Application Notes: Dante in Corporate AV Installations
Boardrooms, conference rooms, campuses, lobbies — real-world deployment scenarios Corporate AV is among the most practical deployment target for…
Overview
The FLEX-CAT12OUT output card and FLEX-CATRX receiver extend 4K60 video from the FLEX chassis to displays up to 70 meters away over a single CAT6a cable — with Power over Cable (PoC) eliminating the need for a separate power supply at the receiver.
FLEX-CAT12OUT — CATx Output Card
- Ports: 12× CATx outputs (RJ45)
- Signal: 4K60 4:4:4 with HDR over HDBaseT
- PoC: Powers FLEX-CATRX receivers through the CAT cable — no receiver power supply required
- Max distance: 70m with CAT6a
- Installation: Slides into any output slot in the FLEX chassis
FLEX-CATRX — CAT Receiver
- Output: HDMI 2.0 to the local display
- Power: PoC from the FLEX-CAT12OUT — powered via the CAT cable, no outlet needed
- Signal: 4K60 4:4:4, HDCP 2.2, HDR
- Mounting: Compact form factor — mounts behind the display or on a wall plate
Cabling Requirements
| Cable Type | Max Distance | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| CAT6a (recommended) | 70m (230ft) | Full 4K60 at maximum distance |
| CAT6 | 60m | Acceptable for shorter runs |
| CAT5e | 40m | Not recommended for 4K60 at distance |
Always terminate to T568B standard at both ends. Avoid sharp bends and stapling — minimum bend radius for CAT6a is 4× the cable diameter.
PoC (Power over Cable)
The FLEX-CAT12OUT supplies DC power to the FLEX-CATRX through the same CAT cable used for video. This eliminates the need for an AC outlet at every display location — critical for ceiling-mounted or wall-mounted displays where an outlet is impractical.
PoC power budget: Each output port on the FLEX-CAT12OUT provides sufficient power for one FLEX-CATRX receiver. Do not connect non-PoC-compatible receivers to PoC-enabled ports without verifying compatibility.
Mixed Card Configuration
The FLEX chassis supports mixing FLEX-HDMI12OUT and FLEX-CAT12OUT cards across different output slots. Use HDMI cards for nearby displays (under 5m) and CATx cards for remote displays (up to 70m) — all managed from the same chassis web GUI and control interface.
EDID Management for CATx Outputs
The FLEX-CATRX passes the connected display’s EDID back to the chassis through the CAT cable. The chassis uses this EDID to determine the display’s supported resolutions. If the EDID is misread or the display reports an incorrect EDID, use the chassis’s manual EDID override to assign a fixed EDID profile to the output port.
Installation Steps
- Install the FLEX-CAT12OUT card into an output slot in the FLEX chassis (power down chassis first).
- Connect CAT6a cable from the FLEX-CAT12OUT output port to the FLEX-CATRX receiver location. Do not terminate until the cable is routed.
- Terminate both ends with RJ45 connectors (T568B).
- Connect the FLEX-CATRX HDMI output to the display’s HDMI input.
- No power connection needed at the receiver — PoC activates when the chassis powers on.
- Verify signal in the chassis web GUI — the output port should show receiver detected and display EDID read.
