Frequently Asked Questions

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Knowledge Base > Discontinued Products > ARC-EX4

How many ARCs can I daisy-chain together?

The number of ARCs that can be daisy chained together will vary depending on the type of ARCs used and the cable lengths.  Download Link: ARC Power Calculator.

Is there a template available to help me label the buttons on my Modular ARC?

Below is a PDF form which can be downloaded to your computer and used to produce labels for your Modular ARC (SW4, SWK, MIC, XLR and EX4 panels). Download the file linked below to your computer. Open the file with Adobe Acrobat. If you do not have Acrobat on your computer, it is freely available from Adobe. Once you have opened the document, you may type directly into the button label fields. The label text will auto-size from one large character to no more than three lines of eight characters each. Once you have typed up the labels you require, you may save your work for future use or print to the printer and paper of your choice..

SW4 Label Template

What cables are required to connect to ARCs?

A single standard straight-through CAT-5/6 cable will provide power and data to an ARC from the host DSP.  The daisy-chain to subsequent ARCs also uses CAT-5/6.

Legacy DSPs that pre-date the ARC Port (RJ-45) communicate to ARCs with a twisted-pair (A, B, Ground) for RS-485 data.  In this scenario a local external transformer provides up to 24VDC to the ARC.

ARC Power Calculator

An ARC’s power requirements vary depending on the voltage supplied to it. For example, an ARC-2e at 24V DC uses approximately 55 mA, while at 7V DC it uses approximately 170 mA maximum. As the voltage varies from 24 to 7 VDC, the current requirement increases accordingly. ARCs can be daisy-chained and fed power over this daisy-chain from an ARC-PSe or other device. However, as the length of the cable increases, so does the resistive line loss, which lowers the voltage available at each subsequent ARC. The actual power drain on each output from the powering device can vary substantially depending on the number of ARCs and the distance each of them is separated by. In order to assist with system design, Symetrix has available a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet that can help a system designer determine power requirements based upon cable length, number of ARCs and the power supply to be used.

Download Link: ARC Power Calculator.

What direction is ARC-Audio sent?

One channel of audio can be sent either way.

What distance can an ARC be from the host DSP?

The distance varies greatly depending on the type of ARC, the gauge of the cable, and the number of arcs chained together.  Download Link: ARC Power Calculator.

Where can I find a Quick Start Guide for the Modular ARCs (ARC-K1, ARC-SW4, ARC-SWK, ARC-XLR, ARC-MIC, ARC-EXK and ARC-EX4)?

What types of parameters can ARCs control?

ARCs are extremely flexible and can be assigned virtually any real-time parameters depending on what host DSP it is controlling.  Generally ARCs are used for volumes, buttons, and presets.

How do I upgrade ARC firmware in Designer?

ARC firmware is managed in Designer in the Controller Manager.

Tools > Controller Manager.

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