Editing Distribution frame (section)

==Modernization==
Distribution frames may grow to extremely large sizes. In major installations, audio distribution frames can have as many as 10,000 incoming and outgoing separate copper wires ([[balanced audio]] signals require two wires plus [[earth ground]] for each signal). Telephone signals do not use a separate earth ground wire, but some urban [[Telephone exchange|exchanges]] have about 250,000 wires on their [[Main distribution frame|MDF]]. Installing and rewiring these jumpers is a labour-intensive task, leading to attempts in the industry to devise so-called active distribution frames or [[Automated Main Distribution Frame]]s. The principal issues which stand in the way of their widespread adoption are cost and reliability.

Newer [[Digital data|digital]] [[mixing console]]s can act as control points for a distribution frame or [[router (computing)|router]], which can handle audio from multiple studios (even for multiple co-located [[radio station|radio]] or [[television station|TV]] stations) at the same time.  Multiple smaller frames, such as one for each studio, can be linked together with fibre-optics (which also helps eliminate [[ground loop (electricity)|ground loops]]), or with [[gigabit Ethernet]].  This has the advantage of not having to route dozens of feeds through [[wall]]s (and sometimes [[floor]]s and [[ceiling]]s) to a single point.