WheatNet-IP FAQ

WheatNet-IP FAQ
Question	Answer

What kind of Ethernet switch do I need for a WheatNet-IP system?	The WheatNet-IP system uses a 1000BT gigabit network and requires Gigabit switches throughout. Because the Ethernet network is the backbone of audio delivery the switch you choose for this type of system is critical. Larger, more complex systems need a more powerful switch than simple systems do. Please refer to the WheatNet-IP Switch Selection document for guidelines.

What automation vendors work with WheatNet-IP?	Wheatstone has partnered with many of the top automation suppliers. Refer to our partners’ page.

I understand that WheatNet-IP uses GigaBit Ethernet. Which Ethernet switch model or brand do you recommend?	The answer really depends on the size of the system you are installing. Please refer to the WheatNet-IP Switch Selection document for guidelines.

Should I leave the Wheatstone equipment on its own switch?	It is recommended that Wheatstone Bridge and WheatNet-IP products remain isolated from other networks. VLANs can be used as the isolation method if desired.

How do I backup a WheatNet-IP Blade config?	A Blade configuration can be backed up by navigating to the Config manager tab of the GUI or through the web interface.

How do I backup the configuration of a surface?	Each Control surface has an FTP server built in. Just login with an FTP client such as Filezilla and download the configuration for backup. User name and password can be found in the surface documentation.

Will audio drop out if I reboot the surface or if it crashes?	Because no audio actually passes through the control surface it can be restarted without interrupting audio output.

Can a WheatNet-IP system be connected at 100MB?	No. A WheatNet-IP system uses Gigabit exclusively for Audio transport.

Do I need to provide external power for logic inputs?	All logic input ports are the photo diode side of a solid state switch. Logic inputs have a built in current limiting resistor that allows them to be controlled from +5 to +12vDC. Connect the external voltage to the (+) terminal and externally switch the ground side to activate the input.

Does logic route with Audio?	Yes. Any logic signal associated with an audio signal gets routed anywhere in the system.

Is a PC required for the system to run?	No. Wheatstone products run independent of a PC. The PC is strictly used for configuration and backup purposes.

Can the surface be controlled via IP?	Yes. Wheatstone has a suite of control commands that can remotely control many of the control surface functions. Our partners have full access to this protocol suite. Contact your specific vendor for details.

Does audio need to be in .WAV format to play with the AoIP driver?	No. The Wheat-IP Driver supports any audio format that can be played by a WDM compatible sound device.

Can source and destination signals be split into mono?	Yes. The Wheatstone Bridge, Wheatnet, and WheatNet-IP are all capable of splitting both analog and AES signals into mono without wasting any IO resources in the system.

What cabling should I use? CAT5E? CAT6? Fiber?	Wheatstone products can operate on CAT5E, CAT6, or fiber. The driving factor will be distance from point to point.

Do I still need a DA in my facility?	No. Wheatstone Bridge, Wheatnet, and WheatNet-IP systems eliminate the need for Distribution Amplifiers because audio sources can be routed to any destination. Think of this as a large electronic DA.

What sample rates can I use?	Wheatstone products support system sample rates of 44.1 kHz and 48 kHz.

Why is my audio playing back at a fast (or slow) speed?	Check the sample rate. Fast or slow playback indicates a sample rate mismatch in most cases.

What sample rate can a source be?	Sample rates from 32 kHz up to 96 kHz can be used. The SRC on the input will re-clock the source to the system sample rate.

Will my control surface work with an external mouse?	Yes, many of the Wheatstone surfaces support external mice. See product specific documentation for details.

How do you set time of day on the WheatNet-IP system?	Time can be set one of two ways. The system can be synced to the GUI PC or to an NTP time server on your network.

How do you set time on a control surface in a WheatNet-IP system?	On the WheatNet-IP system, once the system time has been configured, that time is automatically sent to all surfaces on the network.

What is the maximum number of WheatNet-IP Blades in a system?	Currently the WheatNet-IP system can support 99 Blades in a single subnet configuration. If a larger system is required Wheatstone can help with the configuration.

What control surfaces can be used with the WheatNet-IP system?	Currently the WheatNet-IP system supports our Evolution series control surfaces.