Not a processor but a cabling-simplifying distribution box to go alongside the SX40: it turns a single 10G trunk into ten independent 1G outputs.
Brompton · data distribution unit
Brompton Tessera XD Distribution Unit LED wall processor
The Tessera XD is a dedicated single-box solution to the problem of mass cabling in large LED systems. It communicates with the Tessera SX40 processor (and with other XD units) over a 10G Ethernet trunk connection, on copper (Cat5e/Cat6A, Neutrik etherCON) or single-mode fibre (1310 nm, LC-Duplex, Neutrik opticalCON), over distances of up to 2 km on fibre.
Each 10G trunk input serves up to ten independent 1G outputs towards the fixtures, significantly reducing the number of homerun cables leaving the processor. The outputs conform to standard Gigabit Ethernet, so they can be split further with an ordinary switch if required. Up to five further XD units can be chained one after another, with shared bandwidth, so the signal can be carried to several distant locations.
The unit has a capacitive touchscreen for checking link quality and port status on site, and configuration happens automatically from the Tessera processor's software – no manual switch configuration is needed.
Where the Tessera XD Distribution Unit sits in an LED wall system
The XD sits in the signal distribution layer rather than the signal processing one: between the processor's 10G output (typically an SX40) and the panels' 1G receiving cards. One 10G trunk can be carried up to 2 km over copper Cat5e/Cat6A on etherCON or over single-mode fibre (1310 nm, opticalCON) and yields ten independent 1G outputs — which reduces the studio or stage cable run to a single strand. Five further XDs can be chained, with shared bandwidth, so one trunk serves several fixture groups at a distance from each other.
WHEN IT IS THE RIGHT CHOICE
On large SX40-based LED systems where many fixtures would otherwise have to be wired to the processor individually on long homerun cables – the XD simplifies this to a single 10G trunk connection.
WHAT TO WATCH OUT FOR
It is neither a processor nor a receiving card in itself, works exclusively with the Tessera 10G/1G protocol (typically with an SX40), and is not compatible with other manufacturers' systems.
The Tessera XD Distribution Unit in practice
At design stage the limit is bandwidth, not port count: one 10G trunk carries ten 1G outputs, but with chained XDs that has to be shared, so the fixture groups have to be divided by pixel count rather than by physical proximity. Configuration is automatic, from the Tessera processor's software — there is no manual switch setup, and no ordinary switch should be placed in the trunk's path either. Link quality and port status can be read on the touchscreen on site: during a build this is the fastest fault-finding, because it shows which leg has not come up. On a fibre run the cleanliness of the connectors is the most common source of faults. It is worth keeping one XD in the fleet as a spare, because losing one takes out a whole fixture group.
Alternatives to the Tessera XD Distribution Unit
Within the Tessera system there is no substitute for it: the XD works exclusively with Brompton's 10G/1G protocol. If simplifying the cabling is the aim in another ecosystem, the MX40 Pro's fibre outputs and the CA50E's 5G receiving card on the NovaStar side, and the Z6 Pro's 10G fibre ports on the Colorlight side, give a similar topology. On a small system — a few ports, a short cable run — the XD is a needless cost.
Tessera XD Distribution Unit manual and datasheet
The documents live on the manufacturer's own site and open in a new window — so you always get the latest version. We do not copy or translate their contents.
Related broadcast processors
LED wall processor — but what does it go into?
On its own the Brompton Tessera XD Distribution Unit is a component. With us it works inside these displays — design, manufacturing and installation included.
