IEEE 802.1 AVB Ethernet Protocols and their Applicability to Broadcast Systems

摘要

Latest IEEE 802.1 AVB protocols add timesynchronicity and deterministic transport reliability toEthernet network structures. The AVB standards also takecommon broadcast audio and video signal formats intoaccount and define a device detection and signal routingprotocol for network control and management. The newIEEE 802.1 protocol suite puts an end to the compromisesand limitations in Ethernet that were carried from the 70suntil today and which made signal transport through ITLANs a risky and more or less unacceptable approach inprofessional production environments. AVB augmentsEthernet to become a globally standardized networkstructure for all audio and video signals in combination withcontrol data in broadcast, event and installed AV systemsand applications. This paper describes the mechanisms andfunctionality as well as the resulting network specificationsof the new Ethernet protocols and discusses the suitability ofAVB for Broadcast systems.