Livewire (networking)

Last updated
Livewire+
Livewire+.png
Manufacturer Info
ManufacturerAxia Audio, a brand of Telos Alliance
Development date2003;21 years ago (2003)
Network Compatibility
Switchable Yes
Routable Yes
Ethernet data rates Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet
Audio Specifications
Minimum latency 0.75  ms [1]
Maximum sampling rate 48  kHz [2]
Maximum bit depth 24 bits [2]

Livewire is an audio-over-IP system created by Axia Audio, a division of Telos Alliance. Its primary purpose is routing and distributing broadcast-quality audio in radio stations.

The original Livewire standard was introduced in 2003 and has since been superseded by a second version, Livewire+. Livewire+ includes compatibility with the AES67 and Ravenna standards to allow interoperability with equipment from other manufacturers. Designed as a superset of Livewire functionality utilizing common protocols and formats, Livewire+ is available as an open standard through Axia's Livewire+ Partner Program.

Livewire+ provides flexible routing and transport of audio streams using multicast networking, with the ability to connect any input to any output (known as "anywhere-to-anywhere routing").[ citation needed ] Distribution utilises standard IP and Ethernet over twisted pair cabling.

Protocol

The following table lists ports and protocols used in Livewire systems. [3] [4] [5]

PortProtocolMulticast AddressPurposeNotes
67, 68UDPBOOTP Server/ClientRemote IP address assignment
93TCPLivewire Routing ProtocolAlso provides transparent passing of custom messages, similar to the Ancillary Data Transmission feature of AES3
123UDPNetwork Time Protocol
514UDPSyslogActivity logging to a syslog receiver.
2055UDP239.192.255.4Multicast-based GPIO (CMsg2 protocol)GPIO commands, GPIO node → console-type endpoint
2060UDP239.192.255.4Multicast-based GPIO (CMsg2 protocol)GPIO commands, console-type endpoint → GPIO node
4000UDPLivewire Advertisement and Source Allocation ProtocolVerbose advertisement and source allocation requests
4001UDP239.192.255.3Livewire Advertisement and Source Allocation ProtocolPeriodic and verbose announcements;

Source allocation state announcements and responses

4002UDP239.192.255.3Engine Supervision Protocol
4010TCPLivewire Control Protocol
4011UDP239.192.255.4LWCP for Accessory ModulesModule → Console
4012UDP239.192.255.3LWCP for Accessory ModulesConsole → Module
5004UDP239.192.x.xRTP Livewire AudioLast two address octets pertain to Axia channel ID, e.g. 9999 = 39 15 (hex 27 0F)
7000UDPLivewire ClockOne device assigns itself as LAN-wide reference, all other devices slave to it
9997TCPProtocol loggingDebug protocol logging for Element

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References

  1. "Best Practices in Network Audio" (PDF). Audio Engineering Society. 2009. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
  2. 1 2 Introduction to Livewire+ (PDF), The Telos Alliance, May 2015, retrieved 30 July 2015
  3. "Configuring Windows Firewall for use with the Axia IP-Audio Driver" (PDF). The Telos Alliance. 31 October 2006. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
  4. "Axia IP-Audio Driver for Windows, rev. 2.5 manual" (PDF). The Telos Alliance. August 2010. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
  5. Steve Church; Skip Pizzi (10 September 2012). Audio Over IP: Building Pro AoIP Systems with Livewire. CRC Press. pp. 4–. ISBN   978-1-136-03057-4.