[LAD] AVB not so dead after all

[Len Ovens]

On Sun, 7 Jun 2015, Jesse Cobra wrote:

> Just a few notes, not sure if this is of any use:
> Motu and Presonus are now shipping some semi-affordable AVB audio devices and
> switches. The Motu switch is $295.

Here is an even cheaper switch:
http://www.dsp4you.com/products/avb-oem-series/avb-sw

It is not Gb, just 100M, but less than half the price and possibly "good 
enough" for testing, development, smaller channel counts (32ish?)

It appears that at the same time as being a switch it could also be set up 
as an endpoint. There is I2S connections on it. So it could be a good 
starter set up with switch and 8audio i/o. I think, the spec just says:

"Internal 20pin 0.1” pitch connector with TDM/I2S input & output streaming
AVBTP (IEEE 1722) talker listener mode
Up to 8ch per stream
Sample rate of 44.1/48/88.2/96/176.4/192kHz
Sample width of 20/24bit
Automatic hardware locking to stream’s media using the IEEE 1722 
presentation time"

And last of all, This looks like a ready to run AVB interface that will 
work on Linux:
http://www.dsp4you.com/downloads/AV2USB%20Datasheet.pdf
I could not find the price though. It is limited to 8/8 i/o and looks to 
Linux as a class compliant USB 2.0 8channel audio card. Of course those 8 
channels can be any of the available AVB channels on the AVB network. More 
than one of these could be used on the same computer for 16 channels (or 
more) as they are by default synced. I would suggest a variant of zita-a2j 
with no resample to connect 2nd and more units rather than making a 
"multi-device". This would allow plugging and un-plugging without stopping 
jackd. Also, if your "internal" AI has external sync capability (s/pdif or 
word clock) it could be used by the jack back end and av2usb boxes added 
as clients if at least one of the AVB audio IF boxes had a similar sync 
out.

This may also be an inexpensive way of using network for audio transport 
from one computer to another in the same LAN with low latency. Two 
ethernet ports means a switch may not be needed. (aside from audio 
streaming a net port would be needed to control routing too unless that is 
somehow incorperated in the USB line)


--
Len Ovens
www.ovenwerks.net