Power behind the throne: oratis IF LAN

The oratis COM3 commentator terminal can be used as a stand-alone unit. However, its true power becomes apparent when used in conjunction with an oratis matrix frame. Within the matrix frame, an IF LAN card acts as a bridge interconnecting two worlds, conventional audio and the oratis network. While providing access to all audio signals on the matrix internal TDM bus, the IF LAN card connects the commentator terminal over redundant Gigabit Ethernet ports to the matrix frame.

In addition, the oratis IF LAN provides a number of convenient oratis functions including the computation of a commentator monitor mix, interfaces to intercom systems, the implementation of foldback and talkback features, and more. The built-in Ethernet switch offers four tunnelled 100-Mbps channels to feed other services to the commentator’s position. This can significantly reduce on-site cabling costs.

oratis LAN-interface IF-LAN

FPGA: Flexible Signal Pathways

In all new oratis boards, Field Programmable Gate Arrays, (FPGAs), replace conventional signal paths. Instead of designing the signal pathway with copper connections in several layers on a circuit board, the logic modules of the FPGAs calculate the required signal path. The big advantage: Changes can be implemented quickly and at low cost by simply re-programming the software. Expensive and time-consuming design of complex new circuit boards can be avoided.

Thanks to this technology you can be sure that the oratis system can always match future requirements! Internally an FPGA chip is based on parallel processing and can compute many channels simultaneously. This also offers the advantage of further increasing the packing density. The high speed processing with constant and short computation time is also very beneficial. For these reasons, FPGAs are already established as the standard in other hi-tech markets such as telecommunications and the Internet.

Benefits of the oratis IF LAN include:

• Connectivity to all audio sources and destinations
• Connection over managed Gigabit Ethernet lines
• Supports four tunnelled Ethernet lines
• Integrated summing
• Connection to talkback and foldback
• Compatible with oratis audio and intercom cards
• Integrates third-party components
• Broadcast-quality audio output