Clear-Com Distributes Optocore Intercom Interfaces

New offerings provide intercom customers with a full solution to route network, word clock, control data, and audio signals

Clear-Com®, a global leader in critical voice communications systems, today announces its new offering of the Optocore™ digital fiber and SANE™ CAT5 networks for real-time data, network, word clock and audio signal distribution. These products are a direct result of a strategic joint development partnership with Optocore GmbH, a pioneer in fiber-optic based audio and data network distribution. The first Clear-Com-Optocore devices: V3R-FX-INTERCOM FOR CLEAR-COM and the X6R-FX-INTERCOM FOR CLEAR-COM, will make their North America debut.

The V3R-FX-INTERCOM and X6R-FX-INTERCOM are intercom interfaces for the distribution networks, based on the market-proven Optocore™ and SANE (Synchronous Audio Network plus Ethernet) technology platforms. The Optocore dual, redundant fiber-ring-based network can transport up to 1024 channels of 48 kHz sampled digital audio, or can be reallocated to route data and intercom signals simultaneously with multi-directional audio. The SANE platform is based on CAT5 cabling, which carries up to 64 channels of very low latency digital audio and two pairs for 100Mbit Ethernet. By using a ring topology, SANE is fault tolerant like the Optocore fiber-based solution and supports up to 24 interface nodes.

“Optocore and SANE together enables the V3R-FX-INTERCOM and X6R-FX-INTERCOM devices to deliver a highly reliable, flexible and cost effective solution for broadcast and live performance productions,” said Simon Browne, Senior Product Manager of Clear-Com. “These devices seamlessly integrate intelligent intercom systems—for a production of any size and across any number of locations--with the other analog or digital audio signals, data, word clock and/or network over common fully redundant fiber and CAT5 cables.”

Today, Clear-Com’s Hybrid Network, which consists of Eclipse matrices at the core, extends powerful intercom capabilities to an integrated network of user control panels, wireless beltpacks, 2-wire party lines and Intercom-over-IP applications.  Now with the ability to operate over Optocore using the V3R-FX-INTERCOM and X6R-FX-INTERCOM devices, intercom audio from the Hybrid Network is able to pass through the Optocore network and be efficiently routed to intercom panels at any remote location on the network, with the added benefits of dual redundancy, ultra-low latency and high bandwidth.

“Since the X6R-FX-INTERCOM is equipped with eight intercom I/O’s and the V3R-FX-INTERCOM with four, it is possible to run the intercom communication over an Optocore system and send an analog output or console mix-minus to an intercom IFB — for example using our DD2FR-FX MADI interface,” stated Optocore founder, Marc Brunke. “Each RJ45 interface is fully compatible with Clear-Com, so there is no need to use special connectors or adapters, just straight CAT5 cable. This offers a dramatic reduction in cabling complexity and cost savings.”

Optocore and SANE features and benefits include:

• Purpose-Designed for Professional Productions: High signal integrity and guaranteed quality of service (QoS) for the critical demands of broadcast and live productions.

• Ultra Low Latency: Unique synchronous design delivers a fixed at 41.6 µs from any point in the network to any other point, regardless of the number of nodes on the network.

• High Reliability: Fiber Ring redundancy with additional SANE CAT5 and provides 100 Mbps over Fiber and SANE CAT5.

• Easy to Operate: Extensive software control and monitoring capabilities makes it easy to supervise the entire network, change settings, display levels, and log events.

• High Scalability: Simply add devices for new functionality or a higher channel count as production needs grow.