ATM Digital Routing

ATM BASED SCALEABLE DIGITAL TRANSMISSION, ROUTING AND CONTROL SYSTEM

ATM is a native telecoms technology which has been adopted world-wide for digital transmission. Audix Broadcast have designed a series of Gateway products to allow its use in a broadcasting environment. The current Gateway products include standalone digital audio units, 19" 4U racks frames with fixed or configurable audio and control interfaces, and an ATM sub-system incorporated into our ADD series of Digital Audio Mixers.

Key Features

· Common network carrying audio, video, control and computer data.
· Scaleable size and speed to suit application.
· Non blocking network capacity.
· Telecom standard protocols.
· Copper and opto-fibre connections.
· Standard data rates from 1MB through to 40GB.
· Interfaces for external telecoms digital circuits.
· Whole station control system over ATM network.
· Linear digital audio transmissions.
· Customer choice 20 or 24 bit audio at 48kHz sampling.
· Optional AES/EBU embedded control data transfers.
· 4/8 stereo or 16 mono audio circuits per Gateway.
· Station level authorisation and routing management using our ANTS system.
· Analogue (including microphone) and digital audio interfaces.
· Remote machine control and management of other equipment.
· Open structure allowing connectivity to other systems.
· AES 47 Compliant.
· Total Integrated Audio and Control packages available from one supplier.
· Wireless ATM +++ links available.
· Commercial systems in use around the world.
· Suitable for use in live broadcasting because of low delay and guaranteed delivery.
· World-wide connectivity through standard telecoms networks.
· Audio Distribution/transmission can be point to point or point to multi port (broadcast).
· ATM gateways available with both analogue and digital interfaces.
· Up to 8 Simultaneous Stereo inputs at any digital standard or analogue.
· Up to 8 Simultaneous Stereo outputs at any digital standard or analogue.
· Can share the network with other services without compromising performance.

Audix Broadcast offer a complete system with the ATM gateways controlled and monitored by a very powerful and flexible control system ANTS. The ANTS system can either be based on a central server/management unit monitoring-controlling the local network or independent self controlled units attached to each gateway. For added security and redundancy the server based systems looks after a group of local gateways and will have communications with other servers on the wide area network where audio routes to be made across the network are given authority.

Product Range

ATM2221

The ATM 2221 gateway offers 8 stereo digital inputs and 8 stereo digital outputs which are synchronous interfaces running at 48kHz. All these features and the necessary electronics are packaged within a single 1U frame.

Typical Uses :- Compact unit for use where all the audio circuits are digital and synchronised. The internal controller can be programmed to provide specialised logic interfaces to meet specific system needs.

ATM2222

The ATM 2222 gateway offers 8 stereo inputs and 8 stereo outputs with the customer-defined options of analogue or digital audio ports. The analogue ports are AC coupled and electronically balanced. Digital ports include sample rate conversion as standard. All inputs and outputs are transformer balanced.

Typical Uses :- The unit allows types of audio ports to be selected for the application, the frame can support a mix of analogue and digital ports as well as front end high quality remotely controlled microphones. As with all our frames the internal controller can be programmed to provide specialised logic interfaces to meet specific system needs.

ATM2223

The comprehensive ATM 2223 frame includes a very powerful DSP processing system between all of the audio circuits and ATM broadband ports. This allows the customer to undertake any form of audio processing. Audio configuration is achieved using a versatile scripting language that enables the unit to derive any clean feeds. Cue feeds within the system alleviates the need of either stretching the audio mixer facilities or providing additional "fix it boxes". The frame may incorporate microphone amplifiers which can be controlled either locally or through the network by a remote user.

Typical Uses :- The unit provides a complete audio processing toolbox which can be controlled through either local or remote ATM, the simple control structure allows the system to do routing, mixing, crossfading, limiting or equalisation to the highest standards. Such a unit can be used to allow complex programming mixing and sharing with clean feeds generated in the box for distribution. The unit can support a network wide remote controlled monitor panel whose Sources and Destinations are programmed on an ANTS PC mimic based screen.

ATM2224

Known as the Audio Gearbox the ATM 2224 frame allows the system to operate on digital sample rates up to 96kHz (at present). Typical applications would be to synchronise with the station’s standard 48kHz reference to any "wild sources" which may come in over the network.

Typical Uses :- Compact unit gives users the opportunity to handle wild audio sources into the ATM system, when necessary the input sample rate converter can synchronise the audio.

ATM2226/7

 

The CAT5 cable used for connecting ATM gateways to the central ATM Switch has a number of spare pairs which have been put to use. The ATM2226/7 are placed between the gateways and the switch to allow it to add other services, pair 3 of the cable carries an AES3 reference signal to the remote unit, pair 4 allows the remote gateway to pass back an “emergency” AES3 signal pair which should the ATM suffer any problems would allow a simple “baseband” audio circuit to in the case of the ATM2226 be available at its rear panel for the customers use or in the case of the ATM2227 routed by the internal emergency AES router which for added protection has two independent control systems. Both units come with standby-changeover systems for the AES reference master clock signals as well as dual power supply for redundancy.

ATM2228

This gateway provides all the necessary facilities and services to operate as a main transmission routing and control system. The system allows for audio mixing from three sources. Two of which are derived from the ATM network, the third from either an emergency digital AES input or from other local sources. In the event of a failure either a local control via an RS232 source or network control system can override the ATM audio with this local source. The frame includes other facilities required for transmission routing including silence detectors, various monitor feeds and has the ability to insert various third party transmission processing systems.

Typical Uses :- A comprehensive transmission routing system allowing complete integration of a customers preferred “transmission processor” linked through the network, an emergency standby-redundancy signal routing system. Monitoring systems include both silence detectors and network metering.

Wireless ATM +++

Audix Broadcast through a technology partnership with Wood and Douglas are now able to offer a remote RF based ATM Link system which enables the partnership to extend the ATM network out to Outside Broadcast Sites, Transmitter sites and other places where high quality robust portable links are required.

The RF Links are fully integrated into the ANTS control system allowing fully monitored and controlled systems to be created.

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