Using 2 BLU 160 as redundant backups

audiotech920

Hello,

I have been searching for the instructions to using a second BLU160 as a redundant backup incase the primary one should fail and have been unsuccessful in my attempts. Is there instructions for doing this?

HARMAN_Jerome_King

\"redundant backup\" is not really descriptive enough for anyone to provide an answer your question. What are you trying to make redundant? Control? BLU Link transmitter? BLU link receiver? Hot swapping? Inputs? Outputs? Are you trying to comply with life saftey standards? Single point of failure? etc... Please describe what you are trying to achieve.
Remember that you can contact technical support directly to discuss your options as well as post a message on this forum...

audiotech920

I want to configure 2 BLU160 devices identically and have one as the primary processor and I/O for a system and have the second one sitting there as a backup to the first. I would like for the second one to seamlessly take over if the first one fails.

I read a little about it in the install guide with using the word clock BNCs to accomplish part of this, but need more specifics to what needs to be programmed and how it needs to be set up.

Kevin Brown

160's don't have BNC's, so that's not an option for you.

HUGE DISCLAIMER: I know nothing about your system other than the limited info you've provided. These aren't official directions, they're ideas.

Here we go...

For every redundant pair of BLU analog inputs, purchase a 1:2 splitter which feeds your sources into identical corresponding inputs on both 160's (fyi: those splitters now become single points of failure you've added to your system... food for thought).

Manually program both 160's so each identical parameter is linked. You don't necessarily have to link all of them, just any parameters that will be altered on the fly by a control system. NOTE: If want your control system to continue having the ability to control parameters AFTER the failure, this won't work because the link dies when the primary 160 dies. In that case, you'll need to use controllers which can directly control 2 parameters at once, not indirectly through links. LA and most 3rd party controllers can do this if programmed correctly, as can GPI if physically connected correctly... BLU 8's and BLU-10's cannot.

For every redundant pair of BLU analog outputs, purchase a 2:1 summer and feed its output to your destination devices (e.g. amps, powered speakers, headphones, etc...). (FYI, those summers now become single points of failure you've added to your system... food for thought)

Program the primary 160 to always transmit a 1k tone to the secondary 160 via BLU link. Program the secondary 160 so its analog outputs are normally muted unless that 1k tone goes away. There are many ways to do this. Method 1 of many: in the secondary 160, place Duckers directly in front of all outputs, and feed the 1k tone to the sidechain (\"mic\") input on all Duckers. Method 2 of many: in the secondary 160, run the tone through a Meter Trigger whose trigger LED is driving a Logic Source who is feeding a Preset Trigger who is recalling a \"mute all the outputs\" Parameter Preset when the 1k tone goes away.

Both Methods 1 and 2 assume \"BLU link is disconnected and/or Primary DSP can't generate 1k tone\" constitutes \"failure.\" You might want to be more specific about what constitutes failure. For example, BLU link disconnection doesn't necessarily mean the primary 160 completely failed. So maybe you define \"failure\" as \"BLU link is disconnected and/or Primary DSP can't generate 1k tone AND primary DSP lost Ethernet link on control network.\" To do that, alter Method 2 so the Preset Trigger is being fed by a 2-input AND gate, which is being fed by both a Logic Source and also a Device Monitor which is monitoring the presence of the primary 160 on the Ethernet control network.

There you have it: a system whose DSP portion is redundant. The sources, splitters, summers, and amps failing? That's a completely different story.

sctctr

I am trying to accomplish Chassis redundancy using Two Blu-806's.

Feeding both chassis from the Dante network should be simple enough.

The part that I am unsure about is the outputs. I will be feeding amplifiers directly from Dante and they will be looking to a single specific dante channel for their input. So my question is how can I make both chassis outputs feed the same Dante channels?

Any insights would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

davidcbradshaw

You can set both the BLU-806 to output audio on, say, channel 1 on Dante, that's ok.

However, the device you want to receive these Dante channels on, the amplifier in your case, must be able to be set to receive 2 Dante channels.

Just because you set both BSS devices to TX on Dante Channel 1, to the amplifier, these are 2 different audio streams from 2 different network sources, so if one no longer exists (on of the BSS devices stops transmitting), the receiving device can't automatically switch to pick up another channel 1 on the network coming from another device.

You would need the capability in the amplifier to be able to receive 2 separate Dante streams, and something like a priority router inside the amplifier to flip to the second Dante stream, should the first no longer be received.

Possibly I have not explained this very clearly! I'm sure you get the idea!