ALP-AES67 - Soundcard Digigram - Free user manual and instructions

Product Type	Professional multi-channel soundcard with AES67 connectivity
Bus Interface	PCI Express x1 (low profile, compatible with x2, x4, x8, x16)
Dimensions	168 mm x 69 mm x 20 mm
Weight	Approximately 100 g (estimate)
Power Consumption	+3.3 V / +12 V: 0.4 A / 0.3 A
Audio Channels	64 playback & 64 recording channels at 44.1/48 kHz; 32 at 88.2/96 kHz; 16 at 176.4/192 kHz
Audio Formats	PCM 16, 24, 32 bits
Sampling Rates	44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4, 192 kHz (configurable via Windows Device Manager)
Network Connectivity	4 x Gbps RJ-45 Ethernet ports (2 on main board, 2 on expansion board)
Network Protocols	AES67, RAVENNA, ST 2110, ST 2022-7 (redundancy), PTP
Embedded Routing Matrix	128 x 128 internal routing matrix for flexible signal distribution
Main Functions	Multi-channel audio playback and recording, low latency, multi-card support, embedded web server for AoIP configuration
Driver Support	Windows: WASAPI, DirectSound, ASIO (32/64-bit); Linux: ALSA
Operating Systems	Windows 10 64-bit (20H2 and later), Ubuntu 20.04/22.04, Debian 11/12, RHEL 9
Maintenance and Cleaning	Handle with ESD precautions; clean with a dry cloth; no liquid cleaners
Safety Precautions	ESD-sensitive; avoid transporting card installed in PC without securing mechanism; ensure proper grounding
Certifications	Designed to comply with EMC Directive 2014/30/EU and FCC Rules Part 15 Subpart B (certification in progress)
Environmental Conditions	Operating: 0°C to +50°C, 5% to 90% humidity (non-condensing); Storage: -5°C to +70°C, 0% to 95% humidity
Box Contents	ALP-AES67 soundcard with low-profile bracket, expansion card for 2 Eth ports with low-profile bracket, standard height bracket, flat ribbon cable

Frequently Asked Questions - ALP-AES67 Digigram

What is the ALP-AES67 card?

The ALP-AES67 is a professional multi-channel soundcard from Digigram that supports AES67, RAVENNA, and ST 2110 protocols. It fits into a PCI Express slot and provides up to 64 audio channels for playback and recording.

How do I install the ALP-AES67 card in my computer?

First, ensure the correct bracket (low-profile or standard) is attached. Then insert the card firmly into an available PCIe x1, x4, x8, or x16 slot. Secure it to the chassis. If using the expansion board, install it in an adjacent slot and connect via the ribbon cable. Finally, install the driver from the ALP-X Kit.

What drivers are available for the ALP-AES67?

Under Windows, the ALP-X Kit provides a WDM driver (WASAPI/DirectSound) and an optional ASIO driver (32/64-bit). Under Linux, the ALSA driver is included in the kernel for supported distributions (Ubuntu 20.04/22.04, Debian 11/12, RHEL 9).

How can I configure the network and AoIP parameters?

The ALP-AES67 features an embedded web server accessible via its Ethernet ports. Use a tool like MT Discovery to find the card's IP address, then open a web browser to configure general settings, PTP, session sources/sinks, routing, and NMOS.

What is the maximum number of audio channels supported?

At 44.1/48 kHz, the card supports 64 playback and 64 recording channels. At 88.2/96 kHz, it supports 32 channels each. At 176.4/192 kHz, it supports 16 channels each.

How do I update the firmware on the ALP-AES67?

Firmware updates are performed via the AVS-Monitor application (from Auvitran). Connect the PC running AVS-Monitor to the same network as the ALP-AES67, select the NIC, then use the Firmware Manager to update. After updating, restart the host PC.

Can I use multiple ALP cards in one system?

Yes, up to eight ALP cards can be installed and managed simultaneously via the ALP-X Manager application. Each card appears as a separate device with its own set of playback/recording devices. The ASIO driver can combine channels from multiple cards.

How do I adjust the internal latency of the card?

Open Windows Device Manager, find the ALP-AES67 under 'Sound, video and game controllers', right-click and select Properties. In the Advanced tab, adjust the 'Internal buffer' size (in samples). A lower value reduces latency but may cause audio glitches on slower systems.

What should I do to prevent electrostatic discharge (ESD) damage?

Always handle the card on an earthed conductive surface. Use an anti-static wrist strap or hold an earthed object. Unplug all power and signal sources before handling. Store the card in an anti-static bag when not in use.

Does the ALP-AES67 support redundant network connections?

Yes, in the web interface's General settings, you can enable 'Multi-interface mode' for ST 2022-7 redundancy. When enabled, both Ethernet interfaces can be used to send/receive redundant streams, providing seamless failover.

USER MANUAL ALP-AES67 Digigram

UserManual ALP-AES67

Two GIGRAM 3.2G RAM devices shown from top and bottom views, no visible text or symbols on the hardware surfaces.

Professionalmulti-channelsoundcardwith AES67connectivity

June,2024

Author	Date	Status
SBT	04/06/2024	Released

TABLEOFCONTENTS

1 INTRODUCTION....4
2 IMPORTANT NOTICE....5
3 BOX CONTENTS....6
4 GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS....6

4.1 Main hardware characteristics....6
4.2 Main software characteristics....6

5 REQUIRED CONFIGURATION....7

5.1 Required hardware configuration....7
5.2 Necessary software configuration under Windows....9
5.3 Necessary software configuration under Linux.... 11

6 HARDWARE INSTALLATION....12

6.1 Preparing the card.... 12
6.2 Installing the card in the PC....13
6.3 Internal LEDs....14

7 SOFTWARE INSTALLATION UNDER WINDOWS....15

7.1 Very first installation....15
7.2 Updating the driver version....16
7.3 Updating the firmware....16
7.4 Verifying the card installation.... 16
7.5 Adjusting the internal latency of the card....19
7.6 Replacing a card....20
7.7 Changing the order of installed cards....20

8 UNINSTALLING THE DRIVER UNDER WINDOWS....21

9CONFIGURINGTHECARDUNDERWINDOWSVIATHEALP-XMANAGERAPPLICATION....22

9.1 Installed ALP cards....22
9.2 Sampling clock....22
9.3 Input and output vu-meters....23
9.4 Firmware update procedure....24
9.5 Creating, saving and loading setting sessions....26
9.6 Keyboard shortcuts....26

10 ASIO CONTROL PANEL for Windows....27

11 ALP-AES67 principles....29

11.1 Embedded routing matrix....29
11.2 Clock....29

CONFIGURATION OF THE AoIP PARAMETERS....30

12.1 General settings.... 31
12.2 PTP settings....32
12.3 ASIO Clock....33
12.4 Session sinks.... 37
12.5 Ins / Outs....39
12.6 I/O Router....39
12.7 Statistics....40
12.8 NMOS....41

12.9 System....42

13 SPECIFICATIONS....43

13.1 Configuration....43
13.2 Audio characteristics....43
13.3 Connectors....43
13.4 Development environment....43

14 APPENDICES....44

14.1 LEDs....44
14.2 Connectors....46

1INTRODUCTION

ThisdocumentdescribestheinstallationanduseoftheDigigramPCIExpressALP-AES67cardunder WindowsandLinux.

ThiscardispartoftheALP-Xprofessionalsoundcardsrange.

Copyright2024Digigram.Allrightsreserved.

NopartofthismanualmaybereproducedwithoutthepriorconsentofDigigram. Thisreservationincludes photocopying,translatingand/orreformattingtheinformationcontainedinthismanual.

Everythingpossiblehasbeendonetoensurethegreatestaccuracy,howeverDiagramcannotbeheldliable foranyerrororomissionandreservestherighttomakemodificationsandimprovementswithoutprior notice.

DigigramandtheDigigramlogo,ALP-AES67aretrademarksorbrandnamesofDigigramDigital.Allother marksareownedbytheirrespectivecompanies.

2IMPORTANTNOTICE

Certifications

Theproductiscurrentlybeingcertified.

Thisproducthasbeendesignedinaccordancewiththefollowingstandards:

• EMCDirective2014/30/EU.
- FCCRulesPart15,SubpartB.

Toensurecompliancewiththestandardslistedabove,thefollowingrulesmustbefollowed:

• Thecablesuppliedmustnotbemodified.
• The additional cables used must have their respective shielding connected at each end.

Caution

Anelectrostaticdischarge(ESD)candamagethecardcomponents.Takethe followingprecautionstoavoidsuchdamagewhenhandlingthecard:

Connectthecardandeverythingenteringintocontactwithittotheearthpotentialbyprovidinga conductivesurfaceanddischargepaths.Taketheseprecautionsasaminimum:

• Unplugallpowerandsignalsources.
• Placethecardonanearthedconductiveworksurface.
• Connecttotheearthpotentialusingananti-staticstraporbyholdinganearthedobject.
• Earthallthetoolsenteringintocontactwiththecard.

GiventheshortenedlengthofthePCIEXPRESS ^TM connectorandtheresultinglackof mechanicalstability, westronglyadviseagainsttransportingthecardsinstalledina computer, unlessitschassisorcasehasadeviceforholdingthecardfirmlyinplacetoavoid materialdamage.

3BOXCONTENTS

ThankyouforpurchasingaDIGIGRAMsoundcardintheALP-Xrange.

Theboxcontains:

• TheALP-AES67soundcardequippedwithalow-profilebracket(79.2mm),
• Theexpansioncardfor2Ethportsequippedwithalowprofilebracket (theexpansioncardcanbelinkedtothemainboardviatheflatriboncable).
• astandardheightbracket(fullheight:120mm)thatcanbefittedinsteadofthelowprofile one, and thatreceivesthefourEthports

4GENERALCHARACTERISTICS

ALP-AES67isalowprofilePCIEXPRESS operateinPCIe®x1,x4,x8orx16slots.

^TM x1soundcard.Itcanbeinsertedintoandtherefore

4.1 Mainhardware characteristics

• LowprofilePClex1
• TwoGbpsEthportsofthemainboard(PCleslot).
• Twoadditionalportsontheexpansionboard.
• Themainboardandtheexpansionboardcanhavetheirownlowprofilebrackets.
• Themainboardandtheexpansionboardcanusethesamestandardheightbracket.
  • Inter-cardsynchronisation

4.2 Mainsoftwarecharacteristics

• 64 playback channels&64 recording channels at 44.1 and 48 kHz 32 playback channels&32 recording channels at 88.2 and 96 kHz 16 playback channels&16 recording channels at 176.4 and 192 kHz. Simultaneous acquisition and playback in PCM (8, 16 and 24 bit)

- TheavailableEthportscanbeusedinswitchorredundantmode

• Lowlatencymulti-cardandmulti-applicationsdrivers -Wasapi/DirectSound, and ASIOunderWindows -AlsadriverunderLinux
• "ALP-XManager"applicationinstalledwiththeWindowsdriver
• EmbeddedWEBserverforconfigurationofthenetworkandstreamparameters

5REQUIREDCONFIGURATION

5.1 Requiredhardwareconfiguration

TherearenoparticularhardwarerestrictionsintermsofPConusingtheALPcardanditsdriver.The PCcanhavestandardheightorlowprofilePCIecardslots.

APCIEXPRESS ^TM (PCIe®)x1,x4,x8orx16slotmustbeavailabletopluginthecard.

The processing power and memory required depend mainly on the operating system and the applications used on the PC.

Note: The driver of the card report to the OS that it does not manage the Sleep mode. As a consequence, the PC should not go to sleep mode.

IncasethePCgoestosleepmodeunderWindows,pleaseproceedasfollowstodisablethesleep mode.

ThewindowssleepmodeforthePCIebusmustbedisabled.

GotoWindowsSettings,System,andselect"Power&sleep".

SelectNever"fortheoption"Putthecomputertosleep".

Onthesamewindow, clickon "Additionalpowersettings".

		Clickon“Changeplan settings”infrontof “Balanced(recommended)”
		Select“Changeadvanced powersettings”.
		Select“PCIExpress”,“Link StatePowerManagement”, andselect“Off”forthe setting.ClickonOktovalidate

5.2 NecessarysoftwareconfigurationunderWindows

ALPcardsoperateunderWindowsfrom64-bitversionsofWindows10fromversion20H2.

TouseyourALP-Xcard,youmustinstallthedriverincludedintheinstallationkit"ALP-XKit". Download the latest version from the digigram website from the ALP-AES67 card support page. ThisdriversupportsalltheALPcards.

The"ALP-XKit"installerisusedtoinstallthefollowingcomponents:

• a64-bitWDMdriverofferingtheWASAPIandDirectSoundapplicationinterfaces,
• an ASIO driver (32 bits and 64 bits), with its "ALP-X ASIO Settings" configuration interface. Installing this component is optional,
• the "ALP-X Manager" application, which serves to adjust/view the ALP-X cards settings.. Installing this component is optional.

InyourWindowssystem,Itmaybenecessarytoallowtheapplicationstoaccesstheinput audiodevicesofthesoundcards. Pleaseproceedasfollows:

• GototheWindowsSettings, and select Privacy.
• Select"Microphone"
• Activate the option "Allow apps to access your microphone" as shown here-after:

Itisalsonecessarytohavethe"WindowsAudioEndpointBuilder"runningunderWindows sothattheWASAPIaudiodevicescanbeused..OnsomeWindowssetups,thisservicemay notbeactivatedbydefault.

Tocheckthis, gototheComputerManagementpanel, Services, and browsetotheline WindowsAudioEndpointBuilder.

DoubleclickonWindowsAudioEndpointBuildertodisplayitsproperties.

From the "Servicestatus" section, if the displayed status is not running, click on Start and then OK. Click on Cancel otherwise.

5.3NecessarysoftwareconfigurationunderLinux

ALPcardsaresupportedunderthefollowingLinuxdistributions,fromthementionedversions:

Ubuntu:

20.04 - kernel 5.15

22.04 - kernel 6.5

Debian

11 - kernel 5.10

12 - kernel 6.1

RHEL 9

kernel 5.14

IncaseyouneedtorunthedriverunderanotherLinuxdistribution,pleasecontactDigigramtoget thesourcecode.

In caseyouexperienceissuesforcompiling/runningthedriveronyourLinuxdistribution,we proposeaservicetoprovideyouwiththeappropriatedriver;pleasecontactDigigram.

6HARDWAREINSTALLATION

GiventheshortenedlengthofthePCIEXPRESS ™ connectorandtheresultinglackofmechanical stability, westronglyadviseagainststransportingthecardsinstalledinacomputer, unlessitfeatures aspecificdeviceforholdingthecardfirmlyinplacetoavoidmaterialdamage.

Thecardmustbeinsertedinthecomputerbeforeinstallingitsdriver.

6.1 Preparingthecard

Beforeattachingthecardinthecomputer,makesurethecardhastherightbracket(lowprofileor standardprofile).

Standardheightconfigurations

Bydefault, the card is delivered with the standard profile bracket mounted.

Lowprofileconfigurations

Thecardcanbeusedwithorwithouttheexpansionboard.Theexpansioncarddoesnotneeda PCIeconnector,butoccupiestheslotofaPCIecard,anditcanbeinstalledoneithersideofthe ALP-AES67board.

		Onthebackofthecard,unscrewthe4screws holdingthetopradiatorinplace. Gentlyremovetheradiator.
		Liftupthebrowncoveroftheconnectoron themainboardtoremovetheribboncable fromthemainboard.
		Unscrewthe4screws,andremovethe standardprofilebracket,andremovethe bracket.
		Installthelowprofilebracketonthemain board,andscrewit.Ifyouneedtousetheexpansionboard, installtheotherlowprofilebracketonit.
		Ifyouneedtousetheexpansionboard, gentlyinserttheribboncableonthe connector(bluesectionoftheribboncable faceup)andclosetheclipthatholdsthe connectioncableinplace.
		Positiontheradiatoronthemainboard,and screwitonthebackofthemainboard(4 screws).
		Onthetable,placetheexpansionboardbelow themainboard,

6.2 InstallingthecardinthePC

InsertthecardintheavailablePCleslotandpresstopositionitfirmly. Incasethecardisusedwithitsexpansionboard, andwithlowprofilebracket,

- placetheexpansionboardbelowthemainboard,

Close-up of a server rack with two Ethernet ports and indicator lights (no visible text or labels)

- placetheminthePC(onlythemainboardisinsertedaPCIeslot).

Tightenthescrew(s)fixingthebracket(s)tothechassisorlockthecard(s)usingthedeviceprovided forthispurposeonyourcomputer.

ThecardsmustbefirmlyattachedtothePCchassis.

6.3InternalLEDs

TheALPcardfeaturestwointernalLEDsontheedgeofitsmotherboard,asshownbelow.Thestate oftheseLEDscanbeseenwhenthePCcoverisopen.

Ifthecardanditson-boardfirmwareareinitialisedcorrectly,LED1mustbelitsolidgreen,andLED2mustflasheverysecond(1Hz).

IfLED2flashesfaster(twicepersecond-2Hz), this mean that the firmware version that has been uploaded to the card is corrupted, and the card is running the backup factory firmware version. It is then necessary to install the appropriate firmware version.

7SOFTWAREINSTALLATIONUNDERWINDOWS

IMPORTANT

Toinstallthesoftware,youmusthaveadministratorrightsonthecomputer.

Please visit the Digigram website at www.digigram.com to obtain them most recent driver.

ShouldyouuseaspecificapplicationdevelopedorinstalledbyaDigigrampartner, this may mean using as specific driver version. In this case, confirm with your applications supplier which driver version to use.

Anydriverdownloadedfromourwebsitehastobeunpackedbeforeinstallingit.Doubleclickonthe downloadedfiletostarttheauto-extractionutility.Youcanchoosethedefaultdestination (temporaryWindowsfolder)orselectanotherone.

7.1 Veryfirstinstallation

• SwitchoffthecomputerandinserttheALPcard(s)inanavailablePCleslot.
• Restartthecomputer.
• ClickonCancelifthe"Newdevicedetected"wizardappears.
• DoubleclickontheALPdriverinstallationfile"ALP-XKitvxx.exe"

	ClickonNexttocontinuewiththe installation.
	Clickon"Iagree"tocontinuewiththe installation.
	Inthiswindow,selectthecomponentstobe installedinadditiontothecarddriver.ALP-XManager:applicationusedto configurethesettingsoftheALPcard(s) installed.Somesoftwareprogramsmayhavebeen designedwiththeALPcardsettings controlsbuiltin.Inthiscase,itmaybe recommendednottoinstalltheALP-X Managerapplication.ALP-XASIOSettings:thisapplicationis usedtoconfiguretheASIOdriversettings.Thereisnoneedtoinstallitif noapplicationreliantontheASIO interfaceisused.
	Thedriverisinstalledbydefaultinthefolder "C:\ProgramFiles(x86)\Digigram\ALP-X". Tochangethisfolder,clickonBrowse and selectanewdestination. ClickonInstalltocontinuewiththe installation.
	Thedriverandselectedcomponentsare beinginstalled.

7.2 Updatingthedriverversion

If you want to install anewdriver version, double click on thenew driver installation file "ALP-XKit vxx.exe" (seethedetailed procedure in the herein above chapter "Veryfirst installation").

7.3 Updating the firmware

TheALPcardfeaturestwoon-boardfirmware:the"AES67"dedicatedfirmware,andtheboard firmware.UpdatingthefirmwarecanbedonefromtheAVS-Monitorapplication(seechapter Firmwareupdateprocedure).Bothfirmwarecanbeupdatedfromthisapplication.

7.4 Verifying the card installation

Oncethedriverandcardhavebeeninstalledaspertheprocessdescribedhereinabove,youcan verifythatthecardisinstalledcorrectlyandworkingproperly.

7.4.1 Presenceofplaybackandrecordingdevices

TheaudiodevicesexposedbythecarddriverarevisibleontheWindowsSoundpanel.Toopenit,rightclickontheloudspeakericonintheWindowstaskbarandselect"Sounds":

Theaudiodevicesexposedbythecarddriverarevisiblefromthe"Play"and"Record"tabs.

IfthecarddevicesarenotlistedintheWindowsSoundcontrolpanel:

• MakesurethatthecardisinsertedcorrectlyinthePCIslotandscrewedtothecomputer chassis.
• Try to uninstall the ALP-X Kit (from the Windows control panel, Applications) and re-install it.

PlaybacktoanoutputdeviceoftheALP-AES67canbetestedbyrightclickingonthisdeviceandselecting"Test".TheVU-metermustthenshowmodulation.

If several cards are installed, their devices have the same names (ALPPLAY and ALPREC), but then are of the card associated with each device differs (different card name, no index for the

firstcard, and index starting from 2 for the following card so fthes a memodel). In the example below, the first card in the PCIe slot enumeration order is an ALP-AES67, the second card is an ALP442e, and the third card is an ALP882e.

Firstcard:ALP-AES67	Secondcard:ALP442e	Thirdcard:ALP882e
ALPPLAY1-2DigigramALP-AES67ALPPLAY3-4DigigramALP-AES67...ALPPLAY63-64DigigramALP-AES67	ALPPLAY1-2DigigramALP442eALPPLAY3-4DigigramALP442e...ALPPLAY7-8DigigramALP442e	ALPPLAY1-2DigigramALP882eALPPLAY3-4DigigramALP882e...ALPPLAY15-16DigigramALP882e

7.4.2 Carddetected by the Digigram ALP-X Manager application

TheALP-XManagerapplication, installedwiththedriver,isusedtocontroland/orviewtheALPcard settingsviaagraphicinterface.Thisapplicationcanbelaunchedfromtheshortcutcreatedonthe desktoporfromthestartmenu,Digigramgroup.Thecardmustappearasbelowifitanditsdriver areinstalledcorrectly.NotethatamaximumofeightALPcardscanbedisplayedandhandledin ALP-XManager.

7.4.3 Cardavailability under ASIO

If the ASIO driver forthecard has been installed (option to be selected during the installation procedure), thenthe card must be detected and displayed in the ASIO control panel. The control panel can be opened from the ASIO-based software application.

AllthepresentALPcardsmustbelistedinthe"ACTIVECARDSGROUP"selectionlist.

7.5Adjustingtheinternallatencyofthecard

Theinternallatencyofthecardisdeterminedbythedurationofsamplebuffersthecardexchanges withthePCforplaybackandrecordingaudiostreams.Bydefault,thisdurationis32samplingclock periods(0.67msat48kHz).

Thelowertheinternallatency, the lowertheglobalatency of the card. However, a very low latency may lead to "choppy" audio on slow PCs. In this case it is necessary to increase the internallatency.

Theinternallatencyofthecardcanbechangedbyelectingthepropertiesofthecard,fromthe WindowsDeviceManager:

RightclickontheALPcard, andselectProperties, Advanced. The following window is displayed:

Withaudioprocessingtimelog: Thisoptionistobeusedonlyfordebugging purposes(debugview).Donotactivateit unlessrequestedbyDigigramtechnical support.

Stats: Thesedisplayedvaluesareonlyfor technicalinvestigationpurposes.

Internalbuffer:Sizeofthebuffers exchangedbetweenthecardandthedriver. Thesizeisexpressedinsamples(ex:at48 kHz, avalueof48correspondsto1msbuffer). Valuesarefrom10samplesto384samples. Itimpactsthelatencyofthedriver.

Internalbufferquantity:Definesthe numberofbuffersusedbythedriver.This parameterdoesnotimpactthelatency.

Pre-filledPlaybackbuffers: Thisparameters should not be modified. It impacts the latency of the driver.

Samplingrate: Selectthesamplingrate of the ALP-AES67 card. The ALP-X Manager application must be closed before selecting a newsampling rate value.

Selectthenewvalue, andclickon "Ok".

ThePCmustberestarted.

7.6Replacingacard

IfanALPcardhastobereplacedbyanotherone,itisstronglyrecommendedtoproceedasfollows:

• TurnoffthePC.
• Removethecardtobereplaced.
• RestartthePC.
• GototheWindowsDeviceManager, and select "Sound, video and game controllers". From the "View" menu, select "Show Hiddende devices". Select the ALP card that washidden and select "Uninstall".
• TurnoffthePC.
• Insertthenewcard.
• RestartthePC.

7.7Changingtheorderofinstalledcards

If several ALP cards are installed, and you want to move cards from ones lot to another, it is strongly recommended to proceed as follows:

• TurnoffthePC.
• Removethecardstobemoved.
• RestartthePC.
• GototheWindowsDeviceManager, and select "Sound, video and game controllers". From the "View" menu, select "Show Hiddende devices". Select the ALP card that were hidden and select "Uninstall".
• TurnoffthePC.
• Insertthecardsintheappropriateslots.
• RestartthePC.

8UNINSTALLINGTHEDRIVERUNDER WINDOWS

ProceedasfollowstouninstallanALPdriverversion.

Pleasenotethatuninstallingaversionmustbedonepriortotheinstallationofanotherversion.

	FromWindowsStartmenu,openthe"Settings"panel
[23KY] AppsUninstall, defaults, optional features	Clickonthe"Apps"icon.
Apps & featuresOptional featuresApp execution aliasesSearch, sort, and filter by drive. If you would like to uninstall or move an app, select it from the list.Sort by: Name √ Filter by: All drives √5D apps found 3D Viewer 16.0 KBMicrosoft Corporation 8/4/2022ALP-X Kit 145 MB 9/20/2022	FromthelistofinstalledApps&features,selectALP-XKit.
Modify Uninstall	ClickonUninstall.ThiswillremovealltheALP-X...components

Apps & features

9CONFIGURINGTHECARDUNDERWINDOWS VIATHEALP-XMANAGERAPPLICATION

This application can be launched from the short cut created on the desktop for from the start menu, Digigram group.

9.1 InstalledALPcards

When the application is launched, the window below is displayed and shows all the ALP cards installed in the PC.

Ifanotherviewisdisplayed,clickontheicontodisplaythelistofALPcardspresentand detected.

The following settings are displayed for each ALP card detected:

• itsserialnumber,
  • theon-boardfirmwareversion,
• the size of buffers exchanged between the driver and the card (see Adjusting the internal latencyofthecard).

9.2Samplingclock

ThesamplingclockofthecardisconfigurablefromtheWindowsDeviceManager.TheALP-X Managerapplicationmustbeclosedbeforechangingthesamplingclockvalue.

OpentheWindowsdeviceManager,selecttheitem"Sound,videoandgamecontrollers",andright clickonyourALP-AES67cardtoopenits"Properties"controlpanel.Selecttheappropriatesampling frequencyvalues.

SelectOKtoapplythechanges.Youwillbepromptedtorestartthecomputer.

ClickontheclockicontodisplaytheclocksettingsofeachpresentALPcard.

9.3 Input and output vu-meters

Clickontheicontoaccessthe"I/OMonitor"view.

This view display the vu-meters for all input and output channels.

Inputvu-metersreflecttheaudiomodulationreceivedfromtheAES67streamsroutedtothe ALP-AES67card.Thesearethechannelstobeacquiredfromthesoftwareapplicationviathe recordingdevices.

Outputvu-metersreflecttheaudiomodulationreceivedbythecardfromeachsoftware playback device. NotethattheoutputmodulationisdisplayedeveniftheAES67networkisdisconnected.

The following table lists the various possible settings from themixerview.

	Vu-metersEachVu-meterdisplaytheinputsignalpeak-metersindBfs.Notethatthereisnoclippinginformationthatisreported.Asa consequence,theclippingthresholdadjustmentthatcanbe foundfrom"Settings->Audiometers"hasnoeffect.
	Clickonthisicontodisplaytheconcernedpairofchannelsastwomono channelstrips.
	Clickonthisicontodisplaytheconcernedpairofchannelsasonestereo channelstrip.
	ChannelstripnameClickonthechannelstripnameandenteranewname.Note:whenachannelstripdisplayischangedfrommonotostereo,or stereotomono,thechannelstreamnamegoesbacktothedefault name.Asaconsequence,itisrecommendedtokeepthedisplaymodeused (monoorstereo)whenthechannelstripnameshavebeen changed.

9.4 Firmwareupdateprocedure

The ALP-AES67 cardon-board firmware may havet be upgraded, and updates can be supplied by Digigram and proven necessary.

The firmware update had been done from the AVS-Monitor application, which allows applying a new firmware through the AES67 network. AVS-Monitor is an application from the company Auvitran which is owned by Digigram. It runs under Windows, and accesses the ALP-AES67 card through the AES67 network. As a consequence, the NIC card selected in AVS-Monitormust be connected to the AES67 network.

Incaseyouhavenotalreadydownloadedthisapplication,clickonthebuttonontherightofthe "Firmwareversion"field,asshownonthescreencapturebelow.

AVS-MonitorisconstantlyupdatedonAuvitran'sWEBsite.Italwaysincludesthemostrecent firmwareversionforthecard.IncasethePCrunningAVS-Monitorisconnectedtotheinternet, AVS-Monitorisupdated.

WhenAVS-MonitorisstartedandtheNICcardconnectedtotheAES67networkisselected, AVS-MonitorautomaticallydetectstheAES67productsonthenetwork.

Toupdatethefirmwareoftheproducts,select"LaunchFirmwaremanager"fromthe"Control"menu.

The Firmwaremanagerapplicationisstarted.

If the ALP-AES67 card(s) appears with unchecked boxes as shown below, this mean that no firmware update is to be done.

IftheALP-AES67cardboxesarechecked,thenselect"Update"onthebottomrightoftheFirmware Managerwindowtostartthefirmwareupdate.DonotshutdownthePChostingtheALP-AES67card duringthefirmwareupdate.

AshutdownandrestartofthecomputerhostingtheALP-AES67cardisnecessarytotakeinto accountthenewfirmware.

9.5 Creating, saving and loading settings sessions

ThecurrentconfigurationofallsettingsdefinedinALP-XManagercanbesaved.GototheFilemenu andselect"Savesessionas".

Toloadaconfiguration, gototheFilemenuandselect"Opensession".

Tocreateanewconfigurationfromblanksettings, gototheFilemenuandselect"Newsession".

9.6Keyboardshortcuts

Keyboard shortcut	Action
Session
Ctrl + S	Save
Ctrl + Alt + S	Save As
Ctrl + N	New
Ctrl + O	Open

10ASIOCONTROLPANELforWindows

TheASIOcontrolpanelcanbestartedfromtheAsioapplication,fromthemenuallowingforthe settingsoftheaudiodeviceandtheASIOconfiguration.

TheASIOsettingsaresavedperapplication.TheASIOdriversupportsmultiplesimultaneousASIO applications,providedthattheydonotusethesamechannels.

Activecardsgroup/Asiochannelsallocation

Thissectionisusedtoselecttheinputchannelsandoutputchannelsthat aremanagedbytheASIOdriverandwhichcanthereforebeusedbyany applicationbasedontheASIOinterface.

Foreverycardselectedfromthe"ACTIVECARDSGROUP"list,clickonthe "ASIOCHANNELSALLOCATION"buttonandselectthechannelsto

beusedunderASIO.

TomanagealltheinstalledcardsfromyourASIOapplication,select"All ALPBoards"fromthelistofcards.

AcardthatisnotusedunderASIOcanbeusedfromaWASAPIor DirectSoundapplication.

Buffersize(latency)

ThissectionisusedtoselectthesizeofaudiobuffersusedbytheASIO driver. Thissizeisgivenasanumberofsamplesanda cross-referenceindurationisindicatedforasamplingfrequency of48kHz. Thehigherthebuffersize, thehigherthelatency.

Asmallbuffersizecanleadtobreaksinaudiothroughputona low-poweredmachineoronamachinewithahighprocessorload.

Bufferssizesfollowedbythesymbol*cannotbeselected.Asmaller internalbuffersizemustbeselectedfromtheWindowsDevice Manager,Sound,videoandgamescontrollers,ALP-AES67 advancedsettings.

	SamplesizeThissettingdefinestheformatofsamplesexchangedbetweenthe applicationandthecarddriver.
	EnableDirectMonitoringControlThisfeaturehasnoimpactontheALP-AES67.Thehardwaremonitoringis notsupported.
	BoostASIOpriorityThisoptionallowsthesystemtoruntheASIOprocesswithhigh priority,therebyincreasingthereliabilityofthisprocess.Caution, however,thiscanmakeotherprocessesunstable.
	AudioerrorsThissectionisusedtovisualisecurrenterrorsfor playback and recording via the ASIO driver.Errors frequently reflect to osmallan ASIO buffersize for the system's possibilities.Should they occur, then the buffersizeneedstobe increased until there are non more errors.Syncstatus errors reflect clock synchro errors (AES11 external clock, WordClockorinter-cardsynchro).Error counters can be reset to zero by clicking on the RESET button.Lastly, atimecounter display the time elapsed sincethelast counter reset.

11ALP-AES67principles

11.1 Embeddedroutingmatrix

graph LR
    A["Playback software applications"] --> B["DAW playback devices"]
    B --> C["64 ch"]
    C --> D["128 x 128 Embedded routing matrix"]
    E["AES67 / RAVENNA / ST2110 streams (Sinks)"] --> F["Network interface 1"]
    F --> G["64 ch"]
    G --> D
    H["Redundant AES67 / RAVENNA / ST2110 streams (Sinks)"] --> I["Network interface 2"]
    I --> J["64 ch"]
    J --> D
    D --> K["RAVENNA / AES67 / ST2110 streams (Sources)"]
    D --> L["Redundant RAVENNA / AES67 / ST2110 streams (Sources)"]
    M["DAW recording devices"] --> N["Recording software applications"]
    O["Network interface 1"] --> P["64 ch"]
    Q["Network interface 2"] --> R["64 ch"]

The inputs of the on-board routing matrix are:

• 64 playback channels coming from the software playback audio devices used by the application based on the ALP driver running under Windows or Linux.
• 64 channels coming from the network interface 1 (or interfaces 1 & 2 when they are configured in redundant mode). Audio channels are extracted from the IP streams to be received and which are named "Sinks".

The outputs of the routing matrix are:

• 64 channels assigned to the software recording audio devices used by the application based on the ALP driver running under Windows or Linux.
• 64 channels assigned to the network interface 1 (or network interfaces 1 & 2 when they are configured in redundant mode). These channels are the audio sources of the AoIP streams published to the network 0. These streams are named "Sources".

11.2Clock

The ALP-AES67 can be slaved to the PTP clock, or master PTP clock on the network.

Slave to PTP clock: the source clock is the PTP clock.

Master PTP Clock: the clock source has to be internal, WordClock, or MADI, and the card is elected as Master PTP on the network if its PTP clock has a higher priority than other potential Master PTP clock units on the network.

CONFIGURATIONOFTHEAoIPPARAMETERS

The network parameters of ALP-AES67 can be configured through its embedded WEB server, which is accessible from any of the two Eth ports.

To access the WEB interface of the ALP-AES67 card, connect the PC network interface to the network your ALP-AES67 is connected to.

The ALP-AES67 Eth ports are by default in DHCP mode. In case there is no DHCP service on your network, the ports are in APIPA mode (Automatic Private Internet Protocol Addressing), with the range of IP addresses 169.254.0.0/16

You can use an application such as MT Discovery to detect the card and access its WEB pages:

The following page is displayed.

The settings are accessible via different tabs:

General settings, PTP, ASIO clock, Session sources, Session sinks, Ins/Outs, I/O router, Statistics, NMOS, System

12.1 Generalsettings

Parameter	Description
Device Name	This is a unique device name. Other devices on the network see this name. We recommend not exceeding 32 characters.
Audio Configuration
Sample Rate	Non modifiable.Reflects the current sample rate (44100-48000-88200-96000-176400-192000-352800-384000 Hz) that is set from the ALP-AES67 properties on the driver side.
Frame size (@1Fs)	Current frame size (64 - AES67/48 - 32 -16 - 12 -6).Note that available frame size values may not be available or differ ac to the device and/or firmware.
Session Sinks Global
Safety Playout Delay (@1Fs)	Additional playout delay. The value is described at 1Fs (44.1-48 kHz) in samples.For example, if the value is 10, the additional playout delay will be 20 (88.2-96 kHz), 40 at 4FS (176.4-192 kHz),...
SSM (requires IGMP v3)	Source-Specific Multicast.If you activate this option, make sure your network switch supports and configured for IGMP V3.
Network
Multi-Interface mode	Activate / deactivate ST2022-7 mode
Interface 1-2 (Interface 2 is displayed if “Multi-interface mode” has previously been enabled and applied)
Link	Status
Name	Information only - can't be modified
Type	Defines the type of IP V4 address used (Zeroconf - DHCP- Static)
Address	To be set only if Type is set to Static.Otherwise, these fields display the assigned values.
NetMask
Gateway

Reboot is required to apply the changes

12.2PTPsettings

Parameter	Description
Global
PTP Domain	Allows to define a specific PTP domain, usually when several PTP mas are required in the same network (default value is 0).
DSCP	PTP DSCP. Values:46-EF : PTP AES6748-CS6: PTP RAVENNA56-CS7
Master
Manual	This checkbox must be checked to modify the PTP settings
Priority 1	Main priority value (1= Highest priority; 255=lowest priority)
Class	Device class. This value should not be modified
Accuracy	Non modifiable
Priority 2	Only used if the other parameters do not allow for the election of a P* master.
GMID	Non modifiable. Current GrandMasterID (PTP Master)
Slave only	Forces ALP-AES67 to always be PTP slave
Delay Mech	PTP Profile related - E2E or P2P
Announce	PTP announcement interval (1 - 2 - 4 - 8 -16 seconds)
Sync	0.0625 - 0.125 - 0.25 - 0.5 seconds
Status
GMID	Non modifiable. Current GrandMasterID (PTP Master)
Lock	Shows if the device is locked to PTP (Locked -Locking - Unlocked)
Interfaces 1 & 2
PTP status	Master : Device is MasterSlave : Device is SlaveListening : The interface is not used for synchronization
Statistics	The graph is only active in slave mode.Green curve: shows the audio clock delay vs the current Master PTP Grey curve: shows the network delay vs the current Master PTP clock, before the device synchronisation algorithm.

12.3ASIOClock

This tab allows setting the parameters of the clock that can be generated for MERGING AUDIO DEVICE software synchronization.

If this software is not used in your system, just disable this feature (Multicast clock = Off).

Parameter	Description
Global
Multicast Clock	Off, On, AutoAllows to enable/disable the multicast ASIO clock.Auto activates the ASIO clock only on the master PTP device.
Address	Multicast address of the ASIO Multicast Clock
DSCP	Allows setting the ASIO Multicast Clock DSCP value: 34 (Default), 46, 56.When using a switch, make sure that the ASIO Clock DSCP has a high in the switch DSCP to Queue table

Sessionsources

This page allows for the declaration of session source instances on the ALP-AES67 (transmitters that generate the IP streams).

Click on the button to create a new session.

Parameter	Description
Enable	Enables the selected source (active by default)
IO	Non modifiable (Stream)
Name	Source name (63 characters max).
Output interface(s)	Select the network interface (1, 2, or 1&2 in case of ST_2022-7) used streaming this session.
Auto-unicast	Automatically retrieves the IP address of the sink (listener) for a unicas connection
Address / User defined	Check “user defined” to manually enter or modify the multicast IP addre the generated stream.
Address sec / User defined	Not accessible if only one Eth interface is enabled.Check “user defined” to manually enter or modify the multicast IP addre the redundant stream (ST-2022-7).
TTL	Time to Live (also called Hop Limit) - this value should not be modified
Payload type	RTP Payload type - this value should not be modified
Codec	L24 - L16 - DSD64 - DSD64_32 - DSD128 - DSD128_32 - DSD256 (Note that those values are sampling rate dependent;
Frame size (samples)	Frame size of the current source. Reflects the frame size set from the General settings section.
DSCP	Ip audio stream DSCP value (34: RTP AES67 / 46: RTP Ravenna / 26
RefClk PTP traceable	This feature is useful when you want to connect a stream through the Internet (e.g. with two PTP Masters (GPS) at each location). It allows r connections with devices locked to different traceable PTP Masters.See also “Ignore refclk GMID” - accept source locked to any PTP mas on the Session Sinks section below.
Channels
Channels: Channel count	Number of channels in the stream.The “Channel count” drop down menu allows selecting the number of contiguous channels from the 64 available channels.
Routing table	The routing table allows for the selection of the content of each channel the stream, among the 128 possible output channels of the ALP-AES67 internal matrix.The first 64 displayed channels are software playback channels.The following channels are the channels received from declared sinks.In the picture above, the channels to be streamed are channels 3 & 4 (DAW Play 3 & DAW Play 4) from the playback application on the PC.Note that the channels can be selected from the sinks receivers, listed the DAW channels.
The URL of the SDP of this session is	Allows saving the Session Description into a file (useful for specific third party devices if manual SDP has to be provided).Note :Devices in 2022-7 mode will produce a 2022-7 SDP, containing both interfaces session parameters.If you load such SDP in a non-2022-7 device, only the session parame from interface1 will be used.

12.4 Sessionsinks

This page allows for the declaration of session sinks (receiver instances) on the ALP-AES67.

Click on the button to create a new session.

Parameter	Description
IO	Non modifiable (Stream)
Label	Sink name (=receiver name)
Source	Drop down menu to select a source (both sap and bonjour advertised sources are listed).
Source: Manual	Allows to manually enter a SDP
Delay (samples)	Playback delay.0 is an automatic delay (works with devices based on the AES67 techn from Merging Technologies).If set to 0, and when using devices that are not based on the Merging Technologies technology, the playout delay is calculated based on the va=framecount in the SDP.In any case, the frames must be time aligned; all devices must run an number of frames from time zero (epoch).
Ignore refclk MGID: - accept source locked to any PTP master	This feature is useful when you want to connect a stream through the Internet (e.g.with two PTP Masters (GPS) at each location), it allows m connections with devices locked to different traceable PTP Masters.See also RefClk PTP traceable on the Session Sources page.
Ignore refclk MGID: - accept source locked from any PTP master	This feature is useful when you want to connect a stream through the Internet, it allows for connections with devices locked to different PTP domains.
Relaxed check	Allow connection to a source that has less channels
Channels: Channel count	Number of channels in the stream.The associated drop down menu allows selecting the “Channel count” contiguous channels from the 64 available channels.Received channels can be routed towards the DAW recording channels,towards the declared source streams listed after the DAW rec devices:
Channels: Count adapted	To be used if the number of channels does not match
Session Info
Session status
Interface 1-2
RTP Status	Connection status. The displayed value is the sum of the following erro value:0x10receivingRTPpackets0x01:wrongRTPsequenceid0x02:wrongRTPSSRC0x04:wrongRTPpayloadtype0x08:wrongRTPSAC0x20streamhasbeenmuted0x40:Horusimplementation-anincomingstreamismuted0x80:ST2022-7modeonlybothinterfacesarenotreceivingRTPpackets properly→mutedExemple.: Stream muted (0x20) and Wrong payload (4) will be display 0x24
Clock domain	PTP clock type and domain
Address	Multicast IP address of the selected sink
Payload	Payload / Codec / Sampling Rate / Number of channels
SDP	Displays the detailed SDP information on the current stream.

12.5Ins/Outs

This page allows you to change the name of the Inputs and / or Outputs.

12.6I/ORouter

This page allows configuring the routing from the input channels of the internal matrix to its output channels.

An input channel can be routed to several output channels.

But multiple input channels cannot be routed to an output channel (no mixing on the output channel).

The input channels of the matrix are listed vertically on the left. The scroll bar on the right of the page allows scrolling down/up.

The output channels of the mixer are listed horizontally. The scroll bar at the bottom of the page allows scrolling right/left.

To access the input channels coming from the received streams, scroll first down until you see the horizontal scroll bar.

12.7Statistics

This page gives statistics about the sinks (received IP streams).

General settings PTP ASIO Clock Session sources Session sinks Ins/Outs I/O Router Statistics

Sink(17) Stream receive 1

Min: 0 / 0 [us]

Max: 0 / 0 [us]

Sink(22) Stream Receive 2

Min: 0 / 0 [us]

Max: 0 / 0 [us]

12.8NMOS

This page allows configuring the NMOS settings for discovery/registration, and for device connection management.

Parameter	Description
NMOS General Settings
Enable	Enable or disable the NMOS client, following the Port and Registration server configuration.NMOS must be disabled to modify the registration server settings.
Port	ALP-AES67 NMOS communication port
Flush streamer address on disable	Clears the streamer address when the stream is disabled. This option be useful with some NMOS servers
Configure Registration Server
Mode	Registration Server communication modes:mDNS(Bonjour): Automatic communication to a Registration Server, using Bonjour service (The server needs to advertise with Bonjour Service)Search domain: A search domain needs to be supplied.The search domain associated with the primary network interface is shown as Suggested.Static Address: The registration server is found using the address given in the “Address” field.This is currently the preferred and most common way to establish communication with a NMOS Registration Server. (Sony NMOS CPP, RiedeINMOS,...)
Address	When Mode is set to Static Address, this allows the user to enter the IP address and port(:).In other modes, this field only displays information when the communication is established.
Search Domain	When Mode is set to Search Domain, this allows the user to enter a (Unicast DNS).In other modes, this field only displays information when the communication is established.
Registration Server (This section provides status information about the Registration Server)
Server Name / Host	Provided by the Server (with DNS or mDNS). Note that this field may empty when Mode is set to static
Address / Port	Server IP address and Port
Registered	True if a registration server can be reached

12.9System

Parameter	Description
Build number	Current firmware version.
Configuration file
Download/upload	Save/Load a configuration file (preset)
Commands
Reboot	Restart the device
Reboot to factory	Restore all settings to factory default, and restart the device
Save	save the current configuration.
Debug
Get report	Generates a debug report, and saves it on the local computer.If the report is not saved automatically, make sure your web browser d block the download
Get device status	Displays the device status (SysLog)
Get device engine status	Displays the device engine

13SPECIFICATIONS

13.1 Configuration

Bus/Format	PCI EXPRESSTM x1 / Low profile (compatible x2, x4, x8, x16)
Dimensions	168 mm × 69 mm × 20 mm
Consumption (+3.3 V/+12 V)	0.4 A / 0.3 A
In operation: temperature/humidity (without condensation)	0°C/+50°C • 5%/90%
Storage: temperature/humidity (without condensation)	-5°C/+70°C • 0%/95%

13.2Audiocharacteristics

Sampling frequency	44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4, 192 kHz (set from Windows Device Manager, ALP-AES67 card properties)
Audio formats supported	PCM: 16, 24, 32 bits

13.3Connectors

Internal connectors	Inter-card synchronisation
External connectors	4 x Gbps RJ-45 connectorsEither located on the standard height bracket, or 2 per low profile bracket (main board, and expansion board).Expansion board may not be connected if the two ports are required.

13.4 Development environment

Drivers	Windows: WASAPI, ASIOLinux: Alsa
Operating systems supported	Windows 10 from version 1809Linux (Ubuntu 20.04, 22.04, ebian 11

14APPENDICES

14.1LEDs

TheALPcardhasfourgreenLEDs:twoLEDsonthePCB(onlyvisiblewhenthePCisopen)andtwoLEDsonthebracketsillustratedinthediagrambelow.

BracketLEDs

Internal LEDs

Ifthecardanditson-boardfirmwareareinitialisedcorrectly,LED1 mustbelitsolidgreen,andLED 2mustflasheverysecond(1Hz).

IfLED2flashesfaster(twicepersecond-2Hz), this mean that the firmware version that has been uploaded to the card is corrupted, and the card is running the backup factory firmware version. It is then necessary to install the appropriate firmware version.

LED	Description	Behaviour
LED1	Signalswhenthecardisinitialisedcorrectly	Solidgreenlit
LED2	Signalsifthecardisrunningthelastupdated firmwareorthebackupfactoryfirmware version.	• Flasheseverysecond: Thecardrunsthelastuploadedfirmwareversion (normalbehaviour). • IfthisLEDflashesdifferently,thecardrunsthe backupfactoryfirmwareinsteadofthelastuploaded versionThislastfirmwareiscorruptedinmemory andhastobeappliedagain.

14.2Connectors

Cardequippedwiththelowprofilebracket.

Note: Switch and Redundant modes are configured from the ALP-AES67WEB pages.

Pleasecontactyourdistributorforalltechnicalsupportissues

DIGIGRAM

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E-mail:[e-mail]

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E-mail:[e-mail]

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