It’s a AVB and AES-67 Technology Update. With a focus on the Transport mechanism of various AoIP layer 3 and AoE layer 2 technologies, a basic overview of each topology will be described. We will highlight the architecture of IEEE 802.1 AVB (Audio Video Bridging) as well as AES-67 (Audio only over IP, AoIP) and the key differences between them. IEEE 802.1 is a layer 2 transport designed to replace HDMI point to point connections, and AES-67 is a layer 3 transport most commonly seen in radio broadcast facilities. We will outline important features, architecture and key differences for each followed by a summary of applications and application notes along with available products for each topology.

Join us Wednesday, August 19th at 12pm noon at KFMB Stations, 7677 Engineer Road in Kearny Mesa, San Diego. SAS will provide a lunch. Open to all.

About Al Salci

Al Salci is a veteran analog and digital designer, and software engineer with over 30 years experience in broadcast communications. Originally from Toronto Ontario, Canada, Al holds a Bachelor of Science from Mohawk College of Electrical Engineering & Technology.  Al started his career in Television broadcast designing vertical interval time code (VITC) editing systems for the then new helical scan VTR machines. Al moved into radio in 1983 as Director of Engineering for McCurdy Radio Industries where he developed a wide range of products ranging from Audio Consoles, Large Scale Switchers, Intercoms, DAs and the original ATS-100 Audio Test Set. Originally designed for ABC Networks, Al worked on the very first system utilizing large scaled switchers and RTOS automation for National programming syndication via Satellite to different time zones by sending control closures to trigger national or local breaks, ID’s liners, etc, many of which are still in use today known as NETCUE control.

Later, Al joined RTS systems in Burbank California as Senior Digital Design Engineer and developed Digital Intercom systems and 2-wire TV camera communications networks. Al Salci joined up with Ed Fritz, another veteran design engineer in Burbank California and started Sierra Automated Systems & Eng. Corp. that specializes in high-density distribution, Radio Intercom systems, and Digital Audio Control console surfaces. SAS is celebrating over 29 years of supplying high end, large scaled integrated digital audio distribution and console-networked systems.

For several decades, the technological, bandwidth, and cost differences between television and radio made them two different electronic media. Information technology erases many of those differences. For example, IBOC has provisions for video while ATSC has provisions for radio, and IP has provisions for both. If broadcast engineering was separated into TV and radio in the past, this generation of engineers is divided between the over-the-air and content technologists. Broadcasting’s future is always bright and the nature of its creators, transmission, content and business plans constantly changing. There are practical things broadcast engineers can do for their stations and themselves, and some things broadcast engineers at some level already mostly know we can expect of the future.

Nautel has been working on both TV and radio transmitters of late, and are especially known for their products’ condition reporting that leads to predictive servicing and a tight design loop.

Join us Wednesday, July 15, 2015 at 12 noon at KFMB, 7677 Engineer Road in Kearny Mesa, San Diego. Nautel buys lunch.

About Our Guest Speaker

Fred Baumgartner, CPBE, is a fellow in the Society of Broadcast Engineers, a trustee of the Ennes Foundation, Fellow of the Radio Club of America and Nautel’s TV product manager. Fred was Director of Broadcast Engineering for Qualcomm’s MediaFLO project. Previously, he directed Leitch/Harris’ Systems Engineering group. Up to that time, he served as Director of Engineering for the Comcast Media Center in Denver. Before joining the satellite and cable origination world, he held the positions of Chief Engineer in Denver, Indianapolis, and Madison. Fred was also heavily involved with the development of EAS, and has authored several hundred articles on radio and TV engineering.

What do you know about current practices in tower lighting? Are the latest LED arrays always legal? Can you just have tower crews unscrew your old incandescent bulbs and replace them with LEDs? If so, what about your flasher? Are there better ways to power your lamps on an AM tower? What do you know about the trend to lamp fewer towers? Will LEDs really save money?

Whether or not you know all of the answers to these questions, why not join us at the June 10, 2015 SBE Chapter 36 meeting at 12 noon? It’s at KFMB, 7677 Engineer Road, in Kearny Mesa. Parking on the street. Dialight buys lunch.

About Presenter Craig Franck

Craig lives in Littleton, Colorado and manages sales in 19 western states. He worked in the telecom field for 25 years in the area of analog and digital voice and data, microwave radios, and power systems with companies such as Tellabs, Motorola, Eltec/Valere. He has electronics and business degrees.

The presentation will be an overview of IP based broadcast infrastructures.  We address some of the fundamental questions broadcasters have been asking.  Why do we even want IP at our core?  What advantages do IP-based designs bring to my facility?  What liabilities do IP designs bring to broadcast systems? We’ll cover current and emerging SMTPE standards on equipment and how current baseband technology will migrate into the IP world.

Join us Wednesday, May 20, at noon at KGTV, 4600 Air Way in San Diego, at I-805 and CA-94. Grass Valley will buy lunch. Everyone is welcome.

About Our Presenter

Robert Erickson is the Regional Account Manager for Grass Valley a Belden Brand, covering Broadcast, Post-Production, Government and Military sales for the San Diego and Los Angeles Markets.  Robert started with Grass Valley in 2008 as a Senior System Engineer designing critical infrastructure systems for broadcast networks worldwide.  In late 2013 Robert moved to Los Angeles to embark in his new sales role for Southern California.  Prior to joining Grass Valley, he was the Director of Engineering for KTUZ Telemundo in Oklahoma City, and Chief Engineer for KOKH/KOCB FOX and CW in Oklahoma City.  Outside of work Robert is an amateur radio operator, avid motorcycle rider and outdoorsman.  On weekends he can usually be found exploring the southern California region and all the eccentricities that go along with it.

We all went through the TV loudness discussion and regulations. How about radio and netcasting? Bob Orban will give a remote presentation to Chapter 36 about just this:

 My main topic will be the relationship between the fairly recent  ITU-R BS.1770 loudness measurement standard and non-television applications such as FM radio and audio-only netcasting: what “target loudness” is and how it applies to audio-only services. I will also briefly touch upon low bitrate compression artifacts and how things have changed with the widespread adoption of the MPEG4 HE-AAC codec.

Join us and learn something! It’s Wednesday, March 18, at 12 noon at iHeartMedia, 9660 Granite Ridge Road, San Diego. Orban will provide a light lunch. Members and guests welcome.