3cat integrates AEQ equipment into its audio and intercom network

The Catalan Corporation of Audiovisual Media (CCMA) has developed its own applications, which, using the different AoIP protocols and control protocols provided by different manufacturers, allow working on the same system with equipment that works on different standards.

Within this corporate mission, the Technical Emissions Department set out to make the best possible use of the technical means available to the organization. However, for historical reasons related to the advancement of technology and manufacturers' adherence to different standards, some essential equipment could not share resources.

El broadcaster cuenta en un edificio con una intercom Conexia de AEQ-Kroma. Tanto los paneles TP8000 como la matriz de audio que incorpora manejan audio IP de calidad broadcast en formato Dante sobre un sistema de sincronismo PTPv1. Las consolas de audio son con audio IP en formato Ravenna sobre un sistema de sincronismo PTPv2.

En el Departamento de Control Central y Tráfico, se encargaron de ver como compatibilizar los formatos, a través de su mínimo común múltiplo, la norma AES67 que trabaja en PTPv2. Hicieron que la matriz Conexia facilitara a través de una de sus tarjetas audio Dante en formato AES67. De la misma manera, también las consolas de los demás fabricantes facilitaron audio AES67, thus, audio can be introduced into the consoles ready to be broadcast from the auxiliary input of the intercom panels, or from the analog and digital inputs of the Conexia matrix, while at the same time sending orders from the console to certain intercom panels.

In a second phase, AEQ made things easier for a more efficient integration by developing a new card for the Conexia system, the XC 34 which works on the native Ravenna protocol of the consoles. This has allowed a unified control via NMOS protocol. They have also carried out synchronization tests, and this allows them to subscribe from the Conexia matrix to AES67 flows from equipment from other manufacturers, even from other parts of the city, without any problems. It has also allowed them to integrate the AEQ intercom system over AES67 directly with the PTPv2 of AES67 and Ravenna (since they have restricted Dante's PTPv1 due to internal security policies) and they report that it works very well for them.

Otra integración puntera y más compleja ha sido la de los sistemas de intercom. Mientras que en un edificio 3cat tiene un intercom Conexia de AEQ-Kroma, en otro edificio instaló un intercom con matriz. En un principio, cada centro produce sus propios contenidos y en general no hay interacciones que coordinar. Pero con el tiempo, la optimización de recursos y las posibilidades de trabajo a distancia que llevan las nuevas tecnologías, han dado lugar a interacciones operativas entre ambos centros e incluso con las delegaciones territoriales. Había que hacer trabajar juntos dos sistemas de intercom que no se había previsto trabajaran unificados.

Para ello, 3cat tuvo que solicitar la colaboración de ambos fabricantes que facilitaron la labor: AEQ facilitó una API que interactúa con el controlador TM8000. Por su parte, otro fabricante facilitó un software que hace de pasarela y proporciona un protocolo que permite controlar el sistema de intercom.

Desarrollo de software

La Corporación Catalana ha desarrollado un software que traduce la información entre ambas herramientas interconectando de forma transparente al usuario los dos sistemas. De una parte, las matrices Conexia y y del resto de fabricantes comparten, a nivel de audio, una serie de flujos AES67 fijos. De otra, en la parte de Conexia se programan en los paneles unas teclas para hablar con esos puertos AES67. Además, el software de 3cat monitoriza el estado de los puntos de cruce que se establecen cuando se pulsan esas teclas y manda los comandos necesarios a la matriz para hacer los puntos de cruce entre el puerto AES67 y el panel destino. También manda las ordenes necesarias para señalizar en el panel la llamada.

If the call is from the matrix of the rest of the manufacturers to an AEQ panel, the 3cat software monitors the keys of the panels that speak to the AEQ matrix, and when they are pressed, it sends the order to the matrix of the rest of the manufacturers and to the AEQ matrix to make the corresponding crossing points. It also sends the signaling to the panels, in Conexia it is not necessary because the signaling is automatic as it is a normal communication.

It should be noted that since the format and content of the exchange information provided by each manufacturer are different, the application is responsible for providing transparent operation within these limitations.

As a curiosity regarding the level of knowledge that 3cat has acquired about the internal functioning of the systems of both manufacturers, faced with a temporary situation, in which they have received some panel units from other manufacturers of a new model that is not yet integrated into the exchange software, it is worth noting that they have used an AEQ panel only as a button panel to select the destinations in the AEQ matrix of the new panel from the rest of the manufacturers, managing the audio from the panel. They have done this because the operators work with headsets and thus avoid having to change headsets depending on who they talk to or having to make some hardware adaptation to use the same headset on both panels.