The crystal surface always connects to Power Core via TCP/IP Ethernet. This connection can be made either directly (point-to-point) or via a network (LAN or WAN).

When connecting via a network, then this can be shared with other devices, such as in the regular "house network" of a typical broadcast facility. Routers are permitted as long as the minimum requirements of the network interfaces are met. By using routers, or similar devices, the latency of the communication will increase.

The control network interface in crystal operates at 100 BASE-T. This means that the network switch/router port used for the surface MUST meet the following requirements:
  • Speed = 100Mb/s
  • Duplex mode = Full Duplex

The control network interfaces in Power Core can operate at 1000, 100 or 10 BASE-T, depending on the SFP. This means that the network switch/router port(s) used for Power Core MUST meet the following requirements:
  • Speed = 1Gb/s, 100Mb/s or 10Mb/s; 1Gb/s is recommended
  • Duplex mode = Full Duplex