"We looked at the needs of audio networking for live and studio situations and determined the only way to ensure optimal performance for audio transmission was to design a protocol specifically for audio," says Carl Bader, president and CEO of Aviom. "Since the introduction of A-Net, we have listened to feedback from the industry and have responded with the all new A-Net Pro system." Because A-Net was originally conceived for live stage monitor applications, the protocol was designed to transmit in only one direction: from the A-Net input module or distributor hub out to the performers' mixers. In addition, the protocol was built to carry 16 channels as a way of providing users substantial flexibility in monitor mixing, without overwhelming them with choices and controls.
A-Net Pro is fully bi-directional and has dramatically increased capacity, while preserving the central performance specs of A-Net: uncompressed, ultra low-latency in a plug-and-play system. The new version of the protocol carries up to 64 audio channels on a single wire pair in a Cat-5 cable, still at 24 bits. In specialized networks, A-Net Pro can carry 256 channels without sacrificing performance. The protocol also has dedicated bandwidth for bi-directional talkback, plus Virtual Data Cables which can be assigned to multiple simultaneous different data types. A-Net Pro is designed to work without a dedicated PC and without PC-based configuration, but will allow PC-based network management as an option.
(Mike Lethby)
