Stand-Alone Operation; General; Format Converter; Active Repeater - RME Audio MADIface USB User Manual

19. Stand-alone Operation

19.1 General

The MADIface USB can be powered by any USB power wall wart or USB battery, like those for
mobile phones and MP3 players. Without a computer host the device enters a pre-configured
operation mode which is part of its firmware, thus cannot be modified by the user.
Using one input the MADIface USB is clock slave, using the sample rate found at the input.
AutoSelect is active, so either input can be used. The input's audio data is transferred to the
outputs unchanged. The output format follows the input format (56/64 channel mode, 48k/96k
Frame). Using two inputs Double Processing Mode becomes active, for two independent paths,
including two SteadyClocks. The internal routing changes from parallel output to cross-coupled.
19.2 Digital Format Converter
Both modes can be used for format conversion. With only one input connected the outputs carry
the same signal, the unit can be used as either coaxial to optical or optical to coaxial format
converter, with the added function to send the signal to two different devices simultaneously.
With two inputs connected the unit works bi-directional, converting coaxial to optical and vice
versa simultaneously. This is even possible when the connected device uses sample rate con-
verters for independent clocking - the sample rate can be different in both paths. Thanks to a
completely newly generated signal, jitter suppression by SteadyClock, and reclocking of the
MADI output, the MADIface USB provides not simple but sophisticated format conversion.

19.3 Active Repeater

Both modes, one in to two outs and one in to one out crossed, enable the use as active re-
peater. In stand-alone mode the MADI input signal is completely decoded and rebuild, its clock
base is rebuild by SteadyClock's active jitter suppression. The specified length of BNC and
optical cables is multiplied by the number of MADIface USB inserted, as each device re-sends
the MADI signal as a rebuild original one. The newly generated output signal is highly compati-
ble. Units normally not talking to each other will do with a MADIface USB in-between.
User's Guide MADIface USB © RME
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