NETWORKED AUDIO: THE BASICS & REAL-WORLD APPLICATIONS

Transcription

1 NETWORKED AUDIO: THE BASICS & REAL-WORLD THE BASICS & REAL-WORLD APPLICATIONS APPLICATIONS BIAMP SYSTEMS WHITE PAPER BIAMP SYSTEMS WHITE PAPER

2 Table of Contents Executive Summary...3 The Anatomy of a Network...4 Layer 1: Physical...5 Layer 2: Data Link...5 Layer 3: Internet...5 Layer 4: Transport...6 Layer 5: Application...6 To Sum It All Up...6 Network + Audio = Networked Audio...7 Applications of Networked Audio in the Real World...8 Case Study: Denver Museum of Nature and Science...9 Case Study: Birmingham Public School District...10 Case Study: University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire...11 Where Networked Audio Goes From Here...12 Additional Resources...12 Learn More...12 Glossary of Terms...13

3 Executive Summary As consumer demands for digital communication technology continue to shift and evolve, manufacturers and software vendors are finding it challenging to keep up: from desktop to mobile, analog to digital, and faster this to more portable that. Adding to this challenge is the reality that these mobile and digital devices are now commonplace in both personal and professional environments forcing manufacturers, vendors, and integrators to keep up with trends that could change at any moment. Networked audio is among those new forms of digital communication technology that is being adopted at a steadily increasing rate. Though used in a number of environments, networked audio is not widely understood. While most AV integrators understand what networks and audio are, explaining how networked audio works, and what its benefits are, requires a deeper dive into the realm typically inhabited by IT. This IT realm is changing quickly to include AV solutions, professionals, and departments. A networked audio system provides an easily expandable solution as all data is sent and received over standard network infrastructure. In an effort to provide an educational tool for AV integrators and professionals who want to be able to hold their own in the IT space, this white paper will discuss the general components of networked audio, its real world applications, and its promise as a mature digital communication technology. Page 3

4 The Anatomy of a Network Think about a network like the postal service, and computers or network devices as houses with individual addresses. When networked devices talk to each other, they are communicating by putting data/mail into a proverbial mailbox. As the postal service, the network takes the data/mail, processes it through its sorting machines (the layers of a network), and carries it to its designated location (another device). In order to equip you with as many technical tools as possible to understand networks and networked audio, you ll need to know that there are two models for describing the process of networking: the seven-layered Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model and the five-layered Transmission Control Protocol and Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) stack. Both models were developed around the same time by different organizations as a means of organizing the processes required for communication of devices via a network into abstract layers. Encompassed within the OSI model is the TCP/IP stack. The main difference between the two configurations is that TCP/IP Layer 5 ( Application ) encompasses Layers 5-7 of the OSI model (see below). TCP/IP Stack vs. the OSI Model TCP/IP Stack OSI Reference Model Application Application Presentation Session Transport Transport Internet Network Network Access Data Link Physical Data Link Physical Page 4

5 Each of the layers passes data to the layer above it and is served by the layer below it, adding bits to each packet for proper routing over the network, and processing by the end device or program. When data reaches the top layer, it passes over the Cat-5/6 cabling to its designated location. We ll describe the purpose of Layers 1-5 of the TCP/IP stack below. Layer 1: Physical The physical layer consists of the basic networking hardware of a network (Cat- 5/6 cable, fiber, switches, routers, and network interface cards, for example). It defines the means of transmitting raw bits rather than logical data packets over a physical link connecting network nodes. Another way to describe its purpose is that the physical layer translates logical communications requests from the data link layer into hardware-specific operations that affect transmission or reception of electronic signals. Layer 2: Data Link When a data/mail packet is sent over the physical network components (wire cabling, network switches, etc.), that sending computer adds its devicespecific MAC address to the packet. This addition to the sent data packet now allows devices on the local network to talk to each other. It s like stamping an envelope before putting it in the mailbox: it means this message is ready to be sent. MAC addresses only operate on Local Area Networks (LANs). They cannot go through a router because a router will only accept the addressing scheme from Layer 3. So, the MAC address is used specifically for local communications on the network. Layer 3: Internet (Network in OSI model) The third layer of a network is responsible for delivering information from one network, through the necessary routers (nodes), and over to another network. Whenever a node needs to send data to another node on a network, it must first know where to send it. If the node cannot directly connect to the destination node, it has to send it via other nodes along a proper route to the destination node. Most nodes do not try to figure out which route(s) might work; instead, a node will send an IP packet to a gateway in the LAN, which then decides how to route the package of data to the correct destination. Each gateway keeps track of which way to deliver various packages of data, and for this it uses a routing table. A routing table is a database that keeps track of paths, like a map, and allows the gateway to provide this information to the node requesting the information. For example, when you send an , the data goes to a router at your location, and the router says, The destination IP address isn t in my routing table. I m going to pass you to the outside network. That keeps passing through router after router until it finally gets to the destination IP address (the recipient). The primary responsibility of a router is to do just that: route information from one network to another. Page 5

6 Layer 4: Transport Continuing with the mail analogy, the transport layer deals with how the packet is delivered from one point to another. IP only provides a best effort delivery, so the transport layer is the first layer of the TCP/IP stack to offer reliability. The transport layer handles data flow and error checking. If there are any errors in the packet, the receiver signals the sender and a replacement packet is sent. This process is repeated until the piece of data being transferred is complete. Like the postal service, if a piece of mail has incorrect information on it (wrong name or zip code, for example) it is sent back through the system for correction, and sent out again when the errors are fixed. Layer 5: Application The fifth layer of the TCP/IP model comprises Layers 5-7 of the OSI model: Session, Presentation, and Application. This encompassing layer controls the connections between computer applications. It bridges the communication gap between layers by translating the data received from one language to another, from the back-end coding of the data/mail to what we actually see on our computer screen To Sum It All Up Layer Layer 1: Description The physical components of the network (cables, switches, endpoints). Layer 2: Layer 3: Layer 4: Layer 5: MAC address is added to data packet, which allows for networking access. IP address is located and responsible delivery is attempted. Quality of information in data packet is assured. Connections to local and remote programs are managed. Data is translated and visually presented on a computer screen. Page 6

7 Network + Audio = Networked Audio Simply stated, networked audio is the transporting of audio from one endpoint to another over an Ethernet network. The major benefits include: High quality, low latency, multiple channel count. Time syncing and data transfer management. Dynamic control over the routing of digital audio. Large distance connections. Large channel counts over a single cable. Dynamic routing of signals. Decentralizing of AV systems. The use of standard network equipment to decrease overall physical infrastructure. The possibility of running AV over existing networks. The use of network redundancy in mission critical installations. The bridging of audio transfer between different manufactures products using common networked audio protocols. A networked audio system provides an easily expandable solution as all data is sent and received over standard network infrastructure, such as cabling and network switches. Having to purchase less equipment, deal with less infrastructure remodeling, and decreasing installation time are all fundamental reasons why adoption rates for networked media systems are increasing. The financial benefits of sharing physical resources and using existing Ethernet networks cannot be overstated. Biamp products support two networked audio transfer protocols: Audio Video Bridging (AVB) and CobraNet. Both protocols are Layer 2, operate on LANs, and are currently not routable through Layer 3.* Even though many of the protocols in the AVB suite are currently only specified for Layer 2 operation, the IEEE 1733 standard protocol for the transport of audio over Layer 3 in AVB networks has been ratified. This protocol is working to define the standards of quality audio routing through Layer 3 networks. While AVB and CobraNet both provide reliable data transfer, Biamp developed Tesira to take advantage of the larger channel counts and lower latencies supported by AVB. It also supports CobraNet for additional connectivity with third party systems. COBRANET AVB Maximum Channel Count 64 (32 in/32 out) 840 (420 in/420 out) Minimum Latency 1.33 ms ms Proprietary Protocol Requires Special Hardware Transports Video Yes No No (Audio only) No Yes (AVB Switches) Yes * IEEE 1733, a standard for the transport of audio over Layer 3 in AVB networks, has been ratified Page 7

8 Applications of Networked Audio in the Real World Networked audio can be successfully implemented in any commercial, professional, or consumer environment. Networked audio solutions can take the form of any of the following system configurations: Combined Audio Integrated Multi-System Multi-Purpose Paging, Public Address, and Sound Reinforcement Room combining REAL-WORLD EXAMPLES OF NETWORKED AUDIO INSTALLATIONS Government: Multi-purpose, multi-zoned audio/video solution in the restored and expanded Idaho State Capitol Building in Boise, Idaho. Healthcare: Facility-wide, integrated nurse call and overhead paging system in Providence St. Vincent Medical Center in Portland, Oregon. Recreation: Stadium-wide, networked system that connects audio to and from the field, media vehicles, radio booths, skyboxes, and the control booth at Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama. Business: Multi-zoned, networked audio room combining/ conference solution at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Washington, D.C. Education: Multi-purpose, multi-zoned networked audio system providing audio to support over 11,500 events per year at the new University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Student Center. Airport/Transit: Multi-purpose, networked audio system providing remote system monitoring, live/pre-recorded messaging and BGM with ambient noise monitors in the new rapid transit system of the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority. Secondary benefits of networked audio include the capacity for easy system monitoring and cost-effective coverage by using the existing building s wiring infrastructure. By replacing analog cabling with Cat-5/6 and fiber optic cabling, networked audio solutions end up increasing sound quality and system performance, while simultaneously cutting costs for end customers, and installation time for integrators. Page 8

9 Case Study DENVER MUSEUM OF NATURE & SCIENCE Industry: Recreation THE CHALLENGE The Denver Museum of Nature and Science is under construction for its largest expansion to date. With a building over 112 years old, the Museum has never had a facility-wide paging system. It was clear that each gallery, and the building in general, needed a technology face-lift. THE SOLUTION The Museum was using a Media Matrix controlled 16-channel audio system that frequently failed. In search of a sustainable replacement, the staff chose a multi-product, fully integrated Biamp Systems solution. In addition to an AudiaFLEX system in the Planetarium, the Museum installed a Vocia Networked Public Address and Voice Evacuation System taking advantage of its decentralized network architecture for the museum-wide public address system. Instead of using the Vocia system for voice evacuation, it was integrated with the existing Audia system for live pages and automatic playback of pre-recorded messages. Tesira will be installed as the final phase of the system. Biamp Systems addressed all of our challenges and we couldn t be more thrilled. Tim Nicholson, Technology Manager And Senior Systems Developer, Denver Museum Of Nature And Science COMPONENTS 2 Tesira SERVER-IOs and 1 SERVER stocked with local I/Os; 14 AudiaFLEX with 104 I/O cards; 9 Vocia I/O devices with 3 amplifiers; system total of 31 remote audio expanders. CONCLUSION The greatest strength of the installation is the integrated audio solution. The goals of the Museum could not have been cost-effectively achieved with a single product, but through the combination of AudiaFLEX and Vocia, the system works seamlessly. Page 9

10 Case Study BIRMINGHAM PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT Industry: Education THE CHALLENGE The facilities of the Birmingham Public School District are made up of 15 separate buildings: eight elementary schools, three middle schools, two high schools, one senior center, and the administration office. Every building contained an analog public address (PA) system with one microphone in the main office and a Dukane integrated classroom system. These were stand-alone systems, independent of each building, with no real standard of consistency throughout the District. This trend continued as new buildings were constructed and new systems were added. The lack of a streamlined approach and unified communication across all facilities was an important challenge for the District to overcome. THE SOLUTION While Dean Harris of Integrated Design Solutions acted as the consultant and system designer, Bob Sullivan of Advanced Lighting and Sound was selected to take on the installation. Biamp Systems Vocia was chosen as the solution to the District s challenges because it provided a robust paging backbone that would reside on the District s wide area network (WAN), along with exceptional digital signal processing (DSP) and remote supervision of the entire system over the existing WAN. The ability to add audio inputs and remote paging microphones via CobraNet met the District s current needs and allowed for future expansion. Our confidence in Vocia was confirmed the first week of school. Our staff and students could really hear the difference in the bells and announcements. Dr. Joseph Hoffman Executive Director of Technology for Birmingham Public Schools Because the buildings are located at least a few miles from each other, all are tied together with Vocia through their existing WAN, allowing for inter-building paging, as well as district-wide paging. This feature is what originally attracted the District to Vocia. The notification system that alerts IT staff to system faults, the ability to monitor the system in real time, and the capability to make adjustments to levels or routing all from a single remote location have proven invaluable to the District s operating efficiency. COMPONENTS Vocia: 50 two-channel amplifiers that enable routing of local channels; 30 ANC devices, 15 message servers that support global paging, 15 input devices. CONCLUSION The greatest strength of this audio solution is the District s ability to control the system and play back pre-recorded school messages from a single administration location. Also, the campus-wide scalability of the Vocia system has made paging and bell operations within the District much smoother. Page 10

11 Case Study UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-EAU CLAIRE Industry: Education THE CHALLENGE Instead of remodeling the existing W.R. Davies Student Center, which the students, faculty, and staff decided no longer met their needs, UWEC replaced it with a new 170,000 square foot, state-of-the-art Student Center. The challenge Audio Architects faced with this installation was providing professional audio to support over 11,500 student and business events per year, with easy zoning, room combining, complete digital signal processing and audio input/output control between all rooms, and make it user-friendly to boot. THE SOLUTION Leading the Audio Architects team on this installation, Andy Pierson chose Biamp Tesira as the only option for the high level of usability, flexibility, scalability, and control required by UWEC in this $2.7 million dollar installation. The Student Center features an AVB network, which supports background music (BGM) and live paging, and spans all floors, ballrooms, event/ performance spaces, indoor and outdoor lounge areas. COMPONENTS 7 Tesira SERVER-IO s well-stocked with local I/O; 27 individual remote audio expanders; system total of 278 analog inputs and 246 analog outputs. If we look at affordability, flexibility, and scalability, there is only one product that solves all of those challenges, and it s Tesira. Andy Pierson, Sales and Installation Technician at Audio Architects PHOTOGRAPHY BY AMANDA OBENHOFFER Copyright 2013 University Centers, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire CONCLUSIONS The Tesira SERVER-IO provides UWEC with a single Ethernet-based DSP network that can accommodate large quantities of both analog and digital input/output. The ability to combine and separate audio and digital signal processing as needed are important functions for the university. Using Tesira, Audio Architects enabled UWEC to meet the current and future needs of its students, staff, faculty, and business partners. Page 11

12 Where Networked Audio Goes From Here The ability to route audio from any input in any room to any output in any room has unsurpassed potential for end users in their day-to-day operations, and integrators in their value-add to their customers. Now that you know more about networks, how audio moves on a network, and what real-world applications of networked audio can look like, you ll be better equipped to communicate the importance and value of your audio solutions to IT professionals and end users alike. The promise of networked audio as a maturing and robust communications technology is that eventually most, if not all, manufacturers will produce audio/video products that will be interoperable with each other. In the near future, and even at present, many more audio/video manufacturers are deciding to adopt open standardsbased technologies, such as AVB, as opposed to reinventing the wheel with proprietary transport technologies. BENEFITS TO SHARE WITH YOUR CUSTOMERS Flexibility Scalability Remote monitoring and control. Economy of scale in its capabilities and uses. in its customizable size. for ease of system maintenance resulting from the ability to share processing and physical resources such as mics, speakers, and cabling. Pristine audio quality. Proprietary technologies may end up costing the customer more because they get locked into one brand, or technology platform, instead of being able to access the interoperability, and best fit hardware, found with open standardsbased platforms. This too, is part of the convergence of IT and AV. The IT buy everything from the same vendor for the system to work properly. The new era of IT/AV convergence, and the high usability of networked audio across all environments, promises expanded capabilities and opportunities for end users of both industries. Additional Resources For additional information on AVB please download our white paper ERA FOR AV: How AVB is Changing the Industry. A NEW Learn More With years of networked audio experience, Biamp continues to deliver innovative, quality audio solutions for the enterprise. To continue learning about networked audio, join us at a lunch and learn. We ll dive deeper into networked audio with examples and a discussion of how to make networked audio work for you and your customers. For more details contact: Wayne Rabidoux at Page 12

13 Glossary of Terms Networked Audio: The transporting of audio from one networked device to another over a network. Network: A group of interconnected components that share data, such as a central computer, network switching equipment, and other computers or devices. Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) Model: A prescription of characterizing and standardizing communication system functions in terms of abstraction layers by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). The OSI model has seven abstraction layers: physical, data-link, network, transport, session, presentation, and application. Transmission Control Protocol and Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) Model: The Transmission Control Protocol and Internet Protocol are the most important protocols in the Internet protocol suite, which is a set of communications protocols used for the Internet and other networks. These two protocols provide end-to-end network connectivity that specifies how data should be formatted, addressed, transmitted, routed and received at its final destination. The four abstraction layers are: link, Internet, transport, and application. MAC Address: A media access control address that uniquely identifies each node (endpoint) of a network. MAC addresses are used by the Data Link Layer (Layer 2) to identify the starting point and destination for the associated data. Every network-based device has a MAC address assigned to its network interface. This address is unique to the interface based on the manufacturer and the device. IP Address: An identifier for a computer or device on a TCP/IP network. Each device in a network has its own IP address to identify it. Example: Networks using the TCP/IP protocol route messages based on the IP address of the destination. Domain Name Server (DNS): A distributed naming system for computers, services, or devices connected to the Internet or a private network to make it easier for people to remember what they want to connect to. It translates domain names into numerical IP addresses needed for locating computer services and devices. It s similar to translating a social security number into a person name. Audio Video Bridging (AVB): A collection of IEEE standards that have increased the capacity for information exchange, support and AV product standardization. Commonly referred to as a switch, the purpose of an audio/ video bridge is to provide time-synchronized, low latency streaming capabilities for audio and video data that guarantees bandwidth reservation. The promise of AVB is a single network to run data for audio, , video, and servers with intelligent switches that know what to do with AVB traffic on the same network. Page 13

14 IEEE Standards: Open, industry-accepted standards for transporting audio over networks. These standards were created to address shortcomings in existing proprietary audio/visual networking systems such as synchronizing multiple streams of audio and video, eliminating the buffering delay through the network and creating resource reservation. Relevant standards to networking with AVB are as follows: 802.1AS: Timing and Synchronization for Time-Sensitive Applications 802.1Qat: Stream Reservation Protocol (SRP) 802.1Qav: Forwarding and Queuing for Time-Sensitive Streams 802.1BA: Audio Video Bridging Systems Subnet: A small network within a larger network. For example, an audio network might be a subnet of a venue s network, which could include computers throughout the building. Or an audio network might be divided into subnets. For instance, you might set up one audio subnet for the house system and another for the paging system. Page 14

15 ALLSTAR SHOWINDUSTRIES CONTACT US Wayne Rabidoux T: E: W: