Seria switchy L2 SWP2 z 10G Uplink oraz wsparciem Dante 96 kHz

On February 5, 2019, Yamaha Corporation announced the addition of two new SWP2 series L2 switches to the Yamaha professional audio lineup, both optimized for use with Dante-equipped audio devices.

Audio networking is becoming commonplace in large hall, stadium, and outdoor concert sound systems where many devices must communicate over a large area. Since 2012, when the CL series digital mixing consoles were released, Yamaha has led the audio networking evolution with the introduction of numerous pro audio devices that feature Audinate’s Dante networking capability built in, allowing low-latency transfer of multi-channel digital audio.

Yamaha network switches and routers have been adopted by a wide range of businesses for SOHO and medium-scale network applications since Yamaha entered the router market in 1995. The network visibility features of Yamaha switches are highly valued for the ease and efficiency they bring to network maintenance and management.

While maintaining the acclaimed setup ease, operating convenience, and reliability provided by the existing SWP1 series models, the newly announced SWP2 series switches add dual 10G uplink ports with opticalCON connectors. They also offer the bandwidth needed to provide stable Dante networking at 96 kHz without dropouts or delays, even over long distances.

A simple “Optimize for Dante” switch setting makes it easy to set up for stable Dante network operation. The same settings can be made with standard intelligent switches, but some expertise in network technology and operation is required. The SWP2 series network switches allow the relevant settings for stable Dante network operation (QoS, EEE, IGMP Snooping, and others) to be optimized via a single DIP switch. The inclusion of 10G uplink ports is another advantage, providing ample bandwidth for Dante networks running at 96 kHz.

Both of the new SWP2 series switches support long-distance data transmission via two optical modules with opticalCON connectors. The opticalCON connectors on the SWP2-10MMF model support multi mode fiber connections, while those on the SWP2-10SMF support single mode fiber connections. This allows reliable communication between Dante devices over distances exceeding 100 meters, without loss or signal degradation due to electromagnetic interference. Two optical fiber cables can be connected and link aggregation activated to provide trunk line redundancy via spanning tree (MSTP) protocol.

For efficient network utilization it is advisable to provide separate VLAN subdivisions for smart devices running control applications such as StageMix and audio data when both will be connected via the same Dante network. SWP2 series switches include three built-in VLAN presets that can be quickly selected via a DIP switch. A USER mode that enables custom VLAN setup is also provided.

The dedicated Yamaha LAN Monitor* application for Windows provides visual monitoring of network load, switch status, Dante device info, and other information essential to Dante network management via a single central display. It is possible to take a “snapshot” of normal operating status and trigger an alert if any variation from the norm is detected, so that problems can be quickly identified and rectified. Indicators on the SWP2 switches clearly show which connectors are assigned to which VLAN subdivisions.

* Yamaha LAN Monitor V1.3.6 and above supported.

All models are rack mountable. To prevent accidental disconnection at temporary installations, the SWP2 models are fitted with etherCON and opticalCON network connectors, and a V-lock compatible AC connector is provided for the power supply. An XLR-4-32 type EXT DC INPUT connector is also provided for an optional PA-700 power supply unit (+24V) in situations where power supply redundancy is required.

* The PA-700 can also be used with the EXT DC INPUT on SWP1 series switches and RSio64D I/O rack units.

Yoshi Tsugawa, general manager of the Yamaha PA division comments: “Yamaha began manufacturing network products for the IT market 20 years ago, and currently has a majority share of the domestic SOHO router market. In recent years those products have become indispensable in the audio networking field as well. More Dante networks are being operated at 96 kHz, and system scale has increased markedly. We are confident that the SWP2 series will prove to be an ideal solution for high-performance Dante audio networks of any size.”