Polycom Mixer EF2241 User Manual

Vortex EF2241  
Reference Manual  
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VORTEX EF2241 REFERENCE MANUAL  
Introduction....................................................................................................2  
Product Features .................................................................................................... 3  
Pre-Installation...............................................................................................5  
EF2241 Front and Rear Panels.............................................................................. 6  
Installation .....................................................................................................8  
Mounting the EF2241............................................................................................. 8  
Connecting the EF2241 to Other Equipment ......................................................... 8  
Device IDs on the EF Bus....................................................................................... 10  
Connecting Multiple Vortex Devices...................................................................... 10  
Factory Default Settings (Preset 0)........................................................................ 11  
Check Surrounding Equipment............................................................................... 13  
Integrating the EF2241 Into Your System.....................................................15  
Input Settings .......................................................................................................... 15  
Calibration.............................................................................................................. 15  
Set up the Phone Interface...................................................................................... 17  
Build Your Echo Canceller Reference.................................................................... 17  
Echo Canceller Reference for Multiple Vortex Devices......................................... 17  
Configure the Automatic Microphone Mixer.......................................................... 19  
Automixer Settings for Multiple Vortex Devices .................................................... 21  
Configure the Matrix Mixer.................................................................................... 22  
Building Your System with Multiple Vortex Devices.............................................. 22  
The EF Bus ....................................................................................................24  
Presets..................................................................................................................... 25  
Other EF2241 Features.......................................................................................... 25  
LCD Menu Structure .....................................................................................26  
System Menu........................................................................................................... 28  
Phone Control......................................................................................................... 29  
Inputs ...................................................................................................................... 30  
Outputs.................................................................................................................... 31  
Automixer Menu...................................................................................................... 31  
Matrix Menu ........................................................................................................... 34  
Parametric EQ Menu.............................................................................................. 35  
Presets..................................................................................................................... 36  
Macros.................................................................................................................... 36  
Troubleshooting.............................................................................................37  
Automatic Microphone Mixer................................................................................. 37  
Matrix Mixer........................................................................................................... 38  
Echo Canceller Reference ...................................................................................... 38  
Residual Echo......................................................................................................... 38  
Contacting Technical Support................................................................................ 43  
Technical Specifications................................................................................44  
Compliance............................................................................................................. 45  
Conference System Design............................................................................49  
EF2241 Block Diagram .................................................................................50  
Connector Pinouts..........................................................................................51  
Connecting Unbalanced RCA to Balanced Mini Phoenix...................................... 53  
Making an EF Bus Terminator............................................................................... 53  
Additional Notes ..................................................................................................... 54  
Warranty Information ....................................................................................55  
Definition of Terms .......................................................................................57  
Index ..............................................................................................................60  
Polycom, Inc., Copyright 2002  
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INTRODUCTION  
INTRODUCTION  
Welcome  
Congratulations on your purchase of the Vortex EF2241!  
How to Use This  
Manual  
This is a reference manual for your EF2241. It is structured to provide the informa-  
tion you need quickly and conveniently. The following is an overview of each sec-  
tion:  
Introduction  
Pre-Installation includes information about the contents of the box, tools needed  
for installation and front and rear panel descriptions.  
Installation covers connections of inputs/outputs and calibration of inputs of the  
EF2241.  
Integrating the EF2241 Into Your System describes adjustments to take into con-  
sideration when integrating the EF2241 with surrounding equipment in your sys-  
tem.  
LCD Menu Structure describes an overview of the LCD menu structure and also  
gives a system overview of features and options available.  
Troubleshooting helps to debug problems with installation.  
Technical Specifications provides the technical specifications of the EF2241.  
Conference System Design gives suggestions on topics to consider when design-  
ing your system.  
EF2241 Block Diagram shows the inside of the EF2241.  
Connector Pinouts shows pinout diagrams for EF2241 input and output connec-  
tors.  
Warranty Information  
Definition of Terms explains terms used in this manual, as well as terms used in  
our technology of echo cancellation, noise cancellation, and audio conferencing.  
About the EF2241  
The Vortex EF2241 is a companion to the Vortex EF2280, or a stand-alone solution  
for audio conferencing. It automatically mixes four microphones and other audio  
while cancelling acoustic echoes and annoying background noise, and features a  
built-in “phone add” to bring telephone calls into the conference. A total of 8 Vortex  
devices can be linked together (for instance, 8 EF2280s, or 2 EF2241s and 6  
EF2280s).  
The EF2241 has 4 mic/line inputs, 4 line inputs and 8 line outputs with 4 channels of  
acoustic echo and noise cancellation. It has matrix mixing and automatic microphone  
mixing capabilities, a single telephone line interface, and a single channel power amp.  
It includes a total of 8 analog inputs (4 mic/line level inputs and 4 line level inputs), 8  
analog outputs, and 5 digital expansion busses (one being dedicated to phone).  
Acoustic echo cancellation (AEC) and noise cancellation can be applied to each of the  
4 mic/line level inputs, and each of these inputs can then be sent to one of the two  
internal automatic microphone mixers.  
The system also contains a 23 x 17 main matrix, four 7 x 3 submatrices, and one 7 x 2  
submatrix for transporting audio from the phone line. The 23 x 17 main matrix has  
the following inputs: Input channels 1-4 (gated or ungated), Input channels A-D, the  
internal signal generator, 3 mixes of each of the four digital busses (3 mixes times 4  
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INTRODUCTION  
busses equals 12 inputs), and 2 mixes of the P Bus for the telephone. The 23 x 17  
main matrix has the following outputs: Outputs 1-4 and A-D, AEC Reference 1 and 2,  
W, X, Y, and Z outputs to the digital expansion bus, P output to the digital expansion  
bus, output to the power amplifier, and output to the phone line. The EF2241 has 24  
bit resolution, 32-bit floating point computation, and a 48 kHz sampling rate.  
Polycom’s proprietary noise cancellation on each of the 4 mic/line inputs and the tele-  
phone line helps to keep overall ambient noise to a minimum. Polycom echo cancel-  
lers are the only ones on the market to feature this patented technology. Noise  
cancellation filters out ambient background noise such as noise from heating, venti-  
lating and air conditioning (HVAC), LCD projectors, and road noise. Our noise can-  
cellation technology is not a noise gate. It actually removes noise. Therefore, it  
enhances the operation and improves the sound quality of an automixer, for example,  
by preventing it from bringing the noise level up and down when microphones are  
gated on and off. By cancelling the noise picked up by each microphone, the overall  
signal to noise ratio (SNR) is preserved. The result is crystal clear speech over a  
greater decibel range than any other echo canceller. That means reduced listener  
fatigue and a higher quality audio conference.  
Product  
Registration  
Please take a moment to fill out and return your registration card. This information  
will help us to provide you with better customer support and will allow us to notify  
you with updated product features and software.  
PRODUCT FEATURES  
Product  
Front panel LCD for controlling and configuring the product without a computer  
5-band equalizer on all Inputs and Outputs  
Echo cancellation on Inputs 1-4  
Noise cancellation up to 15 dB  
Two internal automatic microphone mixers for Inputs 1-4  
23 x 17 full cross point matrix mixer with expansion bus  
Internal signal generator for calibration mode and noise masking applications  
2 year warranty  
AEC  
LEC  
24 bit resolution  
48 kHz sampling rate, >20 kHz bandwidth  
270 ms AEC tail length  
40 dB/sec convergence rate  
Can function in rooms with more than 10 dB of room gain  
32 ms LEC tail length  
40 dB/sec convergence rate  
> 65 dB total cancellation  
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INTRODUCTION  
Inputs and  
Outputs  
4 microphone/line level inputs with phantom power on each input  
24 VDC Phantom Power  
4 line level auxiliary inputs with nominal level of 0 dBu  
8 line level outputs with default nominal level of 0 dBu  
Automatic Gain Control (AGC) on Inputs 1-4.  
Remote Control  
RS-232 port for remote control  
Reconfigurable parallel logic input/output  
EF bus for linking multiple Vortex devices  
Digital bus with 5 audio busses, 48 kHz sampling rate  
Up to 8 Vortex devices can be linked, each device providing 4 audio signals on  
the bus and each EF2241 providing 1 phone audio signal on the bus  
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PRE-INSTALLATION  
PRE-INSTALLATION  
What’s Included  
The Vortex EF2241 product package includes the following items:  
Vortex EF2241 Reference Manual  
Vortex EF2241  
External power supply  
Cat 5 cable for EF Bus  
Telephone cable  
Rack mount screws (4)  
Phoenix connectors (16)  
Cable clamp and screw  
CDROM containing other manuals and Conference Composer software  
Product Registration Card  
Rackmount  
Screws (4)  
Vortex® EF2241  
x
x
Cable Clamp  
and screw  
x
x
Phoenix  
Connectors (16)  
CDROM with  
control software and manuals  
1-Cat 5 cable  
for EF Bus  
Vortex® EF2241  
Reference Manual  
External  
Power Supply  
1-Telephone cable  
Vortex EF2241 Reference Manual  
Figure 1. What’s Included with your Vortex EF2241.  
What’s Not  
Included  
The following equipment is not included with the EF2241 product package, but may  
be necessary to create a completely functional system:  
Microphones  
Loudspeakers  
Audio cables  
Videoconferencing codec or other four-wire interface (optional)  
RS-232 remote control device (optional)  
Tools Needed for  
Installation  
Screwdriver to mount the EF2241 in your rack.  
Phoenix connector screwdriver  
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PRE-INSTALLATION  
EF2241 FRONT AND REAR PANELS  
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
16  
17  
10 11 12 13  
14  
15  
18 20 19  
Figure 2. EF2241 Front and Rear Panels  
1. LCD DISPLAY. Displays menu instructions for configuration and operation of the  
EF2241.  
2. DOWN BUTTON. Scrolls backward through menu items at a particular level or  
decreases the value of a parameter.  
3. UP BUTTON. Scrolls forward through menu items at a particular level or increases  
the value of a parameter.  
4. ENTER. Enters the menu and allows you to select and change parameter values.  
5. ESC. Returns to the next highest level of menus.  
6. HOME. Returns to the top of the menu structure.  
7. LEVEL INDICATOR. Indicates the level of the selected channel or parameter.  
8. PHONE CONNECT. Takes the phone line on or off hook. If you have an analog  
handset connected to the PHONE jack on the back panel, pushing this button will  
disable the PHONE jack while enabling the LINE jack (see Item 17).  
9. CHANNEL ACTIVITY LEDS. Indicates gating activity of the 4 mic/line channel  
inputs.  
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PRE-INSTALLATION  
16  
10 11 12 13  
14  
15  
Figure 3. Parallel remote control, EF BUS, serial remote control, power supply  
input, and power amplifier output on back panel of the EF2241.  
10. INPUT PARALLEL PORT. Parallel logic input.  
11. OUTPUT PARALLEL PORT. Parallel logic output.  
12. EF BUS IN. Connects to EF BUS OUT of another Vortex device.  
13. EF BUS OUT. Connects to the EF BUS IN of another Vortex device.  
14. RS-232 SERIAL PORT. Connect this to an optional RS-232 remote control device,  
such as a touch panel or personal computer COM port.  
15. POWER SUPPLY INPUT. Connects to the external power supply provided with the  
EF2241.  
16. POWER AMPLIFIER OUTPUT. Drives up to 10 W into 4-16 Ohm speakers.  
17  
18  
19  
20  
Figure 4. Inputs and outputs on back panel of the EF2241.  
17. PHONE/LINE JACKS. Use the PHONE jack for connecting an analog handset to the  
system. Use the LINE jack for connecting to an analog telephone line.  
18. MIC/LINE INPUTS. Connects to microphone at either mic or line level, with or  
without phantom power.  
19. LINE INPUTS. Inputs A-D at line level.  
20. LINE OUTPUTS. Outputs 1-4 and Outputs A-D at line level.  
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INSTALLATION  
INSTALLATION  
This equipment is intended to only be installed by qualified service personnel. The  
equipment shall be connected to a socket-outlet that provides a protective earthing  
connection.  
North American  
Requirement  
CAUTION-To reduce the risk of fire, use only No. 26 AWG or larger telecommunica-  
tion line cord.  
MOUNTING THE EF2241  
The EF2241 can be mounted in a rack enclosure using four large screws (10-32x1/2”)  
included with the unit. One EF2241 fits in a single rack space.  
Recommendation  
For Easy Access  
While not required, leave a single rack space in between the EF2241 and other units  
in your rack. This gives you easier access to the back panel.  
Instructions for  
Securing Power  
Supply to Back of  
EF2241  
Locate the cable clamp on the back panel of the EF2241 above the power con-  
nector.  
Remove the screw and thread the power cord through the cable clamp.  
Attach the cable clamp to the back panel of the EF2241 and tighten the screw.  
Align the clamp so that the power cable does not interfere with the connectors on  
the EF2241 back panel.  
Plug in the power supply.  
We recommend that you also Ty-wrap the power supply to the rack. The purpose  
of securing the power supply to the back panel is so that if the power supply were  
to drop, it would pull where the cord is attached with the cable clamp and not pull  
the plug out of the EF2241.  
Caution!  
Do not use any other power supply o ther than the one pro-  
vided with this unit.  
CONNECTING THE EF2241 TO OTHER EQUIPMENT  
Grounding  
The EF2241 has 4 mic/line inputs plus 4 line level inputs and 8 line level outputs.  
Each input/output is “Pin 1 compatible” — this means that the ground pin of each  
input/output is tied to chassis ground. Chassis ground is connected to the input power  
ground.  
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INSTALLATION  
Typical EF2241  
Connections  
The EF2241 will typically be connected to other equipment in a single room setup as  
shown below in Figure 5 and Figure 6.  
In 1  
In 2  
In 3  
In 4  
In A  
In B  
In C  
In D  
Out 1  
Out 2  
Out 3  
Out 4  
Out A  
Out B  
Out C  
Out D  
Polycom Video  
CODEC  
Line In  
Line Out  
Vortex®  
EF2241  
Spk Out  
Phone  
Line  
EFBus In EFBus Out  
PSTN  
Figure 5. Block diagram of typical EF2241 connections: a single room using one EF2241.  
PSTN  
Vortex® EF2241  
Polycom Video Codec, 4-wire Connection  
POLYCOM CODEC  
TX  
RX  
Figure 6. Typical EF2241 connections.  
The following steps are typically used to set up the EF2241:  
Connect a microphone to each of the 4 mic/line level inputs. The mic/line input  
accepts mini-Phoenix connectors. See “Connector Pinouts” on page 51 for  
pinouts of Phoenix connectors.  
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INSTALLATION  
Connect speaker output to loudspeaker.  
If RS-232 remote control is desired, connect the RS-232 REMOTE CONTROL port  
of the EF2241 to the remote control device, such as an RS-232 interface to a  
touch panel or a COM port on a personal computer.  
Connect the LINE RJ11 jack to an analog telephone line.  
Connect the PHONE RJ11 jack to an analog telephone set (optional).  
Connect the external power supply to the POWER SUPPLY INPUT jack of the  
EF2241.  
Set the country code on the EF2241. By default the phone interface will be dis-  
abled until you select a country code for the telephony interface. This can either  
be done with the front panel LCD menu, or the RS-232 interface. The country  
code only needs to be selected the first time or when the country of the installa-  
tion is changed.  
DEVICE IDS ON THE EF BUS  
When considering which Device IDs can be used for which Vortex device, decide  
how many devices have the ability to transmit on the W, X, Y, and Z busses, and how  
many have the ability to transmit on the P Bus. The EF2280, for example can only  
transmit on the W, X, Y, and Z busses while the EF2241 can transmit on the W, X, Y,  
and Z busses as well as the P bus. Up to 8 devices can transmit on the W, X, Y, and Z  
busses. Similarly, up to 8 devices can transmit on the P bus. Note that the EF2241  
counts as one of both types. All devices that can transmit on W, X, Y, and Z must  
have unique device IDs. Vortex devices of the same type must have unique device  
IDs. If the device IDs of linked Vortex devices are the same, the front panel LCD  
screen will display “EFBus Error: Dev. ID Conflict”.  
CONNECTING MULTIPLE VORTEX DEVICES  
Up to 8 Vortex devices in combination can be linked together at one time (See Device  
IDs on the EF Bus above). Each unit in the chain must have a unique Device ID. Use  
the EF Bus to link multiple Vortex devices together.  
The following steps should be followed to connect the EF Bus:  
1. Set a unique Device ID for each Vortex device. The Device IDs range from 00 to  
07.  
2. Power off all units.  
3. Connect the RS-232 remote control device to any Vortex device in the chain.  
4. Connect the provided Cat-5 cable between the EF BUS OUT of the first device,  
and the EF BUS IN of the second device.  
Note. The EF Bus must be connected so that the EF Bus In of one  
box is connected to the EF Bus Out of another. Connecting  
the EF Bus In to another EF Bus In (or Out to Out) will not  
work.  
5. Connect another Cat-5 cable between the EF BUS OUT of the second device and  
the EF BUS IN of the third device, and so on.  
6. Power on all units at the same time.  
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INSTALLATION  
Terminating the  
EF2241  
The EF2241 is self-terminating so if you are connecting multiple EF2241s, the EF  
Bus does NOT need to be terminated. However, if you are linking the EF2241 to  
EF2280s, terminate the EF Bus link.  
EF Bus Term inato r  
Vortex EF2280  
Cat-5 cab le  
Cat-5 cab le  
Vortex EF2280  
C
a
t
-
5
c
a
b
l
e
Vortex EF2241  
No Te rm inat o r Ne e d e d  
Figure 7. Only the EF2280 needs to be terminated when linked together with  
EF2241s.  
FACTORY DEFAULT SETTINGS (PRESET 0)  
The following is a list of the factory default settings of the EF2241. Since the micro-  
phones and other equipment in your application may have different nominal levels,  
you can start with a FACTORY PRESET (Presets 0-15), change it to match your envi-  
ronment and then save it within the EF2241 as a USER PRESET (Presets 16-47). Once  
you’ve saved a USER PRESET, set the POWER ON PRESET to that USER PRESET (or  
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INSTALLATION  
whichever preset you want to come up after power up). The unit will need to be con-  
figured for your system.  
PROGRAM PARAMETERS  
SYSTEM PARAMETERS  
Preset  
FACTORY DEFAULT PRESET VALUE  
0
0
Device ID  
AUTOMIX PARAMETERS  
Chairman Mode  
Decay Time  
Off  
1000 ms  
Hold Time  
500 ms  
Last Mic On Mode  
Max NOM per Automixer  
Off Attenuation  
INPUT CHANNELS  
On (on Automixer 1)  
4
-15 dB  
Acoustic Echo Cancellation  
Automatic Gain Control (AGC)  
AGC Rate  
On  
On  
1 dB/s  
3 dB  
-3 dB  
1
AGC Max Gain  
AGC Min Gain  
Automixer  
Echo Canceller Reference  
Filtering  
Ref1  
Off  
Gate Priority  
Adaptive Threshold  
Gate Threshold  
Gating  
1
10 dB  
Adaptive  
Auto  
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INSTALLATION  
PROGRAM PARAMETERS  
FACTORY DEFAULT PRESET VALUE  
Input Gains  
Mic Mode + 15 dB = 48 dB for Inputs 1-4  
0 dB for Inputs A-D  
Manual Threshold  
Mute  
60 dB  
Off  
Noise Cancellation  
Noise Cancellation Level  
Phantom Power  
OUTPUT CHANNELS  
Mute  
On  
10 dB  
On  
Off  
NOM Attenuation  
On for Outputs 1-4  
On for Outputs A-D  
Output Gain  
0 dB  
Presets and  
Multiple Vortex  
Devices  
PRESET 0 is preconfigured for a system with multiple Vortex devices. In Preset 0,  
microphones are bussed out to other units on the W Bus. Microphones are also input  
into each device on the W Bus (INPUT WM0 in the Matrix).  
If you have multiple devices in your system, save settings to a user preset (Presets 16-  
47) on each device. Saving a preset will only save the preset on that particular unit.  
Also, remember to set the POWER ON PRESET to the User Preset that you have saved  
your settings to otherwise the device will revert back to Preset 0 (factory default) if  
power is lost.  
CHECK SURROUNDING EQUIPMENT  
Now that the physical connections to the EF2241 are set up, it may be necessary to  
check the surrounding equipment to make sure levels are set correctly. The following  
suggestions may be helpful in integrating the EF2241 into your system:  
Pick a Standard  
Signal Level  
A standard nominal signal level should be used throughout the audio system. Any  
equipment that does not operate at this standard level should be compensated for as  
close to the piece of equipment as possible. A 0 dB nominal level is a good standard  
signal level. For example, a consumer VCR will probably generate a -8 dBu level.  
As soon as the VCR signal arrives at an input with some gain control, the input gain  
should be adjusted so that you get a 0 dB level, i.e. adding 8 dB of gain.  
Check Levels to  
the Codec  
Configure the matrix mixer output to the codec input. The output  
gain of the matrix mixer should be set to match the nominal input level of the codec.  
For example, if the codec accepts -10 dBV (-8 dBu) inputs, 8 dB of attenuation should  
be applied at the matrix mixer output to the codec.  
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INSTALLATION  
Configure the matrix mixer input from the codec output. The input  
gain of the matrix mixer should be set to match the nominal output level of the codec.  
For example, if the codec outputs a -10 dBV (-8 dBu) level, 8 dB of gain should be  
applied on the matrix mixer input. This will bring the codec level up to 0 dBu inside  
the matrix.  
Verify Room Gain  
After adjusting the loudspeaker level, verify the room gain in your system using the  
ROOM GAIN meter on the DIAGNOSTICS page of Conference Composer. The Room  
Gain measurement is only accurate when just the remote talkers are speaking. If local  
talkers are speaking too, the room gain meters are not accurate. See Figure 8 below.  
The meter shows the room gain, which is the relative level of the output level and the  
input level. While the EF2241 will operate in positive room gain conditions, the  
room gain should be around 0 dB or a negative value. If you have a positive room  
gain, make adjustments in the following areas:  
1. Decrease the Input Gain of the microphone.  
2. Decrease the Output Gain of the microphone.  
3. OR adjust the placement of the microphone relative to the loudspeaker.  
Room Gain Meter  
Read Room Gain  
from here  
Figure 8. Room Gain Meter on the Diagnostics page of the Conference Composer  
control software.  
Configure  
Program Audio  
Sources  
Set the gains on the matrix mixer inputs from the program audio sources so that pro-  
gram audio is played into the room at a level similar to that of speech from the remote  
site. This should also ensure that the program audio levels are good when sent to the  
remote site.  
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INTEGRATING THE EF2241 INTO YOUR SYSTEM  
INTEGRATING THE EF2241INTO YOUR SYSTEM  
Operating the  
EF2241  
The EF2241 can be operated in two ways: through the LCD menu on the front panel  
or through RS-232. For control via RS-232, please refer to the EF2241 Programming  
Guide, which includes programming tips as well as the EF2241 RS-232 commands.  
For operation using the PC control software, Conference Composer, please refer to  
the Conference Composer User Guide.  
Use Conference Composer software to easily configure the EF2241 with a PC, or  
refer to the Applications Guide for different configurations that are already pro-  
grammed into factory presets.  
INPUT SETTINGS  
Set Inputs 1-4 for  
Mic or Line Level  
Configure Inputs 1-4 for mic or line level using the LCD menu (See “Level” on  
page 30) or Conference Composer Control Software (See the Conference Composer  
User Guide).  
Select Phantom  
Power for Inputs  
1-4  
Turn phantom power On or Off for Inputs 1-4 using the LCD menu (See “Phantom  
Power” on page 30) or Conference Composer Control Software (See the Conference  
Composer User Guide). Phantom power should be turned On for condenser and elec-  
tret microphones.  
CALIBRATION  
When using the factory default, Preset 0, the following calibration can be used.  
Set Mic/Line  
Input Channel  
Gains  
In Preset 0, Automatic Gain Control (AGC) is On and the microphone gains on Inputs  
1-4 are set to 15 dB. The AGC will compensate for the microphone gain. If you are  
using ceiling microphones, set the microphone gain to 28 dB.  
Fine tune the Input Gain using the Automatic Gain Control (AGC)  
meter on Conference Composer Software. In the Conference Composer  
Software, go to the DIAGNOSTICS page. Watch the meter labelled AGCwhile someone  
is talking into the particular channel that you are adjusting. Watch the number in the  
box at the bottom of the AGC meter (See Figure 9 below). This is the amount of gain  
that the AGC is applying. The goal is to have the AGC meter on average staying  
around 0. If the level that you see in the box is negative, decrease the input gain by  
the average number that you see in the box because the AGC is attenuating the chan-  
nel’s input gain because the level is too high. If the number in the box is positive,  
increase the input gain on that channel because the AGC is boosting the signal  
because it is too low. For example, if the meter is showing an average gain of -15 dB,  
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INTEGRATING THE EF2241 INTO YOUR SYSTEM  
you should increase your input gain by 15 dB. If the meter shows an average gain of  
+10 dB, you should decrease your input gain by 10 dB.  
AGC Level Meter  
Read AGC level  
Adjust Input Gain here  
Figure 9. AGC Meter on the Diagnostics page of the Conference Composer soft-  
ware. The gain adjustment is the same gain control on the Mic/Line Inputs page in  
Conference Composer.  
IF THE AGC METER SHOWS...  
ADJUST THE INPUT GAIN IN THIS WAY.  
positive gain  
Increase gain by the level  
shown in the box.  
negative gain  
Decrease gain by the level  
shown in the box.  
an average level of 0 dB  
You’ve set the Input Gain  
to a good level!  
Table 1: How to set the Input Gain using the AGC meter on the Conference  
Composer Diagnostics page.  
Set Levels on Line  
Input Channels  
Set the line input channel gains (Channels A-D) to match the nominal level of the  
incoming equipment. The line inputs have a maximum nominal level of 0 dBu. If  
your incoming line level inputs have a higher nominal level than 0 dBu you will want  
to use a pad to remove the level.  
If you are connecting from equipment that has RCA plugs, you will most likely need  
8 dB of gain on the Input and -8 dB of gain on the Output.  
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INTEGRATING THE EF2241 INTO YOUR SYSTEM  
Customize  
Setting for Your  
Particular  
The following sections will describe customizing parameters on the EF2241 for your  
particular application if you are not using Preset 0.  
Application  
SET UP THE PHONE INTERFACE  
The echo canceller reference of the EF2241 is by default set up with the phone input  
already assigned to it.  
By default the phone interface will be disabled until you select a country code for the  
telephony interface. This can either be done with the front panel LCD menu, or the  
RS-232 interface. The country code only needs to be selected the first time or when  
the country of the installation is changed.  
Send audio from the phone to the outputs on the same device by unmuting the cross-  
point of Input T on that output. Send audio from the phone to other linked devices by  
using the P bus output in the EF Bus. The linked devices can take the phone signal  
off the bus from the P Bus input.  
BUILD YOUR ECHO CANCELLER REFERENCE  
The acoustic echo canceller (AEC) reference should generally contain exactly the  
same audio signals as what is coming out of your loudspeaker(s), since the signal out-  
put from the loudspeaker is what is then picked up by the room’s microphones caus-  
ing acoustic echo. Note that this statement is a general statement. Conditions for this  
being true follow:  
If your system  
does NOT have  
sound  
The AEC reference should contain exactly the same audio as the loudspeaker  
output: all far end audio, audio from the phone add, program audio, etc.  
If your system contains stereo inputs and outputs, the reference must contain a  
mix of both stereo inputs. For example, if your VCR audio is in stereo, the refer-  
ence should contain both the left and right signals each attenuated by 3 dB, as  
well as any other audio that is going to your loudspeaker.  
reinforcement,  
If you are using crosspoint gains in the loudspeaker mix, apply the same gains to  
the signals in your reference.  
If your system  
has sound  
Do NOT mix your room microphones into the reference, but include all other  
audio (program audio, remote audio, phone audio, etc.).  
reinforcement,  
ECHO CANCELLER REFERENCE FOR MULTIPLE VORTEX DEVICES  
In a system with multiple devices, we recommend that one device be designated as  
the unit that provides the EF bus reference for the acoustic echo cancellers. This unit  
takes one of its reference signals (either Ref 1 or Ref 2) and places it on the EF bus.  
All other units that are linked together may use the EF bus reference as the reference  
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INTEGRATING THE EF2241 INTO YOUR SYSTEM  
for their echo canceller, or they can use their own internal references. The references  
may include a mix of any input, with crosspoint gains, including W, X, Y, and Z bus-  
ses. Set the EF Bus Reference in the System Menu of the LCD Menu (See “EF Bus  
Reference” on page 28).  
Setting up the  
Bus Reference  
If all far end audio and program audio sources are on the same  
Vortex device,  
1. Assign far end audio and program audio sources to Reference 1 on the originat-  
ing device.  
2. On the EF Bus page in Conference Composer for the originating device, set the  
Exported Signals to REFERENCE 1. Only one device can put an echo canceller  
reference on the EF Bus as the Bus Reference.  
3. On all linked devices, set the echo canceller reference to BUS.  
For example, a system uses 1 EF2241, 1 EF2280, and 1 Polycom VS4000 video  
codec. The Reference 1 is set up on EF2280 with ID 0. The Matrix for this EF2280  
in Conference Composer is shown in Figure 10 and the EF Bus page in Figure 11.  
Conference Composer will not allow more than one device assign their echo canceller  
reference as the Bus Reference. Notice that the phone audio and VS4000 inputs are  
both assigned to Reference 1 on the originating EF2280. The Matrix for any linked  
devices is shown in Figure 12.  
Figure 10. Matrix page of origin EF2280 (ID 00)  
Figure 11. EF Bus page of origin EF2280 (ID 00)  
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INTEGRATING THE EF2241 INTO YOUR SYSTEM  
Figure 12. Matrix page of linked devices  
If far end audio and program audio sources are on several Vortex  
devices.  
1. Bus each far end audio and program audio source to each device. Do this by  
assigning each signal input to either the W, X, Y or Z bus.  
2. Assign an echo canceller reference on each device that will include all far end  
audio and program audio sources.  
CONFIGURE THE AUTOMATIC MICROPHONE MIXER  
The EF2241 contains two independent automatic microphone mixers. Each input  
may be assigned to automatic mixer 1, automatic mixer 2, or neither (but not both).  
Assign all microphones to the same automixer when using all microphones in the  
same room but in different zones, so that a person does not activate microphones in  
two different zones (which they would tend to do if each zone had its own automatic  
mixer). Use both automatic mixers when the EF2241 is split to operate independently  
between two rooms. One automatic mixer is used in each room. The advantage of  
having two independent automatic mixers is that when used in two rooms, micro-  
phone signals in one room do not affect the gating behavior of microphones in the  
other room. Set an input channel to use neither automatic mixer if an input is not  
actually a microphone, but is a program audio input. For instance, if you only have 6  
microphones and you have an extra stereo program audio source that you want auto-  
matic gain control (AGC) on and/or noise cancel, you could set its channels to be on  
neither automatic mixer.  
If you have a PC, use the Conference Composer software (See the Conference Com-  
poser User Guide) to set the automixer parameters. If you would like to set automixer  
parameters using the LCD menus, see “Automixer Menu” on page 31 for instructions  
on setting automixer parameters.  
Automixer  
Parameters  
The following parameters configure how the EF2241 automatic microphone mixer  
operates. Parameters include the following: Decay Time, Hold Time, Camera Gating  
Threshold, Chairman Mode, Chairman Mic, Last Mic On Mode, Last Mic Number,  
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INTEGRATING THE EF2241 INTO YOUR SYSTEM  
Local Max NOM, Global Max NOM, Off Attenuation, Threshold Type, Gating  
Mode, Adaptive Threshold, Manual Threshold, and Gate Priority.  
Signal Level  
Channel turns on when  
signal level is above  
Adaptive Threshold  
DECAY  
TIME  
Channel ON  
OFF ATTENUATION  
Microphone  
Audio  
HOLD  
TIME  
ADAPTIVE THRESHOLD  
Channel OFF  
Ambient Level  
Time  
Figure 13. Off Attenuation, Hold Time, Adaptive Threshold, and Decay Time.  
Global Settings.  
Decay Time. Decay time is the amount of time the microphone audio takes to  
ramp down to the Off Attenuation level after Hold Time. Decay Time values  
range from 0 to 5000 msec. The default value is 1000 msec.  
Hold Time. This is the amount of time the microphone stays On after the energy  
in the channel drops below the gating threshold. The default value is 500 msec.  
The range is 1 to 5000 msec. Microphone channels gating On and Off too fre-  
quently during short pauses in speech might be the result of setting the Hold  
Time too low while too many microphones gating on at the same time may be the  
result of Hold Time values that are too high.  
Camera Gating Threshold. Specifies the hold time for camera gating informa-  
tion.  
Mixer Settings.  
Bus Mixer. This command is used to assign one of the two internal automixers  
to one of the EF Bus automixer groups. For example, consider three Vortex  
devices each of which has 2 microphones assigned to Automixer 1 and 2 micro-  
phones assigned to Automixer 2. Now, if each of these devices sets their Auto-  
mixer 1 to use Bus Mixer 5 for example, then the three automixers (one from  
each device) will work as a single automixer containing 6 (3 x 2) microphones.  
Setting Bus Mixer to 0 means that the automixer is not grouped on the EF Bus  
and the automixers operate independently.  
Chairman Mode. Enables or disables Chairman Mode for the specified auto-  
mixer.  
Chairman Mic. Sets the Chairman Microphone for the specified automixer.  
Last Mic On Mode. Sets “Last Mic On” mode for the specified automixer.  
Last Mic Number. Sets the microphone number that will remain on when “Last  
Mic On” mode is set to manual. Setting this value to 0 will cause the automixer  
to leave the last open microphone on. The last microphone number is specified  
for each automixer, but is only used in manual “Last Mic On” mode.  
Local Max NOM. Sets the maximum number of open microphones (NOM)  
limit for the specified automixer. This NOM limit is a “local” limit, meaning that  
this limit applies only to the specific Vortex device that it is set on.  
Global Max NOM. Sets the global maximum number of open microphones  
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INTEGRATING THE EF2241 INTO YOUR SYSTEM  
(NOM) limit for each linked automixer. The maximum value for this command  
is 64. This NOM limit is a “global” limit, meaning that this limit applies to all  
linked automixers with the same Bus ID.  
Off Attenuation. Sets the Off Attenuation (in dB) for the specified automixer.  
Setting this value to 18 would result in the microphone signals being attenuated  
by 18 dB when gated off. This value is set independently for each of the auto-  
mixers.  
Channel Settings.  
Automixer (Inputs 1-4). This allows you to select which automatic microphone  
mixer (1 or 2) a particular microphone channel is assigned to. A microphone  
may only be assigned to automatic mixer 1, automatic mixer 2, or neither (but not  
both).  
Threshold Type. Sets adaptive or manual automatic gating thresholds per input.  
The default is adaptive.  
Gating Mode. Sets the automixer gating control mode for specified input chan-  
nel. The possible modes are Normal Gating, Microphone Forced On, or Micro-  
phone Forced Off.  
Adpative Threshold. This is also referred to as the Adaptive Threshold. This  
allows you to determine when to gate a microphone on based on an estimate of  
the background noise level. The default value is to gate a channel on if it is more  
than 10 dB louder than the background noise level. Values range from 0 to 100  
dB. To set the Adaptive Threshold, scroll through the Adaptive Threshold range  
and select the desired Adaptive Threshold by pressing ENTER.  
Manual Threshold. Sets the automixer gating threshold for the specified input  
channel. This value is only used if the input set to Manual Gating via the  
THRESHOLD TYPE option.  
Gate Priority. The priority of each microphone can be assigned a value ranging  
from 1 to 4. Priority 1 microphones have priority over priority 4 microphones for  
gating. The default is to have all microphones set to priority 1. If Chairman  
Mode is enabled, all microphones including ones with priority of 1 will be gated  
off when the Chairman mic gates on.  
AUTOMIXER SETTINGS FOR MULTIPLE VORTEX DEVICES  
When using more than one Vortex device in your room system, you have several pos-  
sibilities for how you configure the automixer. Each device can operate as one of the  
following:  
One automixer, independent of other devices linked to it  
Two automixers, independent of other devices linked to it  
One large automixer, sharing automixer functions with other devices linked to it  
Two large automixers, sharing automixer functions with other devices linked to it  
Figure 14. Vortex Automixer Settings in Conference Composer Software  
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INTEGRATING THE EF2241 INTO YOUR SYSTEM  
Automixer and  
Bus Mixer  
Settings  
To operate the Vortex device in any of the above possibilites, two global parameters  
need to be changed: the AUTOMIXER and the BUS MIXER (see Figure 14). The AUTO-  
MIXER parameter chooses which automixer the input channel will be on (this is  
changed either on the AUTOMIXER page in Conference Composer or on the MATRIX  
MIXER page).  
The BUS MIXER parameter is used to assign one of the two internal automixers to one  
of the EF Bus automixer groups. For example, consider three Vortex devices, each of  
which has 2 microphones assigned to Automixer 1 and 2 microphones assigned to  
Automixer 2. Now, if each of these devices sets their Automixer 1 to have Bus ID 5,  
then the three automixers (one from each device) will work as a single automixer con-  
taining 6 (3 x 2) microphones. Setting BUS MIXER to 0 means that the automixer is  
not grouped on the EF Bus.  
Operating as an  
Independent  
Automixer  
To set the Vortex device to operate as an independent automixer (or two), set the BUS  
MIXER parameter to 0, or to a number that is different from any other automixer group  
on the EF Bus.  
Operating as One  
Automixer with  
Multiple Vortex  
Devices  
To set the Vortex device to operate as one automixer across several devices, set the  
BUS MIXER parameter on all devices to the same automixer group.  
Default Settings  
In the default preset (Preset 0), the Bus Mixer for Automixer 1 is set to 1 and the Bus  
Mixer for Automixer 2 is set to 2. This means that in the default mode, all linked  
devices will work together as one complete automixer.  
CONFIGURE THE MATRIX MIXER  
The matrix mixer allows arbitrary crosspoint gains in 1 dB increments between any  
input and output signal.  
If you have a PC, use the Conference Composer software (See the Conference Com-  
poser User Guide) to set the matrix parameters. If you would like to set matrix  
parameters from the LCD menus, see “Matrix Menu” on page 34 for descriptions and  
instructions on setting matrix mixer parameters.  
BUILDING YOUR SYSTEM WITH MULTIPLE VORTEX DEVICES  
The following is a checklist for building a system with mutliple devices:  
1. Assign Inputs.  
2. Assign Outputs.  
3. Configure submatrix (the EF Bus).  
4. Configure your echo canceller reference.  
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INTEGRATING THE EF2241 INTO YOUR SYSTEM  
1. Assign Inputs  
2. Assign Outputs  
Assign each audio source to an input. Remember to include the conferencing equip-  
ment such as a video codec and any program audio.  
Try to assign as many outputs as you can to one Vortex device to make a simpler sub-  
matrix. Remember that Outputs 1-4 can also be used as outputs of the matrix. The  
bussing gets more complicated if you choose to spread your outputs over several  
units.  
3. Configure the  
submatrix.  
To link multiple devices together, use the submatrix on the EF Bus to configure  
which signals to receive from other devices that have put their signals on the Bus.  
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THE EF BUS  
THE EF BUS  
The EF Bus is a high speed, low delay digital bus that includes the W, X, Y, and Z  
audio busses, the P bus, as well as the echo canceller bus reference and remote control  
information (for other EF devices). It can link up to 8 Vortex devices. The W, X, Y,  
and Z busses include NOM information and can be used for sharing microphone  
inputs, or for sharing mono or stereo program information.On the EF Bus page in  
Conference Composer, the inputs coming in to each submatrix labelled WB0, WB1,  
... WB7 correspond with the device ID of the bus that is transmitting. The “B”  
denotes Bus. The submixes themselves, denoted as WM0, WM1, and WM2 are  
mixes that are input into the main matrix. The “M” denotes Mix.  
The P Bus. The P Bus is provided specifically to allow devices to share digital  
phone audio from the EF2241. The EF2241 can both transmit and receive signals on  
the P bus, while the EF2280 can only receive signals from the P bus.  
Crosspoint Mix Minus Bus. Each Vortex device in the system can create four  
output mixes (W, X, Y, and Z) and place them on the bus. Each device also can create  
three input mixes each from the W, X, Y, and Z busses of the other devices (for a total  
of 12 mixes). The mixes can have crosspoint gains on the signals from the other  
devices. See Figure 15 below. All 12 mixes become inputs to the main matrix and  
can be mixed with the other inputs to create outputs 1-4, A-D, Ref 1, Ref 2, and W, X,  
Y, and Z bus outputs.  
Figure 15. W, X, Y, and Z submatrices, the P submatrix, and Exported Bus Reference.  
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THE EF BUS  
EF Bus Reference. In a system with multiple devices, if all devices need the  
same echo canceller reference, one device should be designated to put its echo cancel-  
ler reference (either Ref 1 or Ref 2) on the EF bus to be used as the EF Bus Reference.  
All other devices may use the EF bus reference as the reference for their echo cancel-  
lers, or they can use their own internal references. The references may include a mix  
of any input, with crosspoint gains, including W, X, Y, and Z busses.  
NOM Bus. The W, X, Y, and Z busses on the EF Bus contain NOM information.  
See “NOM Active” on page 31 for more information on how NOM attenuation is  
applied.  
Note. The EF Bus must be connected so that the EF BUS OUT of one  
Vortex device is connected to the EF BUS IN of another Vortex  
device. Connecting EF BUS IN to another EF BUS IN (or EF BUS  
OUT to EF BUS OUT) will not work. See“Connector Pinouts”  
on page 51 for pinout of Cat 5 cable.  
4. Configure Your  
Echo Canceller  
Reference  
Review what inputs need to be included in your echo canceller reference — See  
“Build Your Echo Canceller Reference” on page 17. Remember that each micro-  
phone needs to have an echo canceller reference. If all microphones are in the same  
room and use the same reference, configure the echo canceller reference on one Vor-  
tex device and assign it to the EF Bus as the EF Bus Reference. Only one Vortex  
device out of multiple units linked together can put an echo canceller reference on the  
EF Bus. For each additional unit, assign the echo canceller reference to use the EF  
Bus Reference.  
For systems with more than one room, you will need to use the W, X, Y, or Z sub-  
busses to share the echo canceller reference in your additional rooms if the EF Bus  
Reference has already been assigned to the EF Bus.  
PRESETS  
After configuring your Vortex device, save your settings to a User Preset (PRESETS  
16-47). Also, set the POWER ON PRESET to the User Preset you have saved to. The  
POWER ON PRESET determines how the unit is configured upon power up.  
If you have multiple Vortex devices in your system, save to a User Preset on each unit  
and set the POWER ON PRESET accordingly.  
OTHER EF2241 FEATURES  
For information on Macros, Logic Inputs, Logic Outputs, Input Filters and Output  
Filters, please refer to the Conference Composer User Guide.  
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LCD MENU STRUCTURE  
LCD MENU STRUCTURE  
LCD Menu Tree  
The EF2241 LCD menu structure is made up of nine menu trees: SYSTEM, PHONE  
CONTROL, INPUTS, OUTPUTS, AUTOMIXER, MATRIX, PARAMETRIC EQ, PRESETS, and  
MACROS. Each menu tree is organized by levels and branches into multiple subcate-  
gories. The branches end with an adjustable parameter or value.  
EF2241 System  
Settings  
Automixer  
Matrix  
Parametric EQ  
Presets  
Macros  
System  
Phone Control  
Inputs 1-4, T, A-D  
Outputs  
Acoustic Echo  
Cancellation (In 1-4)  
Global Settings  
Main Matrix  
Input/ Output EQ  
Restore  
Run Macro (0-255)  
Power On Preset  
Auto Answer  
Output Gain  
Acknowledgement  
Mode  
Save  
Presets 16-47  
Auto Hangup  
Call Progress  
Automatic Gain Control  
(AGC), In 1-4, T  
Channel  
Band  
Mute Output  
Decay  
Gain  
Hold Time  
Gate (In 1-4)  
NOM Attenuation  
On/ Off  
Delete  
Presets 16-47  
Auto Hangup  
Loop Drop  
AGC Maximum  
(In 1-4, T)  
Bus Reference  
Error Messages  
Front Panel Lock  
Camera Gating  
Threshold  
Mute  
AGC Minimum  
(In 1-4, T)  
Filter Type  
Frequency  
Mixer Settings  
(AM1/ AM2)  
Country Select  
Output Delay Enable  
Output Delay  
SubMatrix  
Dial Tone Gain  
DTMF Gain  
Gain  
Bandwidth  
Gain  
Gain  
Bus ID  
Front Panel Password  
Device ID  
Chairman Mode  
Chairman Mic  
Mute  
Level Mic/ Line  
(In 1-4)  
Dynamics Processing  
(Out T)  
Slope  
Filter Enable  
Last Mic On Mode  
Last Mic Number  
Local Max NOM  
Global Max NOM  
AutomixerReference  
Reference Bias  
Ring Tone Enable  
Mute  
Baud Rate  
Noise Cancellation  
(In 1-4, T)  
Flow Control  
Meter  
Noise Cancellation  
Level (In 1-4, T)  
Non-Volatile  
Memory Lock  
Phantom Power  
(In 1-4)  
Non-Volatile  
Channel Settings  
(Inputs 1-4)  
Memory Password  
Reference Assign  
(In 1-4)  
Screen Saver  
Automixer  
Threshold Type  
Gating Mode  
AEC Suppression  
(In 1-4)  
Last Restored Preset  
Line Echo Cancellation  
(In T)  
Software Version  
Reboot Vortex  
Adaptive Threshold  
Manual Threshold  
Gate Priority  
Dynamics Processing  
(In T)  
LEC Suppression (In T)  
Figure 16. LCD Menu Tree.  
DOWN  
UP  
ENTER  
ESC  
HOME  
Scrolls backward  
through menu  
items at particular  
level or decreases  
the value of a  
Scrolls forward  
through menu  
items at particular  
level or increases  
the value of a  
parameter.  
Enters the menu  
and allows you to  
select and change  
parameter values.  
Returns to the top  
of the next high-  
est level of menus ture.  
Returns to the top  
of the menu struc-  
parameter  
Table 2: Summary of button functions on the EF2241.  
The EF2241 has five menu buttons on the front panel for navigation in the menu tree.  
Press the HOME button from anywhere in the menu tree to return to the top of the  
menu. The ENTER button enters the menu and the ESC button returns to the next high-  
est level of menus. To scroll back through menu items at a particular level, use the  
DOWN button. To scroll forward through menu items at a particular level, use the UP  
button.  
To adjust a parameter, first locate the parameter by scrolling to the appropriate menu  
(with combinations of the UP/DOWN and ENTER buttons). The display will show the  
parameter field and the parameter value. To change the parameter, the parameter  
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LCD MENU STRUCTURE  
must be flashing. To make the parameter flash (assuming the front panel is not  
locked) press ENTER. Once the parameter is flashing, use the UP and DOWN buttons  
to adjust the parameter value. The parameter is instantly updated while it is being  
adjusted — you should hear changes as the parameter is changing. RS-232 control  
strings are also sent via the RS-232 port so your remote control device is instanta-  
neously updated as well. Press ENTER to select and store the parameter value or press  
ESC to cancel the selected value and return to the old value. Pressing HOME has the  
effect of pressing ESC then HOME, so the selected value will be cancelled and the  
menu will return to the top of the menu tree.  
Parameters that toggle or select among a list of options will wrap around when you  
reach the end, but parameters that adjust numeric values will not wrap around once  
the maximum or minimum value is reached. While adjusting a parameter, the UP/  
DOWN button must be held down briefly before the repeat rate increases.  
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LCD MENU STRUCTURE  
SYSTEM MENU  
The SYSTEM menu contains POWER ON PRESET, ACKNOWLEDGEMENT MODE, BUS  
REFERENCE, ERROR MESSAGES, FRONT PANEL LOCK, FRONT PANEL PASSWORD,  
DEVICE ID, BAUD RATE, FLOW CONTROL, LCD CONTRAST, METER, NON-VOLATILE  
MEMORY LOCK, NON-VOLATILE MEMORY PASSWORD, SCREEN SAVER, SOFTWARE  
VERSION, and REBOOT EF2241 configurations.  
System  
Power On Preset. Choose the EF2241 Preset for power up.  
Power On Preset  
Acknowledgement Mode. This command controls whether or not status mes-  
sages are sent.  
Acknowledgement  
Mode  
Bus Reference  
Error Messages  
Front Panel Lock  
EF Bus Reference. This designates which EF2241 device, when multiple devices  
are linked together, will put one of their echo canceller references on the EF bus to be  
used as the EF bus reference.  
Error Messages. Turns error messages On or Off.  
Front Panel Lock. Locks or unlocks the front panel. When the front panel is  
Front Panel Password  
Device ID  
locked, you can see the parameters but you cannot change them.  
The default passcode is aspi(case is important).  
Front Panel Passcode. Once the device has been unlocked, the passcode may  
be changed. At the FRONT PANEL PASSCODE menu, press ENTER and then enter a  
passcode and press ENTER until you reach the end of the screen.  
Baud Rate  
Flow Control  
Device ID. Selects the Device ID of the unit.  
LCD Contrast  
Meter  
Baud Rate. Selects baud rate of the RS-232.  
Flow Control. Selects flow control between Hardware, None, or Auto.  
Non-Volatile  
Memory Lock  
LCD Contrast. Controls the contrast level of the front panel liquid crystal display  
(LCD). Higher numbers result in darker characters on the display, lower numbers  
result in lighter characters.  
Non-Volatile Mem  
Password  
Meter. Selects which signal is displayed on the front panel LED meter.  
Screen Saver  
Non-Volatile Memory Lock. Controls the non-volatile lock feature. When  
the non-volatile memory is locked, you can query the settings but will get an error if  
you try to change them.  
Last Restored Preset  
Software Version  
Reboot Vortex  
Non-Volatile Memory Password. This feature sets or queries the non-vola-  
tile lock password. This password is used in conjunction with NON-VOLATILE MEM-  
ORY LOCK. The default password is aspi(case is important).  
Figure 17. EF2241  
System submenu  
Screen Saver. Enables or disables the screen saver on the LCD panel. You can  
also set the idle time.  
Last Restored Preset. Displays the last restored Preset.  
Software Version. Queries the software version.  
Reboot EF2241. Cycles power on the EF2241.  
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LCD MENU STRUCTURE  
PHONE CONTROL  
Auto Answer. Enables or disables auto answer.  
Auto Hangup Call Progress. Enables or disables auto hangup based on call  
progress messages.  
Phone Control  
Auto Hangup Loop Drop. Enables or disables auto hangup cased on loop  
drop.  
Auto Answer  
Country Select. Selects the country where you are using the unit. This must be  
set before you can use the unit and does not need to be set again unless you use the  
unit in a different country.  
Auto Hangup  
Call Progress  
Auto Hangup  
Loop Drop  
Dial Tone Gain. Adjusts the gain of the dial tone.  
DTMF Gain. Adjusts the gain of the DTMF tones.  
Ring Tone Enable. Enables or disables ring tones.  
Country Select  
Dial Tone Gain  
DTMF Gain  
Ring Tone Enable  
Figure 18. EF2241  
Phone Control sub-  
menu  
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LCD MENU STRUCTURE  
INPUTS  
The input menu allows the user to adjust functions related to the input signals to the  
EF2241. This menu contains ACOUSTIC ECHO CANCELLATION, AUTOMATIC GAIN  
CONTROL, AGC MAXIMUM, AGC MINIMUM, GAIN ADJUST, LEVEL MIC/LINE,  
MUTE, NOISE CANCELLATION, NOISE CANCELLATION LEVEL, PHANTOM POWER,  
REFERENCE ASSIGN, and AEC SUPPRESSION. The menu is organized around the  
Inputs (1-4) and (A-D), so that you first select an input and then select settings for that  
input. You can also choose to apply the settings to all Inputs, Inputs 1-4, or Inputs A-  
D.  
Inputs 1-4, T, A-D  
Acoustic Echo  
Cancellation (In 1-4)  
Automatic Gain Control  
(AGC), In 1-4, T  
Acoustic Echo Cancellation. This allows you to enable or disable the acoustic  
echo canceller on a particular channel. The default is On.  
AGC Maximum  
(In 1-4, T)  
Automatic Gain Control (Inputs 1-4, T). This enables automatic gain con-  
trol (AGC) on Inputs 1-4 and T. The default is On.  
AGC Minimum  
(In 1-4, T)  
AGC Max (Inputs 1-4, T). Sets the maximum gain value that the AGC can  
apply for Inputs 1-4 and T.  
Gain  
Level Mic/ Line  
(In 1-4)  
AGC Min (Inputs 1-4, T). Sets the minimum gain value that the AGC can  
apply for Inputs 1-4 and T.  
Mute  
Gain. This parameter adjusts the gain level of the 8 inputs. This is normally config-  
ured during the calibration process. The default setting is 15 dB for microphone  
signals and 0 dBu for line level signals. See “Level” above for setting mic/line level  
for Inputs 1-4. The LEVEL INDICATOR on the front panel automatically reflects the  
level of the channel whose gain is being adjusted.  
Noise Cancellation  
(In 1-4, T)  
Noise Cancellation  
Level (In 1-4, T)  
Level. Use this parameter to select mic or line level on Inputs 1-4.  
Phantom Power  
(In 1-4)  
Mute. This selects which input channel (1-4, A-D) or the W, X, Y, or Z input is  
muted. The default is not muted.  
Reference Assign  
(In 1-4)  
Noise Cancellation (Inputs 1-4, T). This allows you to enable or disable  
noise cancellation.  
AEC Suppression  
(In 1-4)  
Noise Cancellation Level (Inputs 1-4, T). Selects the level of noise can-  
cellation. This ranges from 0 to 15 dB. The default is 10 dB.  
Line Echo Cancellation  
(In T)  
Dynamics Processing  
(In T)  
Phantom Power. Use this parameter to turn phantom power On or Off for inputs  
1-4.  
LEC Suppression (In T)  
Echo Canceller Reference. This parameter decides which reference is associ-  
ated with which zone. Choose between REF1, REF2, or the external bus reference.  
Figure 19. EF2241  
AEC Suppression. Sets the amount of double talk suppression used in the AEC.  
The values correspond to the following settings: 1 = No Suppression, 2 = Light Sup-  
pression, 3 = Heavy Suppression, 4 = Half-Duplex.  
Inputs submenu  
Line Echo Cancellation. Enables or disables the echo cancellation on the phone  
line.  
Dynamics Processing. Enables or disables compression on Input T.  
LEC Suppression. Sets the amount of suppression used the line echo canceller  
(LEC).  
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LCD MENU STRUCTURE  
Phone Input Gain. This parameter adjusts the gain level of the Phone input.  
Phone AGC. Enables or disables automatic gain control on the Phone.  
OUTPUTS  
The OUTPUT menu contains GAIN, NOM ACTIVE, and MUTE. As with the INPUT  
menus, this is done on a per channel basis.  
Output Gain. Choose the gain applied to each output signal using this parameter.  
The default setting is 0 dBu. Though the EF2241 allows for positive output gain,  
you should always try to adjust input gains to a good level so that the output gain is 0  
dB. If you find that you need a positive output gain from the EF2241, first check your  
input gain to make sure you are getting a good level (around 0dB). Keep the output  
gain at around 0 dBu. Then, for the best gain structure, use your amplifier to raise the  
volume in your system.  
Outputs  
Output Gain  
Mute Output  
Mute Output. Use this to mute or unmute each Output.  
NOM Attenuation  
On/ Off  
NOM Active. This allows you to select whether the NOM attenuator is active for  
a particular output channel (Outputs 1-4, A-D). The NOM attenuator will attenuate  
the output signal by 10*log (NOM) where NOM is the number of open microphones  
Output Delay Enable  
Output Delay  
10  
in that particular output channel. NOM is calculated based on the number of open  
microphones for each signal that is in the output.  
Output Delay Enable. This allows you to enable delay to each of the outputs.  
Output Delay. Sets the amount of delay on the output. The default value is 0 ms.  
The range is 0 to 340.0 ms in 0.1 ms increments.  
Dynamics Processing  
Dynamics Processing. Enables or disables compression on Output T.  
Figure 20. EF2241  
Outputs submenu  
AUTOMIXER MENU  
These parameters configure how the Vortex device automatic microphone mixer  
operates. Parameters include the following: DECAY TIME, HOLD TIME, CAMERA  
GATING THRESHOLD, BUS ID, CHAIRMAN MODE, CHAIRMAN MIC, LAST MIC ON  
MODE, LAST MIC NUMBER, LOCAL MAX NOM, GLOBAL MAX NOM, OFF  
ATTENUATION, AUTOMIXER, THRESHOLD TYPE, GATING MODE, ADAPTIVE  
Automixer  
Global Settings  
Mixer Settings  
Channel Settings  
Figure 21. EF2241  
Automixer submenu  
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LCD MENU STRUCTURE  
THRESHOLD, MANUAL THRESHOLD, and GATE PRIORITY.  
Signal Level  
Channel turns on when  
signal level is above  
Adaptive Threshold  
DECAY  
TIME  
Channel ON  
OFF ATTENUATION  
Microphone  
Audio  
HOLD  
TIME  
ADAPTIVE THRESHOLD  
Channel OFF  
Ambient Level  
Time  
Figure 22. Automixer parameters.  
Global Settings.  
Decay Time. Decay time is the amount of time the microphone audio takes to  
ramp down to the Off Attenuation level after Hold Time. Decay Time values  
range from 0 to 5000 msec. The default value is 1000 msec.  
Hold Time. This is the amount of time the microphone stays On after the energy  
in the channel drops below the gating threshold. The default value is 500 msec.  
The range is 1 to 5000 msec. Microphone channels gating On and Off too fre-  
quently during short pauses in speech might be the result of setting the Hold  
Time too low while too many microphones gating on at the same time may be the  
result of Hold Time values that are too high.  
Automixer  
Global Settings  
Decay  
Hold Time  
Camera Gating Threshold. Specifies the hold time for camera gating informa-  
tion.  
Camera Gating  
Threshold  
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LCD MENU STRUCTURE  
Mixer Settings.  
Bus Mixer. This command is used to assign one of the two internal automixers  
to one of the EF Bus automixer groups. For example, consider three Vortex  
devices each of which has 2 microphones assigned to Automixer 1 and 2 micro-  
phones assigned to Automixer 2. Now, if each of these devices sets their Auto-  
mixer 1 to have Bus Mixer 5, then the three automixers (one from each device)  
will work as a single automixer containing 6 (3 x 2) microphones. Setting Bus  
Mixer to 0 means that the automixer is not grouped on the EF Bus.  
Chairman Mode. Enables or disables Chairman Mode for the specified auto-  
mixer.  
Chairman Mic. Sets the Chairman Microphone for the specified automixer.  
Last Mic On Mode. Sets “Last Mic On” mode for the specified automixer.  
Last Mic Number. Sets the microphone number that will remain on when “Last  
Mic On” mode is set to manual. Setting this value to 0 will cause the automixer  
to leave the last open microphone on. The last microphone number is specified  
for each automixer, but is only used in manual “Last Mic On” mode.  
Local Max NOM. Sets the maximum number of open microphones (NOM)  
limit for the specified automixer. This NOM limit is a “local” limit, meaning that  
this limit applies only to the specific Vortex device that it is set on.  
Global Max NOM. Sets the global maximum number of open microphones  
(NOM) limit for each linked automixer. The maximum value for this command  
is 64. This NOM limit is a “global” limit, meaning that this limit applies to all  
linked automixers with the same Bus ID.  
Automixer  
Mixer Settings  
(AM1/ AM2)  
Bus ID  
Chairman Mode  
Chairman Mic  
Last Mic On Mode  
Last Mic Number  
Local Max NOM  
Global Max NOM  
Off Attenuation  
Automixer Reference  
Reference Bias  
Off Attenuation. Sets the Off Attenuation (in dB) for the specified automixer.  
Setting this value to 18 would result in the microphone signals being attenuated  
by 18 dB when gated off. This value is set independently for each of the auto-  
mixers.  
Automixer Reference. When enabled, the echo canceller reference becomes a  
muted input in the automix so that far end audio coming from the speakers does  
not gate on local microphones.  
Reference Bias. Adjusts how much gain is applied to the Automixer Reference  
signal. The higher the gain, the harder it will for local talkers to gate on a micro-  
phone.  
Channel Settings.  
Automixer (Inputs 1-4). This allows you to select which automatic microphone  
mixer (1 or 2) a particular microphone channel is assigned to. A microphone  
may only be assigned to automatic mixer 1, automatic mixer 2, or neither (but not  
both).  
Threshold Type. Sets automatic (also referred to as adaptive) or manual auto-  
matic gating thresholds per input.  
Automixer  
Channel Settings  
(Inputs 1-4)  
Gating Mode. Sets the automixer gating control mode for specified input chan-  
nel. The possible modes are Normal Gating, Microphone Forced On, or Micro-  
phone Forced Off.  
Adaptive Threshold. This is also referred to as the Adaptive Threshold. This  
allows you to determine when to gate a microphone on based on an estimate of  
the background noise level. The default value is to gate a channel on if it is more  
than 10 dB louder than the background noise level. Values range from 0 to 100  
dB. To set the adaptive threshold, scroll through the adaptive threshold range and  
select the desired adaptive threshold by pressing ENTER.  
Automixer  
Threshold Type  
Gating Mode  
Adaptive Threshold  
Manual Threshold  
Gate Priority  
Manual Threshold. Sets the automixer gating threshold for the specified input  
channel. This value is only used if the input set to Manual Gating via the  
THRESHOLD TYPE option.  
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LCD MENU STRUCTURE  
Gate Priority. The priority of each microphone can be assigned a value ranging  
from 1 to 4. Priority 1 microphones have priority over priority 4 microphones for  
gating. The default is to have all microphones set to priority 1. If Chairman  
Mode is enabled, all microphones including ones with priority of 1 will be gated  
off when the Chairman mic gates on.  
MATRIX MENU  
The MATRIX contains commands for assigning input signals to output signals with  
appropriate gains applied or mutes applied. It also allows for Gating to be turned on  
for Inputs 1-4. This menu can apply gains to both the MAIN MATRIX and the SUBMA-  
TRIX.  
Matrix  
Crosspoint Gains. Assign input signals to output signals with appropriate gains  
applied.  
Main Matrix  
Gate. Applies gating from Inputs 1-4 to an Output.  
Gain  
Mute. Applies mute to the crosspoint.  
Gate (In 1-4)  
Mute  
SubMatrix  
Gain  
Mute  
Figure 23. EF2241  
Matrix submenu  
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LCD MENU STRUCTURE  
PARAMETRIC EQ MENU  
The input equalizer is comprised of up to 5 bands of filtering. The whole group of fil-  
ters for the channel can also be enabled/disabled without losing the settings for each  
band. For each band, you first select the type of filter from the following: Parametric/  
Peaking, High Shelf, Low Shelf, Lowpass, or Highpass.  
Parametric EQ  
Parametric/ Peaking.  
Input/ Output EQ  
Center Frequency: in Hz, between 20 Hz and 20,000 Hz in 1 Hz steps.  
Bandwidth: in octaves, between 0.05 and 2 octaves in 0.05 octave steps.  
Gain: in dB, between -20 and +20 in 1 dB steps.  
Channel  
Band  
High Shelf.  
Center Frequency: in Hz, between 20 Hz and 20,000 Hz in 1 Hz steps.  
Bandwidth: in dB/octave, between 1 and 24 dB/octave, but is always less  
than or equal to 1.2 x Gain.  
Gain: in dB between -20 and +20 in 1 dB steps.  
Filter Type  
Frequency  
Low Shelf.  
Center Frequency: in Hz, between 20 Hz and 20,000 Hz in 1 Hz steps.  
Bandwidth: in dB/octave, between 1 and 24 dB/octave, but is always less  
than or equal to 1.2 x Gain.  
Bandwidth  
Gain  
Gain: in dB between -20 and +20 in 1 dB steps.  
Slope  
Lowpass.  
Filter Enable  
Cutoff Frequency: in Hz, between 20 Hz and 20,000 Hz in 1 Hz steps.  
Highpass.  
Figure 24. EF2241  
Parametric EQ sub-  
menu  
Cutoff Frequency: in Hz, between 20 Hz and 20,000 Hz in 1 Hz steps.  
Center frequency on Parametric/Peaking is the point with the most (or least) gain.  
Bandwidth is the width halfway up the peak (so if the peak is 10 dB, it is the width  
between the points where the gain is 5 dB).  
Center frequency on shelving filters is the frequency where it crosses the point half-  
way between 0 dB and the gain of the filter, halfway up the slope.  
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LCD MENU STRUCTURE  
PRESETS  
Restore. Restores the selected preset.  
Save. Saves the selected user preset (Presets 16-47). Factory presets (Preset 0-15)  
cannot be overwritten.  
Presets  
Delete. Deletes the selected user preset (Presets 16-47). Factory Presets (Presets 0-  
15) cannot be deleted.  
Restore  
Save  
Presets 16-47  
Delete  
Presets 16-47  
Figure 25. EF2241  
Presets submenu  
MACROS  
Run Macro (0-255). Allows you to run macros from the front panel menu.  
Macros  
Run Macro (0-255)  
Figure 26. EF2241  
Macros submenu  
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TROUBLESHOOTING  
TROUBLESHOOTING  
AUTOMATIC MICROPHONE MIXER  
No microphones  
are gating  
Check if the microphones are muted.  
Are microphones part of one of the 2 automixers?  
Some  
microphones are  
not gating  
Check if the microphones are assigned to an automixer.  
Check if the microphones are muted.  
Check microphone levels. Are microphones set to the appropriate mic or line  
level? Is phantom power on where needed?  
The Hold Time may be too low. Microphone channels gating On and Off too fre-  
quently during short pauses in speech might be the result of setting the Hold  
Time too low.  
Check Gating settings. Are microphones Forced Off?  
Is Chairman Mode on? If you have assigned a Chairman Mic, all other micro-  
phones will gate Off once this microphone gates on.  
Check Gating Priority. If your inputs have a Gating Priority of 4, the micro-  
phones may not gate as frequently.  
Check Maximum Number of Open Microphones. This parameter sets the num-  
ber of open microphones allowed at any time. If this parameter is set too low, the  
microphones may not gate as often as you wish.  
Adjust the Adaptive Threshold if the Gate Threshold is set to Adaptive or adjust  
the Manual Threshold if the Gate Threshold is set to Manual. For Adaptive Gate  
Threshold, set the Adaptive Threshold lower so that the microphone will gate On  
when lower level signals are present at the microphone. For Manual Gate  
Threshold, set the Manual Threshold to a lower absolute threshold.  
Too many  
microphones are  
gating  
The Hold Time might be too high. Too many microphones gating on at the same  
time may be the result of Hold Time values that are too high.  
Assign a Chairman Mic. This will cause all other microphones to gate Off once  
this microphone gates on and will prevent too many microphones from gating.  
Set Gating Priority so that not all microphones have the same priority. The  
default value for each input is a Gating Priority of 1, which is the highest priority.  
Adjust the Adaptive Threshold if the Gate Threshold is set to Adaptive or adjust  
the Manual Threshold if the Gate Threshold is set to Manual. For Adaptive Gate  
Threshold, set the Adaptive Threshold higher so that the microphone will gate  
when only louder signals are present at the microphone. For Manual Gate  
Threshold, set the Manual Threshold to a higher absolute threshold.  
Using the Adaptive Gate Threshold is recommended for more accurate gating.  
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TROUBLESHOOTING  
MATRIX MIXER  
Don’t hear output  
Make sure the output is not muted.  
Check that the input you’re expecting to hear is included in the output that you’re  
listening to.  
ECHO CANCELLER REFERENCE  
Room Audio  
Sounds Choppy  
If you hear the local room’s audio from the loudspeakers and it sounds choppy, you  
may have included the room’s microphones in the echo canceller reference. The echo  
canceller reference should NOT include the local room’s microphones -- it should  
only contain the remote end’s audio and program audio. You can still add the local  
room’s microphones to the local output with the matrix, but do not add them to the  
echo canceller reference. For more specific guidelines on what to include in your  
echo canceller reference, see “Build Your Echo Canceller Reference” on page 17.  
RESIDUAL ECHO  
You may hear residual echo if system levels are not set properly. Improper level set-  
tings anywhere in the audio path can introduce nonlinearities that hamper the opera-  
tion of the EF2241. If you hear residual echo, one of the following conditions may be  
causing the problem.  
Reverberation vs.  
Acoustic Echo  
Do not confuse the residual echo of remote speech with the reverberation of local  
speech. Reverberation of local speech is caused when the speech signal arrives at the  
microphone via several paths (the direct path and multiple reflections from surfaces in  
the room). This is a local room phenomenon that gives the talker’s voice a hollow or  
resonant sound (as heard at the remote end).  
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TROUBLESHOOTING  
AEC  
Reverberation  
Acoustic Echo  
Figure 27. Reverberation vs. Acoustic Echo.  
Reverberation is not an artifact of the echo canceller. It is mainly affected by the dis-  
tance of the microphone from the speech source and by the resonances of the room.  
While reverberation can be unpleasant, it is not compensated for by the acoustic echo  
canceller (AEC), which only removes reflections of remote speech. If the remote end  
complains that they hear echo, ensure that they are referring to hearing their own  
voice and not echoes of local talkers.  
You cannot remove the effects of reverberation by changing the EF2241’s settings,  
but you can minimize reverberation by moving microphones closer to talkers and, if  
necessary, adding acoustical treatment to the room.  
Finding the  
Source of Echo  
Try muting one channel at a time to see if the echo that the remote end is hearing goes  
away when a particular channel is muted. If you find that the echo goes away when a  
particular channel is muted, the microphone may not be calibrated correctly. Check  
one or more of the following issues.  
Room Gain  
The most common cause of poor echo cancellation performance is incorrectly  
adjusted room gain. This may be explained as follows. The reference signal seen by  
the AEC is sent to a loudspeaker output, where it is amplified and sent to the room  
loudspeakers. The loudspeaker audio is coupled into the room microphones acousti-  
cally, through direct and reflected acoustic paths, and perhaps also through mechani-  
cal coupling. The microphone signal is then amplified and sent to the AEC as the  
local microphone input signal. The room gain of a microphone channel refers to the  
relative levels of the signal sent to the loudspeaker output (before any amplification)  
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TROUBLESHOOTING  
and the level of this signal that is reflected as the microphone input (after microphone  
amplification).  
A
AEC  
B
Room Gain = 20 log (B/A)  
Figure 28. Room Gain.  
If the electrical level of the reflected signal picked up by microphone is the same as  
the level of the electrical signal sent from the AEC to the loudspeaker output, the  
room gain of this microphone channel is said to be 0 dB. If the reflected signal picked  
up by the microphone is higher than the level of the signal sent to the loudspeaker out-  
put, that microphone channel has positive room gain. The more positive the room  
gain, the harder the AEC must work to determine which signal is an echo and which  
is a local speech signal.  
Excessive Room  
Gain  
Excessive room gain can be caused through a number of mechanisms:  
1. The most common is excessive amplification of the remote (reference) signal at  
the local loudspeaker output. This may be explained as follows. If the reference  
signal is too low coming into the EF2241, i.e. the codec audio signal is too low,  
the room audio amplifier is usually used to compensate and bring the room audio  
to an acceptable level. For example, if the reference signal is 12 dB too low, the  
room audio will need to be amplified by approximately 12 dB to bring it to a rea-  
sonable listening level. This adds 12 dB to the room gain, which will most likely  
cause it to exceed the amplifier room gain limit (See “Verify Room Gain” on  
page 14). This situation can be remedied by applying enough gain to the codec,  
phone or program audio inputs (Inputs A-D) which will make up the Reference  
input signal so that the acoustic echo canceller (AEC) sees a good reference sig-  
nal rather than trying to compensate at the amplifier.  
2. Another common cause of room gain failure is excessive microphone amplifica-  
tion. For example, if a microphone is "hot" by 6 dB, then the reflections of the  
loudspeaker output signal which are picked up by the microphone will be ampli-  
fied by 6 dB more than necessary. This adds 6 dB to the room gain, which may  
be sufficient to cause room gain problems. This situation could easily arise if, for  
example, the conferencing equipment is set up so that participants are too far  
from the microphone. In such a situation, after correct microphone setup the  
local microphone audio level may be too low because of the distance from the  
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TROUBLESHOOTING  
talker to the microphone. The microphone audio will most likely also be muddy  
and reverberant. The installer or user may try to solve these microphone audio  
quality problems by turning up the microphone amplification, thus adding to the  
room gain. This problem can be remedied by proper microphone selection  
(pickup pattern, directionality) and placement, coupled with proper microphone  
input calibration.  
3. A third common cause of room gain problems is excessive coupling between  
loudspeaker audio and microphones. This can be addressed by reducing the  
microphone coupling, either by positioning microphones so that their pickup pat-  
terns are biased away from the loudspeaker audio (and direct reflections of loud-  
speaker audio), repositioning loudspeakers, or reducing the loudspeaker  
amplification.  
In summary, any amplification applied between the reference input and the micro-  
phone inputs can add to room gain problems. To avoid problems, ensure that the Ref-  
erence input signal is not too low, and the microphone input signals are not too high.  
Run the built-in EF2241 Room Gain test to verify that you do not have room gain  
problems (See “Verify Room Gain” on page 14).  
COMMON CAUSES OF EXCESSIVE  
ROOM GAIN  
REMEDY  
Excessive remote (reference) input  
amplification  
Apply enough gain to the codec, phone  
or program audio inputs which will  
make up the Reference input signal.  
Excessive microphone amplification  
Select proper microphones for talker  
distance according to pickup pattern  
and directionality and properly cali-  
brate mic inputs.  
Excessive coupling between loud-  
speaker audio and microphones  
Reduce mic coupling by repositioning  
mics or loudspeakers, or by reducing  
loudspeaker amplification.  
Table 3: Summary of Excessive Room Gain.  
In-Conference  
Quick Check  
If you experience residual echo problems during a conference, you can quickly check  
that the reference and microphone levels are calibrated and not causing room gain  
problems by using the Room Gain parameter (See “Verify Room Gain” on page 14).  
If this excessive coupling activity level is evident on only one microphone input chan-  
nel, that microphone channel should either be redirected to reduce coupling to loud-  
speaker audio, or recalibrated as it will need to be turned down. If the excessive  
coupling activity is observed on all (or most) microphone channels, then this indicates  
either that the room audio is too loud or the reference signal may need to be recali-  
brated (this will be indicated by observing low activity levels on the SIGNAL LEVEL  
METER).  
Excessive  
Microphone  
Amplification  
For the EF2241 to adapt effectively, saturation (overload or clipping) must not occur  
at the A/D converter supplying the microphone input. Saturation introduces nonlin-  
ear signal distortions into what the AEC expects is a linearly echoed version of the  
remote speech.  
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TROUBLESHOOTING  
Nonlinear distortion causes a degradation or divergence of the AEC’s internal model  
of the room acoustics. In this situation, the EF2241 cannot effectively cancel room  
echoes and a substantial amount of echo may be heard by the remote party.  
Excessive microphone amplification also increases room gain (See “Excessive Room  
Gain” on page 40.). You can check for excessive microphone amplification by  
observing the front panel LEVEL INDICATOR during a normal conference. The first  
yellow LED should illuminate frequently. If the second yellow LED is illuminated  
constantly during normal speech or if the red LED illuminates or even flickers, reduce  
the microphone input level.  
Note. Before you readjust the microphone input levels, check to  
make sure you are looking at the correct channel on the LEVEL  
INDICATOR.  
Note. If you adjust the MIC/ LINE INPUT level, you will affect the  
room gain. Check to make sure that the room gain limit is not  
exceeded. See Verify Room Gain” on page 14.  
Insufficient  
Microphone  
Amplification  
Grossly insufficient microphone gain degrades EF2241 performance and weakens the  
out-bound speech power level. This has the effect of reducing the signal-to-noise  
ratio of the microphone signal, which is analogous to raising the background noise  
level in the room. Because this noise is uncorrelated with the echoes within the room,  
the EF2241’s ability to adapt and cancel echoes will be less than optimal.  
A second effect of insufficient microphone gain is that the power of the microphone  
input signal may be substantially lower than that of the remote input signal. This  
reduces the ability of the decision logic to determine whether the AEC should be in  
transmit, receive, or double-talk mode. This effect may reduce the effectiveness of  
the EF2241 in canceling echoes.  
You can check for insufficient microphone amplification by observing the front panel  
LEVEL INDICATOR during normal conferencing conversation. The first yellow LED  
should illuminate frequently. If the LEVEL INDICATOR never illuminates beyond one  
or two green LEDs during normal speech, increase the microphone’s input level.  
Note. Before you readjust the microphone input levels, check to  
make sure you are looking at the correct channel on the LEVEL  
INDICATOR.  
Note. If you adjust the MIC/ LINE INPUT level, you will affect the  
room gain. Check to make sure that the room gain limit is not  
exceeded. See Room Gain” on page 39.  
Nonlinearity  
Overdriving the loudspeaker or inserting a dynamics processor before the EF2241  
may distort the signal that the microphones see causing ineffective AEC operation.  
The EF2241 relies on the linearity of the acoustic feedback path — D/A, amplifier,  
loudspeaker, microphone, and A/D — to cancel acoustic echoes. If you overdrive the  
loudspeaker or insert a dynamics processor before the echo canceller, the acoustic  
reflections picked up by the microphone do not match the signal fed to the loud-  
speaker. They are distorted copies of this signal. The EF2241 cannot effectively can-  
cel this distorted signal.  
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TROUBLESHOOTING  
If you suspect the loudspeaker is introducing nonlinearities into the room acoustic  
path, take these steps to minimize its influence on the echo canceller.  
Keep the loudspeaker’s volume level at less than three-eighths of full scale. If  
higher volume is required, the EF2241 should operate effectively at volume set-  
tings of up to 50 percent of full scale. At more than 50 percent, most audio sys-  
tems and loudspeakers introduce significant nonlinearities. The EF2241 may not  
adapt under these conditions, and echoes may be heard.  
If the loudspeaker has a bass control, lower it. Excessive bass can cause a boomy  
effect that is nonlinear. In addition, excessive bass may cause substantial  
mechanical coupling to the microphone through vibrations induced in the hous-  
ings and support structures.  
Increase the separation distance between microphones and the loudspeaker. The  
EF2241 handles up to 10 dB of room gain between the loudspeaker and the  
microphone. You may be exceeding this limit if the loudspeaker is pointed  
directly at the microphones or if the loudspeaker volume is excessive (loud-  
speaker placement is not critical, but it should not be pointed directly at the  
microphones).  
CONTACTING TECHNICAL SUPPORT  
If these troubleshooting guidelines don’t resolve the problem you are experiencing  
with the EF2241, please check our web site (http://www.polycom.com) for the most  
current technical support information (go to Products & Services, then to Voice Prod-  
ucts, then to Installed Voice Systems). If you have further questions, please contact us  
at:  
Applications Engineering  
Polycom Installed Voice Business Group  
1720 Peachtree Street NW Suite 220  
Atlanta, GA 30309-2439  
Phone: (800) 932-2774  
Fax: (404) 892-2512  
Before contacting us, please review the warranty and repair policy on page 55.  
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TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS  
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS  
MECHANICAL SPECIFICATIONS  
Dimensions  
Weight  
19” (483 mm) W x 9.6” (244 mm) L x 1.75” (45 mm) H (full rack unit)  
4 lb. (1.8 kg) dry  
5.5 lb. (2.5 kg) shipping  
Connectors  
Audio: Mini (3.5mm) quick connect terminal blocks  
RS-232: DB9F  
EF Bus In/Out: RJ45  
Phone In/Out: RJ11  
Control/Status: DB25F  
ELECTRICAL SPECIFICATIONS  
Power  
110 - 240 VAC; 47-63 Hz  
30 W  
Power Consumption  
Phantom Power  
24 V, software selectable  
AUDIO I/O  
Microphone Input Level  
Line Input Level  
Line Output Level  
Input Impedance  
Output Impedance  
Headroom  
-30 dBu to 0 dBu/-66 dBu to -33 dBu, nominal; software selectable  
-20 dBu to 0 dBu, nominal; software selectable  
-20 dBu to 0 dBu, nominal; software selectable  
>10 kOhms  
50 Ohms (drives 600 Ohms)  
20 dB, nominal  
Loudspeaker Output, Power  
Amplifier  
10 W, 4-16 Ohms  
PERFORMANCE SPECIFICATIONS  
Frequency Response  
20 Hz to 22 kHz  
270 ms  
Acoustic Echo Cancellation Span  
Total Cancellation of AEC  
Convergence Rate of AEC  
Line Echo Cancellation Span  
Total Cancellation of LEC  
Convergence Rate of LEC  
Noise Cancellation  
> 65 dB  
40 dB/second  
32 ms  
> 65 dB  
40 dB/second  
0 dB to 15 dB, software selectable  
Control Inputs  
Status Outputs  
Contact closure  
5V, 20 mA each  
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TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS  
COMPLIANCE  
The Vortex EF2241 complies with the ITU G.167 Recommendation for AEC, FCC  
part 15, and CE requirements.  
USA and Canada  
This device complies with part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the  
following two conditions:  
1. This device may not cause harmful interference, and  
2. This device must accept any interference received, including interference that  
may cause undesired operation.  
NOTE  
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A dig-  
ital device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to pro-  
vide reasonable protection against harmful interference when the equipment is  
operated in a commercial environment. This equipment generates, uses, and can radi-  
ate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the  
instruction manual, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. Opera-  
tion of this equipment in a residential area is likely to cause harmful interference in  
which case the user will be required to correct the interference at his own expense.  
In accordance with part 15 of the FCC rules, the user is cautioned that any changes or  
modifications not expressly approved by Polycom Inc. could void the user’s authority  
to operate the equipment.  
This Class [A] digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003.  
Cet appareil numérique de la classe [A] est conforme à la norme NMB-003 du Can-  
ada.  
US Telco  
requirements  
This equipment complies with part 68 of the FCC Rules. Please refer to the labeling  
on equipment for the following information:  
Registration Number  
Ringer Equivalence  
Grantee's Name  
Model Number  
Serial Number and/or Date of Manufacture  
Country of Origin  
If requested this information must be provided to the telephone company  
Notes  
This registered equipment may not be used with party lines or coin lines.  
If trouble is experienced the customer shall disconnect the registered equipment  
from the telephone line to determine if the registered equipment is malfunctioning  
and that if the registered equipment is malfunctioning, the use of such equipment  
shall be discontinued until the problem has been corrected.  
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TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS  
If, in the unlikely event that this equipment causes harm to the network, the tele-  
phone company will notify you in advance that temporary discontinuance of ser-  
vice may be required. But if advance notice isn't practical, the telephone  
company will notify you as soon as possible. Also, you will be advised of your  
right to file a complaint with the FCC if you believe it necessary.  
The telephone company may make changes to its facilities, equipment, operations  
or procedures that could affect the operation of the equipment. If this happens  
the telephone company will provide advance notice so you can make the neces-  
sary modifications to maintain uninterrupted service.  
REN  
The REN is used to determine the quantity of devices that may be connected to the  
telephone line. Excessive REN's on the telephone line may result in the devices not  
ringing in response to an incoming call. Typically the sum of REN's should not  
exceed five (5.0). To be certain of the number of devices that may be connected to a  
line (as determined by the total REN's) contact the local telephone company.  
Automatic Dialing  
WHEN PROGRAMMING EMERGENCY NUMBERS AND/OR MAKING TEST  
CALLS TO EMERGENCY NUMBERS  
1. Remain on the line and briefly explain to the dispatcher the reason for the call.  
2. Perform such activities in the off-peak hours, such as early morning or late  
evening.  
Telco Connector  
A FCC compliant telephone cord and modular plug is provided with this equipment.  
This equipment is designed to be connected to the telephone network or premises wir-  
ing using a compatible modular jack that is Part 68 complaint. See the rest of these  
installation instructions for details.  
Canadian Telco  
Requirements  
NOTICE: The Industry Canada label identifies certified equipment. This certification  
means that the equipment meets telecommunications network protective, operational  
and safety requirements as prescribed in the appropriate Terminal Equipment Techni-  
cal Requirements document(s). The Department does not guarantee the equipment  
will operate to the user's satisfaction.  
Before installing this equipment, users should ensure that it is permissible to be con-  
nected to the facilities of the local telecommunications company. The equipment must  
also be installed using an acceptable method of connection. The customer should be  
aware that compliance with the above conditions may not prevent degradation of ser-  
vice in some situations. Repairs to certified equipment should be coordinated by a  
representative designated by the supplier. Any repairs or alterations made by the user  
to this equipment, or equipment malfunctions, may give the telecommunications  
company cause to request the user to disconnect the equipment.  
Users should ensure for their own protection that the electrical ground connections of  
the power utility, telephone lines and internal metallic water pipe system, if present,  
are connected together. This precaution may be particularly important in rural areas.  
Caution: Users should not attempt to make such connections themselves, but should  
contact the appropriate electric inspection authority, or electrician, as appropriate.  
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TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS  
NOTICE: The Ringer Equivalence Number (REN) assigned to each relevant termi-  
nal device provides an indication of the maximum number of terminals allowed to be  
connected to a telephone interface. The termination on an interface may consist of  
any combination of devices subject only to the requirement that the sum of the Ringer  
Equivalence Numbers of all the devices does not exceed 5.  
NOTE  
The term “IC:” before the certification/registration number only signifies that the  
Industry Canada technical specifications were met.  
Australia  
Mains powered POT’s Voice Telephony without Emergency 000 dialing  
Warning  
This equipment will be inoperable when  
mains power fails  
Rest of World  
EMC CLASS A ITE  
WARNING  
This is a Class A product. In a domestic environment this product may cause radio  
interference in which case the user may be required to take adequate measures.  
Installation Instructions*  
Installation must be performed in accordance with all relevant national wiring rules.  
L’Installation doit être exécutée conformément à tous les règlements nationaux appli-  
cable au filage électrique.  
Plug acts as Disconnect Device*  
The socket outlet to which this apparatus is connected must be installed near the  
equipment and must always be readily accessible  
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TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS  
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CE Mark R& TTE  
Directive  
This EF2241 has been marked with the CE mark. This mark indicates compliance  
with EEC Directives 89/336/EEC, 73/23/EEC 1999/5/EC. A full copy of the Decla-  
ration of Conformity can be obtained from Polycom Ltd, 270 Bath Road, Slough,  
Berkshire, SL1 4DX, UK.  
Declaration of Conformity:  
Hereby, Polycom Ltd. declares that this EF2241 is in compliance with the essential  
requirements and other relevant provisions of Directive  
1999/5/EC.  
Konformitetserklæring:  
Hermed erklærer Polycom Ltd., at indestående EF2241 er i overensstemmelse med de  
grundlæggende krav og de relevante punkter i direktiv 1999/5/EF.  
Konformitätserklärung:  
Hiermit erklärt Polycom Ltd., dass der EF2241 die grundlegenden Anforderungen  
und sonstige maßgebliche Bestimmungen der Richtlinie 1999/5/EG erfüllt.  
∆ήλωση Συµµόρφωσης:  
∆ια του παρόντος, η εταιρεία Polycom Ltd. δηλώνει ότι η παρούσα συσκευή  
(δροµολογητής) EF2241 πληροί τις βασικές απαιτήσεις και άλλες βασικές  
προϋποθέσεις της Οδηγίας 1999/5/ΕK.  
Vaatimustenmukaisuusvakuutus:  
Polycom Ltd. vakuuttaa täten, että EF2241 on direktiivin 1999/5/EC keskeisten vaati-  
musten ja sen muiden tätä koskevien säännösten mukainen.  
Déclaration de conformité :  
Par la présente, Polycom Ltd. déclare que ce EF2241 est conforme aux conditions  
essentielles et à toute autre modalité pertinente de la Directive 1999/5/CE.  
Dichiarazione di conformità:  
Con la presente Polycom Ltd. dichiara che il EF2241 soddisfa i requisiti essenziali e  
le altre disposizioni pertinenti della direttiva 1999/5/CE.  
Verklaring van overeenstemming:  
Hierbij verklaart Polycom Ltd. dat diens EF2241 voldoet aan de basisvereisten en  
andere relevante voorwaarden van EG-richtlijn 1999/5/EG.  
Declaração de Conformidade:  
Através da presente, a Polycom Ltd. declara que este EF2241 se encontra em confor-  
midade com os requisitos essenciais e outras disposições relevantes da Directiva  
1999/5/CE.  
Declaración de conformidad:  
Por la presente declaración, Polycom Ltd. declara que este EF2241 cumple los  
requisitos esenciales y otras cláusulas importantes de la directiva 1999/5/CE.  
Överensstämmelseförklaring:  
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Polycom Ltd. förklarar härmed att denna EF2241 överensstämmer med de väsentliga  
kraven och övriga relevanta stadganden i direktiv 1999/5/EG.  
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CONFERENCE SYSTEM DESIGN  
CONFERENCE SYSTEM DESIGN  
Good audio or video conferencing is more than acoustic echo cancellation. Before  
installing the EF2241, you should consider how your whole conference system will  
work together. The goals of conference system design are the following:  
Transmit intelligible speech  
Reproduce received speech intelligibly  
Prevent echoes  
Interface properly with transmission equipment  
High quality program audio  
Intelligible sound reinforcement (if needed)  
Noise and  
Reverberation  
Intelligibility can be affected by noise and reverberation. Noise comes from various  
sources such as HVAC, computers, projectors, or traffic. Some ways to improve the  
Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) in your system include placing microphones closer to the  
talkers, using electronic noise cancellation, and applying acoustical treatments. The  
EF2241 is a great way to reduce noise in your system and improve the SNR. Poly-  
com’s patent pending noise cancellation algorithm, included in the EF2241, removes  
up to 10 dB of ambient background noise and improves perceived quality as well as  
intelligibility.  
Reverberation in a conference system can reduce intelligibility in a room. To reduce  
reverberation and increase intelligibility, use directional microphone and loudspeak-  
ers, place microphones closer to the talker, and use acoustical treatment.  
Consider Room  
Gain  
When planning your conferencing system, you should also consider the room gain  
that will occur as a result of your microphone and loudspeaker placement. Room gain  
refers to the relative level of the audio going to your amplifier (remote end speech or  
telephone speech) and the level of this audio being picked up by the microphone. We  
recommend a room gain of 0 dB or less for the best results. But for difficult acoustic  
environments, the EF2241, as well as any of the EF products, can handle up to 10 dB  
room gain, which means that it offers great flexibility in your conference system  
design.  
To help you measure room gain, the EF2241 includes a room gain detector. You  
should check your room gain after you have set up the EF2241.  
A
AEC  
B
Room Gain = 20 log (B/A)  
Figure 29. Room Gain.  
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EF2241 BLOCK DIAGRAM  
EF2241 BLOCK DIAGRAM  
Figure 30. Inside the EF2241  
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CONNECTOR PINOUTS  
CONNECTOR PINOUTS  
EF Bus  
EF BUS IN  
The EF Bus uses RJ45 connectors. These should be  
used with category five twisted-pair cable.  
The total distance of the EF Bus should be less than  
4.5 m.  
8
1
The EF Bus must be connected so that the EF Bus In  
of one box is connected to the EF Bus Out of  
another. Connecting the EF Bus In to another EF  
Bus In (or Out to Out) will not work.  
1
8
EF BUS OUT  
Cat-5 Plug Pinout  
1 - White/Orange  
2 - Orange  
3 - White/Green  
4 - Blue  
8
1
Cat 5 Plug  
(Front View)  
5 - White/Blue  
6 - Green  
7 - White/Brown  
8 - Brown  
RJ11 Plug Pinout  
3 - Ring  
4 - Tip  
Note: Other pins are not connected. The DAA is not  
affected by Tip and Ring wiring reversal.  
RS-232 Port (9600, 19200, 38400, 8-N-1)  
REMOTE CONTROL  
The RS-232 port is wired as DCE. It accepts a male  
DB-9 connector. Only pins 2, 3, and 5 are required  
by the EF2241 but pins 7 and 8 are supported. Con-  
nect pins straight through (do not use null modem).  
1 DCD; 2 TXD; 3 RXD 4 DSR; 5 ground; 6 DTR; 7  
CTS; 8 RTS; 9 No connection  
5
9
1
6
RS-232  
Baud rate is selectable at 9600, 19200, or 38400.  
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CONNECTOR PINOUTS  
Input/Output Remote Control Port  
INPUT  
Logic Input: Pins 1-24 are inputs 1-24, respec-  
tively. Pin 25 is ground.  
13  
25  
1
14  
REMOTE CONTROL  
Logic Output: Pins 1-20 are outputs 1-20, respec-  
tively. Pins 21-25 are ground. Each ground pin  
should be used with only 4 outputs. For example,  
outputs 1-4 could be connected to LEDs, which are  
connected to ground pin 1.  
OUTPUT  
LEDs can be used without series resistors (we have  
provided series resistors in the circuitry). For best  
results, LEDs with Vf=2.0 V and If=20 mA should  
be used. Larger values may be used, but may result  
in dimmer LEDs. An LED with Vf less than 1.4 V  
should not be used without additional series resis-  
tance.  
Power Supply Input  
5, 15 VDC  
The power supply input accepts a 5-pin DIN male  
connector. Only use the power supply provided by  
Polycom. Use of other power supplies will void the  
warranty.  
3
1
4
5
2
1 Ground; 2 Ground; 3 +5Vdc @ 3 A; 4 -15Vdc @  
0.3 A; 5 +15Vdc @ 1.2 A  
Mic/Line Inputs, Line Inputs, Line Outputs  
These audio connectors accept a mini (3.5 mm) 3  
conductor terminal block (provided). See Note  
below for manufacturer information.  
From left to right the conductors are positive signal,  
negative signal, and shield ground.  
Note  
The information below lists manufacturer information for the Phoenix connector that  
is compatible with the parts we use:  
Manufacturer: Phoenix Contact  
Description: Mini-COMBICON 3-position plug, 3.5 mm pitch  
Type Number: MC 1.5/3-ST-3.5 or MC 1,5/3-ST-3,5  
Part Number: 1840379  
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CONNECTOR PINOUTS  
CONNECTING UNBALANCED RCA TO BALANCED MINI PHOENIX  
RCA Male  
Mini (3.5 m m ) Phoenix  
Tip  
Red  
Black  
Shield  
+
-
Red  
Black  
1
2
3
Ring  
Figure 31. Cable construction for connecting unbalanced RCA to balanced mini Phoenix (3 conductor terminal  
block).  
1. Connect RCA Tip to Phoenix pin 1.  
2. Connect RCA Ring to Phoenix pin 2.  
3. Connect Phoenix pin 3 to Shield, and leave Shield floating on RCA end.  
Caution! Do NOT co nnect the shie ld at b o th e nd s.  
Caution! On the EF22 4 1 , Pho e nix p in 3 is conne cte d to  
chassis gro und . Und e r no circum stance s sho uld  
Phoe nix p in 3 b e co nnected to p in 1 o r to p in 2 .  
Doing so will add noise to the audio signal.  
MAKING AN EF BUS TERMINATOR  
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8  
110  
Figure 32. The terminator  
Instructions  
To make a terminator (for use when connecting EF2280s), use an RJ45 connector.  
Connect pin 3 to pin 6 with an 110 Ohm resistor. A terminator is not required for the  
EF2241 as it is built in.  
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CONNECTOR PINOUTS  
ADDITIONAL NOTES  
Cautio n!  
Failure to use all fo ur scre ws to attach the EF2 2 4 1 to  
the rack m ay re sult in une ve n load ing and cause a  
safe ty hazard .  
Cautio n!  
Ensure that the p o we r supply is se cure ly locate d such  
that it canno t b e co m e d islo d ge d and fall. Such a fall  
co uld cause p erso nal injury o r e q uip m e nt failure .  
Cautio n!  
W he n m o unting a EF2 2 4 1 in a rack, co nsid e ratio n  
sho uld b e given to airflo w and o p e rating am b ie nt  
te m p e rature s insid e the rack. To e nsure safe o p e ratio n  
o f the EF2 2 4 1 , am b ie nt o p e rating te m p e ratures insid e  
the rack sho uld not e xce e d 4 0 d e gre e s Ce lsius. Allo w  
2 inche s (5 1 m m ) o f o p e n sp ace in fro nt o f the  
EF2 2 4 1 , 2 inche s (5 1 m m ) o n e ithe r sid e, and 4 inche s  
(1 0 2 m m ) b e hind the unit fo r p ro p e r ve ntilatio n.  
Equipm e nt should not be installe d in the rack in such  
a way as to inte rfe re with the ve ntilatio n o f the  
EF2 2 4 1 .  
Cautio n!  
Cautio n!  
Co nsid eratio n sho uld b e give n to the co nne ctio n o f  
the e q uip m e nt to the sup p ly circuit and the effe ct that  
o ve rlo ad ing o f circuits co uld have an o vercurre nt p ro -  
te ctio n and sup p ly wiring. Ap p ro priate co nside ratio n  
o f e q uip m ent nam e p late ratings sho uld b e used when  
ad d re ssing this conce rn.  
Reliab le e arthing o f rack-m o unte d e q uip m ent sho uld  
b e m aintaine d . Particular atte ntio n sho uld b e give n to  
sup p ly co nne ctio ns o the r than d ire ct co nnectio n to  
the Branch (use o f p o wer strip s).  
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WARRANTY INFORMATION  
WARRANTY INFORMATION  
What is covered  
For how long  
Any defect in materials or workmanship.  
Two years.  
What we will do  
If your Vortex EF2241 product is defective and returned within two years of the date  
of purchase, we will repair or, at our option, replace it at no charge to you.  
If we repair your Vortex product, we may use new or reconditioned replacement parts.  
If we choose to replace your Vortex product, we may replace it with a new or recondi-  
tioned one of the same or similar design. The repair or replacement is warranted for  
either (a) 90 days or (b) the remainder of the original two-year warranty period,  
whichever is longer.  
Limitations  
Polycom shall not be responsible for special, incidental, indirect, or consequential  
damages resulting from any breach of warranty, or under any other legal theory,  
including but not limited to loss of profits, downtime, goodwill, damage to or replace-  
ment of equipment and property, and any cost of recovering, reprogramming, or  
reproducing any program or data stored in or used with Vortex products.  
Some states do not allow limitations on how long an implied warranty lasts, or the  
exclusion of incidental or consequential damages, so the above exclusions or limita-  
tions may not apply to you.  
What we ask you  
to do  
To obtain warranty service for your Vortex product, call us at (800) 932-2774 or fax  
us at (404) 892-2512 and we will issue a Return Material Authorization number  
(RMA#). Use the original packaging materials to return the product. Ship the product  
prepaid to:  
Polycom Installed Voice Business Group  
Attention: Warranty Repair  
RMA# (Must be on package)  
1720 Peachtree Street NW, Suite 220  
Atlanta, Georgia 30309-2439 USA  
Please be sure to include your name, company, address, phone number, and a descrip-  
tion of the problem. After repairing or replacing your Vortex product, we will ship it  
to you via a surface carrier of our choice at no cost to you. If you wish it shipped via a  
specific carrier at your cost, you must arrange it when you obtain the RMA#.  
Repair or replacement of your Vortex product is your exclusive remedy.  
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WARRANTY INFORMATION  
What this  
warranty does  
not cover  
This warranty does not cover defects resulting from accidents, damage while in tran-  
sit to our service location, alterations, unauthorized repair, failure to follow instruc-  
tions, misuse, fire, flood, lightning, acts of God, or use in those countries where such  
use violates Part 779 of the Export Administration Regulations of the United States  
Department of Commerce.  
If your Vortex product is not covered by our warranty, call us at (800) 932-2774 or fax  
us at (404) 892-2512 for advice about whether we will repair your Vortex product and  
for other repair information, including charges. Polycom, at its sole discretion, may  
replace rather than repair your Vortex product with a new or reconditioned one of the  
same or similar design. The repair or replacement is warranted for 90 days.  
The limited warranties and remedies set forth above are exclusive and in lieu of all  
other warranties, whether oral or written, express or implied. Polycom specifically  
disclaims any and all implied warranties, including, without limitation, the warranties  
of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose.  
No User  
Serviceable Parts  
This product contains no user serviceable parts. Please contact Polycom Installed  
Voice Business Group for repairs. Attempts to repair this product by an unauthorized  
technician will void your warranty.  
State Law Rights  
This limited warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you any have other rights  
that may vary from state to state.  
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DEFINITION OF TERMS  
DEFINITION OF TERMS  
Acoustic Echo  
Acoustic echo occurs in a conferencing or distance learning system when the remote  
speech played in the loudspeakers is picked up by microphones in the room and is  
transmitted back to the remote end. This transmitted signal is a delayed version of the  
original, which causes the echo.  
Acoustic Gain  
Ambient Level  
Acoustic gain is a term used in conjunction with sound reinforcement. It refers to  
how much louder the audio is with sound reinforcement compared to without sound  
reinforcement.  
The ambient level, also referred to as noise floor, is the background noise heard in a  
room when no one on the near or remote end is talking.  
Automatic Gain  
Control (AGC)  
Automatic gain control increases or decreases the gain on an audio signal to an  
acceptable value.  
Automatic  
Microphone Mixer  
A microphone mixer that turns microphone channels on and off based on the signal  
level going into the microphone.  
Convergence  
Rate  
Convergence rate refers to the amount of echo a line or acoustic echo canceller can  
cancel per unit time, typically expressed in dB/sec. Better echo cancellers have a  
higher (faster) convergence rate. This term is typically used to quantify the time it  
takes to completely remove the echo from a conferencing system. Echo occurs due to  
a complete change of the acoustic environment such as the beginning of a phone call  
in a conference, a change of microphone-speaker placement, or speaker volume  
adjustment.  
Crosspoint Mix  
Minus Bus  
A mix minus bus allows each device (i.e., a Vortex device) to create a mix of signals  
without its own. Each device in the system can create four mixes (W, X, Y, and Z)  
and place them on the bus. Each device also can create three mixes each from the W,  
X, Y, and Z busses of the other devices (for a total of 12 mixes). One mix is hard-  
wired as a normal mix minus. That is, it is a unity gain mix of the signals from all  
other devices. The other two mixes can have crosspoint gains on the signals from the  
other devices.  
Echo Canceller  
An echo canceller estimates the echo in an audio signal by using a reference and pre-  
forms processing to eliminate the echo from the signal.  
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DEFINITION OF TERMS  
EF Bus  
The EF Bus is a digital bus that includes the W, X, Y, and Z audio busses as well as  
the echo canceller reference and remote control information. It can be used to link  
multiple Vortex devices.  
Equalization  
Line Echo  
Equalization is the process of adjusting frequency characteristics of an audio signal.  
Line echo is caused by reflections of the audio signal from the telephone hybrid. The  
EF2241 is an example of a device that includes a line echo canceller.  
Macros  
An arbitrary set of commands that can be replayed.  
Matrix Mixer  
A matrix mixer allows you to choose which inputs are included in each output. Some  
matrix mixers allow you to assign crosspoint gains to the inputs.  
Noise  
Cancellation  
Noise cancellation is a digital signal process that removes noise from an audio signal  
corrupted by real-world interferences such as HVAC, office noise, crowd noise, or  
road noise. Generally, there are two parts of a noise cancellation algorithm: a method  
to detect the noise and a method to remove the noise. The Polycom noise cancellation  
algorithm (patent pending) is capable of removing 10 dB or higher of noise with no  
degradation at all to the resulting speech signal. This method does not attenuate  
speech, and removes noise during both speech and idle periods.  
NOM  
NOM refers to the number of open microphones in a system.  
NOM Attenuation  
NOM attenuation is the gain applied to the overall system gain to the microphone sig-  
nals to compensate for how many microphones are open. The amount of attenuation  
is calculated by 10*log (NOM).  
10  
NOM Bus  
Presets  
A NOM bus carries signal information as well as NOM information (i.e., the number  
of open microphones in the system, NOM).  
Presets correspond to configuration parameters that have been previously saved to  
EEPROM.  
Room Gain  
The room gain of a conferencing system refers to the relative levels of the signal sent  
to the line output to your amplifier (before any amplification) and the level of this sig-  
nal that is reflected at the microphone input (after microphone amplification). If the  
electrical level of the reflected signal picked up by the microphone is the same as the  
level of the electrical signal sent from the AEC to the line output to your amplifier, the  
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DEFINITION OF TERMS  
room gain of this microphone channel is said to be 0 dB. If the reflected signal picked  
up by the microphone is higher than the level of the signal sent to the line output to  
your amplifier, that microphone channel has positive room gain. The more positive  
the room gain, the harder the AEC must work to determine which signal is an echo  
and which is a local speech signal.  
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INDEX  
INDEX  
A
Acoustic Echo Cancellation, AEC ........................................................2, 12, 17, 30, 38, 40,  
.................................................................................................................44, 49, 57  
Automatic Gain Control (AGC) ............................................................4, 30, 57  
Automixer, Adaptive Threshold ..........................................................12, 21, 33  
Automixer, Adaptvie Threshold ..........................................................37  
Automixer, Automatic Microphone Mixer ..........................................2, 3, 19, 21, 31, 37, 57  
Automixer, Camera Gating Threshold ...............................................20, 32  
Automixer, Chairman Mic Mode .........................................................12, 20, 21, 33, 34, 37  
Automixer, Decay Time .......................................................................12, 20, 31, 32  
Automixer, Gate Priority ......................................................................12, 21, 34, 37  
Automixer, Gating Mode ......................................................................21, 33  
Automixer, Global Max NOM ...............................................................20, 33  
Automixer, Hold Time ..........................................................................12, 20, 32, 37  
Automixer, Last Mic On .......................................................................12, 20, 33  
Automixer, Local Max NOM .................................................................20, 33  
Automixer, Manual Threshold .............................................................13, 21, 33, 37  
Automixer, Off Attenuation .................................................................12, 20, 33  
Automixer, Off Atteunation .................................................................21  
Automixer, Threshold Type .................................................................21, 33  
B
C
Bus Mixer ...............................................................................................20, 22, 33  
Calibration ..............................................................................................15  
Compliance ............................................................................................45  
Conference Composer ..........................................................................5, 14, 15, 18, 19, 22,  
.................................................................................................................25  
D
E
Device ID ...............................................................................................10, 12  
Digital Bus ..............................................................................................2, 4, 24, 58  
Echo Cancellation .................................................................................3, 30  
EF Bus .....................................................................................................5, 7, 10, 11, 17, 18, 20,  
.................................................................................................................22, 23, 24, 25, 44, 51,  
.................................................................................................................58  
EF Bus Reference ..................................................................................25, 28  
Equalization ...........................................................................................58  
Equalizer .................................................................................................3  
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INDEX  
F
Factory Default Settings, Preset 0 .....................................................11, 13, 15, 22  
Front Panel Lock ...................................................................................28  
G
Ground ....................................................................................................52  
Ground, Chassis ....................................................................................53  
Ground, Logic Input .............................................................................52  
Ground, Logic Output ..........................................................................52  
Ground, Power Supply .........................................................................52  
Ground, RS-232 ....................................................................................51  
Grounding, Pin 1 Compatible ..............................................................8  
I
Inputs .....................................................................................................2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 15  
L
LCD Menu ..............................................................................................3, 6, 15, 18, 26  
Line Echo Cancellation, LEC ................................................................44  
Line Echo Canceller, LEC .....................................................................3, 58  
Logic Input .............................................................................................7, 25, 52  
Logic Output ..........................................................................................7, 25, 52  
M
N
Matrix, Matrix Mixer ..............................................................................2, 3, 22, 34  
Mic/Line Inputs, Line Inputs, Line Outputs ......................................52  
Mix Minus ...............................................................................................24, 57  
Multiple Vortex Devices .......................................................................4, 10, 11, 13, 17, 21,  
.................................................................................................................22, 23, 25, 58  
Noise Cancellation ................................................................................2, 3, 30, 44, 49, 58  
NOM ........................................................................................................24, 31, 58  
NOM Attenuation ..................................................................................58  
NOM Bus ................................................................................................25, 58  
Non-volatile Memory Lock ...................................................................28  
O
P
Outputs ...................................................................................................31  
P Bus .......................................................................................................3, 10, 17, 24  
Parallel Remote Control .......................................................................4, 7  
Phantom Power .....................................................................................7, 15, 30, 44  
Phoenix Connectors ..............................................................................5, 9, 52  
Phone ......................................................................................................2, 7, 10, 17, 18, 24, 44,  
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INDEX  
.................................................................................................................58  
Power Amplifier .....................................................................................2, 3, 7, 44  
Power On Preset ...................................................................................13, 25  
Presets ....................................................................................................58  
R
Reference, AEC .....................................................................................3, 17–18, 24, 30, 57,  
.................................................................................................................58  
Remote Control. See RS-232, Serial Remote Control or Parallel Remote Control.  
Reverberation ........................................................................................49  
Room Gain .............................................................................................14, 39, 58  
RS-232, Serial Remote Control ...........................................................4, 5, 7, 10, 15, 24, 27,  
.................................................................................................................30, 44, 51  
S
T
V
Signal Generator ...................................................................................2, 3  
Submatrix ...............................................................................................2, 22, 24, 34  
Technical Support .................................................................................43  
Terminating the EF Bus, Terminators ...............................................11, 53  
Video Codec ...........................................................................................18, 23  
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Polycom, Inc.  
Installed Voice Business Group  
1720 Peachtree Street NW, Suite 220  
Atlanta, GA 30309-2439  
Phone: (800) 932-2774, (404) 892-3200  
Fax: (404) 892-2512  
Technical Support:  
(800) 932-2774  
®
®
Polycom , Vortex , and the Polycom logo are registered trademarks of Polycom, Inc. in the United States  
and various countries. Copyright © 2002 Polycom, Inc. All rights reserved.  
P/N 1725-80098-001 Rev C  
*1725-80098-001-C*  
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