Acom EVO Manager 025-9642 PDF
Acom EVO Manager 025-9642 PDF
Version 1.1.30.0
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Software License
The Zetron software described in this manual is subject to the terms and conditions of Zetrons Software License Agreement, a copy of which is contained on the product distribution media or otherwise provided or presented to buyer. Installation and/or use of the Zetron software constitutes acceptance of Zetrons Software License Agreement.
Limited Warranty
Buyer assumes responsibility for the selection of the Products to achieve buyers or its customers intended results obtained from the Products. If buyer has provided Zetron with any requirements, specifications or drawings, or if Zetron provides buyer with such materials, such materials are provided solely for buyers convenience and shall not be binding on Zetron unless agreed in writing by the President of Zetron. ZETRON DOES NOT WARRANT THAT THE PRODUCTS OR ITS CUSTOMERS REQUIREMENTS OR SPECIFICATIONS OR THAT OPERATION OF THE PRODUCTS WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED OR ERROR FREE. SUBJECT TO THE LIMITATIONS SET FORTH BELOW, Zetron warrants that all Zetron Products and Zetron Accessories will be free from material defects in material and workmanship for one year from date of shipment (except where indicated otherwise in the Zetron Price Book). For buyers convenience, Zetron may purchase and supply additional items manufactured by others. In these cases, although Zetrons warranty does not apply, buyer shall be the beneficiary of any applicable third party manufacturers warranties, subject to the limitations therein. Zetrons warranty covers parts and Zetron factory labor. Buyer must provide written notice to Zetron within the warranty period of any defect. If the defect is not the result of improper or excessive use, or improper service, maintenance or installation, and if the Zetron Products or Zetron Accessories have not been otherwise damaged or modified after shipment, AS ZETRON'S SOLE AND EXCLUSIVE LIABILITY AND BUYERS SOLE AND EXCLUSIVE REMEDY, Zetron shall either replace or repair the defective parts, replace the Zetron Products or Zetron Accessories, or refund the purchase price, at Zetrons option, after return of such items by buyer to Zetron. Shipment shall be paid for by the buyer. No credit shall be allowed for work performed by the buyer. Zetron Products or Zetron Accessories which are not defective shall be returned at buyers expense, and testing and handling expense shall be borne by buyer. Out-of-warranty repairs will be invoiced at the then - current Zetron hourly rate plus the cost of needed components. THE FOREGOING WARRANTY AND THE THIRD PARTY MANUFACTURER'S WARRANTIES, IF ANY, ARE IN LIEU OF ANY AND ALL OTHER WARRANTIES EXPRESSED, IMPLIED OR ARISING UNDER LAW, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, NON-INFRINGEMENT AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
Limitation of Liability
Zetron makes no representation with respect to the contents of this document and/or the contents, performance, and function of any accompanying software. Further, Zetron reserves the right to revise this document or the accompanying software and to make changes in it from time to time without obligation to notify any person or organization of such revisions or changes. ZETRON SHALL NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES BE LIABLE TO BUYER OR ANY THIRD PARTY FOR ANY INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR INDIRECT LOSS OR DAMAGE ARISING OUT OF OR CONNECTED WITH BUYERS PURCHASE OR USE OF PRODUCTS OR SERVICES, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, LOSS OF USE, LOSS OR ALTERATION OF DATA, DELAYS, LOST PROFITS OR SAVINGS, EVEN IF ZETRON HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES AND EVEN IF THE LIMITED REMEDY ABOVE IS FOUND TO FAIL OF ITS ESSENTIAL PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL ZETRONS LIABILITY (WHETHER FOR NEGLIGENCE OR OTHER TORT, IN CONTRACT OR OTHERWISE) EXCEED THE PRICE PAID TO ZETRON FOR THE PRODUCTS. IP networks by their nature are subject to a number of limitations, such as security, reliability, and performance. Anyone using non-dedicated IP networks, such as shared WANs or the Internet, to connect to any Zetron Products or systems should consider and is responsible for these limitations.
Zetron, Inc. All rights reserved. This publication is protected by copyright; information in this document is subject to change without notice. Zetron and the Zetron logo are registered trademarks of Zetron, Inc. Other company names and product names may be the trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. This publication may not be reproduced, translated, or altered, in whole or in part, without prior written consent from Zetron, Inc.
Safety Summary
Warning! For your safety and the protection of the equipment, observe these precautions when installing or servicing Zetron equipment. Follow all warnings and instructions marked on the equipment or included in documentation. Only technically qualified service personnel are permitted to install or service the equipment. Be aware of and avoid contact with areas subject to high voltage or amperage. Because some components can store dangerous charges even after power is disconnected, always discharge components before touching. Never insert objects of any kind through openings in the equipment. Conductive foreign objects could produce a short circuit that could cause fire, electrical shock, or equipment damage. Remove rings, watches, and other metallic objects from your body before opening equipment. These could be electrical shock or burn hazards. Ensure that a proper electrostatic discharge device is used, to prevent damage to electronic components. Do not attempt internal service of equipment unless another person, capable of rendering aid and resuscitation, is present. Do not work near rotating fans unless absolutely necessary. Exercise caution to prevent fans from taking in foreign objects, including hair, clothing, and loose objects. Use care when moving equipment, especially rack-mounted modules, which could become unstable. Certain items may be heavy. Use proper care when lifting.
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Contents
Contents
Introduction .....................................................................................................10
EVO Overview ..................................................................................................................... 10 Interconnections........................................................................................................... 12 Related Documents ............................................................................................................. 13 Requirements....................................................................................................................... 14 Glossary............................................................................................................................... 15
Installation .......................................................................................................16
Operating System ................................................................................................................ 16 Hardware ............................................................................................................................. 16 Console Software ................................................................................................................ 17 Acom EVO Dispatch .................................................................................................... 17 Acom VoIP Controller Service (AVC) .......................................................................... 17 Acom EVO Manager .................................................................................................... 18 Configure the EIU in IMS ADS............................................................................................. 19 Echo Cancellation for POTS Lines ...................................................................................... 20
Acom EVO
Console Configuration................................................................................... 34
Console Tab ........................................................................................................................ 34 Network Tab ........................................................................................................................ 37
Audio Configuration....................................................................................... 40
Gain Tab.............................................................................................................................. 40 Featured Mode ............................................................................................................ 40 Manual Gain Control............................................................................................ 41 Automatic Gain Control (AGC) ............................................................................ 42 Desk Mic Device Matching .................................................................................. 43 Head Set 1 and 2 Device Matching ..................................................................... 43 Standard Mode ............................................................................................................ 44 Level .................................................................................................................... 44 Echo Cancellation................................................................................................ 44 Audio Routing Tab............................................................................................................... 46 Interface Binding Tab .......................................................................................................... 48 Audio Terms ........................................................................................................................ 49 Sources ....................................................................................................................... 50 Sinks ............................................................................................................................ 50 Conferences ................................................................................................................ 50 Overrides ..................................................................................................................... 52 Reset Interface Bindings ............................................................................................. 52 Alert Tones Tab................................................................................................................... 52
Alarms Configuration..................................................................................... 62
Alarm Status........................................................................................................................ 63 Alarm Settings ..................................................................................................................... 64
Diagnostics..................................................................................................... 67
RTP Statistics...................................................................................................................... 67 Versions............................................................................................................................... 70 Audio Routing Errors ........................................................................................................... 71 Clients.................................................................................................................................. 72 Acom Changeover............................................................................................................... 73
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Contents
Appendix A Using Acom EVO and Dock with Integrator IRR .................74
In Integrator IRR .................................................................................................................. 74 In Acom EVO Manager........................................................................................................ 75 In Windows .......................................................................................................................... 75
Acom EVO
Figures
Figure 1: Standard mode (Acom EVO without Media Dock)................................................30 Figure 2: Featured mode (Acom EVO with Media Dock).....................................................31 Figure 3: Audio Facility Dock or Media Dock (select Audio Facilities Dock)........................32 Figure 4: Media Dock XS (select Media Dock XS) ..............................................................32 Figure 5: Console screen, Console tab..............................................................................34 Figure 6: Console screen, Network tab................................................................................37 Figure 7: Audio screen, Gain tab (featured mode) .............................................................41 Figure 8: Audio screen, Gain tab (standard mode) ............................................................44 Figure 9: Audio screen, Audio Routing tab (default view, featured mode) .......................46 Figure 10: Audio screen, Audio Routing tab (advanced view, featured mode) ................48 Figure 11: Audio screen, Interface Binding tab ................................................................49 Figure 12: Audio screen, Alert Tones tab ..........................................................................53 Figure 13: Digital IO screen ................................................................................................55 Figure 14: Digital IO screen, Digital IO Status pane .........................................................56 Figure 15: Digital IO Settings pane, ACS Input tab ..........................................................59 Figure 16: Digital IO Settings pane, Alarm Input tab........................................................59 Figure 17: Digital IO Settings pane, Dock tab ...................................................................60 Figure 18: IO operational timing diagram.............................................................................61 Figure 19: Alarms screen ....................................................................................................63 Figure 20: Diagnostics screen, RTP Statistics tab ...........................................................67 Figure 21: Diagnostics screen, Versions tab.....................................................................70 Figure 22: Diagnostics screen, Audio Routing Errors tab ...............................................71 Figure 23: Diagnostics screen, Clients tab........................................................................72 Figure 24: Diagnostics screen, Acom Changeover tab....................................................73 Figure 25: Acom redundancy with split networks.................................................................78 Figure 26: Acom redundancy with a resilient network .........................................................79
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Tables
Tables
Table 1: EVO Ports.............................................................................................................. 14 Table 2: Offline configuration buttons.................................................................................. 24 Table 3: Online configuration buttons.................................................................................. 25 Table 4: Console tab settings .............................................................................................. 35 Table 5: Network tab settings .............................................................................................. 38 Table 6: Standard Featured Script options.......................................................................... 47 Table 7: Conference Audio Sources.................................................................................... 51 Table 8: Alert Tone controls................................................................................................. 53 Table 9: Digital IO Status Sinks ...................................................................................... 56 Table 10: Digital IO Status Sources................................................................................ 57 Table 11: Digital IO Status General ................................................................................ 58 Table 12: ACS IO trigger behavior ...................................................................................... 60 Table 13: Alarm statuses ..................................................................................................... 64 Table 14: Alarm Settings pane Outputs ....................................................................... 64 Table 15: Alarm Settings pane Inputs .......................................................................... 64 Table 16: Alarm Settings pane Alarm Mode ................................................................ 65 Table 17: MOS Estimate, R Estimate, and user experience ............................................... 68
Introduction
Introduction
EVO Overview
Acom EVO is technology that provides Acom console functionality for PCs distributed across a LAN or WAN. Zetrons other type of console network uses E1 links to connect consoles with the Acom Console Unit (ACU) in the Common Control Equipment (CCE) rack. Acom EVO instead provides a native IP interface between the console and the Ethernet Interface Unit (EIU) in the rack. Each EIU supports two console groups (typically 5-10 consoles, depending on their use configuration).
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Introduction
Following are the basic components of Acom EVO: Acom EVO Dispatch (previously referred to as Acom Console Software or ACS) is the call-taking/dispatch application on Acom EVO console PCs. It provides command and control of the Acom voice console system, connecting the console with audio sources and controlling interfaces. The Ethernet Interface Unit (EIU), which is in the Acom DS3 Subrack (ADS), hosts the console interface in the Acom switch. Its Ethernet interfaces transport audio to/from the consoles via Real-time Transport Protocol (RTP) streams. It multicasts console status messages and maintains connectivity with each console. Two EIUs may be used for redundancy. A Microsoft Windows service called Acom VoIP Controller (AVC) connects the console interfaces with the EIU using the PCs LAN interface. AVC streams VoIP traffic between the EIU and the Media Dock. The AVC hosts a gateway for ACS to command the Acom. AVC also makes audio routing decisions and performs audio processing (conferencing, tone generation, etc). Two LAN interfaces may be Teamed for redundancy. An optional Media Dock can be used to provide audio and signaling at the console. Providing interfaces beyond a simple sound card, it allows connection of headsets, handsets, jackboxes, desk microphones, speakers, and other audio interfaces. It also supports digital I/O for the console. Acom EVO also supports a Standard Mode that uses the PCs sound card to manage a smaller set of audio interfaces. The AVC service controls the Media Dock. The dock has been upgraded and renamed over time. From oldest to newest, the dock is referred to as Audio Facilities Dock (or AFD), Media Dock, and Media Dock XS. These docks are referred to generically in this manual as Media Dock. When necessary, specific models are called out by name. Acom EVO Manager is used to configure and monitor the AVC service. It may be used remotely via IP or directly on the console. Acom EVO Manager configures the following types of settings: network and miscellaneous console settings settings related to audio hardware, binding, and audio mixing settings related to alarms, Media Dock I/Os, and console digital signaling alert tone definitions
These settings are required in addition to the typical Acom console configuration, which must also be configured (as described in the Acom Software Configuration manual). Acom EVO Manager also provides diagnostic information such as Real-time Transport Protocol statistics, software versions, audio routing errors, connected client data, Acom changeover status, real time AVC alarms, and Dock IOs states. An Acom EVO console performs nearly identically to a console connected via an E1 link to an ACU. For more information on general console operation, refer to the Acom Console Design and Acom Console Operation manuals.
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Introduction
Interconnections
The following diagrams illustrate the control interconnections among the various components of the Acom EVO system.
Windows Events
EVO Dispatch
SW
Telnet
SW
Media Dock
HW
USB
AVC
SW
IP
W M I
IP
IP
ADS-EIU
HW
USB
IRR
SW
EVO Manager
SW
IP
File
HW = hardware component SW = software component WMI = Windows Management Instrumentation (part of Microsoft Windows 7 Professional) The Media Dock (optional) is controlled by the Acom VoIP Controller service (AVC) over a USB connection. Integrator Instant Recall Recorder (IRR) (optional) is sent audio by AVC over a USB connection. EVO Manager configures AVC over IP. Acom EVO Dispatch connects to AVC over IP, however its typically on the same computer as the AVC service.
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Introduction
AVC connects to the EIU card in the ADS shelf over IP. AVC connects to a floating IP address shared between the two physical LAN ports on the EIU card. It streams VoIP and control data, and performs redundancy switching. AVC logs alarms and Real-time Transport Protocol (RTP) statistics in the Windows Event log via WMI. Telnet is available for servicing and diagnostics. EVO Manager may edit the configuration file directly in an offline method, however its typically edited online via the AVC service.
Related Documents
Document Acom Console Design Acom Console Operation Acom Software Configuration Acom System Maintenance Audio Facilities Dock Dual-Knob Headset Jackbox (P/N 950-1077) Single-Knob Headset Jackbox (P/N 950-1082) Integrator Instant Recall Recorder Media Dock Media Dock XS Zetron Desktop Microphone Zetron Desktop Speaker Part Number 025-9587 025-9530 025-9529 025-9619 025-9635 025-9632 025-9496 025-9646 025-9658 025-9589 025-9585
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Introduction
Requirements
Component Workstation Software prerequisites Network Workstation Environment Minimum Requirement Refer to Console Hardware Requirements in Acom Maintenance manual (P/N 025-9619). Windows 7 Professional/Ultimate SP1 (32 or 64 bit) Microsoft.NET Framework 4 Refer to Appendix D Network Characteristics The EVO console uses the workstations CPU to process VoIP traffic and is dependent on having adequate access to the processor. Heavy disk or processor use by other programs or services can adversely affect the voice quality of the EVO console.
Acom EVO consoles require the IP network to pass traffic over many ports. The default used ports are listed here. It may be required to open these ports in the console Firewall and the network routers.
Table 1: EVO Ports
Port 3100 3000 - 3020 4000 - 4020 10000 10001 10002 10003 10004 10005 10006 10007 Protocol UDP UDP UDP TCP TCP TCP TCP UDP UDP UDP UDP EIU OLCB EIU RTP and RTCP AVC Configuration using EVO Manager EVO Dispatch to AVC connection AVC telnet AVC debug AVC OLCB Primary AVC OLCB Secondary AcomOverIP RTP RTCP Purpose EIU Multicast default
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Introduction
Glossary
Term ACS ADS AFD Definition Acom EVO Dispatch. PC application for command and control of the EVO console. Previously called Acom Console Software(ACS). Acom DS3 Subrack, audio and data conferencing switch hosting IP connections to consoles via the EIU card. Audio Facilities Dock. Zetron console hardware hosting analog and digital interfaces for the Featured EVO console position. The AFD has been replaced by the Media Dock XS. Automatic Gain Control. Mic levels are amplified or attenuated to obtain a normalized voice level. Acom VoIP Controller (service). Zetron software that performs IP communications with Acom, controls the audio switching, and hosts the EVO Dispatch and other IP connections. It is configured using Acom EVO Manager. A decibel measurement of voltage relative to 0.775 volts. Equal to dBm at 600ohm, but not all Media Dock interfaces are 600ohm. Differentiated Services Code Point, an IP Quality of Service tag. Ethernet Interface Unit (card). When installed in the ADS shelf it hosts two IP console groups. Internet Group Multicast Protocol. The EVO console subscribes to multicast bulk data using an IGMP join. Acom Information Management System. Suite of Zetron applications for maintaining the TDM switches. Inter-site Bearer. T1/E1 links between Acom systems used for sharing resources. IP packet delay variation. OCU Link Control Block. Zetron messaging system used between consoles and Acom switch. Real Time Transport Control Protocol. The EIU and AVC exchange performance information about the received RTP stream. Real Time Transport Protocol. Used for streaming audio to/from the console over UDP. Simple Network Management Protocol. Used for trapping alarms over an IP network. Telephone Radio Headset Interface provides the ability for the dispatchers headset to be used with an external telephone instrument in addition to the normal use with radio.
AGC AVC
dBu DSCP EIU IGMP IMS ISB Jitter OLCB or LCB RTCP RTP SNMP TRHI
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Installation
Installation
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 7 Professional must be preinstalled on the console PC.
Hardware
For hardware installation of the EIU in the ADS, see the Acom Ethernet Interface Unit Product Manual (P/N 025-9620). For hardware installation of one of the optional Media Docks on the console PC, see: Audio Facilities Dock Product Manual (P/N 025-9635) Media Dock Product Manual (P/N 025-9646) Media Dock XS Product Manual (P/N 025-9658)
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Installation
Console Software
IPPort must be set to the value of the IP Port Base plus 1. In the example above, IPPort is 10001, on the assumption that the IP Port Base is set to the default of 10000. If the IP Port Base is changed in the Network tab of Acom EVO Manager, the IPPort setting in INI file must be changed accordingly. See also Network Tab on page 37.
The AVC service Startup Type will be set to Automatic, as shown in the following figure. This will cause it to start whenever Windows starts up.
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Installation
The AVC Service should also be set to restart in case of failure. To set the AVC Service to restart in case of failure 1. Click the Start button and type computer management into the search field. 2. In the search results, double-click Computer Management. 3. If necessary, expand Services and Applications. 4. Click Services. 5. Right-click Acom VoIP Controller and select Properties. 6. In the Recovery tab, set First, Second, and Subsequent Failures to Restart the Service. 7. Click OK.
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Installation
IP Time to Live
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Installation
Description If the EIU fails to receive acknowledgements from messages to the console in this amount of time, it will reset the IP connection to the console. Setting this lower will speed up link redundancy changeover but may timeout with a congested network.
For more information about using IMS ADS, see the Acom Software Configuration manual (P/N 025-9529). For more information about the EIU, see the Acom Ethernet Interface Unit manual (P/N 025-9620). For more information about the ADS, see the Acom DS3 Subrack manual (P/N 025-9600).
A second EIU in a redundant ADS shelf may be used for redundancy. The EVO console will maintain a link with both EIU cards and use whichever is functional for voice traffic. All IP addresses must be unique between the main and standby EIUs, meaning you may need 6 normal IP addresses plus 4 multicast IP addresses for the two console groups EIU pair.
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Introduction
Acom EVO Manager is used to configure several aspects of the Acom EVO console and Media Dock. Configuration includes console-specific settings, network settings, audio settings, digital IO behavior, and alarm behavior. Acom EVO Manager can edit a new configuration derived from factory default settings, a previously saved configuration file, or currently used settings pulled from the local or any network-connected Acom EVO console. A configuration can also be pushed from Acom EVO Manager to the local or any network-connected Acom EVO consoles. When working online with an AVC service or using Batch Update, you do not edit with the XML file directly, instead the online AVC service writes your changes to its AVCConfig.xml when you persist changes.
Interface
Connection Tabs
A tabbed interface provides Acom EVO Manager with the capability of editing multiple configurations at once, including a mixture of new, previously saved, and settings currently in use on a live Acom EVO console. The tabs are labeled as follows: A new configuration is labeled New. A saved configuration file is labeled with its file name. A configuration pulled from an Acom EVO console is labeled with that consoles AVC service IP address.
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Indications of Changes
Red dots and red text indicate unsaved changes. Any settings that have been changed since loading the configuration from a file or a console are indicated with a red dot and red text, as shown in the following figure. The red indicators identify the exact settings that are changed. In other words, only the files with changes have the red dot, only the Data sections with changes have red dots, only the tabs with changes have red dots, and only the specific settings that are changed are shown in red text.
The red dot changes to orange when the edits are applied to the AVC but not made persistent. Once the settings are made persistent in the AVC, or saved to a file, the dot disappears.
Data Categories
There are five types of data involved in AVC configuration, as indicated by the buttons under Data. Each of these is described in detail in the following chapters.
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Console and Acom network settings. See Console Configuration on page 34.
Gain settings, interface bindings, routing, and alert tones. See Audio Configuration on page 40. Settings and statuses of digital inputs and outputs. See Digital IO Configuration on page 55.
Settings and statuses of alarms. See Alarms Configuration on page 62. RTP statistics, software versions, audio routing errors, client connections, and changeover settings. See Diagnostics on page 67.
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Configuring Offline
Acom EVO Manager can edit configuration settings based on files. This is considered the offline mode because it is not connected to a live console.
Configuration
When Acom EVO Manager is used offline, there are a limited number of options for saving or sending the configuration. These options are presented as toolbar buttons, as shown in the following figure and table:
File Menu
Offline configurations are created or opened using the File menu.
Note Acom EVO Manager is not backwards compatible with configuration files from older versions of the software. If you attempt to open an incompatible configuration file, there will be an error message.
Diagnostics
Diagnostics are not available when Acom EVO Manager is used offline. When Diagnostics is selected, each tab simply indicates that data is not available. Alarm and Digital IO status indications are hidden when working offline.
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Configuring Online
Acom EVO Manager can edit a configuration pulled directly from a local or networkconnected Acom EVO console. This is considered the online mode. To use online mode, connect Acom EVO Manager to an AVC. See Connect to AVC on page 26.
Note Acom EVO Manager is not backwards compatible with conf igurations made from older versions of the software. If you attempt to pull configuration from a system running an incompatible version of Acom VoIP Controller, there will be an error message.
Configuration
When Acom EVO Manager is in online mode, the toolbar options for saving or sending the configuration are shown in the following figure and table:
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Communications Menu
The Communications menu is used to configure Acom EVO in online mode, or to update multiple Acom EVO consoles at once (a batch update). Connect to AVC Use this option to connect to the Acom VoIP Console (AVC) service for online mode configuration. To configure in online mode 1. On the Communications menu, click Connect to AVC.
2. Do one of the following: To configure the AVC on the PC you are on, select Host PC, specify the service port (default 10000), and click Connect. To connect to an AVC you have previously configured in online mode, select it in the Previous Sessions section, and click Connect.
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To connect for the first time to an AVC on the same network, enter its web address in the URL field, using the following format, and press Connect:
http://IP_address:port or http://hostname:port
To disconnect from an AVC service Click the X on the appropriate connection tab:
Batch Update AVCs A batch update means updating the configuration of the AVC services of multiple Acom EVO consoles at once. To do so, a comma-delimited (CSV) file is used to identify each Acom EVO console and its console-specific settings. Here is a sample setup as it would look in a spreadsheet program such as Microsoft Office Excel:
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The default for base_port is 10000. ConsoleNumber LoopAddress Acom console number. Range is 1-250. Overwrites base XML configuration file with this address, expecting each console will be unique. Each console group that shares a multicast IP address and port is referred to by a Loop Address (also known as Acom Address). This number is common among the consoles that use the same Virtual E1 Port on the same Primary or Secondary EIU. Up to 10 consoles may use the same Loop Address/EIU port depending console use configuration. 0 (first link) or 1 (second link). In Acom EVO Manager these are represented 1 and 2, but they are 0 and 1 in the XML file. Several consoles will share the same Virtual E1 Port number on the same EIU. Consoles on the same Virtual E1 Port will use the same multicast IP address and port for console messaging. Primary EIU IP address. This is the floating IP address of the main/primary EIU card. Secondary EIU IP address. The console will maintain communication with both Primary and Secondary EIUs for redundancy. Mutes parallel console microphone audio from being heard on the local Select interfaces. Used to prevent acoustic coupling from an adjacent console. Does not override intercoms. All console numbers are valid values. Use comma to separate values, hyphen to specify a range. Example: 5,10-23 You must use quotes or the included commas will indicate new fields in the CSV file. Monitor Mutes parallel console microphone audio from being heard on the local Monitor interfaces. Does not override intercoms. All console numbers are valid values. Use comma to separate values, hyphen to specify a range. Example: 5,10-23 You must use quotes or the included commas will indicate new fields in the CSV file.
VirtualE1Port
The following procedure upgrades multiple Acom EVO consoles with the general settings from the XML file, and with the console-specific settings from the CSV file.
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To batch update multiple Acom EVO consoles In order to batch update consoles, you must have a valid XML file containing the configuration to send, and a valid .csv file containing a list of consoles and certain console-specific settings. 1. Click Communications, Batch Update AVCs.
2. Select the Settings XML File by clicking the adjacent button and browsing to the file. This is the base file to use for configuring all of the consoles. 3. Select the AVC Targets File by clicking the adjacent button and browsing to the file. This is the CSV file containing the list of consoles and the consolespecific settings. 4. To send to all consoles in the list, click Select All, then Send. 5. To send to some consoles in the list: a. Select consoles by clicking on their row. Selected consoles have a check mark in their row. b. Click Send.
Note Do not attempt to send the configuration to the local AVC service (same PC as EVO Manager) using Batch Update
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Hardware Modes
Acom EVO Manager operates in one of two hardware modes: Standard or Featured mode. The mode is determined by the type of hardware being configured.
Standard Mode
Acom EVO can be used with a simple analog headset connected to the computers microphone and speaker jacks. In Acom EVO Manager, this arrangement is considered the Standard mode. In this mode, there are severe limitations to audio routing and configuration. The selection of compatible audio hardware is also greatly diminished.
Figure 1: Standard mode (Acom EVO without Media Dock)
Featured Mode
When a Media Dock is connected, the console has significantly increased audio capability, it is compatible with a much larger selection of audio hardware, and it supports auxiliary IO. In Acom EVO Manager, this arrangement is considered the Featured mode. The Mode and Dock selection determine the configuration choices presented. For more information about the Media Dock hardware, refer to its manual.
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Footswitch P/N 950-9102 To Auxiliary Audio P/N 709-0055 Indicators Desktop Keypad P/N 950-1105
Relay Outputs | Out1 | Out2 | Out3 | Out4 | Footswitch Aux Out Aux In
Digital Outputs | Out1 | Out2 | Out3 | Out4 | Digital Inputs | In1 | In2 | In3 | In4/ |
P/N 802-0692
Desk Mic Headset 1 Headset 2 TRHI USB DC Power
Cable P/N 709-7889 Cable P/N 709-7889 Primary Headset Jackbox 950-1082 or 950-1077 (rear view) Cable P/N 709-7889
Monitor 1
NENA Phone
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Docks
There are two models of docks in use with Acom EVO Manager. The older model is named Audio Facilities Dock (AFD) or Media Dock. The newer model is named Media Dock XS.
Note If using a Media Dock XS, the front Mode switch must be set to position A. This is the only position supported by Acom.
Figure 3: Audio Facility Dock or Media Dock (select Audio Facilities Dock)
For a full description of the docks LEDs, refer to the docks manual.
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If you are moving an AFD from one USB port to a different USB port on the EVO PC and you are not getting audio, remove the AFDs USB driver according to the following procedure, then reinstall the latest driver with the AFD in the new USB port. If AVC software and AFD firmware are updated, remove the AFDs USB driver according to the following procedure, then reinstall the latest driver.
To remove the AFD USB driver 1. In Windows, go to Control Panel, System and Security, System, System Protection. 2. Click Advanced Tab on the System Properties dialog. 3. Click Environment Variables. 4. Click Add, then enter:
Variable Name = DEVMGR_SHOW_NONPRESENT_DEVICES Variable Value = 1
5. Open Device Manager, Go View, Select Device By Connection, then enable Show hidden devices. 6. With the old AFD connected to the PC, open Windows Device Manager, View Device By Connection. 7. Find the USB Host Controller with USB Composite Device (expand controllers until you see the Zetron Standard Audio without A or B letter). Right click and select to uninstall. 8. If upgrading to a Media Dock XS, disconnect the old AFD and connect the new Media Dock XS. Observe the new one is created Zetron Standard Audio A.
Dock Selection
Acom EVO Manager must be set to the correct dock by using the Model pull-down menu as shown in the following figure.
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Console Configuration
Console Configuration
The Console button accesses various configurable settings for the local Acom EVO console.
Console Tab
The Console tab is used to configure settings related to Acom EVO and its Windows service, Acom VoIP Controller (AVC).
Figure 5: Console screen, Console tab
Note
Applying changes to network settings requires a console reset. You will be prompted.
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Console Configuration
Utility Audio The Acom system has auxiliary audio inputs, which can be used in conjunction with Utility Audio resource buttons. Audio from an external source, such as a CD player or radio, could be available to the operator during idle periods. Utility audio is never logged by any voice logger outputs. Up to 10 Utility Audio inputs may be defined system-wide, and each console may have access to up to 10 Utility Audio inputs. Delay (secs) For cases when the volume from a Utility Audio source is switched off automatically while a call is in progress, it is switched back on automatically after the specified number of seconds after the call connection has terminated. Range is 1-31 seconds. The volume from a Utility Audio source is, by default, switched off automatically while a call is in progress. For any cases listed here, it is not switched off automatically. Valid values are None, PTT, Monitor, Selected Audio, and Intercom. Specifies where to direct the utility audio: to the headset/handset, to the audio panel interface, and/or to one or more monitor speakers. Valid values are None, Select 1, Select 2, Monitor 1, Monitor 2, Monitor 3, and Monitor 4. Always enabled for Select 1. Optional for Select 2. Split audio or dynamic split audio will require two select channels from the EIU. If checked, the console must use the PTT to gate microphone audio to selected sources, including full duplex lines. Mutes the selected telephone prior to PTTing. Identifies the default monitor. Valid values are Normal, Select 1, and Select 2. To redirect Monitor audio into the headset by default, choose Select 1 and use the Monitor Speaker Default function in EVO Dispatch. Specifies the number of Monitor audio channels from the EIU. Range is 0-4.
Unmute Sources
Destinations
Select 1 Interface and Select 2 Interface Enable Half Duplex Mute Telephone On PTT Monitor Default
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Console Configuration
Description Mutes parallel console microphone audio from being heard on the local Select interfaces. Used to prevent acoustic coupling from an adjacent console. Does not override intercoms. All console numbers are valid values. Use comma to separate values, hyphen to specify a range. Example: 5,10-23 Mutes parallel console microphone audio from being heard on the local Monitor interfaces. Does not override intercoms. All console numbers are valid values. Use comma to separate values, hyphen to specify a range. Example: 5,10-23
Monitor Interface
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Console Configuration
Network Tab
The Network tab is used to configure network settings related to Acom EVO and its related EIU.
Figure 6: Console screen, Network tab
An Acom EVO console is usually equipped with two Network Interface Cards (NICs), referred to as Primary NIC and Secondary NIC. The Primary NIC is used to connect the AVC service with the Primary EIU. The Secondary NIC is used to connect the AVC service with the Secondary EIU. If only one NIC is installed, AVC can be configured to connect to both EIUs via that NIC. The Primary EIU is only ever accessed via the Primary Interface, and the Secondary EIU is only ever accessed via the Secondary Interface.
Note A console reset is required to apply changes to network settings, utility audio settings, or cross mute options. You will be prompted if any of those settings have been changed.
The following table describes each of the settings available in the Network tab.
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Console Configuration
IP Port Base
Primary
Secondary
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Console Configuration
Interfaces Primary Specify the network interface you want the console to use to communicate with the Primary EIU. Specify the network interface you want the console to use to communicate with the Secondary EIU. Select either a specific installed network adapter from the drop-down list, or Use first available (default). Use first available means the AVC will use the network interface that is on the same subnet as the EIU. This is intended for mobile systems, where EIUs are reached via different network interfaces in different scenarios (for example, via a wired Ethernet connection when in the office, but via a VPN connection when away). The console will use the Ethernet connection if it is available and on the same subnet as the EIU, or it will use the VPN connection if it is available and on the same subnet as the EIU. Options are: Local Host The AVC will only allow the specified type of connection locally. All Interfaces (default) The AVC will allow the specified type of connection over any interface. A specific installed network adapter from the dropdown list The AVC will only allow the specified type of connection over that interface.
Secondary
Debug
Can be used to restrict Telnet connections (on base port + 2) and debug connections (on base port + 3) to the AVC. Can be used to restrict Acom EVO Dispatch connections (on base port + 1) to the AVC. Can be used to restrict Acom EVO Manager connections (on base port + 0) to the AVC.
ACS
Config
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Audio Configuration
Audio Configuration
The Audio button accesses configuration settings related to the Media Dock, including gain controls, audio routing, interface binding, and alert tones.
Gain Tab
Manual gain and automatic gain are adjusted in the Gain tab.
Tip Conference and override gain can be manually adjusted on a per-sink basis in the Interface Binding tab. See page 48.
Featured Mode
In Featured mode, there are several sections on the Gain tab, each referring to a port at the rear of the Media Dock (pictured in the upper pane), with the following exceptions and notes: Auxiliary Left and Right in Acom EVO Manager refer to the left and right channels of the Media Docks Aux In port. Auxiliary Out in Acom EVO Manager refers to the right channel of Aux Out. Speaker 4 and the left channel of Aux Out are hard wired together. IRR is a virtual channel acting as a sink for output to a PC.
Note If Integrator IRR software is used, select Zetron Standard Audio A (or AFD PC Tones) as the sound card. See Appendix A Using Acom EVO and Dock with Integrator IRR on page 74.
PC Tones is a virtual channel acting as a source and override for PC-generated beeps, alerts, rings, etc.
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Audio Configuration
Sidetone is the dispatcher's own voice, repeated in real-time at a low level to the dispatchers headset speaker. This provides confidence that the headset is functioning.
When gain is being adjusted, the affected Media Dock port is outlined in red.
Figure 7: Audio screen, Gain tab (featured mode)
Manual Gain Control Each of the analog devices connected to the media dock require different operating voltages, so the analog gain of the Media Dock has been designed to normalize the different analog inputs to reach a common internal reference level when configured for 0dB gain. By normalizing all inputs, you will get consistent levels from any source. It can be expected that receive audio will reach the reference level of -19dBu voice/-13dBu sine if you configure a 0dB gain and apply an analog input matching the expected value from the Media Dock manual. It can be expected that transmit audio will be normalized to the typically analog output level from the Media Dock manual when the transmit gain is set to 0dB. The expected input levels of the deskmic and headset are determined by the analog gain choice in the Device Matching sections. Refer to the Media Dock manual for these levels. Manual gain is adjusted by way of the blue buttons adjacent to the channel. Most interfaces allow manual gain to be adjusted from +15.0 dB to -15.0 dB in 0.5-dB
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Audio Configuration
increments. Alternatively, you can type in a specific gain level, which is then automatically rounded up or down to the nearest supported gain level. For the Headset interfaces, the A and B transmit gain refer to the two channels of audio sent to the jackbox. These can be mixed by the jackbox and controlled with independent volume knobs. Auxiliary Left and Right gains refer to the receive inputs on the Media Dock. Aux Out refers to Aux Out Right. Aux Out left gain is controlled by the Speaker 4 gain. TRHI Ear in an input gain from the 3rd party telephone. TRHI Mouth is an output gain. Automatic Gain Control (AGC) AGC will apply gain or attenuation to reach -19dBu voice/-13dBu tone internally. Level The AGC Level can be set to one of the following settings: Configured Gain AGC is disabled, see manual gain Boost +3 dB AGC is enabled and boosted by +3 dB Nominal AGC is enabled, audio is normalized to -13 dBu sine Atten -3 dB AGC is enabled and attenuated by -3 dB
Max Gain (dB) The maximum amount of gain (in dB) that the AGC will apply. Range is 0 to 30 dB in 1 dB increments, default 15 dB This setting is only available with the Media Dock XS and when AGC is enabled. Noise Thres[hold] (dBu) The noise threshold at which AGC will boost levels above and attenuate levels below. It should be set to the noise floor (default -60 dB). Audio below the noise threshold is attenuated to silence. Audio above the noise threshold is amplified to -19 dBu (-13dBu sine). Above the Noise Threshold, the Media Dock will apply up to the Max Gain to the input signal. Range with Media Dock XS is -70 to -50 dBu in 2-dBu increments, default -60 dBu. Range with AFD/Media Dock is -60 to -50 dBu in 2-dBu increments, default -60 dBu. This setting is only available when AGC is enabled.
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Audio Configuration
Attack Time (ms) The time constant of the AGC gain reduction when the output signal exceeds the target level due to an increase in the output signal level. Range is 10 to 110 ms, in 20-ms increments, default 10 ms. This setting is only available when AGC is enabled. Decay Time (ms) The time constant of the AGC gain increase when the output signal falls below the target level due to a decrease in the input signal level. Range is 200 to 3000 ms, in 200-ms increments, default 2000 ms. This setting is only available when AGC is enabled. Desk Mic Device Matching Bias Current Selects the microphone bias for the Desk Mic port. For Zetron microphones, select Electret. Electret: 8vdc bias Phantom: 12vdc bias Dynamic: no DC voltage is supplied
Deskmic device matching settings are only available when using a Media Dock XS. Older Audio Facilities Dock and Media Dock use physical settings in the hardware. Head Set 1 and 2 Device Matching Head Set 1 and Head Set 2 refer respectively to the Headset 1 and Headset 2 ports on the Media Dock XS. Bias Current sets the microphone bias of the Headset port. Gain sets the microphone analog gain of the Headset port. North American headsets typically require 10mA bias and Low gain. European headsets typically require 1mA bias and High gain. Headset device matching settings are only available when using a Media Dock XS. Older Audio Facilities Dock and Media Dock use physical settings in the hardware.
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Audio Configuration
Standard Mode
For Standard mode (no Media Dock), the PC sound card mixer levels in Windows will determine microphone and speaker gains. Acom EVO Manager is used to configure microphone AGC and echo cancellation.
Figure 8: Audio screen, Gain tab (standard mode)
Level The PC Audio Mic AGC Level can be set to one of the following settings: Disabled AGC is disabled Boost +3 dB AGC is enabled and boosted by +3 dB Nominal AGC is enabled, audio is normalized to -19 dBu voice (-13dBu sine) Atten -3 dB AGC is enabled and attenuated by -3 dB
Max Gain (dB) The maximum amount of gain (in dB) that the AGC will apply. Range is 0 to 30 dB in 0.5 dBu increments. Noise Thres[hold] (dBu) The noise threshold at which AGC will boost levels above and attenuate levels below. It should be set to the noise floor (default -60 dB). Audio below the noise threshold is attenuated to silence. Audio above the noise threshold is amplified to -19 dBu (-13dBu sine). Range is -70 to -50 dBu, in 2-dBu increments. Echo Cancellation If the speaker and microphone are close together, like on a laptop, it is possible the speaker audio could couple into the microphone, playing back to the far end and echoing. When echo cancellation is enabled, speaker audio is cancelled when detected on microphone and not sent to the Acom line.
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Audio Configuration
Enable Acoustic coupling cross muting is enabled for the console. Speaker Correlation The speaker decorrelator adds noise and phase changes to the speaker outputs to allow the echo canceller to perform better.
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Audio Configuration
Figure 9: Audio screen, Audio Routing tab (default view, featured mode)
The Standard audio script will be appropriate for most customers. It has support for nonsplit, dynamic split, and always split audio routing (selected by Acom Profile Manager). If you have been provided a custom script by Zetron, it can be loaded into the AVC configuration using the button next to the drop-down list in either the default or advanced views. When using the standard script, there are several options available that are configured by checkboxes as opposed to manually editing the script content itself (see Figure 9). In Standard Mode, the standard script has only three options and they are explained in Appendix B Configuring Standard Mode. In Featured Mode, the standard script has several more options; these are described in Table 6.
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Audio Configuration
Clicking Advanced or using a custom script enables manual editing of the script. Use caution and check for audio routing errors. Any syntax errors encountered when running the script will be displayed under Diagnostics, on the Audio Routing Errors tab (see page 71).
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Audio Configuration
Figure 10: Audio screen, Audio Routing tab (advanced view, featured mode)
Note
For definitions of the above terms, see Audio Terms on page 49.
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Audio Configuration
Audio Terms
Source Sink Conference Override An audio input. A receive audio source like mic or LCB Audio from EIU. An audio output. A transmit audio interface such as a speaker or a voice logger output. Audio sources are summed into conferences via scripting in the Audio Routing tab. Conferences can then be attached to sinks in the Interface Binding tab. Audio connected directly from a source to a sink or can mute a selective source from a connected conference, or an unmuted source can add unconditional audio to the sink.
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Audio Configuration
Sources
Sources are audio inputs, or interfaces, such as the Deskmic, handset microphone, Aux in, PC Tones, or LCB Audio from the Acom. Sources can be selected in an Override, and are used in the Audio Routing Script to populate Conferences with the EVO console. These sources correspond to the similarly-named inputs on the rear of the Media Dock.
Sinks
Sinks are audio outputs or interfaces, such as a speaker or a voice logger output. The sinks available for binding depend on the hardware mode: In Featured mode, all of the audio sinks available in the Media Dock are available for binding, including the virtual channels IRR Left and IRR Right. These sinks correspond to the similarly-named outputs at the rear of the Media Dock. In Standard mode, only two audio sinks are available for binding, PC Audio Left and PC Audio Right. These sinks correspond to the left and right channels of the PCs stereo output port.
Tip In Standard mode, generally PC Audio Left should be set to Select HS 1, and PC Audio Right should be set to Monitor 1.
Click an Audio Sink button on the left to bind it with conferences and overrides.
Conferences
Multiple audio sources are summed into conferences. The conferences available for binding, and the audio sources that are summed, are determined by the audio routing script in the Audio Routing tab. The script is not intended to be configured without specific direction by Zetron Technical Support. Once a sink is selected, bind it with conferences by selecting the conference in the dropdown list. Use the Add and Remove buttons to add or remove conferences from the currently selected sink. Conference gain is adjusted on a per-sink basis in 1-dB increments by using the slider or typing directly in the gain level box. Adjusting gains here should be a last resort, start with the gain tab when making level adjustments.
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Audio Configuration
Select Speaker
Select 2 Speaker Monitor 1 Monitor 2 Monitor 3 Monitor 4 TRHI Mouth IRR Left IRR Right Long Term Logger AUX Left AUX Right Select HS 2 (A) Select HS 2 (B) HS Interconnect 1 HS Interconnect 2
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Audio Configuration
Overrides
You can override a conference by muting or adding specific sources. If a source override is added at the mute level, it is never heard at that sink. If it is added at a non-mute level then it is always heard at the sink at the specified relative level. The actual level is still controlled by any volume controls on the EVO Dispatch screen. To mute a source 1. If a new override is needed, click the Add button. Otherwise, use an existing override. 2. Select the source to be muted from the drop-down list. 3. Toggle the mute button until it displays as muted: To add a source 1. If a new override is needed, click the Add button. Otherwise, use an existing override. 2. Select the source to be added from the drop-down list. 3. Toggle the mute button until it displays as not muted: 4. Adjust the gain for this source as needed. Adjusting the gain here only affects this source on the selected sink.
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Audio Configuration
To customize an alert tone, click a tone in the Tones column along the left. The following table describes the controls available for customizing this tone.
Table 8: Alert Tone controls
Control Name Termination Description The name of the custom alert tone. Determines how playback of the tone will terminate: Play Once The alert tone will stop after one complete sequence. Repeat As long as the Alert button is held, the alert tone continues to repeat its full sequence. Repeat Last The alert tone plays its full sequence. Then, as long as the Alert button is held, the alert tone continues to repeat the last tone element. Elements The controls here enable you to add, remove, or rearrange tone elements. Select tone elements to be removed or rearranged by marking their checkboxes in the upper right corner. adds a tone element to the alert removes all selected tone elements from the alert and rearrange the selected tone element
Multiple tone elements can be selected and removed. Only one tone element can be rearranged at a time. Type Assign the type of tone for this tone element. Sine sine wave is a single pure frequency Dual Tone two simultaneous tones Square square wave has a predominant frequency and a number of other frequencies Chirp ramps the pitch from frequency 1 to frequency 2 Silence use to add gaps between tones to generate a beeping tone
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Audio Configuration
Description The frequency in Hz of the tone element. Depending on the tone Type, there may be two frequencies to configure. The duration of this tone element in milliseconds. The amplitude of this tone element in dB. When set for 0dB the tones are generated at the reference tone level of -13dBu.
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Digital IO Configuration
Digital IO Configuration
The Digital IO button accesses the configuration settings related to the Acom EVO consoles digital inputs and outputs, and the current status of these IOs.
Note
None of the fields regarding the Media Dock on this screen will be displayed in Standard mode (that is, when a Media Dock is attached to the host PC of the connected AVC).
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Digital IO Configuration
Digital IO Status
The Digital IO Status pane is only displayed when Acom EVO Manager is in online mode. It shows the real-time status of sinks (outputs) and sources (inputs).
Figure 14: Digital IO screen, Digital IO Status pane
Sinks
Table 9: Digital IO Status Sinks
Sinks ACS Input (Input 1-6) Description ACS Input sinks are sent from the AVC service to EVO DISPATCH as digital inputs. The term input is relative to the EVO Dispatch software, not the AVC service. EVO DISPATCH may use these digital inputs for a variety of purposes. For information on function mapping, see the Acom Software Configuration manual, AcomEVODispatch.ini appendix, [Local Digital Inputs] section. These inputs are configured via the ACS Input sink definitions in the Digital IO Settings pane. May be bound to images or functions on the console. Alarm Input sinks may be used to log an event as an alarm, and may be connected to Output alarms to be sent to supervisors. These inputs are configured via the Alarm Input sink definitions in the Digital IO Settings pane. Input alarms are logged in the Event Viewer. The Media Dock has four digital outputs and four relays that may be mapped to digital sources. These outputs and relays are configured via the Dock sink definitions in the Digital IO Settings pane. The current state of the footswitch signals to EVO DISPATCH are shown (Footswitch Pri High or Footswitch Pri Low). Footswitch High has a higher priority PTT than EVO DISPATCH, Footswitch Low has a lower priority PTT. These can be bound to the Media Dock footswitch via the Dock sink definitions in the Digital IO Settings pane.
Alarm Input (Digital 1-5) Dock (Output 1-4), (Relay 1-4), Footswitch Pri (High, Low)
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Digital IO Configuration
Sources
Table 10: Digital IO Status Sources
Sources ACS Output (Output 1-6) Description The real-time state of Acom EVO dispatch outputs is shown. These outputs may be Local Digital Output buttons on the console or configured logic in the AcomEVODispatch.ini file. Although they are digital sources (inputs), from the EVO Dispatch perspective they are outputs, mimicking ACU operation. The AVC service may map these to digital sinks or use them as routing variables. Output alarms are sent to supervisor consoles, SNMP traps via the DCU, and the Windows Event log. They may also be mapped to an AVC sink. These alarms are configured in the Alarms menu. They are sources to other digital sinks, even though they are sinks themselves. In the Alarms menu you can map up to five custom user-defined alarms, in addition to the standard major, minor, and information alarms (see Figure 19 on page 63). They are sent to supervisor consoles and the Windows Event log, and can be connected to digital sinks. User Route sources 1-4 are used to pass logic between the AVC audio routing engine and the digital outputs. These variables may be used to trigger digital outputs via script. If you want to implement this functionality, contact Zetron Technical Support to script these variables. These represent the four Media Dock digital inputs. On older Media Docks and Audio Facilities Docks, Input 4 is typically used as footswitch PTT. On the Media Dock XS, footswitch PTT has its own input. For information on how to trigger these inputs, refer to the Media Docks manual (see Related Documents on page 13).
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General
These indicators cannot be mapped as sinks without script support. They are only informative of the state of the various functions of the Media Dock.
Table 11: Digital IO Status General
Status HS 1-2 Mic PTT HS 1-2 Mic Detected HS 1-2 Jack Sense Description The headset PTT is asserted. Headset microphone current is detected. The result is indicated by the status of HS 1-2 Present. Headset jack sense input is active. The jackbox may assert this signal when the headset in inserted. The result is indicated by the status of HS 1-2 Present. The external DC power input to the Media Dock is not present. This power is needed for the speakers and TRHI. The desk microphone PTT button is asserted. The desk microphone Monitor key is asserted. The TRHI port Off-Hook signal is asserted. The phone connected to this port is assumed to be active on a call. Microphone current has been detected on the TRHI port. The phone connected to this port is assumed to be active on a call. The headset has been detected via jack sense or mic current.
Dock Ext Power Fail Desk Mic PTT Desk Mic Mon TRHI Offhook TRHI Mic Detected HS 1-2 Present
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Digital IO Configuration
Digital IO Settings
The Digital IO Settings pane has two or three tabs on the left. The Dock tab is not displayed if no Media Dock is connected.
Figure 15: Digital IO Settings pane, ACS Input tab
The ACS Input tab is used to define the sources (digital inputs or logic) that are routed to EVO DISPATCH GP Inputs, as configured in the AcomEVODispatch.ini file). The ACS inputs are sinks. You can map a Media Dock input, an EVO Dispatch output, or others. The Alarm Input tab is used to map sources to the input alarms Digital 1-5. This can enable logging of a digital input as an input alarm, to be recorded in the Windows Event log, or to trigger a supervisor alarm.
Figure 16: Digital IO Settings pane, Alarm Input tab
The Dock tab is used to bind the Media Docks digital outputs, relay outputs and footswitch PTT.
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Digital IO Configuration
The footswitch is a special case: Footswitch Pri High will override console PTT sources, it has highest priority. Footswitch Pri Low will be lower than other PTT sources, allowing you to knock down stuck footswitch from console. On older Audio Facilities Docks and Media Docks prior to Media Dock XS, the footswitch is typically connected to Digital Input 4. If this is the case, Footswitch Pri High/Low should be configured as Dock Input 4.
The Active, Trigger, and Timeout settings work together to define the behavior of configured digital sink/output. The following table and figure describe their use.
Table 12: ACS IO trigger behavior
Trigger Active High Level Triggered Description The level of the sink will follow the level of the input source. An active source will result in an active sink. An optional timeout can be configured; this will hold the output sink active until the timeout expires. See Figure 18 for a timing diagram. The level of the sink will invert the level of the input. The source must be inactive for the sink to be active. An optional timeout can be configured; this will hold the output sink active until the timeout expires. See Figure 18 for a timing diagram.
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Digital IO Configuration
Description The sink shall be set as either active high or active low, which determines the outputs default state. The level of the sink will toggle when an edge is detected in the input. An edge is the transition of the digital source from low to high or high to low. Detection of either a positive edge (inactive to active), negative edge, or both edges can be configured. An optional timeout can be configured that will revert the output to the default state when it expires. The timeout will be started when the sink toggles to the non-default state. See Figure 18 for a timing diagram of positive edge operation. The sink shall be set as either active high or active low, which determines the outputs default state. The level of the sink will be set to the non-default state when an edge is detected. Detection of a positive or negative edge can be configured. A timeout must be configured that will revert the sinks level to the default state when it expires. The timeout will be started/restarted when an edge is detected. This type of trigger requires repeated source activity to keep the sink active. See Figure 18 for a timing diagram of positive edge operation.
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Alarms Configuration
Alarms Configuration
The Alarms button accesses the configuration settings related to AVC alarms, and, in online mode, the current status of these alarms.
AVC output alarms are sent to the following: Supervisor console * SNMP traps: device, major, minor, info (the MIB file is available from Zetron) Inputs are logged by the Zetron Network Management System (NMS) Media Dock digital outputs Windows Event Viewer
Note AVC alarms are not viewable in IMS.
* The following settings in the AcomEVODispatch.ini files [Alarms] section must be configured for AVC alarms to be reported to Supervisor consoles: AVCX=text
X The AVC alarm number, as defined in Acom EVO Manager, under Alarm
Settings, Outputs. This must be the same as the X in User X there. No default.
text The text to display. No default. If no text is specified, the alarm will not
be reported to this console. By adding this alias to the INI, the console will report AVC output alarms to the supervisor's alarm key with the configured description. Alarm number X is 0 indexed, where 0=Urgent, 1=Non-Urgent and so on. Also configure the following setting in the AcomConsole.ini files [Alarms] section: DeviceAVCX=text
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Alarms Configuration
If GlobalMode is set to False, this entry is required to subscribe to any alarms from the configured device and the default alarm descriptions are used. If set to True, the aliases will be used instead.
X The AVC number (network address). No default. text The text to display if AVC X goes offline. No default for
Alarm Status
The Alarm Status pane is only displayed in online mode. It shows the status of Alarm Outputs and Alarm Inputs for the connected AVC service. Clicking on an Alarm Input in the Alarm Status area acknowledges the alarm. The state of the output alarm is Active as long as the state of any associated input alarm is Active or Acked. These output alarms are protected from acknowledgement of connected input alarms. The state of the output alarm is Inactive/Clear if the state of all associated
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input alarms is either Idle or Was Active. Output alarms cannot be acknowledged directly; they are either active or inactive.
Alarm Settings
When you click the Alarms button, the main window will always show the Alarm Settings pane. In online mode, it will also show the Alarm Status pane.
Table 14: Alarm Settings pane Outputs
Alarm Outputs Major Minor Information Ack All User 1-5 An urgent alarm, configurable. A non-urgent alarm, configurable. Alarm used to convey information only. When triggered, all input alarms will be acknowledged. Does not affect alarms configured as Protected. Custom alarms reportable to the supervisor console and other destinations. Description
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Alarms Configuration
Alarm Inputs OLCB Primary Multicast Unavailable OLCB Secondary Multicast Unavailable Dock Offline
Description Indicates no multicast traffic is being received. Multicast bulk data messages are sent by the EIU to the consoles on an IGMP multicast address. Acom EVO relies on the LAN to distribute multicast and support IGMP subscriptions. Check the IGMP and PIM support in the LAN equipment. USB connection not working, no communication with the Media Dock. Acom EVO Dispatch will not come online unless the Media Dock (in Featured mode) or the PC microphone (in Standard mode) are working. 12v power not connected, speakers unpowered. Featured Mode: Media Dock sound device not found or not working, but the HID is. The Media Dock may be operating in bootloader mode. Check its USB LED for the corresponding indication. Standard Mode: If active, check Windows audio configuration The sound card must be configured for DVD 44.8khz sampling.
Alarm active if the console could not be created in the ADS switch. May indicate too many consoles in the Virtual E1 Link, or bad console/loop number. Alarm active if the console interfaces could not be created in the ADS switch. May indicate there are more than 30 interfaces per Virtual E1 Link. Select 1,2 and Monitor 1-4 from all consoles must be < 30. An RTP quality alarm is Active on the Primary or Secondary link. May be for one of several reasons: The MOS Estimate (the estimated Mean Opinion Score for the network) may have fallen below a certain level. The playout delay (Jitter Delay/Actual Buffer) may have exceeded 80 ms. The number of Jitter Samples/Silenced may have exceeded 5% of samples measured during a report period (which is every 5 seconds). There may be an RTCP reporting error.
Digital 1-5
Enables digital IO to trigger/map to output alarms. See the Digital I/O Alarm Input sinks on page 56.
Locked
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Alarms Configuration
Pulse Protected
Same as Passive, plus while the state of any associated input alarm is Active, the digital output pulses on/off. The state of the output alarm is Active as long as the state of any associated input alarm is Active or Acked. These output alarms are protected from acknowledgement of connected input alarms. The state of the output alarm is Inactive/Clear if the state of all associated input alarms is either Idle or Was Active.
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Diagnostics
Diagnostics
In online mode, the Diagnostics button accesses various information that may be of use during maintenance or troubleshooting. It shows the status of AVC at the console to which you have connected. Some data only displays if Acom EVO Dispatch is also running.
RTP Statistics
The RTP Statistics tab shows various statistical and quality measurements concerning audio throughput from the EIU to the console via Real-time Transport Protocol (RTP). The AVC monitors transmission statistics via RTP Control Protocol (RTCP) to collect this data. To help counter the packet delay variation (jitter) that can occur in IP networks, the EVO system buffers audio data packets for a brief period of time (typically about 20 milliseconds) before playing them out to the console. This allows delayed packets to be
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included in the playout, instead of being lost, which would degrade audio quality. This buffer is dynamic it automatically lengthens if average packet jitter increases (for example, if the reception or network quality degrades) or shortens if packet jitter is very small. The purpose of this dynamic jitter buffer is to minimize both the packet playout delay and the number of packets lost because they arrived too late to be played out at the current playout delay. On the left are the IP address and port number of the Local End Point and the Remote End Point. These are displayed if an OLCB connection to the EIU has come online. The rest of the data are only displayed while EVO Dispatch is running. RTP audio streams are not started until the console is first logged in. The Quality section concerns network throughput quality. An RTP Alarm may be Active for one of several reasons. You will see this type of alarm on the Alarms screen, as either RTP Primary or RTP Secondary. See Table 15: on page 64. MOS Estimate is the software-estimated Mean Opinion Score for the network. R Estimate (Rating factor) is a VoIP transmission quality rating, with a typical range of 50-100. The rating is derived from multiple VoIP metrics, including latency, jitter, and loss.
Table 17: MOS Estimate, R Estimate, and user experience
MOS Estimate 4.3 4.0 3.6 3.1 2.6 R Estimate 90 80 70 60 50 User Experience Excellent Good Fair Poor Bad
The RTCP section concerns the quality of monitoring via the RTP Control Protocol. The Jitter Delay (ms) section concerns the dynamic jitter buffer. Values are in milliseconds. Actual Buffer is the current playout delay. Desired Buffer is a target that the AVC is working to shrink or expand the Actual Buffer to match. It is adjusted to minimize playout delay and loss due to late packets. Min Playout is the minimum playout delay in the sampling period. Max Playout is the maximum playout delay in the sampling period. Min Inter-arrival Diff and Max Inter-arrival Diff show the range of packet delay variation in the sampling period.
The Jitter Samples section concerns the sampling of packet traffic to analyze jitter: Generated is the number of audio samples generated in the reporting period (8000Hz sampling rate is used). Dropped is the number of audio samples dropped from the RTP stream to reduce the playout delay.
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Diagnostics
Repeated is the number of samples repeated from the RTP stream to increase the playout delay. Packet Loss Concealed is the number of samples generated as silence due to packet loss. Silenced is the number of inserted silent samples. The buffer is being expanded or packets are not arriving. Restarts is the number of times the jitter buffer was re-started due to excessive loss or other network error.
The statistics are logged in the RTP Statistics section of the Zetron-AVC log in the Applications and Services Logs section of Windows Event Viewer. During normal operation, reports are logged once per minute. If the RTP alarm is activated, every report is logged (every 5 seconds), and logging of every report continues for 5 minutes after the alarm is deactivated. This enables support personnel to see how the application recovered. The results can be exported to be viewed in a spreadsheet. 1. In Event Viewer, right-click on RTP Statistics, and select Save All Events As. 2. On the Save as type drop-down list, select CSV. 3. Type a File name, and click Save. 4. Open the resulting file in Excel. Select the options for Delimited file, with Comma as the Delimiter. You can get more information about an event in Event Viewer by selecting it in the upper pane, then opening the Details tab in the lower pane and selecting Friendly View. This will display all of the headings and the actual data for the selected event. The AVC can also log RTP statistics continuously, directly to disk. The benefit of this type of logging is that you get data about normal operation, not just alarm situations. Clicking the Enable Log button starts logging of data and toggles the button to Disable Log; Click Disable Log to stop logging RTP statistics. This is normally left disabled; it is intended for Zetron engineering use only. While logging is enabled, the statistics are written to a file in the folder C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\EVOManager\Logs.
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Versions
The Versions tab shows various software and firmware information about the AVC to which Acom EVO Manager is connected, and about the Media Dock if one is connected. To see the version number of Acom EVO Manager, hover the mouse over Acom EVO Manager in the title bar; the version number will appear to the right.
Figure 21: Diagnostics screen, Versions tab
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Clients
The Clients tab lists the EVO Manager clients connected to the AVC.
Figure 23: Diagnostics screen, Clients tab
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Acom Changeover
The Acom Changeover tab shows the status of communication between the AVC to which Acom EVO Manager is connected and the Acom system, and between the AVC and the EVO Dispatch application (ACS). It also allows manual changeover between the Primary EIU and the Secondary EIU. The EIU is normally selected automatically, so manual changeover should not be necessary.
Figure 24: Diagnostics screen, Acom Changeover tab
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The Zetron Integrator Instant Recall Recorder (IRR) software can be used with an Acom EVO console that uses a Media Dock to control audio, just as with an ACU-controlled console. This appendix describes some special configuration considerations for operation between the Media Dock and Integrator IRR. The IRR hardware module is not needed unless you need to log third-party devices on the 600-ohm circuit. No additional cabling beyond the USB connection is needed between the Media Dock and the PC.
In Integrator IRR
For installation instructions, refer to the Integrator Instant Recall Recorder manual (P/N 025-9496) . Under Edit, Options, on the Sound Card tab, set the Selected Device to Zetron Standard Audio A (or AFD PC Audio) for both Sound Playback and Sound Recording. On the Record Control tab, set both Input Sources to VOX Sense to have AVC control the recording based on VOX level. For each input, click Configure VOX and set the VOX Threshold to about halfway on the slider. Alternatively, you can use the Software Control to have EVO Dispatch console control the recording.
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In Windows
On the master volume playback control (the Volume control in the Windows taskbar), click Mixer. Select Zetron Standard Audio A (or AFD PC Audio) as both the default playback and recording device. Set the Master playback and recording volumes to the half-slider position.
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In Standard Mode the EVO console is run without a Media Dock, using just the PC sound card and a headset or speaker+mic. In this configuration the console will support select and one Monitor interface only. You may connect a headset to the computer or use speakers and a PC microphone. PTT is supported using the on-screen control controls. In Standard Mode you need to select a default playback and recording device and you need to ensure that it is configured (in the Advanced tab) as 16-bit stereo (or mono is accepted for the recording device) and it must be configured as either 8000Hz or 48000Hz e.g. 2 channel, 16-bit 48000Hz (DVD Quality). Without this being configured correctly the Audio Driver input alarm will be activated when you start EVO Dispatch. The microphone must be plugged in to start the EVO console in this mode. Without either a Media Dock or microphone detected, EVO Dispatch will not come online and you will get an Audio Driver alarm. Headset/speaker levels may be adjusted in Windows or in the EVO console software. Microphone sensitivity is adjusted in Windows; when adjusted, the consoles transmit VU meter should peak at 3-6 bars during normal voice. Consider calibrating the mic with the AGC turned off in EVO Manager. Standard mode offers an Echo Canceller option in the Audio Gain tab. When enabled it will remove Acom audio played in the speakers from coupling into the microphone. The Decorrelator will attempt to improve the Echo Cancellers performance by adjusting the playback audio phase and adding some noise. If using a Headset it will not be necessary, but when using the integrated speakers/mic of a laptop it can prevent the far end caller from hearing themselves at an echo.
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Appendix C Redundancy
Appendix C Redundancy
Acom EIU redundancy is achieved by linking the EVO console with two EIU cards, called the Primary and Secondary EIU. The AVC service will decide which EIU to make the active link. It will switch automatically if a communications fault is detected or it can be commanded through the Diagnostics screen. The AVC service will link to the Primary EIU using the Primary NIC, and the Secondary EIU using the Secondary NIC. You may configure these to be the same network card, or two different interfaces (see Console menu). Network redundancy is achieved by providing multiple network interfaces to the EVO console, and through using a diversified and resilient IP network between the EIU and EVO console. With two network interfaces (NIC) the AVC can use whichever is working to connect with the Acom. The two NICs are assumed to be connected to different network switches, such that a dead Ethernet switch will not take a console out of operation. The AVC service performs a type of Network Teaming between the two cards, establishing EIU connections on both and an RTP audio stream from the active EIU/NIC. The switched or routed network should be resilient or redundant. A redundant network would look like two independent networks that never touch. The Primary NIC and Primary EIU are connected to the Primary LAN equipment, and the Secondary NIC and Secondary EIU are connected to the Secondary LAN equipment. No communications is needed between the Primary and Secondary LAN. A resilient network would still include dual Ethernet switches to the console, but may pass through a routed network with multiple paths to the Acom. Connecting the console to just one Ethernet switch (by using a single NIC) is not recommended because it creates a single point of failure at the Ethernet switch that can remove one or more consoles from service. To be fully redundant you must use dual NICs and two EIU interfaces. Additional redundancy is possible at the EIU card itself. The EIU has two network interfaces and may be connected to different Ethernet switches.
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Appendix C Redundancy
NIC1 will only ever communicate with EIU in ADS1. NIC2 will only ever communicate with the EIU in ADS2. Worst case of Primary LAN A lockup (DoS or broadcast storm) will not impair communications to the Secondary EIU on LAN B.
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Appendix C Redundancy
Both ports on same EIU card must be on same subnet since they both share the same floating address that needs to be recognized as valid. EIU monitors network connectivity on both ports and chooses the first working. External equipment accesses the EIU card using the IP floating address that can move between the two ports as connectivity changes. The AVC service monitors network connectivity on both NICs and chooses the one with working communications with the associated EIU. The Primary EIU will always be reached through the Primary NIC, the Secondary EIU through the Secondary NIC.
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Appendix C Redundancy
Through the use of a router, the network traffic may pass between subnets and you may reduce network broadcast and multicast traffic.
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As with any IP based console system, it is important to understand the design and parameters of the network through which it will connect. Most IP networks are designed to handle data traffic. Now voice and data packets will be carried on the same network. The most notable effect of lost data packets is increased delay in getting the data (e.g. web pages take longer to load, etc.), but the notable effect of lost voice packets is gaps in the received audio missing syllables and words. Although the human mind can make up by context for the loss of an occasional syllable, it cant easily distinguish between shoot and dont shoot if the word dont is missing. A sparse number of dropped packets are usually unnoticeable to a data user, while still very noticeable to a voice user. For this reason a network that may have been perfectly adequate for data-only applications, could be unsuitable for voice applications. Some installations may be starting with a brand new, private network which can be designed from the start to meet the needs of the users system. But more than likely, there is an existing IP network in place that will be used for the console system. Ensuring that the minimum network requirements for Acom System are met is imperative to proper system performance. If there is sufficient bandwidth in the network compared to the payload of the devices connected to the network, the system will meet the definition of mission-critical success on that network.
Note Payload is the actual amount of data to be transported, measured in bits-per-second (bps). Bandwidth is the maximum amount of data that an IP bearer can support, also measured in bps. Good IP design practice is to ensure that the bandwidth of the bearer can support 2 to 3 times the actual payload otherwise occasional lost packets can be expected.
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Characteristics IPv4 Network End to end routed inter-network Multicast support (IGMP)
Description IPv6 traffic can co-exist on the network but the Acom equipment (including Console PCs) must have IPv4 addresses No network address translation (NAT) Switches and routers must be multicast aware. Backroom (EIU) utilizes multicast packets to console positions. Console positions however do not multicast. If IGMP Snooping is available, it can help limit unwanted multicast packets from flooding IP ports. Less than 0.1% 40ms or less 20ms or less Per channel in each direction: 64kbps plus 16kbps overhead. For example, a console with 2 select/split and 1 unselect interfaces would take (3*64)+16= 208kbps from the backroom to the console position and (2*64)+16=144kbps from the console position to the backroom. 80kbps needed per virtual console loop (multicast) + 10kps per each console. For example, one virtual console loop of 10 consoles would need a bandwidth of (10*10)+80= 180 kbps from the backroom and (10*10)=100 kbps to the backroom for a total of 280 kbps. 100 Mbps minimum, full duplex Ethernet Switches and routers must be multicast aware Mission critical applications should use a dedicated network.
Data Bandwidth*
Network Infrastructure
The Acom system can tag voice traffic with DSCP (46). Other network devices should treat Acom system packets as top priority. Preferred network topology is to have the Acom system on its own dedicated network. Minimally, two distinctive network paths should be provided- one for the Acom System Primary side and one for the Secondary side. If creating disconnected networks is not possible, the deployed network may be broken into multiple VLANs. If switches do support SpanningTree PortFast option, this will aid the console connections in coming up more quickly. Note: Trunked ports should never be configured with PortFast enabled as this bypasses loop protection. It should never be enabled without Primary/Secondary network isolation of the broadcast domain.
Acom EVO console supports a form of network teaming. Depending on network design, multiple links can provide switch redundancy.
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Note
* These packet sizes do not include overhead related to VLAN or other IP options that devices might send.
The goal of making VoIP reliable is hampered when the bandwidth-to-payload ratio is unpredictable. The problem with shared private networks (even LANs) is that the combined payload is not only variable but often unpredictable and the more applications that share the network, the more unpredictable it is. The problem with public networks (like the Internet) is that the bandwidth is variable its theoretical maximum reduced by traffic from public users. If either the bandwidth or the payload is variable and the degree to which they vary is unknown then the bandwidth-to-payload ratio is unpredictable. The best network for mission-critical VoIP traffic is one in which both the bandwidth and the payload are predictable and which has ample spare bandwidth left. This means avoiding public networks, and it means knowing or controlling how much peak payload traffic all applications on a private network are generating. To help ensure a smoother deployment of Acom System, the technical staff planning and installing the network require a base set of IP skills. The planning staff needs to know how to calculate, measure, and/or control traffic on the target network, so that they can determine the peak payload being used. And they need to know the end-to-end bandwidth capability of the target IP network. This can then be compared against the payload, delay and jitter requirements of Acom System. The deployment team will need to know how to configure equipment to work on the IP network and must be familiar with IP addresses, IP ports, routers, switches, and the like. Basic computer networking skills may be sufficient if the installation is occurring only within a dedicated LAN. If an IP network includes shared traffic or multiple subnets or a WAN, then additional IT knowledge is required.
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