Software Dante TX

• The Software Dante components are licensed elements that require a Q-SYS Feature License when included in a design deployed to a supported Q-SYS Core processor. See the Licensing topic in the Q-SYS Core Manager help.
• Your deployment must meet the network requirements for Dante, including clocking, QoS, and redundancy. See Other Networked Audio.
• When using Software Dante, the Q-SYS Core name must be 31 characters or less. This is due to an Audinate limitation that applies to any Dante device hostname.
• Software Dante component names are limited to 28 characters or less. Combined with leading channel number (two digits plus a space), Dante default channel names are therefore limited to 31 characters.

• Each Software Dante TX and RX component consumes Q-SYS Core processor Network Audio Channels and Streams. Use the File > Check Design feature to see how many network channels and streams your design uses.

• Consumption is determined by the Channel Count property and whether one or both LAN interfaces are enabled for use by Software Dante in the Design Properties: LAN A or LAN B = Non-redundant, while Both (LAN A and LAN B) = Redundant.

• Each Software Dante component consumes at least one flow, regardless of the channel count.

• Each Software Dante component appears in Audinate's Dante Controller software as a Channel Group.

Software Dante Resources: Core Maximums

	Maximum Channels	Maximum Flows	Included Channels	Licensable Tiers
Core 110f	32x32	16x16	8x8 (after March 30, 2020)	8x8, 16x16, 32x32
Core Nano, Core 8 Flex	32x32	16x16	8x8	16x16, 32x32
NV-32-H (Core Capable) in Core Mode	32x32	16x16	N/A	8x8, 16x16, 32x32
Core 510i	128x128	64x64	8x8 (after January 01, 2021)	8x8, 16x16, 32x32, 64x64, 128x128
Core 610	256x256	128x128	8x8	8x8, 16x16, 32x32, 64x64, 128x128, 256x256
Core 5200	512x512	192x192	8x8 (after January 01, 2021)	8x8, 16x16, 32x32, 64x64, 128x128, 256x256, 512x512
Core 6000 CXR	256x256, upgradeable to 512x5121	192x192	8x8	8x8, 16x16, 32x32, 64x64, 128x128, 256x256, 512x5121

1. For the Core 6000 CXR, the 512x512 license requires the Q-SYS Core 6000 CXR Scaling License. See Licensing.

Software Dante Resources: Component Maximums

These tables show the flow consumption, network channel consumption, and network stream consumption – per selected channel count – for each Software Dante component in your design. You can drag in multiple Software Dante components into your design up to the maximum channel count supported by your Core model and licensed tier.

 

1. Read the Requirements section before proceeding.
2. From the Inventory > Streaming I/O menu, add Software Dante TX to your inventory list.
3. Configure the component Properties.
4. Drag the Status/Control component into your schematic.
5. Connect output audio pins from one or more audio components in your design to the input audio pins of the Software Dante TX component.
6. In File > Design Properties, configure the Interface for Software Dante. See the Design Properties topic for information.
7. Press F5 to save and run your design to the Core.
8. Double-click the Software Dante TX component to open its control panel.
9. Configure Names and Flows for transmission. See Controls.
10. Configure other Dante devices on the network to receive audio flows from the Software Dante TX component. (The Device name will always be the Q-SYS Core processor name.)

Input Pins

Channel 1 - n

Audio signal pins are represented by a () circle, and traditional wiring is represented by a thin black line.

By default, the Software Dante RX is set to 8 audio input channels. You can choose between 8, 16, or 32.

Output Pins

This component does not have any output pins.

Name

The Name may contain ASCII letters 'a' through 'z' (case-insensitive), the digits '0' through '9', and the hyphen. Names cannot begin or end with a hyphen. No other symbols, punctuation characters, or blank spaces are permitted.

Location

User-defined name that groups the component with other components in the same physical location, or in the same organizational scheme.

Channel Count

The number of output channels: 8 (default), 16, or 32. The number of usable channels is determined by the Software Dante feature license – refer to the Licensing topic in the Q-SYS Core Manager help.

External Config/Control

Determines whether Dante configuration is allowed by an external program, such as Dante Controller:

• When set to Yes, you configure Dante with an external program. In this mode, some controls within the Software Dante TX component in Q-SYS Designer become read-only.
• When set to No (default), you configure Dante with the Software Dante TX component in Q-SYS Designer. In this mode, any changes you make in an external program are ignored.

Tip: You can set this property individually for Software Dante TX and RX.

Graphic Properties

Label

Use the Label property to change the name of the component in the schematic. The Label property defaults to the component name. To learn more about renaming schematic elements, see Organizing Your Design.

Position

The coordinates reference a specific place in the schematic - for example,"100,100" (horizontal, vertical). 0,0 is the upper left corner of the schematic.

Fill

Sets the fill color of the component in the schematic.

Script Access Properties

Code Name

Displays the currently assign name for control access. You can use the auto-assigned name or customize it. Q-SYS will automatically check all Code Names in the design to ensure name is unique.

Script Access

Defines whether the component will be accessible by script and/or externally, or not at all. Choices include All, External, None (default), and Script.

• None (default) - Not accessible by any script, plugin, or by Q-SYS Remote Control Protocol (QRC).
• Script - Can be accessed by scripts, such as Text Controller, Block Controllers, and plugins only.
• External - Can only be accessed by 3rd party controls systems using component commands from the Q-SYS Remote Control Protocol (QRC).
• All - No restrictions, can be accessed by 3rd party control systems via Q-SYS Remote Control Protocol (QRC), or script objects or plugin objects.

Tip: Use Script Programmer Mode to quickly view the Script Access setting directly on the component in the design schematic without the need to disconnect from the Q-SYS Core processor.

Dante

Peak Output Level (dBFS)

Measures the audio peak output level before transmission, from -120 dB to 27.0 dB.

Digital

Clip

Red LED indicating if the signal is being clipped.

Clip Hold

Holds the clip indication until manually cleared.

Invert

Inverts the polarity of the audio signal.

Mute

Mutes the digital audio signal.

Gain

Controls the gain of the digital audio signal, from -100 dB to 20.0 dB (default is 0).

Status

Component status is conveyed with the Status LED and Status box, which uses both color and text to indicate the current condition:

• OK: The device is functioning normally.
• Initializing: The device is in the process of a firmware or configuration update, or the design is starting.
• Compromised: The device is functioning, but a non-fatal problem exists. Refer to the Status box for details.
• Missing: The device cannot be discovered.
• Fault: The device is malfunctioning or is not properly configured. Refer to the Status box for details.
• Unknown: This status appears during a Core reboot (for example, during a firmware update), or when a design is being uploaded to the Core and before it has started running.
• Not Present: If applicable to the device, this status appears when the device is not connected to the network and its Is Required component property is set to 'No'. This status also appears if the device component's Dynamically Paired property is set to 'Yes', pairing has not been assigned in Core Manager, and the device component's Is Required property is set to 'Yes'. See Dynamic Pairing.

Transmit

Name

The name of the output channel on a device, also called the Active Name.

When the External Config/Control property is set to 'No':

• You can specify a custom channel name, which must be less than or equal to 31 characters and cannot contain '.' , '=', or '@' characters.
• If you either don't provide a custom name or clear an existing Name control, the default name is used, which is the <channel number>[space]<component name>. For example, if the Software Dante TX component Name (set in Properties) is "MySoftwareDanteTX", the default name for Channel 1 would be "01 MySoftwareDanteTX".
• Custom channel names must be unique within the design, across all Software Dante TX components.

When the External Config/Control property is set to 'Yes', the Name control is read-only. Use Audinate's Dante Controller software to set the name.

Note: If you either upgrade an existing design to Q-SYS 9.2 or change the name of the Software Dante TX component (set in Properties) after a design has already been run, the current channel Names (formerly called Labels) remain intact to preserve existing subscriptions.

Flow

The name of the flow. Usage depends on the setting for Properties > External Config/Control:

If External Config/Control is set to 'No' (default):

• The default is "Auto". The channel will use an automatically configured unicast flow. If a channel is being transmitted via multiple unicast flows, those flow numbers are indicated – for example: "Auto Unicast: 1, 3".
• If you enter a string other than "Auto", the channel is added to the multicast flow with the specified name.
• A new flow is created if one doesn't already exist with that name.
• The flow name must be less than or equal to 31 characters and cannot contain '.' , '=', or '@' characters.
• Flow names are component-specific. Multiple components can use the same multicast flow name, which creates a new flow unique to that component.

If External Config/Control is set to 'Yes', flow control is read-only, and displays the flow info for the channel as configured in Dante Controller.

Config

Device Name

This is a read-only value, set to the name of the Q-SYS Core processor.

Tx Flows

Displays the number of flows currently used out of the maximum. The maximum number of flows is determined by the Channel Count property. Refer to the 'Channel and Stream Usage' section.

Interface

Indicates what network interface on the Q-SYS Core is being used to transmit Software Dante audio. Configure the interface in File > Design Properties.

Names and Flows > Clear All

Click to clear all channel Names and reset Flows back to "Auto".

Pin Name	Value	String	Position	Pins Available
Channel n
Clip	0 1	false true	0 1	Output
Clip Hold	0 1	false true	0 1	Input / Output
Gain	-100 to 20	-100 dB to 20 dB	0.000 to 1.00	Input / Output
Invert	0 1	normal inverted	0 1	Input / Output
Level	-120 to 27	-120dB to 27.0dB	-	Output
Mute	0 1	unmuted muted	0 1	Input / Output
Tx Flow	(text)			Input / Output
Tx Name	(text)			Input / Output
Clear All	(trigger)			Input / Output
Dante Interface	-	LAN A LAN B Both	-	Output
Dante Name	(text)			Output
Output Status	0 1 2 3 4 5	OK (Green) Compromised (Orange) Fault (Red) Not Present (Gray) Missing (Red) Initializing (Blue)	-	Output
Tx Flows	-	n/n	-	Output