the
Director number on its LCD (upper left corner), it possible to find out exactly which port this
one is connected to. One of two messages will be displayed:

Activated

e Desktop Director is up and running on this channel.

Deactivated

No Desktop Director is connected to this channel, or if it is, it is not being recognized by the
Nx12.

Whenever a Desktop Director is activated, an Errors number is indicated. is corresponds to
the number of data packets lost since this Desktop Director was powered on. An occasional er­ror is not cause for alarm, however if you see multiple errors accumulating over time, this should
be investigated. Possible causes are bad wiring, a bad port on the Nx12, or a defective Desktop
Director.

Note

If a Desktop Director Is connected to an external power supply, unplugging the connection
at the back of the Nx12 will not reset the error counter. A few errors (2-3) when powering
up the Nx12 is normal. If a Desktop Director Is ‘frozen’, the Nx12 will deactivate it. If this ever
happens, unplug the Desktop Director, then plug it back in.

On the Nx12 LCD, it is possible to investigate further by pressing the OK button. is will give
access to a detailed Diagnostics menu for each Director.

Select any available Desktop Director connection: DD connection

e Far end menu gives a detailed error status coming from the Desktop Director side. e
Near end menu gives a detailed error status coming from the Nx12 side.

Tip

If you suspect a malfunctioning Desktop Director, check its error status before calling Telos
support. Having these details at hand will allow us to best assist you.

46 | Section 5

5.3 Using the LCD/Buttons and Web for Conguration

You use the various configuration settings to adjust audio levels and processing options, set the
ISDN parameters, etc.

You may use either the front panel LCD/button user interface on the Nx12 main unit or the
Web interface to access configuration options. e Web interface offers the full set of configura­tion options, while the LCD/button includes only the most often needed items.

The LCD/Button User Interface

Each of the three buttons below the LCD display calls up the menu item group associated with
the button’s name.

Pressing any menu button (Audio, Telco, or System) twice displays the Status screen.

Menu Navigation & Item Selection

After you select a menu group, you can use the ∆ and ∇ arrow buttons to scroll through the
available items. You may select a highlighted item for modification by pressing the OK button.
Once an item is selected, you can use the ∆ and ∇ arrow buttons to can change the value of the
setting.

When you reach the value you desire, press the OK button again to lock it in and return you to
the item selection/scroll mode.

The Web User Interface

A Web Browser can be used to remotely configure and administer the system. All front panel
configuration options are duplicated on the web pages. Certain advanced options such as enter­ing ISDN DNs/SPIDs and Livewire configuration require the Web interface.

You can connect a PC directly to the Nx12 with an Ethernet cross-cable. Or you can connect
both the PC and the Nx12 to an Ethernet switch or hub.

Important Note

If Livewire has been enabled, there will be a lot of network trac generated by the Nx12.
Some PCs, switches, hubs, and routers that are not multicast-aware will not be able to handle
the volume and Web communication will not be possible.

Normally, you would use the Web interface to switch o the Livewire streams, but since you
can’t communicate with the Web interface, you will have to rst disable the Livewire streams
from the front panel LCD/button interface. The rst item under the Audio menu is what you
need.

DETAILED CONFIGURATION & REFERENCE | 47

e Nx12’s default IP number is 192.168.0.230. Normally, you would change this to a number
appropriate for your network using TCP/IP Setup in the System menu. You would also enter
appropriate values for Subnet Mask and Gateway Address. See e System Menu below for
details. But if you will just be doing configuration with a cross-cable or isolated switch/hub, you
can keep the default IP number. You can also connect first with the default, then change the IP
values using the Web, then reconnect with the new address.

After you have a network connection between your PC and the Nx12, open a Web browser and
enter http://192.168.0.230 (substitute your actual IP number if you have changed from the
default) into the address entry field. You will then see the Nx12’s main Web screen:

Upon clicking any of the menu links, you will be prompted to enter a user name and password.
e default user name is user and the password is <blank>.

e Status, System, Telco, and Audio menus provide access to the full set of configuration op­tions, a superset of those available on the front panel. e ISDN SPID and DN entries are only
available on the Web. interface (It’s not very convenient to enter numeric data on the LCD/
button interface, so we thought you’d appreciate having a PC’s keyboard for that.)

e Livewire menus are only available on the Web interface.

5.4 The Audio Menu

is group consists of settings that control the audio levels, processing options, mixing, etc.

Nominal Input Level

Adjusts to the level expected from the mixing console. is adjustment affects all of the input
options: analog, AES, and Livewire. It is applied before the send AGC.

Be careful to avoid clipping of the Nx12 inputs. Clipped send audio will create a problem for
the system, and you will probably experience poor hybrid performance. Increasing the input
level past the correct value will not make the send louder due to the AGC/limiter.

48 | Section 5

Input Setting Related to Input Level

Input Setting -10dBV 0dBu +4dBu +9dBu PPM -9dBfs PPM

Analog input level - 10 dBV nom 0 dBu nom +4 dBu nom +9 dBu PML n/a

Livewire/AES - 32 dBfs nom -24 dBfs nom -20 dBfs nom -15 dBfs -9 dBfs PML

e ballistic (time) characteristic of Nx12’s meters changes depending on the Input Level set­ting so to match the expected console meter type. When -10, 0, or +4dBu is selected, the meter
has a VU-standard integration time. When +9dBu PPM or -9dBfs PPM are selected, the meter
has a PPM time characteristic.

e table above shows the level at the green/red transition on the NX12 meter. For VU, this is
the nominal 0 value; for PPM, this is the Permitted Maximum Level (PML) value.

e usual setting is +4dBu. e +9dBu PPM setting is intended for Euro analog installations.
e -9dBfs setting is intended for Euro digital installations.

If Livewire inputs are used, this should usually be set to +4dBu for the -20dBfs Livewire
standard nominal level. Europeans could choose the -9dBfs PPM setting if they are operating
their Livewire network according to this standard.

Nominal Output Level

is adjusts the level of analog, AES, and Livewire outputs.

Output Setting Related to Output Level

Output Gain Setting -10dBV 0dBu +4dBu +9dBu PPM -9dBfs PPM

Analog output level - 10 dBV nom 0 dBu nom +4 dBu nom +9 dBu PML n/a

Livewire/AES - 32 dBfs nom -24 dBfs nom -20 dBfs nom -15 dBfs -9 dBfs PML

Meter Mode

Selects the audio that will be indicated on the LED meters.

4 Studio Out

♦ – Each studio output goes to a meter, from the top down

4 Studio In –

♦ Each studio input has a meter, from the top down

POH in –

♦ e two Program on Hold inputs go to the top meters

Phone 3&4 –

♦ Send and receive to/from hybrids 3 & 4

Phone 1&2 –

♦ Send and receive to/from hybrids 1 & 2

Studio 3&4

♦ – Input from and output to studios 3 & 4

Studio 1&2 (default)

♦ – Input from and output to studios 1 & 2 (the meter markings

correspond to this one)

Phone Send Adjustment

is setting adjusts the level of the hybrid into the telephone line, after the send limiter and is
calibrated with 0dB representing the usual send level into the line.

e default is 0dB, which should be OK for most telephone lines. If callers consistently com­plain about low audio level and you have verified that this is a problem, you can increase the

DETAILED CONFIGURATION & REFERENCE | 49

send level. However, doing so can reduce effective hybrid performance and increase leakage.
Conversely, lowering this setting can reduce leakage.

Call Ducking

is control adjusts the amount of ducking that occurs to the received telephone audio when
send-to-caller audio is present. A value of Full Duplex means that the telephone audio is never
ducked or attenuated, while Half Duplex applies maximum attenuation when send audio is
present. Intermediate settings range from -1 to -15dB. Section 5.11 has more information on
this function. Ducking is desirable for a variety of reasons:

♦

Allows the announcer to ‘override’ the caller by causing the received caller audio to be
attenuated (ducked) when the announcer speaks. is is often desired for aesthetic effect
and allows the announcer to remain in control of the conversation.

Helps to have open loudspeaker monitoring of callers without feedback.

♦

Dynamically improves effective trans-hybrid loss to reduce leakage, when necessary. ♦

ere is also a ducking of the announcer audio to the caller. is is only a few dB unless Feed­back Reduction is enabled, as described below. is send ducker has a fixed value.

Receive AGC

e receive Automatic Gain Control serves to improve level consistency of caller audio. Nomi­nal levels of the telephone network vary as much as 30dB from call to call. In the past decade
our experience has been that loud calls have become just as much a problem as low level callers.
erefore we have changed the AGC to act as a platform leveler. e Nx12 uses a dB-linear
approach to AGC with a feed-forward topology, which provides a consistent sound regardless of
the drive level. is “smart compressor” normalizes levels while retaining the natural dynamics of
the caller’s voice.

is selection controls the “aggressiveness” of the AGC process, taking values from OFF, 1/4,
1/2, 3/4 to FULL. We suggest you start with the default value, F ULL

Aggressive AGC is more noticeable, but is also more effective at maintaining consistent levels.
Adjustment of this setting simultaneously changes as number of parameters within the AGC
function, such as attack & release times, thresholds, and compression ratio.

An important feature of the Nx12’s AGC is that it is cross-coupled to other sections of the
hybrid so that it can reliably distinguish between the real caller audio and residual hybrid leak­age. is allows a lot of gain on low level callers while preserving excellent hybrid performance.

Noise Gate

Enables or disables a noise gate applied to the caller audio. is is a “downward expander” that
has the effect of reducing the noise on the caller audio when it falls below a threshold. On some
very low-level calls, this attenuation may be inappropriate because you may be able to hear the
caller fade away when the level falls below the threshold. It has three settings as follows:

♦ – Disables the noise gate

Off

Normal

♦ – A slow setting, with moderate noise attenuation

Aggressive

♦ – A faster setting with deeper attenuation, for lines where noise is noticeable

during normal conversation.

50 | Section 5

Receive EQ (Caller Dynamic Digital EQ – DDEQ)

Telephone audio frequency response varies widely since many factors can affect it (we’ve
measured the response on a number of calls and the results were revealing). Consequently, some
form of receive equalization is desirable. ere are three choices for the type of equalization
applied to the received telephone audio:

(Additional) Low EQ

Amount of low frequency boost or cut applied to the caller audio. Settings are in 2dB steps
from -8dB to +8dB are possible with 0dB representing flat response. e default value is +4dB,
which sounds good across a variety of callers, lines, and telephone sets.

(Additional) High EQ High

Amount of high frequency boost or cut applied to the caller audio. Settings from -8dB to +8dB
are possible with 0dB representing flat response. e default value is 0dB.

♦ – e caller audio is passed through without modification. e Rcv EQ values are

Off

ignored in this mode.

Fixed

♦ – is is a simple manual equalizer mode where a fixed EQ is applied.

Adaptive

♦ – is is a three band dynamic equalizer. e high and low frequency boost or

cut is automatically determined and set. e Dynamic EQ uses the values set below as
‘target levels’.

Feedback Reduction

is enables or disables the acoustic adaption process used for feedback control when the system
is used with an open speaker-to-microphone acoustic path. is setting also increases by 6dB
the amount of send to caller audio ducking. It should be set to On when it is needed to elimi­nate feedback. Since the send to caller audio will be colored by this process, should be turned off
unless needed. Default is Off.

When using open speakers it is best not to change the speaker or mic positioning while the
system is operating as this will require the acoustic canceller to re-adapt and temporary feedback
may occur.

Mix Minus Mode

On the Web interface, the Setup Wizard can be used to set the Mix-Minus routing mode.

is option determines how many mix-minus feeds you will need (see section 2.7 for more on
mix-minus) and the number of fader channels required on the mixing console.

e effect of the mix-minus mode depends upon the Show mode, which can be One Show,
4-Column, or one of the Two Show modes. See section 5.7 for more about Show modes.

e mix-minus mode options are:

Separate (default)

♦

is option provides fully independent inputs and outputs for each hybrid. us, you will
feed the number of faders on your console equal to the number of hybrids your show has,
and your console will have to create the same number of mix-minus feeds back to the
Nx12.

In this mode, callers cannot hear each other except through an external mix-minus. us,

DETAILED CONFIGURATION & REFERENCE | 51

Hybrid A

Hybrid B

Input 1

Input 2

Output 1

Output 2

Hybrid A

Hybrid B

Input 3

Input 4

Output 3

Output 4
Hybrid A

Hybrid B

∑

∑

Input 1

Output 1

Output 2

Separate requires the mixing console to provide the cross-connection for conferencing,
when required.

With One Show show mode, and in any of the Two Show show modes, there are two
hybrids per show, so using the Separate mix-minus mode means you have two caller
outputs to each console, and two mix-minus caller inputs from each console.

One Show, or 1st of two Shows:

Second of two Shows:

In 4-Column show mode togther with Separate mix-minus mode you will have four
independent caller outputs to four faders on the console, and you will need four mix­minus feeds.

1 in/multiple out

♦

Using this option means each mixing console only has to make a single mix-minus feed
for the caller send audio for each show, but separate hybrid caller audio outputs are sent
to the console. is mode is useful when your console is limited in the number of mix
minus feeds it can make, but you want to keep individual faders per hybrid.

is option sends the single mix minus feed from the console to each caller. Internally
within the Nx12, the cross-connected audio from the other callers is mixed in, so each
caller can hear the other callers.

With One Show show mode, and in any of the Two Show show modes, there are two
hybrids per show, so using this mix minus mode means you have two caller outputs to
each console, and one mix minus caller send from each console.

One Show, or 1st of two Shows:

52 | Section 5

Hybrid A

Hybrid B

∑

∑

Input 2

Output 3

Output 4

Hybrid A

Hybrid B

∑

∑

Input 1

Output 1

∑

Hybrid A

Hybrid B

∑

∑

Input 2

Output 2

∑

Second of two Shows:

In 4-Column show mode, you have 4 independent caller outputs to 4 faders on the
console, but require only 1 mix minus feed. All callers hear the one console mix-minus
feed and each other.

1 in/1 out

♦

is mix-minus option means each console only has to make a single mix-minus feed
for the caller send audio and the Nx12 makes only one mixed caller audio output of all
callers, to one fader on the console.

Like the 1 in/multiple out mode, this option sends the single mix-minus feed from the
console to all callers.

Its main purpose is to accommodate older consoles that have only one mix-minus, or
when only one fader is available for telephone calls. e disadvantage is that the operator
has no control of the relative levels of the multiple callers. It relies upon the Nx12’s AGC
to automatically adjust the multiple callers to a consistent level.

With One Show show mode and in any of the Two Show show modes, using this mix­minus mode means you have one caller output to each console, and one mix-minus caller
input from each console.

One Show, or 1st of two Shows:

Second of two Shows:

With 4-Column Show mode, you will have one caller output to the console containing a

DETAILED CONFIGURATION & REFERENCE | 53

combined mix of all callers’ audio, and require only one mix-minus feed from the console.
All callers hear the one console mix-minus feed and each other.

e following table summarizes the effect of each mix-minus mode together with each Show
mode:

Show Mode

One-show

Show Mode

One-show, 4-column

Show Mode

Two-show

Mix-Minus Mode

Separate

2 in, 2 out, 1 POH

Use analog, AES, or LW.

For AES, POH may be
analog or AES.

4 in, 4 out, 1 POH

Use AES in 4-channel
mode or LW to access all
the inputs and outputs.

For AES, POH remains
analog.

Per show: 2 in, 2 out, 1
POH

Use AES in 4-channel
mode or LW to access all
the outputs.

For AES, POH remains
analog.

Mix-Minus Mode

1 in/Multiple out

1 in, 2 out, 1 POH

Use analog, AES, or LW.

For AES, POH may be
analog or AES.

1 in, 4 out, 1 POH

Use AES in 4-channel
mode or LW to access all
the outputs.

With AES in 4-channel,
POH remains analog.

Per Show: 1 in, 2 out, 1
POH

Use AES in 4-channel
mode or LW to access all
the outputs.

For AES, POH remains
analog.

Mix-Minus Mode

1 in/1 out

1 in, 1 out, 1 POH

Use analog, AES, or LW.

For AES, POH may be
analog or AES.

1 in, 1 out, 1 POH

Use analog, AES, or LW.

For AES, POH may be
analog or AES.

Per show: 1 in, 1 out, 1
POH

Use analog, AES, or LW.

For AES, POH may be
analog or AES.

Livewire can always be used for any of the four caller and two POH inputs. When a Livewire
input is enabled, the corresponding analog/AES input is disabled. Livewire can provide inputs 3
and 4 when they are not otherwise available at the XLR connectors.

Four caller audio outputs via Livewire are always possible, regardless of mode, in parallel and at
the same time as the XLR audio outputs.

AES Mode

On the Web interface, the Setup Wizard can be used to set the AES mode.

If your Nx12 is equipped with the optional AES module, there are two AES input and two
output XLRs, which may be configured as follows:

2-channel (default)

♦

In this mode there are up to two caller inputs/outputs.

e two AES input XLRs can either take one audio input each using only the L chan­nels, or a combined L/R AES signal may be connected to the first AES input XLR.

e Nx12 will automatically sense if there is a second AES connection to XLR input 2.
If present, the Nx12 will take the second audio input from this XLR. If not present, the
Nx12 will take the second audio input from the R channel of AES input 1.

If your mixing console combines two caller sends into one AES L/R, plug this into the
first AES input XLR and use the first AES output XLR for the caller audio. If your
console uses two separate AES connections, use both XLR inputs and outputs.

Program on Hold is via the analog inputs.

54 | Section 5

e following table shows the relationships of AES to the input and output signal paths shown
in the block diagrams above:

4-channel ♦

In this mode there are up to four caller inputs/outputs.

e L and R of each AES signal are used, creating four independent caller inputs and
four caller outputs.

To use this mode, your mixing console must be capable of splitting and combining
separate channels of audio to and from the L/R pairs of AES signals. is is sometimes
called the ‘dual mono’ mode of AES operation.

Program on Hold is via the analog inputs.

AES POH (AES Program On Hold)

♦

In this mode there are two caller inputs/outputs and two AES Program on Hold inputs.

In the case when only two caller inputs/outputs are needed and the mixing console is
capable of splitting and combining separate channels of caller audio to and from the L/R
pairs of AES signals, this mode allows the Program on Hold to also be via AES. e
caller inputs use AES XLR Caller input 1 (both L / R channels), and Program on Hold
inputs use AES XLR input 2 (both L / R channels).

AES in 1 L “input 1” “Input 1” “Input 1” “Input 1”

AES in 1 R “Input 2” “Input 2” “Input 2”

AES in 2 L “Input 2” “Input 3” POH in 1

AES in 2 R “Input 4” POH in 2

AES out 1 L “Output 1” “Output 1” “Output 1” “Output 1”

AES out 1 R “Output 2” “Output 2” “Output 2” “Output 2”

AES out 2 L “Output 2” “Output 2” “Output 3” “Output 2”

AES out 2 R “Output 1” “Output 1” “Output 4” “Output 1”

5.5 The Telco Menu

POTS Country

Affects analog lines only.

is setting configures the analog Telco line interfaces for proper impedance matching and
other characteristics for different countries. If your country is not listed, try using: CTR21
(European standard) or USA.

Hookash

2-channel

(1 XLR connection)

2-channel

(2 XLR connections)

4-channel AES POH

Affects analog lines only.

It adjusts the duration of the ‘hook flash’ (loop current interruption) when the Desktop Director
(transfer) key is pressed. e default value is 720 milliseconds. e following table indicates
typical values for various countries:

DETAILED CONFIGURATION & REFERENCE | 55

USA 720 ms

Belgium, Netherlands, Switzerland 120 ms

France, Luxemburg, Portugal, Germany 270 ms

Rest of Europe 90 ms

e hook flash is sometimes used as a signal to initiate transfer or other features, with the
specific effect being dependent on the Telco or PBX capabilities and configuration.

Loop Current Checking (Web only)

Affects analog lines only.

e Nx12 periodically checks each analog line port for loop current. When current is detected,
the single green dot icon appears on Desktop Directors and the line is ready for use. is process
is called Loop Check. Yes is the default.

When you are using ‘ground start’ lines, this should be set to Off. Note: e Nx12 does not
support outbound dialing on ground start lines. However, setting Loop Check to No will allow
incoming calls to work normally.

Note

Ground Start analog lines are not fully supported by the Nx12. Only Incoming calls are
allowed. You can take advantage of this to get a feature that might be sometimes useful:
preventing outgoing calls.

Enable Auto Call Drop (Web only)

Calls can be automatically disconnected when the far end hangs-up. Most USA-style Telco lines
provide a momentary loop drop for this purpose, but non-USA lines and most PBXs provide a
tone signal (Call Progress Tone - Disconnect) instead. e Nx12 can respond to one, both, or
neither of these signals. e type of tone signal detected for CPTD is determined by the POTS
Country setting.

CPC loop drop threshold (ms) (Web only)

Sets the threshold time value for loop drop disconnect.

Ring-in Before Caller ID (Web only)

Normally the ringing indication is passed to the Desktop Director and other devices after the
Caller ID has been received. is delays the ring indication until after the 2nd ring. You may
want to have a faster ring indication, and choosing yes here lets you have it. But you risk losing
the CID if an operator answers the call quickly. Some lines don’t have CID and in this case this
should be set to Yes since there is no reason to wait for the 2nd ring.

ISDN Protocol

Selects the ISDN protocol, which must correspond to the ISDN circuits you are using. It will
apply to all ISDN lines.

56 | Section 5

ere are a number of choices, but the most common are described below.

For Europe and many other parts of the world

For USA & Canada and a few other parts of the world

If you are in Europe or most of South America, you should choose ETS 300.

If you have Net64 ISDN in Japan you should select INS64.

If you are in Hong Kong you should choose AT&T Cust.

If you are in the USA or Canada, use whichever protocol your phone company has provided. If
you do not know, you may be able to guess...

♦

ETS 300. is is the very common Euro-ISDN, according to the ETS 300 standard.

♦

Natl. I-1. National ISDN-1 is the most common protocol for the USA & Canada and
some other parts of the world. May also be used with lines conforming to National
ISDN-2. See the notes about SPIDs, below.

DMS Cust. For ‘custom functional’ lines on the Nortel DMS-100 switch. See the notes

♦

about SPIDs, below.

AT&T Cust. is is the AT&T PTP protocol, sometimes called ‘AT&T custom Point-

♦

to-Point’. is protocol generally does not allow two simultaneous voice calls. For this
reason we recommend that the National ISDN-1 protocol be used if you are on the
AT&T/Lucent 5ESS Telco switch.

Guessing the ISDN Protocol setting in Canada & the USA

If you were given only a single phone number and no SPIDs try AT&T Cust

♦

If you were given 2 SPIDs with the format: 01+7 digit phone #+0 try AT&T Cust ♦

If you were given 2 SPIDs with the format: 01+7 digit phone #+000 or 01+7 digits +011 ♦
try Natl.I-1

If you were given 2 SPIDs with the format: area code+7 digit phone #+4 digits (for

♦

example 0101, 0100, 0111, or 1111) try Natl.I-1. If that fails Try DMS Cust

If you were given 2 SPIDs with the format: area code+7 digit phone #+1 digit (for

♦

example 1, or 0) try DMS Cust. If this fails try Natl.I-1

If you were given 2 SPIDs with the format: area code+7digit phone #+2 digits (for

♦

example 01, 11, 02, or 00) try DMS Cust. If that fails try Natl.I-1

If you were given 2 SPIDs with the format: area code+7digit phone #+3 digits (for

♦

example 000,001) try Natl.I-1. If that fails try DMS-Cust

If you were given a single phone number and a single SPID with the format: of 01+7

♦

digit phone#+0 try AT&T Cust (Do not enter this SPID)

If you were given a single phone number and a single SPID with the format: of 01+7

♦

digit phone#+00 try Natl.I-1. If that fails try AT&T Cust

If you were given a single phone number and a single SPID with the format: of area

♦

code+7digit phone#+4digits (for example 0101, 0100, 0111, or 1111) Try Natl.I-1. If that
fails try DMS

DETAILED CONFIGURATION & REFERENCE | 57

Note

After you enter (or change) your SPIDs or DNs, you must reboot the Nx12. Therefore, once
you have entered SPID1, SPID2, DN1, and DN2 you should turn the power o and then back
on. Then go to the Status screen and verify Ready status for both channels.

SPIDs and MSN/DNs (Web Only)

ere will be entry locations for SPIDs and MSN/DNs for all line positions, whether needed,
or not. After entering the numbers, you must click Apply and then Reboot Now at the bottom
of the page to activate the ISDN lines.

(You can check what you actually have by looking at the first line of the LCD status screen,
where you will see POTS, ISDN, or EMPTY for the A and B line groups, depending on how
your system is configured. Press any menu button twice to get this screen.)

When you are using Natl. I-1 or DMS-100 for your ISDN Protocol mode, you must enter the
correct Service Profile ID (SPID) numbers for each ISDN channel, normally two per physical
line. e telephone company should tell you this number when they confirm your order. Often it
is found written on the line jack or punch block.

Usually the SPID is the area code+phone number+0101. However, we have seen some that
include a two-digit prefix and a two-digit suffix, and many other variations are possible. See Ap­pendix 1 for a list of known working SPIDs. If this works, consider yourself lucky; if it doesn’t
work, there is no substitute for getting the correct SPID from your Telco!

58 | Section 5

Notes on SPIDs

ISDN Tip

ETS 300 users should disregard all references to SPIDs. Euro ISDN does not have SPIDs (you
lucky souls)!

IMPORTANT

If your line status shows “Wait” at least one of your SPIDs is incorrect or your ISDN Protocol
setting is incorrect! In this case, check the SPID. For a list of known working SPIDs by tele­phone company, see the Appendix.

Incorrectly entered SPIDs are the most common problem USA users have placing ISDN 1.
calls. Compare the SPIDs you have entered with the SPIDs provided to you by the phone
company to be certain that you have entered them correctly. Do not add anything to your
SPIDs.

Note that there are no hyphens, dashes (-), or spaces in SPIDs, so the system will not 2.
allow you to enter any non-numeric characters. If your installer has included them in the
SPID, ignore them.

If you have any questions about your SPIDs, call your phone company. 3.

If you have AT&T Point-to-Point or ETS300 Euro-ISDN Protocol mode, you should 4.
not enter anything in the SPID fields.

MSN – Multiple Subscriber Number

is item, if required, must be configured from the Web interface. Used only when you are using
the ETS 300 Euro-ISDN Telco mode and another ISDN device is sharing the line with the
Nx12. MSN1 corresponds to the first B channel. is is simply one of your assigned telephone
numbers. Normally, for ETS 300 these should be left blank.

DN – Directory Number.

is item, if required, must be configured from the Web interface. When you are using an
ISDN protocol other than ETS 300 or AT&T Cust. PTP, you must enter the ‘Directory
Number’ (DN) here. is is simply the telephone number associated with the channel.

Tip

Each directory number will correspond to one SPID. You must enter them to reect this
relationship. The DN corresponding to SPID1 must be entered as DN1 while the DN corre­sponding to SPID2 must be entered as DN2.

If you experience problems only with incoming calls check your DNs. Normally 7 digits
should be entered, but you might need to enter 10 digits.

In some cases lines in a hunt group will require that the same (primary Listed Directory
Number) be entered for all lines that are part of the hunt group.

DETAILED CONFIGURATION & REFERENCE | 59

Hot Tip

Some versions of the Telos Zephyr and Zephyr Express do not require that Directory Num­bers be entered. This is not true for the Telos Nx12 and other newer products.. You must
correctly enter these numbers for the system to work.

Note for the Curious

The actual physical B channels of the BRI line are assigned on a per call basis, with the rst
incoming call assigned to the rst B channel. However, the call setup message on the D
channel includes what number was dialed, and the Directory Number allows the system to
sort it all out.

IMPORTANT

After you enter (or change) your SPIDs or DN’s you must restart the system to use the new
information. Therefore, once you have entered SPIDs, DNs, or MSNs cycle power o and then
back on. Then go to the ISDN status screen and verify “Ready” status for all channels.

Clock Loss

is setting is relevant only when there are ISDN lines that “go to sleep” or there is some other
unusual ISDN Telco condition. Most users should leave this set to the default setting of Hold

Last.

5.6 The System Menu

is menu consists of items that affect basic system operation.

TCP/IP Setup

e Nx12 and PC hosting the Web browser should have IP addresses in the same range (the
first 3 of the four numbers of the IP address should match) and should have the same subnet
mask.

Host Name (Web only)
e IP network text name. Default is Nx12.

IP Address

is is the IP address for this Nx12. An IP address is a series of 4 numbers separated by periods.
is is a numeric-only field; enter the digits as described above. You should enter no leading
zero in each of the four numbers (if you are given 192.168.000.012 enter 192.168.0.12).

Subnet

is is your subnet mask. e subnet mask is set to the size of your local network. All packets
addressed to a destination outside this local area are sent to the gateway router.

e subnet mask is a series of 4 numbers separated by periods in the same format as the IP
address. A subnet with 256 addresses would have this mask value: 255.255.255.0.

Gateway

is is the IP address of a gateway router connecting your LAN to the Internet. You will need

60 | Section 5

to get this from your network administrator or Internet service provider.

To enter IP addresses using the LCD/button interface:

Select the TCP/IP Settings… sub-menu.

To enter an IP address, use the following procedure:

Return takes you back to the System menu.

Syslog Server & Syslog Filter (Web only)

Permit logging to external computers running Linux standard Syslog for troubleshooting
purposes.

Highlight the IP address1.

Press OK2.

Press 3. ∇ repeatedly to delete existing IP address

Press 4. ∆ until the desired digit is displayed

Press OK to accept that digit. To delete a incorrect digit press 5. ∇

Press 6. ∆ until the desired digit is displayed

Once all characters are entered, press OK twice to save your entry7.

Contrast (LCD Only)

Adjusts the contrast of the LCD. Values range from 0 to 10. e usual setting is 5.

Show Mode (LCD Only)

e Web Setup Wizard is another way to select show mode.

e term “Show” comes from our Series 2101 system, which supports up to 120 lines and more
than 64 hybrids in multiple studios. Each Show selects a group of Telco lines and an audio I/O.
Next queues and other functions are distinct for each show.

e Nx12 has only 12 lines and 4 hybrids, so it’s considerably simpler. Single studio modes have
only Show 1. However, the Nx12 also supports two-studio modes, in which case there will be
Show 1 and Show 2. Desktop Directors and call screening applications connect to the appropri­ate show, and each show has associated audio inputs and outputs.

See Section 5.7 for details on the various show modes. Choices are:

One Show (default)

♦

2 Show Custom ♦

2 Show Split ♦

2 Show Shared ♦

4 Column ♦

Note: You must reboot the system after changing this setting.

DETAILED CONFIGURATION & REFERENCE | 61

Hold on Select

e Direct Hold feature allows the operator to seize the next call which has been ringing for the
longest time and put the caller he was talking with back on hold in one simple step, by pressing
the Next key.

If no call is ringing, the process remains the same with callers on hold. Pressing the Next key
seizes the call, which was on hold for the longest time, and puts the previous caller on hold.

is feature also works when manually selecting a new line in a column. If existing unlocked
calls are present, the lines will be placed on hold.

e choices are:

None

♦ – feature disabled

Talent

♦ – enabled only for Desktop Directors in Talent mode.

Producer

♦ – enabled only for Desktop Directors in Producer mode.

Both

♦ – enabled for both Producer and Talent modes.

Audio Loop (LCD Only)

is is for testing purposes. Choices are:

Off

♦ – is is the normal operating mode. No loopback path is turned on. Studio Input is

sent as send audio, and caller audio is presented at Studio Out.

Studio

♦ – is loops the AES/EBU input (and analog signal after Analog-to-Digital

conversion) back to the AES/EBU output (and analog output via the Digital-to-Analog
converter). is can be used to proof the audio input and output sections

No EC ♦ – is is not a loop mode, but a test mode. It disables the echo canceller on the

phone line, so that measurements such as SNR and THD can be made from the Telco
line to the output.

Factory Defaults (LCD Only)

Selecting this option displays the Restore Defaults sub-menu with the following options.

Return

is takes you back to the System menu.

Restore Defaults?

is menu has two options:

No ♦ – Goes back to the Restore Defaults sub-menu.

Yes

♦ – Erases all user configuration and sets all to the original factory defaults.

Reboot (LCD Only)

Selecting this item displays the Restore Defaults sub-menu with the following options.

Return

is takes you back to the System menu.

62 | Section 5

Reboot System?

is menu has two options:

♦ – Goes back to the Reboot System sub-menu.

No

Yes

♦ – Causes the system to reboot. (All callers will be lost.)

is command is intended to save you a trip to the back of the rack. is reboot is equivalent to
removing power and then restoring it.

Firmware Update (Web Only)

See Section 5.9.

5.7 Show Modes

Recall that the options for Show Modes are:

One Show

♦

4 Column ♦

2 Show Split ♦

2 Show Shared ♦

2 Show Custom ♦

Note: You must reboot the system after configuring this setting. Be sure to attach the phone

lines before rebooting.

Single-studio Modes

One Show (default)

Four hybrids are used to improve conferencing quality, but they are summed and mix-minused
internally to appear as if they were two. (Or one, depending upon Mix Minus mode.) Each
Desktop Director column can use up to two hybrids, with the first call on the left column
connecting to Hybrid A, the second to Hybrid B, the third to Hybrid A, the fourth to Hybrid
B, etc.

Only POH input 1 is used.

4 Column

is supports Desktop Directors with the add-on module to make four line-select columns.

Each column is connected to one of the four Nx12 hybrids, the leftmost to A, the next to B,
etc. e four inputs and outputs are only accessible via AES and Livewire, and 4 Column mode
cannot be used with the analog I/O option.

is also supports a Euro-style operation method where each of four Telco lines has its own
hybrid and fader. As this is written, this mode is only possible with Euro-phone modules
installed in an Axia Element mixing console.

Only POH input 1 is used.

DETAILED CONFIGURATION & REFERENCE | 63

Sharing the Nx12 – Two-studio Modes

ese modes allow a single Nx12 to be used with two studios. Telephone lines may either
divided and used independently or be shared with both studios having access to the same lines.

Each Desktop Director, Console Director, and call control software application needs to be
attached to a show. See below for instructions on how to do this.

e POH 1 input goes to Show 1 and the POH 2 input to Show 2.

Note: When using the two-studio modes, you will need to use Separate for the Mix Minus
selection in the Audio menu. See Section 5.4.

2 Show Split

is option causes the system to be split as follows:

Show 1 (Hybrid A&B) has access to lines 1 through 6. Lines 1 through 5 are ‘normal’

♦

lines while Line 6 is a ‘priority’ line. Line 6 is not affected by the ‘Block All’ function.

Show 2 (Hybrid C&D) has access to lines 7 through 12. Lines 7 through 11 are ‘normal’

♦

lines while Line 12 is a ‘priority’ line. Line 12 is not affected by the ‘Block All’ function.

In any of the two-studio modes, the system maintains two separate Next and Screened

♦

Next queues. e two studios can be operated completely independently.

2 Show Shared

is option causes the system to be split as follows:

Show 1 (Hybrid A&B) has access to lines 1 through 12. Lines 1 through 11 are ‘normal’

♦

lines while Line 12 is a ‘priority’ line. Line 12 is not affected by the ‘Block All’ function.

Show 2 (Hybrid C&D) also has access to lines 1 through 12.

♦

When a line is shared between two studios, it becomes unavailable in one studio if it is in use in
the other studio. In this case, the Status Symbol for this line will show a small ‘x’ on the other
studio’s Director. If a shared line is placed on hold, it can be picked up in either studio. Users of
the Telos Series 2101 system will recognize this behavior, as that system works in the same way.

2 Show Custom

is lets you configure each line individually with regard to studio assignment and priority, thus
dividing the lines between the studios according to your specific requirements. is program­ming is done from a Desktop Director attached to the system. If custom line configuration is
performed via the Desktop Director, Show Mode will change to 2 Show Custom automatically.

To assign lines:

Press the MENU softkey on the Desktop Director.1.

Press <2. ∇> repeatedly until Configure Shows is highlighted and then press <SELECT>.

Enter the password and then press the OK softkey. 3. Note: e default password is 1234.

Press <4. ∇> to highlight Set Show Lines and then press <SELECT>.

Use <5. ∇> and <∆> to highlight each line. For each line Use the <+> or <-> Softkeys to
select from the following options:

NONE

♦ – Line is not available for either show

♦ – Line is available for the show that uses hybrid 1 only

SHOW 1

64 | Section 5

Note: You must reboot the system after configuring this setting. If you wish to configure lines as
‘Priority’ or ‘Normal’ (see below) you may do so before rebooting.

To configure lines as Priority or Normal lines:

SHOW 2 ♦ – Line is available for the show that uses hybrid 2 only

♦ – Line is available for both shows (shared line)

SHOW 1&2

Press the SELECT button to accept your changes.6.

Press the MENU softkey.1.

Press <2. ∇> repeatedly until Configure Shows is highlighted and then press <SELECT>.

Enter the password and then press the OK softkey. NOTE: e default password is 1234.3.

Press <4. ∇> repeatedly to highlight Set Priority Lines and then press <SELECT>.

Use <5. ∇> and <∆> to highlight each line. For each line, use the <+> or <-> Softkeys to
select from the following options:

Normal

♦ – Line is included in the block-all group

Priority

♦ – Line is excluded from the block-all group. If this line is ringing, the Prior-

ity Ring Output (pin 2) on the parallel control port will go true.

Press the SELECT button to accept your changes.6.

Note: You must reboot the system after configuring this setting. Be sure to attach the phone
lines before rebooting.

To change the password:

Press the MENU softkey1.

Press <2. ∇> repeatedly until Configure Shows is highlighted and then press <SELECT>.

Enter the password and then press the OK softkey. 3. Note: e default password is 1234.

Press <4. ∇> repeatedly to highlight Change Password and then press <SELECT>.

Enter a 4 digit password. Press each digit carefully. en press the OK softkey. If you are 5.
uncertain if you have entered the desired password, press the BACK softkey instead of
OK.

Press the BACK softkey repeatedly until back to the main menu.6.

Note: Restore Factory Defaults will restore the original password, but it will also erase all other
settings.

Selecting a Show on the Desktop Director and other controllers

In the two-studio modes, each Desktop Director or other controller must select a Show.

Selecting a Show using a Desktop Director

To do so, follow these steps:

DETAILED CONFIGURATION & REFERENCE | 65

Press the MENU softkey1.

Scroll down until 2. Select Show is highlighted and then press <SELECT>

Press <3. ∇> or <∆> arrow keys to select Show 1 or Show 2.

Selecting a Show using a Call Controller

A given Call Controller can be associated with Show 1 or Show 2 by using a special key se­quence. To assign a Console Director to a show, follow these steps:

All lines must be idle, or must be on hold, before you can change shows.1.

Press the following button sequence to associate the Console Director with Show 1: <*> 2.
<S> <H> <O> <W> <1> (or *74691).

Press the following button sequence to associate the Console Director with Show 2: <*> 3.
<S> <H> <O> <W> <2> (or *74692)

Selecting a Show using a Console Director

e Console Director is always in Talent mode. A Console Director can be associated with
Show 1 or Show 2 by using a special key sequence. To assign a Console Director to a show,
follow these steps:

When selecting a show, no line can be on the hybrid. All lines must be idle or must be on 1.
hold before you can change shows.

Press the following button sequence to associate the Console Director with Show 1 2.
(Hybrid 1): <*> <S> <H> <O> <W> <1> (or *74691).

Press the following button sequence to associate the Console Director with Show 2 3.
(Hybrid 2): <*> <S> <H> <O> <W> <2> (or *74692)

Connecting Assistant Producer to a Show

IMPORTANT

You must use Assistant Producer 3.5, or newer. If you are an Assistant Producer 2.0 user,
contact Telos Customer Support for information on upgrading.

From the AP Server menu, choose a Server (the IP address of a Nx12)1.

From the AP Connection menu, choose Connect Show and from there choose from the 2.
desired show (Show 1 or Show 2)

From the AP Connection menu, choose Desktop Director and choose the Desktop 3.
Director you wish to control. NOTE: A Desktop Director’s ID number is displayed on
the upper left of the display. For example “DD2”. To obtain the ID number of a Call
Controller type <*><d><d> and it will be displayed on the screen.

For additional information, see the AP 3.5 User’s Manual.

5.8 Livewire

e Web interface is used for Livewire configuration. e pages are similar to those for Livewire
Nodes, so if you are already familiar with those, you will be immediately comfortable with the
Nx12’s Livewire configuration interface.

66 | Section 5

Consult Introduction to Livewire, available on the axiaaudio.com website for a description of
Livewire and an explanation of the various terms and options. Note that the terms “Sources” and
“Destinations” are from the perspective of the Livewire network and have the same usage as for
Livewire Nodes.

ere are 4 hybrid channels. You can enter the Livewire text name and channel number or
accept the defaults. Livewire channels are two-way, so this applies to both the send and receive
audio. A Livewire enabled mixing console such as the Axia Element, when taking one of these
as a source, will automatically connect both directions and provide the mix-minus. Cool, eh?

e two Program on Hold connections are Livewire “destinations”, meaning that they are from
the network to the Nx12. Ty pe should normally remain at the default From source setting.

IMPORTANT

If you are not using a Livewire-ready network, do not enable Livewire streams or you will
ood your Ethernet network. If you lose your Web access to the Nx12 after enabling the
streams, this is probably what happened. (You can switch the streams back o by disabling
Livewire from the main unit LCD Audio menu.) Only when a properly congured Livewire­compatible Ethernet switch is present should Livewire streaming be enabled.

DETAILED CONFIGURATION & REFERENCE | 67

When Livewire is enabled, the corresponding Nx12 Analog or AES3 inputs are switched-off.
However, should a Livewire input fail; the Nx12 automatically switches the input to Analog/
AES, providing a back-up.

On the other hand, the Nx12 analog/AES outputs will be simultaneously active when Livewire
is enabled.

If you need to specify the source and destination Livewire channels independently, click the
Expert Mode link to open a new page with these options.

Quality of Service

ese are identical to the Livewire Node options. ey should normally be left at the default
values.

Axia Consoles

Axia mixing consoles are based on Livewire. is networked approach delivers many advantages,
among them that Livewire connections are bi-directional, multi-channel, and include control.
is means that a single RJ-45 can interface all necessary Nx12 signals to an Axia console.
Livewire simplifies mix-minus because each channel is two-way – so return feeds are “baked-in”
and not an afterthought.

Axia is a division of Telos, so as you could imagine, we take good care of phones and codecs in
our mixing consoles. Easy-to-use mix-minuses are available on every fader channel. Separate
on-air and off-line (recording) mix-minuses are supported. Each channel has a dedicated
Talkback. ere is a one-button off-line record mode.

And there are dedicated modules for phone control. ese provide seamless integration, since
they communicate with the Nx12 over the same Ethernet that is used for all other connections.
Both USA-style operation with the well-known Telos two-column line selector approach and
Euro-style with dedicated faders to each Telco line are available.

68 | Section 5

5.9 Firmware Update

Nx12 firmware may be updated via the Web interface. Open your browser, connect to the Nx12,
and click on the System link. Firmware update is at the bottom of the System page.

e first step is to get the new firmware onto your PC. is will usually be via a download from
the Telos website or an email attachment from Telos customer support. e file will have the
extension .pkg. When the firmware is available on your PC, click the Browse button to locate it,
and then click Apply to upload it to the Nx12. e browser will disconnect for approximately 25
seconds, and then automatically re-connect. ere will be a progress status screen, and then the
System page will return. e new software will be in Nx12’s Bank 1.

You can make it active by clicking the Bank 1 ‘radio button’ and then Apply.

You can keep two firmware versions and choose between them at any time. But when you
eventually want to upload a yet newer version, you will need to commit the firmware in Bank 1
to Bank 0, which clears Bank 1 to prepare it for the new upload. Do this by clicking the “com­mit this version to Bank 0” check box, followed by Apply.

5.10 Other Uses of the IP/Ethernet Interface

In addition to the Web user interface, the Ethernet port can be used to support call-control
software applications and a telnet text-based remote user interface.

Call-control Software

Client software such as Telos’ Assistant Producer and other 3rd-party applications such as
NeoWinners from NeoSoft can connect to IP Port socket 9998 (decimal).

DETAILED CONFIGURATION & REFERENCE | 69

If you desire to write your own application to access the Nx12 via this protocol, please visit our
website at www.telos-systems.com where you can download the specifications of this protocol
and an SDK for Windows (see the downloads page section entitled ‘Series 2101 development
Kit’).

Telnet

A telnet session can access certain advanced functions and logging, primarily for troubleshoot­ing when requested by Telos support. Use your favorite telnet client to connect to the IP address
and port 24 of the Nx12.

Some Web browsers support telnet: Entering ‘telnet:192.168.0.230:24’ into the browser’s
address field might work.

When starting a telnet session, a Login name is requested. e default is: Telos.

Windows Telnet

Since Windows comes with a simple telnet client, we will give you some tips on using this par­ticular software. Run the HyperTerminal application at Accessories/Communications/Hyper­Terminal. en from the File menu, select New Connection. Enter a name such as ‘Nx12’ and
select an icon. When the window below appears, enter the Nx12’s IP number, 192.168.0.230
(this is the Nx12 default – use your actual IP number, if you have changed it), enter ‘24’ for Port
Number, and select TCP/IP for the ‘Connect using’ field. Pressing OK will then take you to the
telnet transaction screen.

Note that in the following section we will use bold type like this to indicate what you would
type and Courier type like this to show what the Nx12 replies.

First you must log into the Nx12:

>>Login Telos <return>

Nx12 V0.6.3b, 2007-07-19 15:58

Logged in with user rights.

You should now be able to get the most up-to-date listing of commands by typing ‘help’ or ‘?’:

>>help <return>

70 | Section 5

Type ‘help <command>’ to get specic help about a command.

Type ‘help *’ to get a short list of commands.

Type ‘help **’ to get a detailed list of commands.

Type ‘help <chars>*’ to get a list of commands starting with
<chars>.

‘#’ starts a decimal number, ‘%’ a binary number, ‘$’ a hex number.

Current number base is 16.

Separate multiple commands on a line by ‘::’.

List of available commands:

? CPC acc autoans bootstat bye call cidalert csinfo daa daacheck dd
disc

dmr dmw droponcptd fpkey gpio

help hookash hybrid isdn isdnlog lawmode lcgood lcignore lcinfo

lcoffset

lcwait lines log login logon lw

mcheck meter minonhook mixpoll mr mw potscountry prio quit reboot
ringtimo

test ti tslot

For a description of a command, type ‘help’ or ‘?’ followed by the name of a command. Example:

>>? CPC <return>

Command....: CPC <time in msec>

Description: Specify the time in msec a loop current drop must last
before a far-end drop is recognized. When set to 0 then loop cur­rent drops are not detected at all.

A particularly useful command is for ISDN logging. is turns the Nx12 into an ISDN proto­col analyzer so you can see the communications between the Nx12 and the Telco network.

>>? Isdnlog <return>

? isdnlog

Command....: isdnlog <bitmask>

Description: Specify ISDN logging mode bitmask: b0=general logging,
b1=Layer2, b3=layer3 b4=IIEs, b5=raw packet, b6=Telesoft stack.
Usually, 0xF is a good choice.

DETAILED CONFIGURATION & REFERENCE | 71

Duck

Control

Receive

AGC

DDEQ

SRC

SRC

Fdbk

Reduce

Send
AGC

A/D

AES

D/A

AES

Adaptive FIR

HP

Filter

Input Level

Output Level

ISDN
Telco

Analog

Telco

LW

100BT

Analog

Hybrid

5.11 System Signal Flow and Audio Processing

Send Audio Processing

e Nx12’s send-to-caller audio processing consists of the following functions:

Sample rate conversion

♦

High-pass filter ♦

Frequency shifter ♦

Send AGC/Limiter ♦

Sample Rate Conversion

AES and Livewire sources are sample rate converted to the Nx12’s internal sample rate of 8kHz.
All inputs are re-clocked to the Nx12’s internal clock (derived from the ISDN clock if at least
one ISDN BRI is present).

High-Pass filter

A high pass filter with a 300Hz break frequency improves hybrid performance and enhances
intelligibility by removing unnecessary low-frequencies from the input audio. is function is
always enabled.

Frequency Shifter

A Telos innovation, the frequency shifter (pitch shifter) inserts a small, unnoticeable, shift in
frequency to the send audio to prevent feedback buildup when the system is used with open
speakers.

Send Automatic Gain Control / Limiter

is AGC helps maintain consistent audio levels to the caller. is function is always enabled.
is benefits from a carefully-crafted algorithm utilizing a feed-forward topology with near in­audible artifacts below the limit threshold. At moderate levels it is ‘AGC-like’ while at high peak
levels it is ‘limiter-like’. In addition to making levels more consistent to callers, this performs the
protection limiting required to meet Telecom regulations.

Receive (Caller) Audio Processing

e Nx12’s receive audio processing consists of the following functions:

High-pass “hum” filter

♦

72 | Section 5

High-pass ‘hum’ Filter

is filter removes hum and other unwanted low frequency noise from the caller audio. is
filter has a break frequency of 100 Hz.

Receive Automatic Gain Control

is AGC serves to improve consistency of caller audio levels. is function is very important to
effective hybrid performance as caller levels can vary by as much as 30 dB. e Nx12 offer a new
approach to AGC to accommodate the fact that loud callers have become just as great a prob­lem as low-level callers. e AGC is reset for each caller to a neutral position. to most-rapidly
accommodate both low and high-level callers. e AGC has a range of up to +/- 12 dB. e
AGC is an advanced dB- linear feed-forward topology providing a consistent sound indepen­dent of drive level. Its ‘smart’ operation normalizes levels while retaining the natural dynamics of
the caller’s voice. e default setting is FULL.

An important additional feature of this AGC is that it is cross-coupled to other sections of the
Nx12 and can therefore reliably distinguish between caller audio and hybrid leakage. is allows
a more aggressive gain control for bringing up low-level callers while still preserving excellent
hybrid performance.

Automatic Gain Control/Platform leveler ♦

Noise gate ♦

Dynamic equalization ♦

Sample rate conversion ♦

Noise Gate

Turning on the noise gate enables the built-in downward expander. e downward expander
reduces low level line noise when no caller audio is present. And reduces low level leakage
thereby improving hybrid performance. is function is cross-coupled with the AGCs and the
ducking system.

Digital Dynamic Equalizer

Telephone audio frequency response varies widely as many different factors can effect it (we’ve
measured the response on a number of calls and the results were revealing). Consequently, some
form of receive equalization is desirable.

e Digital Dynamic EQ process used on the Telos is the most sophisticated equalizer avail­able in a broadcast telephone interface. All processing is performed in the digital domain. e
Receive EQ selection controls the type of equalization applied to the receive telephone audio as
follows:

♦ - e caller audio is passed without modification.

Off

Fixed

♦ - is is a simple manual equalizer mode.

Adaptive

♦ (Digital Dynamic) - is is a three band dynamic equalizer. We’ve chosen

frequency breakpoints, time constants, and other characteristics to optimize the tonal
quality of varied telephone callers. e user-entered EQ values are used as ‘target levels’.
is allows you to customize the caller spectral characteristics, but still get a consistent
spectral characteristic from caller to caller.

Ducking System

e ducking function occurs primarily on the caller audio. is function is important for several
reasons:

♦

Provides an “aesthetic” control over the caller that many programmers prefer. When the
announcer speaks, the caller is ducked, or reduced in volume dynamically. is is particu-

DETAILED CONFIGURATION & REFERENCE | 73

larly useful when the caller is carrying on and the talent wants to interrupt to move the
show along.

Reduces feedback when a loudspeaker is necessary.

♦

In the loudspeaker case, reduces audibility of the caller signal that couples through the ♦
acoustic path, into the microphones, and is returned the caller resulting in a more natural
sound for the caller.

e duplex system inserts a controlled loss (ducking) into whichever audio path (send or
receive) is not active at the moment. When the caller is speaking, this loss is inserted in the
announcer path, when the announcer is speaking the loss is inserted in the caller gain is reduced.
e effect is somewhat “seesaw-like”. If Feedback Reduction in the Audio menu is enabled, the
Nx12 will increase ducking in the announcer-to-caller direction.

As a guideline, you will need more ducking when using open speakers. is helps reduce the oc­currence of feedback and, also reduces the chances of the caller hearing himself via the speaker
to mic path, which has an unnatural quality and can be disturbing. In a morning zoo type of
scenario the setting should be even lower as there will typically be multiple mics used with open
speakers. Fortunately, this scenario coincides with a more duplex style of operating – where
pre-recorded ‘bits’ may be played to callers and must be heard without interruption. e default
setting is 7.

You may choose how much of this effect you prefer, from Half Duplex (16dB) which makes
the Nx12 operate like a one-way-at-a-time speakerphone, to Full Duplex (0dB) which disables
ducking. A good starting value would be 6dB.

Feedback Control

We’ve carefully designed the Nx12 so that problems with feedback should be rare. However,
despite excellent trans-hybrid loss and a number of other features, you can probably induce
feedback if you try sufficiently hard, such as by cranking up your studio monitors to very loud
levels. Some suggestions for what you should do if feedback does occur follow:

♦

Enable the Feedback Reduction function.

Adjust Caller Ducking to a higher setting (more ducking). ♦

When mic processing is used, connect the hybrid in such a way that it gets an unpro- ♦
cessed mic signal.

e problem here is that the mic processing combines with the Nx12’s internal AGC to
increase gain in the feedback path. Depending on the processor used, the feedback margin
can be reduced by many dB. e Nx12’s internal AGC has a internal adaptive smart-gate
function to prevent inappropriate gain increase, but it is thwarted by this additional
processing.

If it is not possible to get an unprocessed mic signal, try to set the processor in such a way
that room noise is not “sucked-up” during pauses. You can also try reducing the output the
mic processor or set the Nom In (Nominal Input Level) selection in the Audio menu to
the next higher setting, thereby reducing levels into the unit. e level to the caller should
be OK since the Send AGC will compensate, however you will force that AGC towards
its maximum gain, and thereby reduce how much gain it can add to the feedback path.

♦

Try repositioning the mics or speakers. It also helps, of course, to use directional mics.
Customers have reported good results with cardioid mics such the EV RE-20 and the
Shure SM-7.

Add equalization to the monitor path. Acoustic resonances usually result in pronounced

♦

peaks in the feedback response. Since there are likely to be only a few pronounced peaks

74 | Section 5

e discussion above is intended to help in those situations where open speakers are a require­ment. Whenever possible, of course, it is best to use headphones to listen to the caller audio. We
have found the best scheme is to have the phone monitor speaker mute when the mic is turned
on. If your mix minus has provided a means for the mic signal to be active even when the mic
channel is turned off, the system can be used like a speaker phone when the taking calls off
air. When the call is on the air the speaker mutes, however the talent will generally be wearing
headphones when on mic, in any case.

in this response characteristic, flattening out those peaks with an equalizer can signifi­cantly improve the feedback margin. A spectrum analyzer connected to the output of your
mic processor will help detect the frequency of those peaks.

If necessary, soften acoustic room reflections by adding curtains or wall treatments. ♦

| 75

6

Technical Data & Troubleshooting

6.1 Overview

A consequence of modern surface-mount construction is that it is frequently no longer possible
for local repairs to be made. Special and expensive equipment is required to change parts. As
well, today’s equipment is very complicated and requires repair technicians to have detailed
experience and training, and have access to high-end test equipment.

At the same time, the advent of overnight delivery services means that equipment can be
returned to the factory for quick turn-around repair. erefore, we do not expect you to fix this
unit at the component level, and we do not include schematics of the unit in the manual. Upon
request, our support staff can fax or mail you the needed schematic. Please see the first pages of
this manual for proper procedures on returning units for repair.

ere is the possibility, however, that you could repair the unit by swapping subsystems such as
plug-in modules or power supplies. e Telos customer support crew is standing-by to assist
with this, if you need it.

6.2 System Software & Firmware

Viewing Version Information

To assist with troubleshooting, Telos customer support may ask you to provide some software
version numbers. ere are two major software components to the system:

System software – is is the software that can be updated by downloading new software.

♦

Firmware – is code is analogous to a bootstrap loader and contains certain critical low- ♦
level software. is information can only be updated or changed at the factory. It is stored
in a partition of the non-volatile memory on the motherboard.

e software version and software build date can be determined from the start-up screen. e
software version and software build-date are shown. (e build date is not the date your Nx12
was made.)

6.3 General Troubleshooting

Thinking about Problem Solving

Despite best intentions, something could always go wrong. Sometimes troubleshooting a balky
set-up can make even the toughest engineer a Maalox and Rogaine addict.

76 | Section 6

You can’t fix any system without the right world view; a zeitgeist of suspicion tempered by trust
in the laws of physics, curiosity dulled only by the determination to stay focused on a single
problem, and a zealot’s regard for the scientific method. Perhaps these are characteristics of all
who successfully pursue the truth. In a world where we are surrounded by complexity, where
we deal daily with equipment and systems only half-understood, it seems wise to follow under­standing by an iterative loop of focus, hypothesis, and experiment.

e notions here apply whether you are solving problems at the system level or at the compo­nent level. At the system level, the actions you might take would be very different – checking
cables, trying different menu settings – but the thinking is the same.

Too many times, we fall in love with our suppositions. We are quick to overtly or subconsciously
assume the problem being chased is due to lousy design, the stupid phone company, or the
manager’s latest memo.

Armed with a healthy skeptical attitude, the basic philosophy of troubleshooting any system is
to follow these steps:

♦

Observe the behavior to find the apparent problem;

Observe collateral behavior to gain as much information as possible about the problem; ♦

Round up the usual suspects; ♦

Generate a hypothesis; ♦

Generate an experiment to test the hypothesis; ♦

Fix the problem; ♦

en, repeat, if necessary, to attack additional problems. ♦

Let us now cover each step of the troubleshooting sequence in detail.

Step 1. Observe the behavior to find the apparent bug. In other words, determine the bug’s
symptoms. Remember always that many problems are subtle and exhibit themselves via a
confusing set of symptoms.

Step 2. Observe collateral behavior to gain as much information as possible about the problem.
Does the LCD’s problem correlate to an LED flashing? Try to avoid studying a problem in
isolation, but at the same time be wary of trying to fix too many at the same time. No one is
smart enough to deal with multiple problems all at once – unless they are all manifestations of
something more fundamental.

Step 3. Round up the usual suspects. At the system level, always suspect the menu set-up, the
cables, the Phone Company line setup, the punch-blocks, etc. At the component level, many
computer problems stem from the same sources. Never, never, never forget to check Vcc!

Step 4. Generate a hypothesis. Before changing things, formulate a hypothesis about the cause
of the problem. You probably don’t have the information to do this without gathering more data.

Sometimes you will have no clue what the problem might be. Sometimes, when the pangs of
desperation set in, it’s worthwhile to try anything practically at random. You might find a bad
plug, an unconnected line, or something unexpected. Look around, but be always on the prowl
for a working hypothesis.

Step 5. Generate an experiment to test the hypothesis. Change the ISDN connection to a
known good line; call known good phone or hybrid at the other end; if long-distance doesn’t
work, try a local call.

You should plan your tests to eliminate 50% of the possible problems in one test, if possible. Just

TECHNICAL DATA & TROUBLESHOOTING | 77

keep careful track so you know what you have eliminated.

Step 6. Fix the problem.

A Final ought…

Constantly apply sanity checks. More than three decades ago, the Firesign eater put out an
album called “Everything You Know is Wrong”. Use that as your guiding philosophy in trouble­shooting a Telos Two set-up. For example, just because you checked the Telco line last night and
it was fine does not mean that it’s OK now.

At 3:00 AM when the problems seem intractable and you are ready to give up engineering,
remember that the system has worked and will work. Never panic–you are smarter than it is.

6.4 Troubleshooting ISDN Problems

Status Screen for ISDN troubleshooting

is screen shows the status of the ISDN connection. You can determine if the line is connected
and whether the line and the Telos TWOx12 are successfully configured. In addition, informa­tion about calls is displayed here. One of the following status words will be shown for each
active ISDN channel:

Deactivated

No line connected, or connected to wrong jack on the TWOx12. OR, ETS 300 permits the
Telco to put a line to sleep. Deactivated will be displayed when this occurs

SPID Pending

e SPID has been sent to network (DMS Cust. And Natl I-1 only). Network has not ap­proved SPID.

SPID Error

e SPID is incorrect or line is grossly misconfigured

Ready

e unit sees a live ISDN S interface (ie external NT1 is present or internal NT1 has completed
startup). If the SPIDS are present, they have been sent and approved.

Pending Seize

Outgoing call in process; Request for call has been sent to Telco switch.

Seized

Outgoing call in process; Telco switch has acknowledged the call request.

Call Proceeding

Outgoing call in process; Telco switch waiting for routing info from network.

Outgoing Ring

Outgoing call in process; far end has generated a call alert signal

Disconnecting

Request to disconnect has been made. Awaiting acknowledgment.

Incoming Ring

An incoming call request has been detected and is being processed.

78 | Section 6

Accepting Call

Nx12 has accepted an incoming call and is waiting for the Telco switch to connect it.

Connected

All signaling is complete - the voice channel is available for use.

A caveat regarding the Ready indication: If you have this indication with the Nx12’s Telco mode
set to AT&T Cust and you cannot dial, it is likely that your line is Natl. I-1 or DMS-100. e
AT&T Custom PTP protocol does not require SPIDs, so the Nx12 does not send or check
them; it just assumes the line is OK in this regard, so it gives the ready indication, though the
line is actually waiting for the SPIDs.

Note

It is normal for Euro-ISDN ETS300 lines to go to the Deactivated state when not used. If
the system can dial normally under these circumstances, this indication is not a cause for
concern.

Is the problem only with one BRI circuit or does it move when you switch lines around?

If the problem remains with the line, then call your Telco. On the other hand, if a line that
works in one interface fails to work in another interface of the same Nx12 then you have an
problem with your ISDN interface card (or possibly elsewhere in the Nx12).

Are you using the Nx12’s internal NT1? (USA & Canada only)

e LED indicator of the status of the ISDN connection is on the rear panel near each of the
the U jacks. If the circuit is inactive, the LED will remain in the rapidly flashing state. is state
indicates a loss of the ISDN BRI circuit at the lowest (physical) level. Try another connecting
cable or another line.

If the NT1 can contact the central office, the LED will blink slowly (about 1 Hz). If the LED
remains in this state there is an internal ISDN problem or you could be connected to the wrong
jack on the back (Users in USA & Canada should be using the lower, RJ11 style jack). e LED
will come on solid when all handshaking is completed and the basic (low level) line connection
is good.

If the LED stays on, with the ISDN disconnected, or does not come on at all after cycling
power, there is a hardware problem.

Condition: Can’t Get ISDN Ready Indication

First try disconnecting the ISDN circuit(s) in question and waiting a full 60 seconds (leave the
Nx12 on) and then reconnect the circuit(s).

What kind of ISDN do you have, and is the Nx12 set to match it?

e telephone company should have given you the ISDN protocol when the line was ordered.
If you find yourself in the field without this information, it is usually possible to piece together
what you need.

If you are given SPIDs, you probably have Natl ISDN 1 or DMS 100 for your ISDN

♦

protocol. One SPID means one channel was activated, rather than the usual two.

No SPIDs and only one phone number generally means AT&T PTP protocol. You must

♦

not have SPIDs entered if using this protocol.

In Europe, you have either ETS300 (EuroISDN) or the local protocol, such as ITR6 in

♦

Germany or VN2 in France. e Nx12 only works with ETS300.

TECHNICAL DATA & TROUBLESHOOTING | 79

In the case of Natl.I-1 or 2, and DMS-100 carefully verify that you have the correct SPID from
the Telco, and that you have properly entered it into the system. It must be correct in order for
anything to work! We’ve seen a few cases where it was given incorrectly by Telco personnel, so it
might be a good idea to re-check with them if things are pointing in this direction.

Hot Tip

If you suspect the SPIDs given you are wrong, or the basic line provisioning (conguration)
is incorrect, call the Telco and ask to speak to someone who can “log into the switch”. They
will probably need to have someone call you back. Only once you have this person on the
line, and they are logged into the switch, ask them to look at the SPIDs programmed there.
Also get this person’s fax number and send them the ISDN ordering information form the
Appendix of this manual.

Sometimes the information in the business office computer is wrong. By verifying what is
programmed into the actual switch, you can save time. e AT&T PTP protocol generally
does not allow two simultaneous voice calls. For this reason we recommend that the National
ISDN-1 protocol be used if you are on the AT&T/Lucent 5ESS Telco switch.

We’ve included some useful diagnostic aids in the system to help you determine where a
problem is originating. A good starting point is the ISDN status, accessible on the LCD by
pressing any menu button twice.

Condition: System says Ready but attempted calls do not complete

(goes back to Ready or stays at Seize pending)

Are your SPIDs and Telco setting correct?

Can you dial from Line 1 to Line 2?

If you can successfully call from one line to the other, you know that your SPIDs and ISDN
protocol settings for that line are correct and that the ISDN circuit itself is ok. Try a call to
another local number.

If you cannot complete this call try dialing with a 9, 8, 7, or 6 before the number. Sometimes
ISDN lines are set up as Centrex service even if you did not request this.

Is your long-distance carrier OK?

If you can successfully call locally, but long-distance calls don’t go through, the Nx12 usually
displays Far end disconnect, or No route available as the ISDN “Cause” phrase.

You may try another by dialing the appropriate 10XXXXX prefix (in the USA & Canada only).

In the USA you can determine who your long distance carrier is by dialing 1+700+555+4141.
If Intra-LATA long distance competition has reached your area you can determine your Intra­LATA long distance carrier by dialing 1+area code+700+4141.

What does the ISDN “Cause” phrase say?

is phrase, which will appears on the ISDN protocol log after dialing, comes directly from the
telephone company equipment, and can be valuable for troubleshooting. Generally, these phrases
are self-explanatory. Getting them means you are at least talking to the Central Office equip­ment. ere is a full description of the phrases in Section 6.7.

80 | Section 6

Condition: Intermittent ISDN Problems

ese are among the most difficult kinds of problems to solve. Rest assured, however, that we
have yet to lose one!

First try disconnecting the ISDN line and waiting a full 60 seconds (leave the Nx12 on) and
then reconnect the line.

Does the problem occur on all of the ISDN BRI circuits or just a single BRI circuit (2
“lines”)?

If the problem is limited to a single BRI circuit (ie both “lines” on that BRI are showing the
problem) then the problem may be with that BRI line or with that ISDN interface card. Move
the BRI line in question to a different interface card (don’t forget to reprogram the SPIDs).
If the problems moves it must be with the BRI itself. If it remains with certain “lines” on the
system then it is probably in the ISDN interface card. Swapping cards between two of the
interface slots will confirm or disconfirm this.

If the NT1 sync light for a given ISDN BRI circuit occasionally cycle to the fast flashing state,
then the line or NT1 is marginal.

If the problem occurs on 2 BRI circuits simultaneously, and they are both in the same interface
slot, then it is likely the problem is with that ISDN interface card. Swapping cards between two
of the interface slots will confirm or disconfirm this.

Are the problem confined to incoming call only?

In this case, check the ISDN (Telco) protocol setting in the TEL. If you believe your line is
DMS Custom try the National ISDN setting, or vice versa.

Are the DNs entered correctly? If so, try using 10 digits rather than 7 digits, or vice versa.

What is consistent about the problem (look for patterns)?

Keep watching for a pattern. Enlist the help of the users. We’ve seen apparently random prob­lems that we eventually discovered only occurred when it rained, or on a certain day each week,
or at a certain time of day, or only when another line was in use. In other cases, it was related
to temperature or dirty AC power. Assume nothing and suspect everything. Leave no stone
unturned while searching for the answer.

Any other ISDN troubleshooting tips?

An important tool for troubleshooting incompatibility/programming problems is the Nx12’s
integrated ISDN analyzer. is enables you to look at the transactions between the Telco line
and the Nx12, so that a judgment can be made as to whether the problem lies within the Nx12
or with the programming of the Telco switch.

e usual cause of inability to dial problems is a Telco problem, such mis-programming.

If you are convinced that the problem lies with the ISDN line configuration, you may be able to
convince the Telco to have an engineer look at the line with an analyzer. is works much like
the Nx12’s internal analyzer, but with more detail, and in a format that is more readily under­standable by telephone people. is procedure may sometimes be the only way to get attention
to a line problem. It is hard to deny evidence provided by their own gear.

In rare cases, there could be a software bug in the Nx12 that reacts badly to something coming
from the ISDN line. Telos customer support will communicate the problem to our engineering
guys for resolution. See Section 7.41 for information on connecting to the Nx12’s command line

TECHNICAL DATA & TROUBLESHOOTING | 81

to turn on ISDN logging.

6.5 Troubleshooting Desktop Director Problems

Most problems with the Desktop Directors are cable related. First try a new cable. If that fails to
solve the problem, try the Desktop Director with a short cable plugged directly into each of the
Director Ports on the back of the Nx12.

Note that early production Call Controllers require a modification to operate with the Nx12.
Telos customer support can arrange for modification of these units at no charge.

Section 2 has details on the allowable wiring configurations for the Desktop Directors and other
control surfaces. ere are distance and wiring restrictions. Note that when two Directors share
a single port an external power supply is required and the termination resistor must be removed
on the unit closer to the power supply.

e diagnostics on the Desktop Director and the Nx12’s status screen will help isolate bad wir­ing or hardware. If errors are accruing try systematically swapping ports, and swapping Desktop
Directors, to see if the problem stays with a given port, Desktop Director, or cable.

6.6 Replaceable Modules and Hardware Servicing

WARNING - DANGER

Remove all connections, including the Telephone, Audio, and Electrical Mains
Power cord before opening the unit. Failure to do so could result in injury or
death. Do not open the unit unless you are qualified to do so.

Removal of the top plate gains access for service. To do so, remove the 10 Philips head screws.

Replaceable modules

While we do not expect you to do much repair or troubleshooting of the individual circuit
boards, the system does have several removable modules which can be replaced. e system has
the following replaceable modules:

Power Supply 1.

ISDN Line interface card: 2.

Part # 1701-00140 (U interface - USA and Canada); or

Part # 1701-00139 (S interface – Worldwide)

Analog POTS Line Interface part # 1701-001413.

AES option card part # 1701-00149 4.

Fuse Replacement
A fuse is located on the power supply PCB. If fuse replacement is required, note: For continued

protection against fire, replace fuse only with same type and value.

Access to the Main PCB

e main PCB, closest to the bottom of the enclosure, is mounted component-side down. You
can gain access to the component side of the PCB without taking it out by removing the bottom
plate of the enclosure box.

82 | Section 6

6.7 ISDN Cause Phrases/Values

When there is an ISDN problem in the network, a phrase appears in the ISDN protocol log
that communicates information about the cause of the trouble. See Section 7.10 for how to
enable ISDN logging through the Telnet port. ese “Cause Values” are numbers generated by
the network. When possible, we use those suggested by the Bellcore standard. Note that in some
cases there may be more than one meaning. is can frequently be evaluated by whether the
message has been received by the calling party or the called party.

CLASS 1.1 (normal)

Cause No. 1 - Check number, redial (unallocated number)

is cause indicates that the called party cannot be reached because, although the called party
number is in a valid format, it is not currently allocated (assigned).

Cause No. 2 - No route to network /Prefix 0 dialed in error

is cause indicates that the equipment sending this cause has received a request to route the
call through a particular transit network which it does not recognize. e equipment sending
this cause does not recognize the transit network either because the transit network does not
exist or because that particular transit network, while it does exist, does not serve the equipment
which is sending this cause.

or

is cause indicates the prefix 0 is invalid for the entered number

Cause No. 3 - No route to dest./Prefix 1 dialed in error

is cause indicates that the called party cannot be reached because the network through which
the call has been routed does not serve the destination desired. is cause is supported on a
network-dependent basis.

or

A 1 was dialed when not required. Redial without the 1.

Cause No. 4 – No prefix 1/Special Information Tone

e prefix 1 is not required for this number

or

is cause indicates that the called party cannot be reached for reasons that are of a long term
nature and that the special information tone should be returned to the calling party.

Cause No. 5 – Misdialed trunk prefix (National use)

is cause indicates the erroneous inclusion of a trunk prefix in the called party number.

Cause No. 6 – Channel unacceptable

is cause indicates a called user cannot negotiate for a B-channel other than that specified in
the SETUP message.

Cause No. 7 – Call awarded and being delivered on an established channel

is call indicates the user has been awarded the incoming calls, and that call is being connected
to a channel already established to that user for similar calls (e.g. packet-mode, X.25 virtual calls,
etc).

TECHNICAL DATA & TROUBLESHOOTING | 83

Cause No. 8 – Call is proceeding/Preemption

Call in process, please standby.

or

is cause indicates a call has been preempted.

Cause No. 9 – Preemption, reserved

is cause indicates a calls has been preempted due to the circuit being reserved for reuse.

Cause No. 10 – Prefix 1 not dialed [DMS Custom only]

is cause indicates that the prefix 1 was not included in the called party address and is re­quired.

Cause No. 11 – Excessive Digits Received, call is proceeding

More digits were dialed than expected. Called number has been truncated to the expected
number.

Cause No. 14 – Excess digits received, call is proceeding

More digits were dialed than expected. Called number has been truncated to the expected
number.

Cause No. 16 - Far end disconnect (Normal call clearing)

is cause indicates that the call is being cleared because one of the users involved in the call has
requested that the call be cleared. Under normal situations, the source of this cause is not the
network.

Cause No. 17 - Busy, try again later (User busy)

is cause is used to indicate that the called party is unable to accept another call because the
user busy condition has been encountered. is cause value may be generated by the called user
or by the network. In the case of user determined user busy it is noted that the user equipment is
compatible with the call.

Cause No. 18 - No far end response (No user responding)

is cause is used when a called party does not respond to a call establishment message with
either an alerting or connect indication within the prescribed period of time allocated (before
timer T303 or T310 has expired).

Cause No. 19 - No answer (No answer from user, user alerted)

is cause is used when the called user has provided an alerting indication, but not a connect
indication within a prescribed period of time (before timer T301 has expired).

Cause No. 20 – Subscriber absent

is cause is used when a mobile station has logged off, radio contact is not obtained with a
mobile station or a personal telecommunications user is temporarily not addressable at any
user-network interface.

Cause No. 21 - Call rejected

is cause indicates that the equipment sending this cause does not wish to accept this call,
although it could have accepted the call because the equipment sending this cause is neither
busy nor incompatible.

is cause may also be generated by the network, indicating that the call was cleared due to a
supplementary service constraint.

Cause No. 22 - Number changed

is cause is returned to a calling party when the called party number indicated by the calling

84 | Section 6

party is no longer assigned, e new called party number may optionally be included in the
diagnostic field. If a network does not support this cause, cause no: 1, unallocated (unassigned)
number shall be used.

Cause No. 26 – Non-selected user clearing

is cause indicates the user has not been awarded the incoming call.

Cause No. 27 – Destination out of order

is cause indicates that the destination indicated by the user cannot be reached because the
interface to the destination is not functioning correctly. e term “not functioning correctly”
indicates that a signal message was unable to be delivered to the remote party; e.g. a physical
layer or data link layer failure at the remote party, or user equipment off-line.

Cause No. 28 - Incorrect number (invalid number format, address incomplete)/Special
intercept announcement

is cause indicates that the called party cannot be reached because the called party number is
not in a valid format or is not complete.

or

is cause indicates the user should be returned a Special Intercept Announcement.

Cause No. 29 – Facility rejected/Special Intercept announcement: undefined code

is cause indicates a facility requested cannot be provided by the network.

or

is cause indicates that a user in a special business group (i.e. Centrex) dialed an undefined
code.

Cause No. 30 – Result of a STATus ENQuiry/Special intercept announcement: number
unassigned

is cause is included in the Status Message when the reason for sending the Status Message
was previous receipt of a Status Enquiry message.

or

is value indicates that a user from outside a basic business group (i.e. Centrex) has violated an
access restriction feature.

Cause No. 31 - Network disconnect (Normal, unspecified)/Special intercept announcement:
Call blocked because of group restricitons

is cause is used to report a normal event only when no other cause in the normal class applies.

or

is value indicates that a user from outside a basic business group (i.e. Centrex) violated an
access restriction feature

CLASS 1.2 (resource unavailable)

Cause No. 34 - No circuit available (circuit/channel congestion)

is cause indicates that there is no appropriate circuit/channel presently available to handle the
call.

Cause No. 35 – Call Queued [5ESS Custom only]

is indicates the call has been queued.

TECHNICAL DATA & TROUBLESHOOTING | 85

Cause No. 38 - Net out of order

is cause indicates that the network is not functioning correctly and that the condition is likely
to last a relatively long period of time e.g. immediately re-attempting the call is not likely to be
successful.

Cause No. 39 – Permanent frame mode connection is out-of-service [Q.850 only]

is cause indicates a calls has been preempted due to the circuit being reserved for reuse.

Cause No. 40 – Permanent frame mode connection is operational [Q.850 only]

is cause indicates a calls has been preempted due to the circuit being reserved for reuse.

Cause No. 41 – Net problem, redial (Temporary Failure)

is cause indicates that the network is not functioning correctly and that the condition is not
likely to last a long period of time; e.g. the user may wish to try another call attempt almost
immediately. May also indicate a data link layer malfunction locally or at the remote network
interface or that a call was cleared due to protocol error(s) at the remote network interface.

Cause No. 42 – Net busy, redial (Switching Equipment Congestion)

is cause indicates that the switching equipment generating this cause is experiencing a period
of high traffic.

Cause No. 43 – Access/user information discarded

is cause indicates that the network unable to deliver user information (i.e user-to-user
information, low level compatibility or sub-address, etc) to the remote users as requested.

Cause No. 44 – No channel available (Requested circuit/channel not available)

is cause is returned when the circuit or channel indicated by the requesting entity cannot be
provided by the other side of the interface.

Cause No. 46 – Precedence call blocked [Q.850 only]

is cause is used to indicate that there are no pre-emptable circuits or that the called user is
busy with a call of equal or higher pre-emptable level.

Cause No. 47 – Resource unavailable/New Destination

is cause is used to report a resource unavailable event only when no other cause in the
resource unavailable class applies.

or

is cause is used to indicate that the original destination is unavailable and to invoke redirec­tion to a new destination.

Cause No. 49 – QOS unacceptable

is cause is returned when the Quality of Service is unacceptable.

CLASS 1.3 (service or option not available)

Cause No. 50 – Requested facility not subscribed

e cause is used to report that the user cannot use this feature because s/he has not subscribed
to it.

Cause No. 51 – Bearer capability incompatible with service request

is cause indicates a user request for action was rejected because the action was incompatible
with the capability of the call.

Cause No. 52 – Outgoing calls barred

is cause indicates that because of call screening provided by the network, the calling user is
not permitted to make a call.

86 | Section 6

Cause No. 53 – Service operation violated

is cause indicates that the user has violated the service operation.

Cause No. 54 – Incoming calls barred

e user will not accept the call delivered in the SETUP message.

Cause No. 55 – Incoming calls barred within CUG at destination

is cause indicates that incoming calls are not permitted to members if this Closed User
Group

Cause No. 57 – Bearer capability (Data/voice) not authorized.

is cause indicates that the user has requested a bearer capability which is implemented by the
equipment which generated this cause but the user is not authorized to use it. is is a common
problem caused by wrong Telco provisioning of the line at the time of installation.

Cause No. 58 – Bearer capability not presently available

is caused indicates the users has requested a bearer capability which has been implemented by
the equipment, but is not available at this time.

CLASS 1.4 (service or option not implemented)

Cause No. 62 – Inconsistency in designated outgoing address information/Service Not
Authorized [VN4]

is cause indicates an inconsistency in designated outgoing address information and subscriber
class.

or

is cause indicates that a Terminal Diversion in a VN4 network has been rejected.

Cause No. 63 – Service or option not available, unspecified

is cause is used to report a service or option not available, only when no other cause in this
class applies.

Cause No. 65 - Bearer Capability not implemented (Incompatible bearcap)

is cause indicates that the equipment sending this cause does not support the bearer capabil­ity requested.

Cause No. 66 – Channel type not implemented

is cause is returned when the called party has reached a channel type not supported.

Cause No. 69 – Requested facility not implemented

is cause indicates that the network (or node) does not support the requested bearer capability
and therefore cannot be accessed at this time.

Cause No. 70 - Restricted only

is cause indicates that the calling party has requested an unrestricted bearer service but
the equipment sending this cause only supports the restricted version of the requested bearer
capability.

Cause No. 79 – Service or option not implemented, unspecified

is cause is used to report a service or option not implemented event only when no other cause
in this class applies.

TECHNICAL DATA & TROUBLESHOOTING | 87

CLASS 1.5 (invalid message; e.g. parameter out of range)

Cause No. 81 – Invalid call reference value

is cause indicates that the equipment sending this cause has received a message with a call
reference which is not currently in use on the user-network interface. is value only applies if
the call reference values 1 or 2 octets long and is not the global call reference.

Cause No. 82 – Identified channel does not exist

is cause is sent when the equipment sending this cause has received a request to use a channel
not active on the interface for a call

Cause No. 83

A suspended call exists, but this call’s identity does not

Cause No. 84 – Call identity in use

is cause indicates that a call identity is in use.

Cause No. 85 – No call suspended

is cause indicates that no call is suspended.

Cause No. 86 – Requested call identity cleared

is cause indicates that the call having the requested called entity has cleared.

Cause No. 87 – Destination not a member of CUG

is cause indicates that the address of an outgoing call attempt is not a member of the Closed
User Group.

Cause No. 88 - Incompatible destination

is cause indicates that the equipment sending this cause has received a request to establish a
call which has low layer compatibility, high layer compatibility or other compatibility attributes
(e.g. data rate, DN subaddress) which cannot be accommodated. is call can also be returned
by a switch to a CPE when trying to route a call to an incompatible facility, or one without data
rate.

Cause No. 90 – Destination address incomplete/Non-existent CUG

is cause indicates that the destination address is missing or incomplete

or

Indicates a non-existent Closed User Group

Cause No. 91 - Invalid transit network selection

is cause indicates that an Invalid transit network selection has been requested.

Cause No. 92 – Invalid supplementary service parameter [VN4 only]

Used to indicate an invalid parameter for supplementary service

Cause No. 95 – Invalid message, unspecified

is cause indicates that the entity sending this cause has received and Invalid message, only
when no other cause in this class applies.

CLASS 1.6 (protocol error; e.g. unknown message)

Cause No. 96 – Mandatory Info missing

is cause indicates that the equipment sending this cause has received a message which is
missing an information element which must be present in the message before that message can

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be processed.

Cause No. 97 - Message type non-existent or not implemented

is cause indicates that the equipment sending this cause has received a message with a mes­sage type it does not recognize either because this is a message not defined, or defined and not
implemented by the equipment sending this cause.

Cause No. 98 – Message not compatible

is cause indicates that the message received is not compatible with the call state or the mes­sage type is non-existent or not implemented.

Cause No. 99 – Info non-existent or not implemented, call processed

is cause is sent when the equipment sending this cause has received a message which includes
the information elements not recognized because the information element identifier is not
define or it is defined but not implemented by the equipment sending the cause. However, the
information element is not required for the equipment sending the cause to process the message.

Cause No. 100 – Invalid information element contents

is cause is returned when the equipment sending this cause has received an information ele­ment that it has implemented; however one or more field of the information element are coded
in such as way (e.g., truncated, invalid extension bit, invalid field values, etc) that has not been
implemented by the equipment sending this cause.

Cause No. 101 – Message not compatible with call state/Protocol error threshold

is cause is returned when the equipment sending this cause has received a message that
procedures indicate is not a permissible message to receive at this time.

or

is cause indicates that the switch sending this cause is clearing the call because a threshold
has been exceeded for multiple protocol errors during an active call.

Cause No. 102 - Timeout disconnect (Recovery on timer expiration)

is cause indicates that a procedure has been initiated by the expiry of a timer in association
with error handling procedures.

Cause No. 103 – Parameter non-existent or not implemented – passed on (National use)/
Mandatory Information Element of incorrect length [VN 4 only]

is cause indicates that the equipment sending this cause has received a message which
includes parameter(s) not recognized because the parameter(s) are not defined of are defined
but not implemented by the equipment sending this cause. is cause indicates that the
parameter(s) were ignored. In addition, if the equipment sending this cause is an intermediate
point, then this cause indicates that the parameter(s) were passed unchanged.

or

is cause indicates that the equipment sending this cause has received a message with a
mandatory information element of incorrect length.

Cause No. 110 – Message with unrecognized parameter discarded [Q.850 only]

is cause indicates that the equipment sending this cause has discarded a received message that
includes a parameter that is not recognized.

Cause No. 111 – Protocol Error, unspecified

is cause is used to report a protocol error event only when no other cause in this class applies.

Among other things, this cause may be displayed if you failed to dial a “9” or “8” for an outside
line, if required. Also may be returned if you have some types of restrictions as to the number of

TECHNICAL DATA & TROUBLESHOOTING | 89

calls, etc.

Cause No. 113 – Bearer service unavailable [VN 4 only]

is cause indicates that the bearer service requested is not available or is unimplemented.

Cause No. 114 – End-to-End Information transfer impossible [VN 4 only]

is cause indicates that the requested network does not support the user end-to-end transfer
capability.

CLASS 1.7 (interworking class)

Cause No. 126 – Switch to conversation mode [VN 4 only]

is cause is used to indicate that conversation mode has begun.

Cause No. 127 - SW56 disconnect (Internetworking, unspecified)

is cause indicates that an interworking call (usually a call to SW56 service) has ended. May
also be seen in the case of a non specific rejection by your long distance carrier (try again at a
different rate)

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