New NEXO firmware v1.2 with ACSINet Virtual Mic function

We are launching version v1.2.0 of the NEXO firmware, the AES67 network audio converter manufactured by LDA Audio Tech that allows sending and receiving 2 audio channels over IP networks at level 3.

This version, available from June 1st 2025, includes new functionalities for installations that require advanced management of remote microphones and external inputs, such as public address and voice evacuation systems in airports.

NEXO is a robust and flexible solution for this kind of projects and, in general, for all those that require adapting analog equipment to IP network-based infrastructures while maintaining EN 54-16 certification throughout.

The NEXO converter helps installers and integrators to ensure that projects comply with current security regulations and give them peace of mind that their infrastructures are always at the forefront of state-of-the-art technology.

NEXO already offers support for connecting up to 32 ACSI v2 devices on its local bus and allows the connection of up to 2 music sources. Now, thanks to the new ACSINet Virtual Mic feature, it is possible to connect conventional microphones, which operate by contact closure or noise gate, and convert them to ACSINet microphones for connection to the system via IP networks. With firmware v1.2 the horizon is extended to offer even more integration capabilities.

The new version allows up to 4 A-1 microphones to be daisy-chained to the same NEXO port. Although only one can broadcast at a time, each mic can have preconfigured routings, i.e. different target zones previously defined in the NEO+ configuration.

This is a useful enhancement designed for projects with multiple single-zone paging points, without the need to add external logic or intermediate devices. Everything can be managed directly using NEO+ and NEXO.

A particular use case for this functionality would be airport boarding gates and check-in counters.

ACSINet Virtual Mic

The new ACSINet Virtual Mic feature, available since NEXO version 1.2, extends the connectivity of the system, giving NEXO greater versatility when integrating microphones and/or triggers into the ACSINet ecosystem. These new features can be classified as follows:

• Contact closure microphone connection. It will now be possible to connect a conventional analog audio microphone and contact closures to the system via ACSINet, thanks to the Virtual Mic function. With a simple configuration, indicating which NEXO GPIO inputs are assigned to the TALK and BUSY functions of the microphone and which ACSINet profile will be used, it will be possible to connect this microphone to the system via the IP network. In addition, thanks to the bus connection mode of the LDA A-1 microphones, it will be possible to connect up to 4 A-1 microphones from the same NEXO.
• Connection of microphones by noise gate. Another option is to use noise gate triggering, detecting the request to speak when the audio level of the analog input exceeds a certain trigger threshold (configurable in the NEXO Config Tool application). This function is compatible with both conventional analog microphones and pre-recorded message and paging servers.
• Launching triggers from contact closures. NEXO GPIO inputs can now be configured as triggers that will allow programming in the NEO+ system the events and customized actions required by the installation, e.g. launch of pre-recorded messages.

Expanded functionalities and conversion to NEXO Hub

NEXO is reinforced as a real access key to advanced functionalities that allows to raise the capabilities of NEO+ systems, as it can expand the number of ACSI v2 devices connected to the system up to 4096 units (microphones and emergency panels), while maintaining EN 54 certification throughout the system.

The new v1.2.0 version also enables NEXO to become NEXO Hub, upon installation of a microSD card (available separately). NEXO Hub is used in distributed multi-controller systems with NEO+ systems certified according to EN 54.

Want to know more about NEXO and how to leverage these features for large projects? We can help you integrate NEXO into new or existing installations, with full guarantees of compliance and compatibility in IP networks.