Advanced Digital Signal Processing is at the core of our Composer-based hardware. Our solutions simply design and deliver superb fidelity, adding value for designers, integrators, and end users.

SymNet 8×8, 8in, 8out and DigIO units use Analog Devices SHARC ADSP-21065L DSPs running at approx. 66MHz. The 8×8 has four, and the 8in, 8out and DigIO each contain two DSPs. The four DSPs in the 8×8 can deliver a theoretical maximum combined total of 786 MFLOPS (Mega Floating Point Operations Per Second).

Yes. There is a dedicated RS-232 port on the rear panel of all 8×8, 8in, 8out, DigIO and CobraLink units for this purpose. This port can be used simultaneously with the host computer connected to the front panel RS-232 port, and the rear panel RS-485 port. The Express units have a dual-purpose rear panel port. The control protocol documentation is available for download from Documentation link in the Support section of this website. The protocol can also be found in the online Help section of the SymNet Designer application.

Home Theater and Live Sound Processor
The DigIO allows up to twelve (12) digital sources to interface with a SymNet system. DigIO has onboard DSP and can act as a stand alone device as well as digital I/O expansion for a larger system. It can be used in home theater installations for speaker processing and to interface with digital mixing consoles in live sound for speaker processing or outboard EQ, dynamics and mixing/routing.

Additionally, DigIO offers an Ethernet interface if it is the master (first) device in a Ring of SymNet hardware. To simplify integration it features sample rate conversion on each input pair so digital equipment can be connected without syncing their digital clocks. And it can act as the master sync generator for a digital system via it’s Word Clock output operating at 48 kHz. If DigIO is the system clock master, sample rate conversion can be bypassed.

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HomerLink BreakOut Snake/Format Converter
HomerLink BreakOut units can be connected back-to-back to provide a bi-directional eight (8) channel (8 sends and 8 returns) digital snake up to 100 meters in length. HomerLink BreakOut hardware can also be used as format conversion between AES/EBU and TOSLINK digital formats. The Symetrix 810HLXO HomerLink Crossover Adapter is required. Each CAT5 cable provides four (4) channels (4 sends and 4 returns) of digital routing.

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There can be a maximum of 16 SymNet hardware units in a SymLink ring. This includes the 8×8 DSP, 8in DSP, 8out DSP, CobraLink, BreakIn12, Breakout12, and DigIO 12×12 DSP.

Yes, this can get confusing so it shouldn’t be attempted until users are familiar with the SymLink architecture. SymLink is a circular bus. The transmit port from one unit is connected to the receive port of the next unit using standard CAT5 cabling. You can send unique audio on this cable between any 2 units in a SymNet ring by using the “Send” object in SymNet Designer software. Every time you drop a “Send” object into a design, you have the ability to send new audio on the bus. Thus, audio can be received in a DSP unit caring a set of signals and then transmit a whole new set of signals “on the same” bus to the next device in the Ring. You must be aware of the order that SymNet devices are connected together. Please see Tech Notes for more detail concerning the re-use of SymLink busses.

DigIO 12×12 DSP Quick Start Guide

DigIO 12×12 DSP AutoCAD files

This question has a three part answer since the digital signal path through a SymNet system has three different major components.

Converter delay: Approximately 850 microseconds for the AD, and 624 microseconds for the DA.
One DSP core: Maximum delay through any given 8×8 DSP core is approximately 240 microseconds, though typically it will be much lower. The max delay through the DSP core of an 8in or 8out is 120 microseconds.

SymLink: Approximately 80 microseconds for an audio signal to travel, via SymLink, from the DSP core of one 8×8 to the unit immediately downstream. If there are any units in between, add an additional 80 microseconds for each SymNet DSP, 20 microseconds for each CobraLink and 20 microseconds for each BreakIn12 and BreakOut12.

In summary: The typical delay for a signal that goes into an analog input on an 8×8, and exits from an analog output on the same 8×8 is usually around 1.5 milliseconds.

100 meters is the longest recommended cable length.

SymNet Remote Terminal is a UDP terminal test application for testing Ethernet-based control for Symetrix products.

SymNet Remote Terminal.zip