Intercom Goes Real-Time Ethernet With Riedel

Riedel Communications, one of the leading manufacturers of real-time networks for video, audio and communications, has premiered a suite of AVB products for the Artist digital matrix intercom platform at this year's Prolight+Sound.
AVB allows for transporting AES3/EBU audio in real-time with guaranteed bandwidth and quality of service (QoS) via Ethernet-based Local Area Networks (LAN).
Connecting intercom panels over an Ethernet-based LAN environment has been the dream of many system planers. But issues inherent to IP like latency, reliability and missing synchronization prevented them from doing so. Riedel’s AVB product line overcomes these issues and provides a real-time communication solution fulfilling the demands of professional intercom users. Based on official IEEE next generation Ethernet standards like 802.1Qav, P802.1Qat and P802.1AS, AVB allows risk-free utilization of AVB compliant facility or enterprise LAN infrastructure for intercom applications. This allows for new approaches in system and facility design providing significant savings in infrastructure investments.
Intercom applications for Riedel’s AVB products feature matrix-to-control panel connections via LAN, audio distribution via LAN, matrix-to-matrix trunking connections via LAN and distribution of digital partylines via LAN.
The Riedel suite of AVB products includes the AVB-108 G2 Client Card and Connect AVBx8 panel interfaces. The AVB-108 G2 card is a regular Artist client card to be used inside the Artist mainframe. It converts eight Artist matrix ports into AVB and vice versa. The AVB-108 G2 client card communicates either with other AVB-108 G2 client cards in another Artist systems, e.g. for trunking, or with Riedel’s Connect AVBx8 panel interface.
Connect AVBx8 converts eight AES signals to AVB and vice versa. Built in a compact 9.5”/1RU housing the device provides eight CAT5 ports to connect up to eight Artist control panels in one or two-channel mode to the matrix via IP-based LANs. Connect AVBx8 is the perfect team mate for Riedel’s AVB-108 G2 eight channel AVB client card.
(LB)