NTP Technology Penta Audio Console

Driver Maturity

Production

Recommended for normal production use.

Caution

Compatibility Note: This information is a general guide and may be incomplete, may not match a specific project implementation, and is subject to change as supported products and versions evolve. Confirm the exact implementation and requirements for each project with Riedel and the relevant equipment vendor, then validate the required functions end to end in the target environment before deployment.

Minimum hi Version: v2.5.0

Overview

The NTP Technology Penta^™ integration provides Crosspoint routing and routing-state readback through Pro-Bel SW-P-08.

Network Requirements

Connection Model: Outbound from hi
Multicast / Unicast: Unicast only
Firewall: Allow outbound TCP from hi to the Penta control interface on Port 10006 by default.
Callback: No inbound callback to hi is used.
Security: Keep the plaintext control connection on a trusted management network.

Standards Conformance

Standard	Conformance	Notes
Pro-Bel SW-P-08	Implemented	Crosspoint control and routing-state readback

Operator Workflow

UI Surface in hi: Routing Matrix, Inventory, and Control Panels that use router actions
Layers Controlled: Audio routing
Routing Semantics: hi exposes the configured Penta Sources, Destinations, and Crosspoints.
Notes for Operators Familiar with the Vendor's Own Tooling: Use the vendor tooling for console configuration, DSP, faders, and show files. Use hi for the routing functions exposed by this integration.

Connection Details

Property	Value
Protocol	Pro-Bel SW-P-08
Transport	TCP
Default Port	10006
Authentication	No credentials are configured by this hi integration
Encryption in Transit	None - SW-P-08 uses plaintext TCP
Connection Model	Persistent TCP
Required License	hiBase
Traffic Flow	Outbound from hi

Required Configuration

Parameter	Description	Default
Host / IP Address	IP address of the Penta console	-
Port	SW-P-08 TCP Port	10006
Level	Level of the matrix numbered from `0`	0
Matrix	Matrix of the level numbered from `0`	0
Dummy Crosspoints	Create dummy Crosspoints until the device connects	No
Signal Type	Signal type of the controlled matrix	`Audio`
Input Count	Number of Sources the matrix exposes set at creation	`24`
Output Count	Number of Destinations the matrix exposes set at creation	`24`
Keep Alive Enabled	Periodically sends a Crosspoint interrogate request for the first Destination	`Yes`
Read labels on startup	Read the Source and Destination names from the Penta each time hi connects set at runtime	`No`
Input association names	Read the Source association names instead of the regular Source names set at runtime	`Yes`
Input name source	Name field of the router database that hi reads for Sources set at runtime	`16 Character`
Output name source	Name field of the router database that hi reads for Destinations set at runtime	`16 Character`
Target	Name field in hi that receives the names read from the Penta set at runtime	`Original Name`
Refresh Labels	Operations button that reads the names from the Penta again and updates hi available at runtime	-

Device-Side Setup

Follow NTP Technology Penta Audio Console Integration Configuration for the device-side and hi-side configuration steps.

Supported Features

Feature	Access	Exposed Operation and Scope
Crosspoint Connect	Write-only	Route audio Sources to Destinations.
Crosspoint Interrogate	Read-only	Query current routing state.
Crosspoint Tally Notifications	Read-only updates	Receive routing-state notifications; this integration does not write tally state.

Device Coverage

Potentially Compatible (Not Yet Verified) identifies compatibility candidates that use the same protocol or connection method. Device-specific configuration, firmware, and feature support can affect results.

Potentially Compatible (Not Yet Verified)

NTP Technology Penta systems that expose the supported SW-P-08 routing and state fields.

Known Limitations

In hi 3.0.0, hi reads Destination names with the field selected in Input name source. Output name source has no separate effect.
Validate matrix dimensions and routing against the installed Penta software.
hi opens one control connection to the Penta and does not configure a backup connection.
With Keep Alive Enabled set to Yes, hi checks the connection every 10 seconds. When no message has arrived from the Penta for 30 seconds, hi sends a Crosspoint interrogate request for the first Destination.
hi numbers Ports from 1 up to Input Count and Output Count. Both counts are set only when the Node is created.
NTP documents that the router matrix of the Penta 721s handles up to 400 input channels, and that the unit routes synchronously, so all digital signals must share the same basic sample rate.
NTP documents that a Penta 720 or Penta 721s is managed through the Penta manager program, or DADman for the Penta 721s. When the unit is part of an NTP router system, the RCCore router control system handles all management of the unit.
The network address that NTP documents for the unit is the address of its controller and management interface, not of an installed IP audio interface. It cannot be set locally on the unit.

What's Not Supported

Firmware updates and DSP design - use the vendor's native software, such as its show-file editor or channel-configuration tool.
Fader, mute, scene, DSP, and show-file control are not exposed by this router integration.
The NTP Penta protocol and the Ember+ interface that NTP documents for the PENTA 720 and PENTA 721. hi controls the Penta only through SW-P-08.

Trademarks

Note

NTP Technology and Penta are trademarks of NTP Technology A/S.

RIEDEL Communications is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or officially partnered with NTP Technology unless explicitly stated.