Annex K (informative) — Designer's guide

A short path through EIS for someone designing a new product. The normative clauses govern where this page and they differ.

What each product claims and publishes

EIS · Which product type a product claims Does it hold rows of modules? yes enclosure Does it make ±12 V for a bus? yes power supply Does it carry the bus, a DC rail, or the reference tree to modules? yes bus board Is it a ribbon, coax, or DC cable? yes cable Does it screw to the rails through a front panel? yes module Take the first yes: a case with a built-in supply is an enclosure, and a board that fans the reference or a DC rail out behind the panel is a bus board. Distribution is a feature, not a type. Then add a feature for each power domain and video reference port kind.

Product Claim Publishes
module module, plus (PWR-BUS-IN), (PWR-BUS-OUT), (PWR-DC12-IN), (PWR-DC12-OUT), (PWR-A6-IN), (PWR-A6-OUT), (PWR-A15-IN), (PWR-A15-OUT), (VID-REF-IN), (VID-REF-OUT), (VID-REF-PASSTHRU), (VID-REF-LOOPTHRU), (CTRL-USB-DEV), (CTRL-USB-HOST) for each power domain it takes or gives, each video reference port kind, and a CTRL-USB device or host port PANEL-003, PWR-001, PWR-002, PWR-005, SIG-001, SIG-016
enclosure enclosure, plus (PWR-BUS-IN), (PWR-BUS-OUT), (PWR-DC12-IN), (PWR-DC12-OUT), (VID-REF-IN), (VID-REF-OUT), (VID-REF-PASSTHRU), (VID-REF-LOOPTHRU), (CTRL-USB-DEV), (CTRL-USB-HOST) for each power domain it takes or gives, each video reference port kind, and a CTRL-USB device or host port RAIL-011, ENC-001, PWR-001, PWR-002, PWR-005, GND-003
bus board bus board (PWR-BUS-OUT), plus (PWR-DC12-IN), (PWR-DC12-OUT), (VID-REF-IN), (VID-REF-OUT), (VID-REF-PASSTHRU), (VID-REF-LOOPTHRU), (CTRL-USB-DEV), (CTRL-USB-HOST) for a DC rail, ±6 V or ±15 V outlets, or the video reference tree it also carries (BUS-020); a case host claims (CTRL-USB-HOST) PWR-001, PWR-002, PWR-005
power supply power supply, plus (PWR-BUS-IN), (PWR-BUS-OUT), (PWR-DC12-IN), (PWR-DC12-OUT), (PWR-A6-IN), (PWR-A6-OUT), (PWR-A15-IN), (PWR-A15-OUT), (CTRL-USB-DEV), (CTRL-USB-HOST) for each power domain it takes or gives, each video reference port kind, and a CTRL-USB device or host port PWR-001, PWR-002, PWR-005, SUP-001, GND-003
power converter power converter, plus (PWR-BUS-IN), (PWR-BUS-OUT), (PWR-DC12-IN), (PWR-DC12-OUT), (PWR-A6-IN), (PWR-A6-OUT), (PWR-A15-IN), (PWR-A15-OUT), (CTRL-USB-DEV), (CTRL-USB-HOST) for each power domain it takes or gives, each video reference port kind, and a CTRL-USB device or host port PWR-001, PWR-002, SUP-001, SUP-008
cable cable (PWR-BUS-IN), cable (PWR-BUS-OUT), cable (PWR-DC12-IN), cable (PWR-DC12-OUT), cable (PWR-A6-IN), cable (PWR-A6-OUT), cable (PWR-A15-IN), cable (PWR-A15-OUT), cable (VID-REF-IN), cable (VID-REF-OUT), cable (VID-REF-PASSTHRU), cable (VID-REF-LOOPTHRU), cable (CTRL-USB-DEV), cable (CTRL-USB-HOST): the one interface it mates; PWR-BUS is a power ribbon, VID-75 a coaxial cable Nothing; it meets the wiring rules of its interface

Modules by role

Module Claim Port list
Audio I/O, mixer, VCO, VCF, VCA, envelope, LFO, logic module A class per patch jack; unclassified for line and headphone jacks
Quantizer module MOD-CV-1VOCT ports; EIS recommends publishing the tracking accuracy
MIDI interface module MIDI jacks unclassified, or named from Annex I
SD encoder or monitor locked to a rear reference module (PWR-BUS-IN, VID-REF-IN); its composite jack is a VID-CVBS port in the port list MOD-VIDEO patch ports; the VID-REF-IN lists the four SD formats
HD encoder, scaler, or video I/O module (PWR-BUS-IN, VID-REF-IN); its component or composite jacks are VID-YPBPR or VID-CVBS ports in the port list MOD-VIDEO patch ports; the VID-REF-IN lists the formats it locks to
Video reference generator with rear coaxial outputs module (PWR-BUS-IN, VID-REF-OUT), or with VID-REF-IN when it genlocks Each VID-REF-OUT lists the formats it generates
Module locked to a rear video reference module (PWR-BUS-IN, VID-REF-IN), plus VID-REF-PASSTHRU for a buffered pass-through or VID-REF-LOOPTHRU for a loop-through with a termination switch The rear port is COAX-IN on an RCA, BNC, or SMA jack; no patch jack is the reference (SIG-015, V75-010)
DC entry panel or bus board with PWR-DC12 outlets module (PWR-DC12-IN) or bus board (PWR-BUS-OUT, PWR-DC12-OUT) The entry variant and input range; each outlet's current and protection (DC-009, DC-012)
Video reference distributor bus board (PWR-BUS-OUT, VID-REF-IN, VID-REF-PASSTHRU) REF IN lists the formats it accepts; each PASSTHRU drives one module
Dual-source module module (PWR-BUS-IN, PWR-DC12-IN) Runs from either source alone (PWR-003); the installer connects one (ASM-003)
Module with editable settings module (PWR-BUS-IN, CTRL-USB-DEV), role device A USB-PH4 port; PE controls with maps, steps, and x-units; current values on subscription
Case host module (CTRL-USB-DEV), role host Its ports and their limit; a computer link follows 8.2
Video module on ±6 V module (PWR-BUS-IN, PWR-A6-IN) Its ±6 V currents at the A6-VH3 entry; the bus currents for its logic, if any; regulates ±5 V locally

A module that draws more than one power header allows (BUS-008), or that is meant to run without a Eurorack bus, may add a DC entry beside its power header.

Reading order

  1. Conformance: product types, features, and the claim.
  2. Front panels and boards for a module; rack, rails, enclosures, and the row budget for a case.
  3. Power interface, module power entry, bus boards, power supplies, DC power entry, and bus CV and gate, and grounding.
  4. Signals, patch signal classes, video timing, and VID-75; for a video system, video reference distribution.
  5. Worked examples for a module, a case, and a video row; Annex N for expanders, Annex O for heat, and Annex P for why each requirement exists.

Machine-readable numbers

Read the numbers from the models rather than from the PDF tables:

Topic File
Requirements requirements.json
Document structure document.json
A claim file claim.schema.json
Panels, rails, inserts, screws module.json, rail.json, insert.json, screw.json, screw-fits.json
Rack figures standards.json
Third-party sources cited sources.json
Locked identifiers register.lock.json
Power domains power_domains.json
Power ribbons power_ribbon.json
Signals, video, and DC entry signals.json, video_timings.json, video_75.json, dc_12.json
PWR-A6 analog_6.json
PWR-A15 analog_15.json
CTRL-USB ctrl_usb.json, ctrl-units-v1.schema.json
Host bridge (8.2) bridge_v1.json
Row budget (Annex L) row_budget.schema.json
Examples data/examples/