Bosch OMNEO media networking technology makes debut
Published: PRODUCTS
Following news that eight leading manufacturers are working together to encourage industry take-up of the Bosch Communications-developed Open Control Architecture (OCA) as an open public standard, Bosch has now revealed OMNEO, a two-part media networking technology based in part on OCA.
OMNEO is intended to be fully compliant with emerging standards while operating over standard Ethernet networks. It is comprised of two components, the first of which is an audio program transport protocol suite that has been jointly developed by Bosch Communications Systems and Audinate Pty, and is based on RTP, a widely adopted IP streaming protocol which is compatible with Dante. The second element is a control protocol suite based on OCA, itself a descendent of the Audio Engineering Society's AES-24 protocol.
Bill Scott, vice president of engineering and technology, explained the driving factors behind OMNEO’s development: ‘Since the early 1990s, the pro audio industry has sought a common scheme by which audio and video devices from diverse manufacturers could interoperate harmoniously over standard digital networks. In such networks, devices share both program content and system control to provide users with powerful integrated multi-vendor solutions.
‘Until recently, industry progress in this area has been discouraging. However, new IEEE developments – the 802.1AVB protocol suite and related media transport standards 1722 and 1733 – have made major advances on one of the two fronts: program transport. Collectively known as AVB, these accomplishments are rekindling industry optimism in universal media networking. It now seems that for the first time in history, common professional media networking standards are within reach.’
The intention behind the three-year OMNEO project, Mr Scott continued, was threefold. ‘Firstly, to develop technologies which provide full interoperability of all Bosch Communications Systems network-enabled equipment; secondly, to allow Bosch Communications Systems customers to use standard, off-the-shelf Ethernet infrastructure; and thirdly, to merge the Bosch Communications Systems solution with emerging public standards, such as AVB, as soon as possible, allowing Bosch Communications Systems customers to enjoy fully standardised media networks in which equipment from many manufacturers interoperates smoothly.’
As such, Bosch Communications Systems and Audinate intend OMNEO to become a future open public media networking solution that will be compliant with emerging transport standards such as AVB, and with emerging system control standards as they are announced.
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