This is the last mail from SSL:
You cannot do a loopback test on the Alpha-Link's WordClock connections. This is because if you set it to lock to incoming clock (EXT), it will wait for a valid clock before transmitting a synced signal. Chicken and egg...
It may be a valid test for the RME card, though I don't know how... well, I guess their control software can analyze the incoming clock and display its status, even while the card uses its own generator.
The only way to prove a fault on the Alpha-Link is to feed WordClock to another, "known to work" device.
Other than this, we'll know it is faulty if a replacement Alpha-Link solves the problem
Problem is there is no light on the SSL as in the RME that shows if there's a signal coming or not, so the only way to test it is to connect the SSL out to RME, set the RME as slave and the Alpha to "INT", this way it should send the WC and the light on the RME should light up, but it doesn't.
Other way is to connect the RME out to SSL in and set the RME as master (I'm going thru this just in case I'm missing something stupid..), the RME panel should show the WC lock in both cases, but instead it shows no lock.
It really seems like the Alpha BNC is dead, which is very, very strange
When I connect the BNC and set the Alpha to "INT" and the RME panel to sync to Word Clock, it keeps getting the WC from the ADAT, and no light on the RME is popping up.
At some point I even unplugged all the 3 ADAT connections, and I had ONLY the BNC cable connecting the two (9652 and Alpha) and nothing changed.
All the connection and the cable swapping of course have been done turning everything off before unplugging and/or plugging in cables of any sort, whether it was BNC or ADAT
I've even tried to swap BNC I/O just in case - I know crazy - the labeling was wrong.. loosing hope a bit