Question: Do I need to pair the HXII-DPL Powerline Device to my system?
Answer: No. The HXII-DPL is effectively a simple 2 port Ethernet Switch and a power supply circuit. On one side there is a Power Input and 100Mb Ethernet port. This combines to the Powerline with Ethernet and Power on 3-pin XLR.  The HelixNet User Stations power and connect to the line and are collectively combined on the HXII-DPL’s Ethernet device and visible on the network. The HelixNet User Stations will then need to be paired to the system locally from the front panel of the HelixNet User Station or from an Arcadia CCM that allows central discovery and pairing of all HelixNet User Stations.

Question: Can I use both Powerline and Ethernet to connect HelixNet User Stations in my system?
Answer: Yes. Users can mix and match connectivity methods. However, only 1 connectivity method – Ethernet or Powerline - can be used at a time on the HelixNet User Station.

Question: Can I use the HXII-DPL Powerline Device with legacy HMS-4X main station?
Answer: Yes. HMS-4X with HLI-ET2 Ethernet Module running HelixNet version 4.5 or higher can be used with the HXII-DPL Powerline Device.

Question: Can I use the HXII-DPL Powerline Device on Arcadia with legacy HBP-2X beltpack?
Answer: Yes. HBP-2X must be running HelixNet version 4.5 or higher (included in Arcadia 2.11 or higher).

Question: Is the HelixNet Powerline compatible with analog partyline?
Answer: No!
HelixNet Powerline is fully digital and delivers +/-29.5V DC power on the line which can damage older analog partyline devices if connected. Connect to analog systems using 2-wire or 4-wire interfaces as appropriate.
Note: RS-700s beltpacks are protected for accidental Powerline connections.

Question: Can I protect my analog equipment from accidental Powerline connections?
Answer: Yes! Simple 600 Ohm audio isolation transformers with bipolar 10uF 100V capacitors on each leg will protect the audio interface behind it.

Question: Why do I want Powerline?
Answer: Powerlines will not be of an interest to all customers, for some full Ethernet distribution of all signals has become the norm. However, the customers that have interest in Powerlines have very strong desire to use the solution. Different reasons may resonate with different customers.
Example A: “I own the cabling already!” There is an extensive XLR cabling infrastructure available or already installed. Installing a totally new cabling infrastructure and related conduit can be very costly, potentially more so that the equipment. Powerline allows this infrastructure to me re-deployed for Powerlines with minor or no modifications.
Example B: “Distance limitations” Powerlines run over quality of cabling can be run much further than Ethernet cables that would otherwise need adapters, inline repeaters or fiber cabling to get around.
Example C: “It is XLR!” Passive, robust and known cabling without any active components on the way with the ability to split the line to multiple devices with the ability to connect additional devices without pops or interruption, redundant flyback cabling, while keeping all channels available everywhere.

Question:  What happens if I try to put more than the officially supported devices on a single HelixNet powerline? 
Answer: HelixNet doesn't prevent a user from connecting and using more than the supported number of units on a powerline.  The user will see start to see  degraded audio performance if the traffic on the line is too great and perhaps a failure of the added unit to even power up.  The power draw from the unit could potentially take down other units on the cable depending on cable topology.  But as soon as you remove the extra devices, the power should come back automatically, no reset required.
It is not recommended to exceed the documented system limits of the digital powerline

Question: When you exceed the limits of the Powerline does it affect the rest of the system such as other Powerlines, Ethernet connected devices etc.
Answer: No, just the ones on the same powerline.

Question:  Can I carry other traffic through Powerlines.
Answer:  No. You cannot bridge network traffic to pass through HelixNet Powerlines
HRM & HKB only have 1 MAC which is used by the network interface used (Powerline or Ethernet) and will shut down with a network storm protection if connection is detected concurrently on both.
HXII-BP will only activate the network interface that is powered upon boot up.

Question: Why was the Powerline not built into Arcadia like the HMS-4X?
Answer: To enable addition of - Powerlines “as-needed” for capacity and “where-needed” for quality of service - following similar concepts of laying out FreeSpeak wireless transceivers.
The fundamental design questions are the same when laying out a system:
Capacity: “How many do you need?”
Location: “Where do you need them?”
Note: Sometimes the optimal place is in the rack next to the Arcadia!

Question: Powerlines on HMS-4X support up to 10 beltpacks yet the new HXII-DPL Powerline device only supports 7 beltpacks. Why?
Answer: The decision to build the HXII-DPL to support 7 beltpacks was made to allow use of a commonly available components, to improve power & thermal management options of the device avoiding use of fans and to provide a more consistent quality of deployment in the wide variety of cabling that exists in the world.

Question: Why can the HXII-DPL not be powered over PoE?
Answer: HXII-DPL and 7 beltpacks require up to 90W of power. While high powered PoE options are slowly becoming available they are still costly and bulky to implement. While remote powering is desirable, it was determined not to be a viable option for this product.

Question: What is Powerline? Is it digital?
Answer: Powerline is an IEEE standard method to transport Ethernet network packages as modulated RF carriers in the MHz range over electrical wiring and can be accesses simultaneously by multiple devices on the line. Clear-Com adapted the Powerline technology to the power, data and electrical constraints of standard 3 pin XLR cabling.
Powerline is Digital. Powerline is Ethernet.

Question: Where else is Powerline used in our industry?
Answer: None that we know of at the time of writing.  In industrial and domestic applications Powerlines are in use as small adapters that can get Ethernet around using power circuits.

Bonus Question: Why is the part number HXII-DPL?
Answer: HXII was introduced as the HelixNet family prefix in 2016 when the HXII-BP was introduced. This prefix is expected to be used in an upcoming mechanical sustaining update to the Remote/Speaker Station. HelixNet family part no will start HXII.
It was decided not to call the unit HXII-PL to avoid confusion with analog partylines.
Instead, we ended up with DPL for Digital PowerLine or PartyLine… dealers choice…