Installing your Omnia XII includes rack mounting your unit, connecting power, and making physical connections on the back panel for audio routing and networking.
After you complete physical connections, you can set your initial network routing using the front panel controls (see Navigating and Using the Front Panel). That will then give you the ability to use the Omnia XII web UI to remotely set audio routing (see Configuring I/O ), and change network settings as needed.
Rack Mounting Your Unit
The Omnia XII is a 2RU product intended to be permanently installed in a standard 19½” equipment rack and secured with four standard rack screws.
Omnia XII is fan cooled with air intakes and exhausts located on the left and right front sides of the unit. We also recommend leaving 1RU of empty space above and below the unit.
Pre-Installation Tasks
Take a few minutes to read through this documentation before proceeding with the installation of your Omnia XII processor.
Omnia XII Components
By now, you have unpacked the shipping carton and navigated to this online documentation. Now is the time to inspect the unit and its shipping carton for any signs of shipping damage. Such damage must be reported to your carrier for any claims. The shipping box includes the following components:
Omnia XII processor
Two IEC power cords. USA/Canada style
Welcome envelope, which includes QR code links to the Omnia XII User Manual and Quick Start Guide, and a link to register your product
Processor Location
We strongly suggest using the Omnia XII built-in MPX stereo generator for the analog FM channel if at all possible in your system.
The MPX stereo generator routes baseband audio directly to the back-panel Composite I/O analog BNC outputs, and can be routed to the Net connectors and to the AES 1 and/or AES 2 digital outputs if desired.
The Net connectors support IP-based routing methods, such as MPX over IP (MoIP) and µMPX (with the Omnia XII µMPX paid option enabled).
This setup generally results in the best, most tightly controlled modulation performance. Plus you will be able to make use of the advantages available only in the Omnia XII (such as the SSB option, superb pilot and SCA protection performance, and composite clipping). Remember, analog FM is still analog after all! Using a conventional left/right AES/EBU digital path to a digital exciter can be more convenient and can work well, but it simply moves the location of the stereo generator D/A conversion to the digital exciter over a third-party path that is not likely to have the above advantages or optimized performance of the integrated stereo generator in the Omnia. Sometimes, these exciters also have limiters or clippers built-in to their AES inputs that can actually add overshoot and distortion to the signal!
While using the Composite I/O analog outputs is recommended over traditional left/right routing, it is generally considered the second-best choice when compared to IP-based composite routing. A setup with analog composite signals is vulnerable to RF and ground hum, has distance limits (typically less than 30 feet), is subject to analog cable overshoot, requires a digital-to-analog conversion in the Omnia XII that can introduce subtle distortion, quantization, noise, and mathematical round-off errors, and can also produce these issues if feeding a modern digital FM exciter (which requires an analog-to-digital conversion).
AC Power Environment
The Omnia XII subsystem is a DSP-based microcomputer, and therefore requires reasonably clean AC power, just as any modern computer system does. And even though the Omnia XII power supplies are equipped with robust AC transient suppression, we recommend that an online style (non-switching type) Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) with transient surge suppression be employed.
At transmitter sites, there can be heavy transients on the power lines as well as significant surges introduced into the power system by frequent lighting strikes. These are unwelcome power line events and can damage even the most robust equipment. Therefore, you should give the AC power environment and installation practices thorough consideration before plugging in the Omnia XII (or any other microcomputer-based equipment).
Rack Mounting & Grounding
The Omnia XII requires two RU (3.5" [8.89 cm]) of rack space in a properly grounded 19” equipment rack.
Important! Click here for important information on proper grounding and other items pertaining to electrical safety.
Prerequisite: Four rack screws.
To install the Omnia XII:
Slide the unit into the rack mount.
Secure the unit using all four rack screens.
No other two-screw mounting arrangement will secure the unit properly or prevent distortion of the front panel.(Recommended) Provide one blank rack space above and below the Omnia to provide adequate ventilation.
It is always good engineering practice to allow one blank rack space immediately above and below the Omnia, especially if equipment generating significant heat is located below the unit. You may install 1RU (1.75") vented or solid rack panels to fill these spaces.(Recommended) Run a separate ground strap or braid from the Omnia XII chassis to a solid rack or station ground point.
Although no separate ground lug is provided, the end of the strap or braid can be clamped under the Omnia top cover using the Omnia existing top cover screws.Note: This step is especially recommended when the unit is installed at a transmitter site.
AC Mains Power
Omnia XII utilizes two un-switched EMI-filtered IEC power-entry modules.
Important! Click here for important information on proper grounding and other items pertaining to electrical safety.
Each module is an automatic voltage–sensing, high-efficiency switching power supply. Either of these power supplies lets the unit operate on AC mains voltages from 100 to 240 VAC and from source frequencies of either 50 or 60 Hz.
To connect power to the unit:
Perform one of these steps:
In the USA or Canada, plug one of the provided IEC type AC power cords into the PSU1 connector on the unit back panel and then into a grounded AC outlet.
Outside of the USA, use the appropriate power cord that complies with local electrical regulations to provide power via the PSU1 connector and a grounded AC outlet.
(Optional): Provide secondary power to the unit via the other PSU connector.
Making Audio Input and Output Connections
The Omnia XII back panel provides audio input and output connectors for AES/EBU I/O, Analog I/O, and Composite I/O, as well as network connectors for AES67 Livewire+ audio over IP (AoIP), Linear MPX over IP (MoIP) and µMPX (with the Omnia XII µMPX Encoder paid option enabled).
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Omnia XII back panel
Input and Output Considerations
You can connect multiple input sources and send all audio to the Omnia XII mixer. However, only one input is active at a time. You set the active input in the Omnia XII web UI.
All outputs are active simultaneously.
Relay Bypass
Omnia XII provides relay bypass on AES 1, AES 2, and Composite 1 I/O.
Relay bypass provides a physical signal path for switching to a backup air-chain if the Omnia XII becomes unavailable. This allows a backup signal path to remain available independently of the Omnia XII's normal processing path.
When designing the air-chain, connect the relay-bypass inputs and outputs as appropriate for the desired backup configuration. The relays bypass AES 1 In to AES 1 Out, Composite 1 In to Composite Out 1, and so on.
AES/EBU Digital Input and Output Connections
Two digital AES/EBU (AES-3) inputs use standard balanced 3-pin female XLR connectors and RJ45 connectors. The unit includes an additional RJ45 input (labeled AES3 In). All of these inputs accept any sampling rate between 32 kHz and 96 kHz.
No user adjustment of the sample rate is necessary on the AES-3 inputs as the Omnia XII has a built-in high-quality 48k digital sample rate converter.
Note: Audio in the Omnia XII mixer runs internally at 48 kHz, so a signal coming in at 44.1 kHz gets converted to 48 kHz.
Output sample rate can be synchronized to an Internal clock source, or a signal present on any of the three AES/EBU inputs.
There are two AES-3 outputs on standard balanced 3-pin male XLR connectors and RJ45 connectors. The AES outputs are fixed at 48 kHz. The unit includes an additional RJ45 output (labeled AES3 Out).
Note: The analog and digital outputs are active simultaneously.
192k AES Audio
When running 192k AES Audio, there are special cable requirements.
Impedance: Ensure the digital audio stream operates at a standard 110 ohms.
Cable Type: For short runs, you must use high-quality shielded CAT6 or dedicated dial audio twisted-pair cable (such as Belden 1800B) to prevent signal degradation and clock jitter over the 192 kHz bandwidth. With Belden 1800B, up to 100m cable length is supported.
Direct Connections: Do not plug RJ45 ports into an Ethernet switch or standard IT router. Instead, they must be run as a point-to-point digital connection directly to a digital exciter or an AES192-compatible STL transmitter.
(Alternatively, you can route MPX composite signal over an IT network switch, using the Net ports.)
Analog Inputs and Outputs
Two mono balanced XLR connectors and a single RJ45 connector in the Analog I/O section support stereo analog input. Stereo output is via a RJ45 Out connector.
The Left In and Right In connectors are designed for standard +4 dBu balanced signals and are available on two female XLR jacks. Pin 2 is Hot. A single stereo RJ45 In connector accepts stereo analog input.
The RJ45 connectors follow the Studiohub+ wiring standard.
Consideration for Relative Phase
If the relative phase of your installation (including the Omnia XII) differs from that of your existing system, your announcers may feel that the sound in their headphones is weird. If this occurs, then the relative phase of the processor is 180 degrees from what your air talent is used to. To remedy this, you can either reverse the polarity of both of the analog inputs or simply change the Invert L (left) and Invert R (right) setting on the IN > Inputs page of the web UI.
Composite Input and Output Connections
Four standard female BNC connectors comprise the Omnia XII standard analog MPX composite connections.
There are two composite MPX inputs (Composite I/O 1 In and 2 In) and two composite MPX outputs (Composite I/O 1 Out and 2 Out), each with independent right trim and master gain controls. You can set levels in the web UI (see Configuring I/O).
Analog MPX/SCA input is converted to digital, which can be mixed into the composite output to add the sub-carriers (such as 67 kHz or 92 kHz SCA services or RDS data), or switched to select an alternative composite source for example, bypassing the Omnia XII internal stereo generator for fallback or testing purposes).
The ability to select an alternative source provides these common uses:
Complete Generator Bypass: When you switch the unit to select the external composite input as the main source, you completely bypass the internal stereo generator, audio processing stages, and pilot generation. The physical processor effectively acts as a pass-through router for that external baseband signal.
Failover and Fallback Routing: The Omnia XII includes "integrated source switching with automatic failover". If your primary studio processing or internal generator path experiences an issue, the hardware can automatically switch over to the BNC composite input. This routes a backup composite source (like a secondary stereo generator or a composite STL receiver) directly to your transmitter.
Testing and Calibration: You can feed an external composite test generator directly into the composite input to run proof-of-performance tests, checks on the transmitter, or subcarrier alignment without unplugging your main air chain cables.
The two low impedance outputs are each capable of driving up to 100 feet of RG-58A/U coax cable. The output levels are individually adjustable so the unit can operate as a composite DA to drive a variety of equipment. The output levels and other stereo generator settings are set through software parameters on the web UI OUT > Rear Panel page. An internal jumper sets the output impedance to either 5 ohms (the factory setting) or 75 ohms. The default setting is appropriate for the vast majority of exciter connections. However, in the event that a higher source impedance is required, a jumper can be moved (one for each composite output) on the I/O board to change the source impedance to 75 ohms. For reference, JP10 is for Composite I/O 1 Out, and JP9 is for Composite I/O 2 Out.
Jumpers JP7 & JP8 are also available if you need to limit the maximum peak-to-peak output voltage from the composite outputs to 4v p-p instead of the normal 10v p-p. They default to the Normal (10v p-p) setting.
19 kHz Reference output is available on either MPX output 1 or 2.
Network Connections
Omnia XII includes three independent Ethernet interfaces that can be used for remote control, Audio over IP (AoIP), MPX transport, or traffic segregation. Depending on your facility design, these services may share a common network connection or be separated across multiple network segments.
The three RJ-45 Ethernet ports can be used simultaneously for both TCP/IP-based remote control and IP-based audio transport.
Important! If your facility is not using Livewire or AES67 AoIP networking, ensure the AoIP outputs are all switched off. See Configuring I/O.
Disabling unused AoIP services prevents unnecessary multicast traffic from being introduced onto networks that are not intended for audio transport.
Remote Control
Omnia XII supports browser-based remote operation through either of the following interfaces:
Omnia XII web UI
Omnia XII System Configuration page (available from within the web UI and also accessible directly)
IP-Based Audio Transport
Omnia XII supports several forms of IP-based audio transport:
Audio over IP (AoIP): Native support for AES67 and Livewire+ AoIP networking. AoIP transports individual uncompressed audio channels across an IP network and supports both native Livewire+ streams and standard AES67 streams for interoperability with third-party equipment. AoIP is typically used for studio routing of discrete left/right program audio and associated control data.
MPX over IP (MoIP): Support for standard Linear MPX over IP transport, allowing the complete FM composite signal — including stereo pilot and RDS — to be transported across an IP network. This method is intended for local-area networks (LANs) or low-jitter dedicated studio-to-transmitter links (STLs).
µMPX (Requires optional µMPX Encoder license): Support for µMPX transport over wide-area networks (WANs). µMPX uses efficient compression to reduce bandwidth requirements while preserving the complete FM composite signal. This allows a full composite signal to be transported over budget-friendly IP links, public Internet connections, or wireless IP radios to a compatible decoder, such as an Omnia MPX Node, located at the transmitter site.
Network Interface Roles
Net 1 is the primary AoIP interface and carries Livewire+ and AES67 audio networking.
Net 2 and Net 3 are system management and remote control interfaces and do not carry AoIP multicast traffic.
Network Design Flexibility
Omnia XII does not require dedicated network interfaces for management, AoIP, MoIP, or µMPX traffic. Depending on network design requirements, these services may share a common Ethernet interface or be separated across multiple interfaces.
Factory Default Configuration
Net 1 is configured for Static by default, with an IP address of 192.168.2.100 and a net mask of 255.255.255.0. Net 2 and Net 3 are DHCP by default.
During initial setup, use the front panel to view the assigned IP address and verify network connectivity. Once network access has been established, the Omnia XII web UI and System Configuration page can be accessed from a web browser.
After initial setup, network settings may be modified from either the front panel or the browser interface. All network interfaces support either DHCP or static IP addressing.
While DHCP is supported, broadcast engineers typically assign static IP addresses to devices carrying on-air audio streams. Static addressing simplifies troubleshooting and avoids potential interruptions caused by network addressing changes or DHCP server failures.
Because Ethernet is full-duplex and provides ample bandwidth for management traffic, remote control and audio transport can coexist on the same network connection when desired.
Important! If your facility is not using Livewire or AES67 AoIP networking, ensure the AoIP outputs are all switched off. See Configuring I/O.
Disabling unused AoIP services prevents unnecessary multicast traffic from being introduced onto networks that are not intended for audio transport.
Making Other Back Panel Connections
Besides connectors for audio I/O, the Omnia XII provides connections for clock functions and future USB and GPIO functionality,
Clock Connections
The Omnia XII provides PPS In and GPS In BNC connectors for native support of Pulse Per Second (PPS) and GPS time sync protocols, respectively, to support PTP/IEEE 1588.
For high-precision 10 MHz and 1 PPS reference signals, the Omnia XII works with PTP-enabled hardware. We recommend that PTPv2 grandmaster clocks act as the GPS-disciplined source in Livewire/AES67 environments.
USB Port
The USB-C port is provided for factory support.
General Purpose Input/Output (GPIO)
The General Purpose Interface (GPIO) DB15 female connector is not functional in Omnia XII software v1.0. In a future software upgrade, it will serve as a five-input, five-output, opto-isolated interface that fully supports the standard Telos Alliance xNode wiring format.