Grass Valley Unveils Densité 3+ FR4 Modular Signal Processing Frame

To meet broadcasters’ requirements for more complex signal processing and distribution solutions, Grass Valley, a Belden Brand, introduces the Densité 3+ FR4 frame — offering high-density processing power, while retaining backwards compatibility with all Densité modules.

The Densité 3+ FR4, with new advanced controller, is designed to deliver more power per slot with high-speed connectivity to meet the growing needs of next-generation signal processing functions. The frame manages up to 24 processing cards, each with a power allowance of 25 watts, enabling cards such as the IPG-3901 that provides up to 264 SDI/IP gateways or the MAP-3901 with up to 192 audio processing functions in a 4RU form factor, doubling the performance that can be achieved with the current Densité frame. Each card is fully independent and can be swapped in or out as needed with the new frame supporting both Densité 2 and Densité 3 cards seamlessly. Users of the Densité 3+ FR4 frame can choose from a family of more than 80 cards.

“Many of our customers would enjoy more signal processing power for new cards, but they don’t want to lose their current equipment investment,” says Mike Cronk, senior vice president of strategic marketing, Grass Valley. “The future-ready design of the Densité 3+ FR4 supports next-generation processing cards, such as IPG-3901 high-density SDI/IP gateways and MAP-3901 audio processors, with 2X the power per slot and it’s compatible with all existing Densité modules. This further illustrates how important it is that our customers’ investments are protected while providing a path to the future.”

By packing more cards per frame with a higher level of feature integration, Densité 3+ FR4 helps to lower operational costs with reduced space and cooling costs, less cabling and reduced spares inventory. The frame’s front-opening design features dual hot-swappable power supplies (PSUs) and fans. Modules for the air-cooled frame are hot swappable and replacement modules can be configured automatically.

The new Densité 3+ FR4 advanced frame controller features a new full-color LCD touch screen display on the front of the frame for enhanced status display and control of the processing modules even when the door is closed. The Densité 3+ FR4 also features a reference option that enables the distribution of a universal reference signal (URS) to all the cards within a Densité frame, which simplifies interformat processing by using a unique reference signal for all video and audio frame rates. Densité 3+ FR4 will be on display at the Grass Valley booth (1.D11) at IBC.