FIFTH-GENERATION WHEATNET IP ARCHITECTUREBlade 5 is Wheatstones fifth-generation I/O and Mix Engine architecture for the WheatNet IP audio network, engineered to take broadcast reliability and redundancy to the next level.Designed for studios where staying on air is non-negotiable, Blade 5 introduces advanced failure recovery at both the network and mix-engine level. Mirrored Blade 5 Mix Engines remain synchronized through a high-frequency heartbeat for instantaneous failover, while I/O Blade 5 hitless path redundancy keeps audio moving across dual network paths without packet loss, downtime or operator intervention.Blade 5 also brings together the routing, control and audio tools expected from WheatNet IPincluding audio processing, utility mixers, OPUS codecs, AES67 compliance, onboard metering, routing and logic intelligence, dual Ethernet ports, redundant power capability and two onboard clip playersall within a compact 1RU architecture.Add Blade 5 I/O units to an existing WheatNet IP audio network, use a Blade 5 Mix Engine to power an Arcus, Strata, Tekton, LXE or GSX console, or build an entirely new WheatNet IP facility around fifth-generation reliability and redundancy.Half digital, half analog I/O for 8 stereo channels, 16 mono channels, or any combination totaling 16 discrete channels (half analog, half AES digital).RJ45 connectors for audio (8 in, 8 out)12 universal logic (GPIO) ports plus 128 software LIO portsAES67 compliant, SMPTE ST 2110 supported with NMOS discoveryRedundant power supply and dual Ethernet portsIncluded: two 82 stereo utility mixers, stereo processor with parametric EQ, compressor and limiter, two Opus audio codecs, and two onboard clip players in 1RU.Main Features:Analog I/O Configuration- Analog inputs/outputs for 8 stereo channels, 16 mono channels, or any combination totaling 16 discrete channelsAudio Connectivity- RJ45 connectors for audio (8 in, 8 out)Logic Control- 12 universal logic (GPIO) ports plus 128 software LIO portsAoIP Standards Support- AES67 compliant- SMPTE ST 2110 supported with NMOS discoveryRedundancy- Redundant power supply- Dual Ethernet portsIntegrated Resources- Two 82 stereo utility mixers- OS and software applications- Stereo processor with parametric EQ, compressor, and limiter- Two OPUS audio codecs- Two onboard clip playersTwo 8×2 Utility Mixers- Two fully featured internal 82 utility mixers- Panning, channel ON/OFF, fader levels, and source selection- Full Automation Control Interface (ACI) support for remote control, ducking, auto fade, channel control, levels and source assignmentStereo Audio Processing Tools- 4-band parametric equalizer- 3-way crossovers- 3 compressors- 3 limiters- Final lookahead limiter- Routable processor available as a network resourceOnboard Intelligent OS- Standalone router functionality- Stores entire network configuration- No external PC software required for routing control- Updated CPU and GPU graphics acceleration for scripts, software, metering apps and virtual interfacesSalvos/Macros- Create routing salvos and automated macros- Control events within a Blade or across an entire WheatNet IP networkAudio Codecs- Optional OPUS audio codecs for remote audio transport- Native AoIP routing without additional hardwareAudio & Control Routing Matrix- Route any audio input to any or all outputs- Route GPI signals to multiple GIOs- Associate GPIOs with audio sources and follow source movement through the systemSilence Detection- Automatic backup switching during silence events- Trigger automation systems or onboard clip playback- Independently configurable on every output channelAssociated Connections- Automated mix-minus and IFB creation- Return feed assignment based on source destination- Ideal for codecs, callers, remotes and live showsAuto Mono Summing- Automatically sums stereo signals routed to mono destinationsSignal Splitting- Split stereo AES/EBU or analog signals into two mono channelsGain Control on Every Input & Output- Input and output gain calibration- Stereo balance control on every stereo input and outputAES67, SMPTE ST 2110 with NMOS- AES67 compliant from 0.125 ms to 5 ms packet intervals- SMPTE ST 2110 support- NMOS discovery supportVirtually All Audio Formats- Supports analog, microphone, AES/EBU, SPDIF, AoIP, MADI, SDI and AES67- Audio conversion between supported formats across the networkBuilt-in Audio Clip Player- Optional onboard clip playback for emergency audio- Triggerable by silence detection, logic or manual operation12 Universal GPI/O Ports plus 128 Software Logic Ports- RJ45-based universal logic ports configurable as inputs or outputs- 128 software logic ports for system-wide control integrationLIO/SLIO Logging- Tracks universal and software logic activity across the network- Activity visualization and advanced sorting functions- Supports base connection plus up to ten additional linked connectionsAutomation Control Interface (ACI)- Routing, ducking, panning, logic, mixing and silence detection tools- Supports up to 20 ACI connections per Blade- Third-party automation and codec integrationScreenBuilder- Development environment for custom screens, panels, metering and workflowsSNMP Management- Network monitoring and event management- Alarm thresholds and failure notifications- Centralized monitoring for WheatNet IP facilitiesVariable Buffering- Independently adjustable buffering for jitter compensation on remote connectionsApplication Manager (Blade 4 and 5)- Runs supported applications directly on Blade hardware- Supports ScreenBuilder and MeterAppEnhanced Navigation Software (Blade 4 and 5)- Custom meter monitoring- Simplified salvo controls- Enhanced logic display