Embarrassingly, I admit that none of my facilities have yet to enter the AoIP arena. I'm pretty sure it will happen one of these days though (maybe even sooner than I think). Both of my facilities are co-located with the transmitter site(s), and I've always wondered how AoIP performs in high RF environments (both AM & FM). Thanks.
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RFI and AoIP
- Thread starter Brian Bowers
- Start date
I don't think you have much to worry about. At least as applies to Barix and Comrex Bric-Link products, I have them in AM, FM, TV and 2-way comm sites. They don't seem to care where they are. I haven't had to use any special shielding with them. For the most part, stick your network in, do some programming, hook up the output and you've got sound.
The biggest problem I've had with AOIP is the network. In relatively stable environments, Barix can handle most chores just fine. The Bric-Link has more codecs in it, seems to perform better when PCM is your choice, and it's handles network jitter much better. They also cost more... so what you pick really depends on your environment, and budget.
I have one STL link that uses a pair of Bric-Links, hooked up, end-to-end, to the local PUD's fiber and running in AES mode. It's been up for about 5 years and not one glitch. The PUD owns the transmitter site and just about everything imaginable is up there.
The biggest problem I've had with AOIP is the network. In relatively stable environments, Barix can handle most chores just fine. The Bric-Link has more codecs in it, seems to perform better when PCM is your choice, and it's handles network jitter much better. They also cost more... so what you pick really depends on your environment, and budget.
I have one STL link that uses a pair of Bric-Links, hooked up, end-to-end, to the local PUD's fiber and running in AES mode. It's been up for about 5 years and not one glitch. The PUD owns the transmitter site and just about everything imaginable is up there.
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If you're concerned about RFI using unshielded Cat5E or Cat6 cable for Wheatstone or Axia audio consoles, I wouldn't worry too much. Like any standard practice, just be sure all your equipment grounds are bonded in a star configuration at the same potential and use balanced analog audio from any analog sources into the console. I've found that Cat5 or 6 cables have excellent common mode rejection, pretty resistant to RFI.
I have a Barix link running PCM for a local LPFM. The transmitter to studio link is via a Ubiquity radio link. So in effect we extended the studio network to the transmitter. The transmitter is about 1000' from two 50KW AM's one on 820Khz the other on 950Khz. There is a 140' run of shielded cat5e running up to the Ubiguity radio and it get hot enough to burn me on the shield (they are mostly in the air from the top of a water tank to the transmitter shed, nice big long wire antenna. I use some large ferrite core's to knock down the RF. All cables are cat5e or cat6 shielded, it's my new standard. All the interconnecting network cables have ferrite beads on both ends if it runs over 5'. And of course everything is star grounded to 3 ground rods in the ground.
For another 50KW AM running IBOC I use the same ferrite cores and shielded cat5e or 6 cable (transmitter Exgine card to exporter/importer).
I must have bought over 100 of the cores for use in high AM RF environment, it's my go to bead. So it's doable and works reliably.
For another 50KW AM running IBOC I use the same ferrite cores and shielded cat5e or 6 cable (transmitter Exgine card to exporter/importer).
I must have bought over 100 of the cores for use in high AM RF environment, it's my go to bead. So it's doable and works reliably.
Thanks everyone. Hey xmtrland, can I ask which bead is your current favorite go to? Using shielded cat5e or 6 outside near RF makes total sense to me. I'm wondering when I get around to running network cable for internal studio AoIP, if shielded cat5e or 6 is necessary, in a high RF environment. To play it safe, wouldn't it make sense to just run shielded anywhere near high RF environments?
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