Crest Audio NEXSYS - VERSION 3.0 Software Manual
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Crest Audio NEXSYS - VERSION 3.0 Software Manual

Crest Audio NEXSYS - VERSION 3.0 Software Manual

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  • Page 1 V E R S I O N 3 . 0 Software Manual V E R S I O N 3 . 0...
  • Page 2 Crest Audio Inc. 100 Eisenhower Drive Paramus NJ 07652 USA 201.909.8700 201.909.8744 http://www.crestaudio.com NexSys Software v. 3.0 Manual v 1.0 13 August 1997 © 1997 *C4400008*...

  • Page 3: Table Of Contents

    Crest Audio Inc. NexSys v. 3.0 Table Of Contents Page 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 What is included in this manual 1.2 What is not included 1.3 System Requirements 1.4 Manual Conventions 1.5 Software Conventions Use of the Mouse Buttons 1.6 Software Installation 1.7 Technical Support...
  • Page 4 NexSys v. 3.0 Crest Audio Inc. 6. BUILDING A PLAN 6.1 Making a New Plan 6.2 AutoPlan 6.3 Manually Adding devices 6.4 Saving Your Plan 6.5 Plan Inventory 6.6 Device Setup Changing the Device’s Name Changing the Device’s Address 6.7 Venue Bitmap Background 7.
  • Page 5 Crest Audio Inc. NexSys v. 3.0 10. SNAPSHOTS 10.1 10.1 Inserting a New Snapshot 10.1 10.2 Recalling a Snapshot 10.1 10.3 Updating a Snapshot 10.2 10.4 Editing a Snapshot 10.2 10.5 Executing a Snapshot on Startup 10.3 10.6 Recalling Snapshots from Outside of NexSys 10.3...
  • Page 6 NexSys v. 3.0 Crest Audio Inc. Screen Captures and Drawings Item Page Plan Inventory Window 2.1, 6.3 NexSys Network with CK family amplifiers and hubs 3.2 Pro class network setup diagram Amplifier Channel Setup Windows Bus Server Card rotary switch locations...

  • Page 7: Introduction

    1. Introduction Thank you for purchasing NexSys - the powerful computer controlled audio system for your Crest Audio power amplifiers. With its practical and intuitive graphical interface, NexSys has won praise from audio engineers in every discipline. After familiarizing yourself with NexSys, you will realize the value and flexibility that this software package offers.

  • Page 8: What Is Not Included

    NexSys v. 3.0 Crest Audio Inc. Chapter 17 CK family Input Modules & Control Panels. Covers signal process- ing controls for NC modules. Appendix A Menu Reference. A complete NexSys menu reference list. Appendix B Decimal to Hexadecimal Conversion Table.

  • Page 9: Use Of The Mouse Buttons

    A complete listing of NexSys files and their locations on the hard disk may be found in the appendix XXX. 1.7 Technical Support The following contact information will be helpful in obtaining technical service support from Crest Audio for NexSys systems: Crest Audio Inc. 100 Eisenhower Drive, Paramus, New Jersey 07652 USA...

  • Page 11: Overview

    Crest Audio Inc. NexSys v. 3.0 2. Overview Devices A ‘device’, as referred to in this manual, is a remote NexSys-compatible piece of electron- ic hardware that is capable of being controlled and/or of reporting its state. The most com- mon devices connected to the NexSys interface are amplifiers.

  • Page 12: Groups

    NexSys v. 3.0 Crest Audio Inc. Groups A group is a collection of devices placed together for the purpose of common control or monitoring. You can create a group by selecting Group | New from the menu. Any device that can be controlled by NexSys can be added to a group. A single device may be added to more than one group.

  • Page 13: Load Monitoring

    Crest Audio Inc. NexSys v. 3.0 You can program the Event Scheduler to initiate tasks at a given time (computer clock) or when some other event (such as a switch closure or a fault) takes place. A scheduled event consists of four parameters: •...

  • Page 15: Network Topology

    Crest Audio Inc. NexSys v. 3.0 3. Network Topology 3.1 Amplifier Classes NexSys hardware is broken into two general groups: components for the CKS, CKV and CKX Series amplifiers or the “CK family amplifiers” and Professional, FCV, CC & CV Series amplifiers or the “Pro class amplifiers”.

  • Page 16: Nexsys Network With Ck Family Amplifiers And Hubs

    NexSys v. 3.0 Crest Audio Inc. Termination All bus wiring is twisted pair Bus Server (in PC) Amplifier CKS 200 Signal Signal Remote Professional Power Amplifier Protect Amplifier Ch A Ch B CKS 400 Active Signal Signal Remote Professional Power Amplifier...

  • Page 17: Hubs

    Crest Audio Inc. NexSys v. 3.0 A network may be made up of one or more busses. The bus connected to the Bus Server is defined as the primary bus. All other busses in the network are referred to as secondary busses and must be attached to the primary bus through a hub or data concentrator.

  • Page 18: Load Monitor Mainframe (Pro Class)

    NexSys v. 3.0 Crest Audio Inc. Termination All bus wiring is twisted pair Bus Server (in PC) Supervisor (with port numbers) POWER Supervisor Load Monitor (with channel numbers) ACTIVE POWER 8001 Professional Power Amplifier Load Monitor Clip/Limit Signal Temp/DC Active...

  • Page 19: Network Terminations & Wire Type

    Terminating a network is accomplished by placing a resistor (chosen to match the characteristic impedance of the cable) across the twisted pair. Crest Audio recommends using Belden 8442 unshielded twisted pair cable with 110Ω ter- minating resistors. Other cable may be used; however, the maximum transmission distance may decrease due to increased distributed capacitance of the cable.

  • Page 20: Network Addressing

    NexSys v. 3.0 Crest Audio Inc. 3.4 Network Addressing Hardware address settings are determined in two ways (depending on the amplifier class.) In Pro class amplifiers, the network address is given by its Supervisor’s address. A Supervisor is a unique network node whose address is set via DIP switches on the rear panel.

  • Page 21: Bus Server Installation And Connection

    Crest Audio Inc. NexSys v. 3.0 4. Bus Server Installation and Connection 4.1 Installing the Bus Server Card The Bus Server Card (NS-BUS-1) is an 8-bit ISA expansion card which requires installation in a vacant slot inside the NexSys host computer. If you are unsure how to insert an ISA card Device inside your computer, please consult a qualified computer technician for assistance.

  • Page 22: Communicating With The Bus Server

    NexSys v. 3.0 Crest Audio Inc. 4.2 Communicating with the Bus Server The Bus Server resides at an I/O address range in your PC. Its base address (the beginning address of the range) is referred to as the Bus Server’s I/O address, or I/O address for short.

  • Page 23: The Toolbar & Menus

    Crest Audio Inc. NexSys v. 3.0 5. The Toolbar & Menus 5.1 Toolbar The toolbar offers quick access to more frequently used NexSys functions. The diagram above identifies each functional grouping within the toolbar. • Scene Selector - a drop down selection box to quickly load a new scene (i.e.

  • Page 24: Menus

    NexSys v. 3.0 Crest Audio Inc. 5.2 Menus NexSys 3.0 menu hierarchy. Complete listing (with a brief description) of all menu commands is located in Appendix B. 5.3 Right Mouse Menus In many places throughout NexSys, right clicking on an object displays a pop-up menu relating to that object.

  • Page 25: Crest Audio Inc. Nexsys V

    Crest Audio Inc. NexSys v. 3.0 Software Manual Page 5.3...

  • Page 27: Building A Plan

    Crest Audio Inc. NexSys v. 3.0 6. Building a Plan A NexSys Plan is made up of user-defined devices, groups, snapshots, scenes, and settings. The Plan is stored on disk as a collection of data files organized in a subdirectory of the NexSys program directory.

  • Page 28: Manually Adding Devices

    NexSys v. 3.0 Crest Audio Inc. There are two principal compo- nents to the AutoPlan window: a list of the network nodes and devices AutoPlan finds is on the left and a progress report show- ing the current state of the search phase is on the right.

  • Page 29: Plan Inventory

    Crest Audio Inc. NexSys v. 3.0 amplifier. 2. Make sure the Plan Inventory window (or the group window) is the active win- dow. An active window is the one with the highlighted title bar. 3. Select Device | New | Amplifier from the menu.

  • Page 30: Device Setup

    NexSys v. 3.0 Crest Audio Inc. Double-click here to display the planwide amplifier control panel. Double-click on any device to open its control panel. Right-click on any device to pop-up a menu for device setup or to open control panels related to the selected device.

  • Page 31: Changing The Device's Address

    Crest Audio Inc. NexSys v. 3.0 Changing the Device’s Address A device address is based upon the device’s network node address. An address may be sin- gle- or two-tiered depending on its connection. Devices connected to a Hub or Supervisor will always be two-tiered.

  • Page 32: Venue Bitmap Background

    NexSys v. 3.0 Crest Audio Inc. If that device is found by NexSys at the address you selected, the alert will disappear short- ly. If the alert remains for several seconds, there is something wrong with the address select- ed, the device or the network itself.

  • Page 33: Groups

    Crest Audio Inc. NexSys v. 3.0 7. Groups NexSys groups are designed to facilitate the control of amplifiers and other devices. Devices that make sense to control and monitor together can be organized by moving them to the same group.

  • Page 34: Moving A Device

    NexSys v. 3.0 Crest Audio Inc. Moving a Device Ensure that the destination group window is open. Select the device from the source group window (or the plan inventory). Press and hold the left mouse button. While moving the cursor over a group window you will see it change to an amplifier icon: This indicates that the device may be dropped into the group beneath the cursor.

  • Page 35: Quickly Opening A Group

    Crest Audio Inc. NexSys v. 3.0 7.5 Quickly Opening a Group You can quickly open a pre-established group with the group selection tool on the toolbar. Pressing the down arrow pre- sents an alphabetical listing of all of the groups in the plan.

  • Page 36: Group Console Views

    NexSys v. 3.0 Crest Audio Inc. As you can see from the figure, the amplifier channels are grouped together and the sequen- tial turn-on devices are grouped together. In general, list view separates devices by type. All device types display basic information such as their name, alerts, and address. Some devices, especially amplifiers, present additional information.

  • Page 37: Balloon Help Example

    Crest Audio Inc. NexSys v. 3.0 Because of its compact format, it is sometimes difficult to know which amplifier channel a module refers to. Balloon help alleviates this problem. Place and hold the mouse cursor in the title bar of the module and a balloon will appear providing the amplifier’s full name, address and channel.

  • Page 39: Nexsys Faults, Alerts & Events

    Crest Audio Inc. NexSys v. 3.0 8. NexSys Faults, Alerts & Events NexSys is always monitoring the system for faults. Faults or alerts are reported on screen and are sent to the Event Monitor/Log. 8.1 Alert Panels The bottom of the NexSys window and the bottom of every group window (in list view) contain panels which illuminate alert icons when a fault is present.

  • Page 40: Amplifier Warning Thresholds

    NexSys v. 3.0 Crest Audio Inc. 8.2 Amplifier Warning Thresholds The warning thresholds window may be accessed by pressing the Warning Thresholds but- ton in the Amplifier Setup (Device | Setup) dialog. User thermal temperature, IGM and clipping are user-definable thresholds.
  • Page 41 Crest Audio Inc. NexSys v. 3.0 You can print or review the Event Log by opening the event log file from a word processor such as Word, Wordpad or Notepad. You may also use these programs to create additional notes within the body of the file. This is helpful in adding system notes to the event file to document such things as routine system maintenance, addition of devices, transducer replacement, etc.

  • Page 43: Amplifier Controls

    Crest Audio Inc. NexSys v. 3.0 9. Controlling Amplifiers 9.1 Amplifier Controls Double clicking on an amplifier channel in list view (in a group or in the Plan Inventory) will open its control panel. Selecting Device | Control from the menu is another way to open a control panel.

  • Page 44: Amplifier Solo Control

    NexSys v. 3.0 Crest Audio Inc. Amplifier Solo Control Soloing a single channel is a useful troubleshooting tool. By pressing the solo button, all other channels in the plan will mute, leaving this channel as the only audible one. As its name implies, only one channel may be soloed at a time.

  • Page 45: Related Devices

    Crest Audio Inc. NexSys v. 3.0 9.2 Related devices When pointing to a device, right clicking will show a menu of related devices - those devices sharing the same address. In a CKS amplifier, there may be a crossover, a load monitor, and a sequential turn-on control as well as the two amplifier channels.

  • Page 46: Control Hierarchy

    NexSys v. 3.0 Crest Audio Inc. A red group mute LED indicates that all channels within that group are muted. A yellow LED indicates that some channels within the group are muted. A gray or dimmed LED indi- cates that no channel in the group is muted.

  • Page 47: Solo Safety

    Crest Audio Inc. NexSys v. 3.0 Control Hierarchy Diagram 9.5 Solo Safety During system testing it is often useful to solo a particular amplifier channel. However, during a performance, soloing one amp channel and muting all others is generally not a good thing to do. Enabling the solo safety prevents amplifiers from accidentally being soloed.

  • Page 49: Snapshots

    Crest Audio Inc. NexSys v. 3.0 10. Snapshots A snapshot is a record of device settings. Settings include levels, mutes, polarity, solo’s, MIDI patches, NC-module parameters, etc. Once saved, the settings in a snapshot can be instantly recalled at a later time.

  • Page 50: Updating A Snapshot

    NexSys v. 3.0 Crest Audio Inc. The presence of an active snapshot does not guarantee the system is still config- ured as that snapshot was saved. The operator may have made changes since the snapshot was recalled. In which case, the system would no longer be in the state indicated by that snapshot.

  • Page 51: Executing A Snapshot On Startup

    Crest Audio Inc. NexSys v. 3.0 10.5 Executing a Snapshot on Startup You may select one Plan snapshot to be recalled when NexSys starts. This snapshot can be considered your “default” configuration. This is an optional feature and you are not required to enable this feature.

  • Page 53: Scenes

    Crest Audio Inc. NexSys v. 3.0 11. Scenes A scene is a graphical “desk top” arrangement. It is a collection of NexSys windows that you have opened for viewing or control. Once saved, a scene can be quickly recalled by using the Scene Selector on the tool bar.

  • Page 55: Security

    You may want to create two or more administrators as a failsafe in case one is unavailable or forgets their password. If the administrator(s) lose or forget their passwords, their is no way to recover them. Contact Crest Audio for a temporary password if this scenario occurs. Software Manual...

  • Page 56: Login / Logout

    NexSys v. 3.0 Crest Audio Inc. Security Administrator Dialog Window - The highlighted scenes have been selected for ‘Dan’ to access as a restricted user. Finally, activate security by selecting the "Enable Security" checkbox. Once enabled, you can only access NexSys by logging in with a valid user name and password. Be sure to save your plan for security to take effect the next time NexSys is started.

  • Page 57: Event Scheduler

    Crest Audio Inc. NexSys v. 3.0 13. Event Scheduler The event scheduler is one of the most powerful and useful tools in the NexSys system. It allows the system operator to automate all functions that can be executed by a user.

  • Page 58: Report Modes

    NexSys v. 3.0 Crest Audio Inc. Other setup parameters include saving the Event Schedule by selecting: File | Save As... from the pull down menus, and then defining the desired file name. You can also define the event scheduler to always be the top window on the desktop by...

  • Page 59: Midi Hex Programming

    Crest Audio Inc. NexSys v. 3.0 select Periodically. A Repeat Response Period window will display allowing you to define how often the event will be repeated. In our case, we will use the up arrow key in the days display to define that we want the event to take place every 7 days. Note that after clicking on the OK button, details of each event parameter are displayed to the right of the window.
  • Page 60 NexSys v. 3.0 Crest Audio Inc. Patch changes are of the format Cn NN. Where Cn is the byte containing the channel num- ber (C0 - CF Hex) and NN is the byte containing the patch number (00 - FF Hex corre- sponding to patches 1-256.) Any incoming MIDI message that is not a patch change will be...

  • Page 61: Midi Interface

    Crest Audio Inc. NexSys v. 3.0 14. MIDI Interface NexSys and the Event Scheduler can interact with MIDI equipment via the optional NexSys MIDI Interface. MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) equipment can range from sig- nal processing devices and show controllers to mixing consoles.

  • Page 63: Load Monitoring

    Crest Audio Inc. NexSys v. 3.0 15. Load Monitoring Optional NexSys Load Monitoring is a powerful diagnostic tool that provides a consistent means to verify performance of the drive lines and speakers in the system. Load Monitoring inserts a test signal into the amplifier and then measures load impedance & current to derive an impedance versus frequency response curve.
  • Page 64 NexSys v. 3.0 Crest Audio Inc. band, number of sample points, number of cycles per sample point, and test signal attenua- tion. Once this data is entered a test sweep may be conducted by clicking on the sweep but- ton located below the graph. When the reference curve is completed you may elect to save the reference which means that that exact curve will be used as the baseline for all subse- quent tests.

  • Page 65: Load Monitor Window

    Crest Audio Inc. NexSys v. 3.0 Other parameters that can be set include the Grid Scale and Limit Offset. These are adjust- ed by clicking on the up and down arrows as appropriate. Once Load Monitoring parameters are setup, these parameters can be copied to other amplifiers by selecting an amplifier from a group or Plan window and...
  • Page 66 NexSys v. 3.0 Crest Audio Inc. Curve Names When initiating a new test curve you will be prompted to enter a name for that curve. If you do not enter a name the date and time of the curve will be automatically entered. All saved curves will be listed chronologically in the history box just below the grid.

  • Page 67: Ck Family Sequential Turn-On/Turn-Off (Sto)

    Crest Audio Inc. NexSys v. 3.0 16. CK family Sequential Turn-On/Turn-Off (STO) Sequential Turn-On/Turn-Off is a standard feature on CK family amplifiers. The STO fea- ture allows the user turn on their amplifiers sequentially with a delay between each one. This protects the electrical system from excessive current draws due to in-rush current demands of the amplifiers.

  • Page 69: Ck Family Input Modules & Control Panels

    Crest Audio Inc. NexSys v. 3.0 17. CK family Input Modules & Control Panels Signal processing controls for NC modules are setup and displayed in much the same way as other controls described in this section. Controls are accessed by double clicking on the Device to be controlled in the Plan inventory window or the group window.

  • Page 71: Appendix A - Decimal To Hexadecimal Conversion Table

    Crest Audio Inc. NexSys v. 3.0 Appendix A - Decimal to Hexadecimal Conversion Table Dec. Hex. Dec. Hex. Dec. Hex. Dec. Hex. Appendix A...
  • Page 73 Crest Audio Inc. NexSys v. 3.0 Appendix B - Menu Reference (A reference description of all the pull down menu commands Plan Starts a new Plan Open... Opens an existing Plan Save Saves the current Plan Save As... Saves the current Plan to a specified name...
  • Page 74 NexSys v. 3.0 Crest Audio Inc. Device Adds a new amplifier to the Plan MIDI Adds a new MIDI device to the Plan Adds a new DSP device to the Plan Crossover Adds a new Crossover device to the Plan...

  • Page 75: Bus Server End View

    Crest Audio Inc. Addendum for Nexsys software manual—Appendix C NexSys v. 3.0 Appendix C - Bus Server Dip Switch Settings DIP Switch Typical Use I/O Address game port bus mouse free LPT2 free Serial Ports 2 & 4 prototype card...
  • Page 76 100 Eisenhower Drive Paramus NJ 07652 USA t e l : 2 0 1 . 9 0 9 . 8 7 0 0 f a x : 2 0 1 . 9 0 9 . 8 7 4 4 h t t p : / / w w w . c r e s t a u d i o . c o m V E R S I O N 3 .

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