Audinate has announced two new software-based Dante products, including Dante Embedded Platform that enables manufacturers to add full Dante functionality in software running on Linux for x86 and ARM processors, and Dante Application Library that allows software developers to integrate Dante functionality directly into their PC & Mac applications.
As a result, Dante can now be deployed in products where either the price point or form factor made integrating dedicated Dante hardware challenging. It also provides more flexibility, with the potential to enable new capabilities like Dante being deployed retroactively to products already in the field, the ability to add new features and functions to products on the fly, and the possibility for manufacturers, integrators or customers to configure the number of Dante channels they want for a particular application.
Audinate is introducing these new software products in conjunction with several customers who will be demonstrating their solutions at the upcoming InfoComm 2019 show in Orlando (booth 6845), including:
QSC will begin to deploy the Dante Embedded Platform within the Q-SYS Ecosystem to enable native software-based Dante audio channels. The effort is part of the strategic partnership between the two companies announced earlier this year.
Analog Devices (ADI) – Audinate announced a reference design with Analog Devices (ADI) for Dante Embedded Platform on the ADSP SC58x family of SOCs with ARM CPUs.
Zoom Video Communications has teamed up with Audinate to integrate the Dante Application Library into its Zoom Rooms application for video meetings.
Commenting on today’s multiple announcements, Lee Ellison, CEO of Audinate noted: “This is an inflection point in the AV industry,” states Audinate CEO Lee Ellison. “The decreasing costs, increasing computational power, and improved flexibility of the software approach will enable manufacturers and developers to deploy Dante into a plethora of next generation AV products. The option to go with a software-based implementation will enable OEMs to add Dante functionality to existing products without a major redesign and will drive further growth for networked Dante endpoints.”
Several manufacturers are already delivering AV products built on commodity x86 and ARM computing hardware running Linux, giving users the flexibility of software-based DSPs and mixers in compact packages. Dante Embedded Platform is designed for these OEMs, providing Dante networking with minimal additional hardware, providing connectivity to the ecosystem of AV-over-IP devices.
Dante Embedded Platform will offer two options for manufacturers: an SDK with validation tools will eliminate costly guesswork by allowing OEMs to easily qualify existing x86 and ARM based products for Dante performance requirements. For new products under development, Audinate will also provide complete reference designs for popular ARM SoC chipsets such as the Analog Devices ADSP-SC589 and NXP i.MX 8M Mini QuadLite.
Dante Application Library for Windows and MacOS offers developers the ability to build Dante functionality directly into their products. Each instance is wholly contained within each application and not shared with other resources, allowing multiple Dante-enabled applications to run simultaneously on a single computer with complete independence. In addition, developers can integrate Dante device discovery and subscriptions directly into their conferencing, recording, lecture capture and media playback products for a streamlined setup experience.
Dante Embedded Platform and Dante Application Library each enable complete interoperability with more than 2,000 Dante-enabled audio products currently on the market.
