Milan.

Signal distribution and networking solutions

A complete d&b solution ensures comprehensive remote control capabilities, efficient audio networking possibilities and seamless interoperability and integration with other devices. To this end d&b is wholly committed to relevant open standards. Ultimately the goal is to establish a choice of products and protocols for d&b users, to ensure the optimum fit for each system and application.

Media integrated local area networking, or Milan for short

Milan is a high level interoperability solution based on Audio Video Bridging (AVB) technology. Together with AVID, L-Acoustics, Meyer Sound, and Biamp, among others, d&b has defined the specifications for achieving seamless interoperation between any product implementing Milan .

Created by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE ), AVB is a set of standards which defines the necessary mechanisms to ensure deterministic and synchronous behaviour on Ethernet networks. This way, it can be guaranteed that time sensitive traffic, such as real time audio, can be sent over Ethernet networks with bounded latency and without interfering traffic affecting its delivery.

Because it is based on AVB technology, Milan networks require an AVB capable network infrastructure, in other words, AVB capable switches, available from a number of manufacturers, including Luminex, Cisco, and Extreme Networks.

Advantages

Milan inherits all the benefits of AVB technology. The main advantages are deterministic behaviour (reserved AV streams); improved reliability; optimum synchronization and hassle free network setup, as no special settings, such as QoS, need to be set within the switches to ensure delivery.

Of special value in converged networks (networks that are shared between several subsystems such as audio, IT/data and video), is no further need to isolate the subsystems in order to guarantee congestion free operation.

As an open solution, Milan not only offers investment security, but provides room for better integration with each manufacturer’s products and subsystems. This renders the networking part of a system ‘transparent’ to the user, enabling them to focus on delivering the best audio experience to the audience.

Further features and benefits of Milan networks are: flexible media clocking and seamless redundancy. Two parallel networks can be deployed for protection against failure of network components like cables and switches. Advanced media clocking schemes can be defined by the user, so that several subsystems can be clocked independently at either the same or different sampling rates, while still sharing the same network infrastructure.

All the reasons why, in a nutshell:

  • High performance, deterministic behaviour
  • Hassle free operation of converged networks
  • Coexistence of control data and media streams on one network port
  • Video ready
  • Open solution
  • Improved integration
  • Seamless redundancy
  • Flexible media clocking

The DS20 Audio network bridge is the first d&b product to integrate Milan networking. More will be gradually introduced, with continued support for other relevant audio networking standards, such as Dante, in current and future products.

AVNU Alliance and Milan

The Milan Pro AV Community forum

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