Q&A with Andrew Calvanese, VP Engineering, Wheatstone

AndyCalvanese200sqQ: I like that your WheatNet-IP system is based on gigabit Ethernet. But I’m worried I’ll have to pay more for network switches because they have to be gigabit-capable switches.


A:While it is true that our system requires gigabit-capable switches (which all the new ones are anyway), the total cost of switches needed in a Wheatstone system is less than with other systems. This is because our BLADE IP access units manage network multicast channels intelligently, so that they transport audio as needed. This avoids continually streaming audio from all devices in the network on the off-chance that someone will need that stream somewhere.

Unmanaged multicast channels, as found in other systems, require system switches to be sized to the theoretical maximum in order for the system to work properly. That translates to additional hardware costs, specifically in switches. Compare that to our WheatNet-IP system, in which even our large installations with over a hundred I/O boxes are running successfully with inexpensive rackmount switches.

By the way, I agree: I like our gigabit Ethernet architecture, too.

Here's a link to the latest white paper on Audio over IP by Andrew Calvanese, which was presented at NAB 2013.

Advances in AoIP Connectivity for Extending the Radio Operation Beyond the Studio White Paper (1.06 MB 2013-04-30 10:51:23)

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