PAVA Services Heysham Power Station

Public Address and Voice Alarm Services
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Heysham 1 Power Station

Heysham Power Station PAVA Services have just completed an upgrade of Heyham 1 power station's 'Simulator Link'. This is an audio connection between Heysham 1's voice alarm system and their control room simulator suite located at Heysham 2. The link allows the trainees at the simulator to make announcements over the Heysham 1 site during emergency training exercises. We proposed two solutions to replace the existing digital audio broadcast equipment which utilised X21 as the transmission protocol. Both of our proposals were based on IP solutions rather than X21. Our client finally opting for the system using QSC Audio's RAVE 522ua digital signal processors. This option was selected over the cheaper TOA alternative since the RAVE based system provided better long term flexibility and had the added advantage that it could be configured to provide system testing fuctions. The two RAVE boxes are linked via Ethernet over a pair of multi mode fibres using off the shelf network switches and media convertors. The Ethernet connection carries the audio signals using CobraNet and also the systems control signals using QSControl. The CobraNet and QSControl data could be split on to two separate networks, however as the system would not be used for more than two simultaneous audio channels a 'single wire' solution, were the CobraNet and QSControl signals are merged together, was perfectly acceptable. CobraNet & QSControl Network at Heysham The system carries the following signals: Audio from Heysham 1 to the Simulator Suite Audio from the Simulator Suite to Heysham 1 Amplifier Access from Heysham 1 to the Simulator Suite Amplifier Access from the Simulator Suite to Heysham 1 Test Audio from Heysham 1 to the Simulator Suite Test Audio from the Simulator Suite to Heysham 1 System Enable / Disable from Heysham 1 - Operates relays at both ends of the simulator link to isolate the audio and amplifier access Loopback Test - may be performed at either end of the simulator link to return the audio signal to the transmitting end of the link Noise Injection Test - an internal noise source may be activated at the either end of the simulator link The system provides three points of control. In normal usage the system is controlled by the enable keyswitch; the control room microphone and the simulator microphone. In addition the systems test fuctions may be activated from the front panels of either RAVE device. Full system status and control is also available by connection of a PC or networked PC's running QSCreator software to provide a bespoke graphical user interface shown below. For more information on our network solutions see our Network Audio pages
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