The IED 524 digital microphone station is a 4-button device for initiating audio/visual announcements, messages, and pages with the GLOBALCOM® and vACS Series Announcement Control Systems. It is a network appliance with a unique IP address that simplifies installation and configuration. The 524 features four zone group selection buttons plus a push-to-talk button located on the hand-held microphone.

Just like IED’s other digital microphone stations, the 524 uses a single Ethernet interface for audio and control data. The 524 station is fully compatible with IEEE 802.3af standard for Power over Ethernet (PoE), allowing the 524 to be powered directly from any standard off-the-shelf PoE switch. The processing power for the 524 comes from the onboard 32-bit processor. This powerful processor manages the input buttons, Ethernet interface, audio signal processing, and self-test diagnostics.

This, and all IED LAN-based GLOBALCOM® components, are designed to maximize the benefits of a standard 100 Mbps Ethernet LAN based network, using off-the-shelf switches and structured CAT5e or better cabling. The 524 Digital Microphone Station utilizes CobraNet® technology.

The 524 Series digital microphone stations are available in two models:

• IEDA524-H 4-button microphone station with handheld microphone for wall-mount applications
• IEDA520DTB optional weighted base for desktop mounting applications

Buttons

The 524 series digital microphone station features four selection buttons. These buttons are configured using the IED Enterprise or vACS Console software to function as one touch action buttons to trigger any of the following types of announcements or messages:

• A live page to a designated zone group
• A recorded page to a designated zone group
• A permanent message playback to a designated zone group (e.g., customer reminder or emergency message)

Network Requirements

The 524 digital microphone station utilizes CobraNet® technology licensed from Cirrus Logic®. Live audio on the data network is time sensitive and requires minimal latency through the network to ensure uninterrupted audio. The 524 digital microphone station and CobraNet operate on Layer 2 (MAC Layer) of the OSI Model. This traffic will not operate on a Layer 3 Router or above. VLAN’s (Virtual Local Area Networks) may be required for managing traffic as well as Quality of Service (QoS) and Prioritization configuration of network switche