Project Proposal for Integrated Control and Connection

managementRobby Gurdan and Richard Foss

Presentation Overview

• Motivation• Protocol Overview• Example system

Motivation

• Integrate control and connection management with a single protocol

• Full physical network independence• Provide security via subnet access control• Incorporate latency control• A need for a distributed server-less system

Challenges

• Many incompatible network standards• A range of devices to control with varying

levels of complexity and capability• Timing constraints with real time audio

streaming• Synchronization between multiple media

stream types• No global security standard for media and

control data

Markets

• Installation market • Live events• MI / home studio• offices• residential• telecommunication• security related systems

Benefits to the Industry and End User

• Full control and streaming interoperability• Consistent user-device interaction• Full system control is possible from small

controllers• Extensive parameter control is possible with

limited messaging• Full backward and forward compatibility• Parameter learning capability

XFN Protocol

• IP-based peer to peer network• Each device will have an IP stack• XFN protocol layer above IP stack– A tree structured parameter hierarchy– Hierarchy reflects structure of device, eg.

• Input section of mixing console• Channel strip• Parameter group• Parameter type, eg gain• Parameter value

Parameter Groupings

• Groupings are natural to audio engineers• Lowest level nodes– Parameter values and formats

• Each parameter - a fixed number of groupings– From parameter level – Up to top-most tree grouping level

Grouping level names

• SECBLK• SECTYPE• SECNR• PARAMETER_BLOCK• PAR_BLOCK_INDEX• PAR_TYPE• PAR_INDEX• VALFT/VALUE

Known Group Object ID’s

• At each level:– Known group object ID’s– Each unique within the level

• Address of a particular parameter– Constituted from seven group object ID’s

• Group objects and ID’s published in specification

Gain Parameter in BBox

• SECBLK SCT_BLOCK_INPUT ID 01• SECTYPE SCT_TYPE_ANALOG ID D4• SECNR STREAMNUMBER ID 100001• PARAMETER_BLOCK PRM_BLK_DGTL_AMP ID 11• PAR_BLOCK_INDEX NUMBERENTRY ID 1• PAR_TYPE GAIN ID 0201• PAR_INDEX PAR_INDEX ID 1• VALFT/VALUE 8 bit/0-255 00/0-255

Isoch Channel Number

• SECBLK SCT_BLOCK_INPUT ID 01• SECTYPE SCT_TYPE_1394 ID

E1• SECNR INTERFACENUMBER ID 0• PARAMETER_BLOCK PRM_BLOCK_MULTICORE ID 11• PAR_BLOCK_INDEX NUMBERENTRY ID

1• PAR_TYPE IsochChannelNumber ID

201• PAR_INDEX Dummy ID• VALFT/VALUE 8 bit/0-255 00/0-255

Tree Structure in each deviceDEVICE

SECBLK

SECTYPE

PARMBLOCK

PARMBLKINDEX

SECNR. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

PARMTYPE

PARMINDEX

The nodes representparticular objects relevantto the level on which theyappear.

‘Wild card ID’s’

• Wildcard ID may be used in place of:– An object ID– On a particular level

• Selects all objects on next level of tree• Allows for control of:– a large number of parameters – with a single broadcast command

Command Structure

• Each command comprises:– An operand (such as SET or GET)– An operand modifier (such as VAL)– A structured address comprising level ID’s– A format indicator and value

Level Commands

• To trace through the tree structure:– Use ‘Level’ commands

• For any node of a tree:– Return sub-nodes below the node

• Allows discovery of parameters

• Provide this address

• Return these nodes

Parameter Index Values

• A device holds a parameter index value– For each parameter it contains

• Controller can request index– Via a ‘get index’ command– With an associated structure address– Device provides index to controller

• Controller uses index instead of address

Joins

• Parameters can be joined into groups• Change one parameter of the group– All other parameters of group change

• Joins can be:– Absolute or relative– Unidirectional or bidirectional

Join mechanism

Bidirectional Group – Parameter changes are sent

between all joined parameters

Unidirectional Group – Parameter changes are sent only in a single

direction

Modifiers

• Provide the capability to selectively modify one or more settings within a command– Settings are modified at any level of command– Command can be:• Directed at a parameter• Emanating from a parameter

Modifier Example

Modifier changes a command from a tactile controller from:

channel -> channel 2

Across Bus Transmission?

• Currently the IEEE 1394.1 specification• No implementations• Problems:– Devices must be bridge aware– All asynchronous packets are passed• No control mechanisms (security)

– No re-bundling of packets

IP and Media Stream Router

Media Stream Routing

• Allows control over– The receipt of isochronous multimedia streams• Via a portal• On same bus as transmitter

– The extraction of sequences and re-bundling of sequences• For transmission over co-portal

– The configuration of transmitted isochronous streams

Stream Re-Bundling

IP Routing

• Creation of an IP address for each portal of the router

• Creation of an IP routing table – each entry:– A subnet (corresponding to a bus)– A subnet mask– A router interface to send to– IP address of gateway if address not on local bus

IP Routing – the mechanism

• All IP messages written to router portal– Received by the firmware of the router– Firmware views routing table– Routes accordingly

• Routing table is set up:– Via on-device control or– Via IP messages directed at router