A Model 5422A Dante Intercom Audio Engine has a maximum group size of 32 channels. (In this case, the one group would be using all 32 channels of an audio engine.) So, in theory, a 32-channel group configured for the Party-Line operating mode would allow a maximum of 32 users to be part of that party-line (PL) circuit or channel. In the vast majority of applications that should be sufficient; having anything close to 32 users on the same PL would be an exception. But exceptions do occur and it’s possible that a special application would require more than 32 users to be part of the same party-line. That can easily be accomplished using a Model 5422A-02 which provides two 32-channel audio engines. Two groups from separate audio engines can be linked together using just one pair of Dante audio channels from each group.
The maximum number of users associated with a single party-line (PL) that a Model 5422A-02 can create is 62. To accomplish this is simple. Both audio engines in the same Model 5422A-02 would be configured to have 32 channels per group. And both groups would be configured for the Party-Line operating mode. Then two audio channels would be routed (Dante subscribed) in a “crisscross” fashion, linking the two groups. The specific channels used to link the two groups isn’t important. However, a pair of channels from each group much be used.
For simplicity, we’ll describe how to use the last channel pair in each group for the group interconnection. Start by routing (Dante subscribing) output 32 in the group created by the first audio engine to input 32 in the group created by the second audio engine. Then route (Dante subscribe) output 32 of the group created by the second audio engine to input 32 on the group created by the first audio engine. That’s it! Now any user can be connected to any of the 31 available input/output pairs in either group. This means that there is a total of 62 channels (two groups, each with 31 channels) available for users to join. The audio performance should be excellent although one hopes that only a few people will be speaking at the same time! The same concept should work when interconnecting groups in multiple Model 5422A units. In theory, 122 users could share a party-line (PL) circuit or channel when two Model 5422A-02s are configured appropriately.
Note that when linking groups, selecting the Party-Line w/Auto Mix operating mode is not recommended. The Auto Mix logic would not function properly between the multiple groups. Users within the same groups would experience excellent audio quality but not so between groups.