Livewire (networking)

Real-time professional audio over IP networking

Livewire+

Manufacturer info
Manufacturer| Axia Audio, a brand of Telos Alliance
Development date| 2003; 22 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The original Livewire standard was introduced in 2003 and has since been superseded by a second version, Livewire+.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

[edit]

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

Port  | Protocol  | Multicast Address  | Purpose  | Notes

|
|
|
|

67, 68  | UDP  |  | BOOTP Server/Client  | Remote IP address assignment
93  | TCP  |  | Livewire Routing Protocol  | Also provides transparent passing of custom messages, similar to the Ancillary Data Transmission feature of AES3
123  | UDP  |  | Network Time Protocol  |
514  | UDP  |  | Syslog  | Activity logging to a syslog receiver.
2055  | UDP  | 239.192.255.4  | Multicast-based GPIO (CMsg2 protocol)  | GPIO commands, GPIO node → console-type endpoint
2060  | UDP  | 239.192.255.4  | Multicast-based GPIO (CMsg2 protocol)  | GPIO commands, console-type endpoint → GPIO node
4000  | UDP  |  | Livewire Advertisement and Source Allocation Protocol  | Verbose advertisement and source allocation requests
4001  | UDP  | 239.192.255.3  | Livewire Advertisement and Source Allocation Protocol  | Periodic and verbose announcements;

Source allocation state announcements and responses

4002  | UDP  | 239.192.255.3  | Engine Supervision Protocol  |
4010  | TCP  |  | Livewire Control Protocol  |
4011  | UDP  | 239.192.255.4  | LWCP for Accessory Modules  | Module → Console
4012  | UDP  | 239.192.255.3  | LWCP for Accessory Modules  | Console → Module
5004  | UDP  | 239.192.x.x  | RTP Livewire Audio  | Last two address octets pertain to Axia channel ID, e.g. `9999` = `39 15` (hex `27 0F`)
7000  | UDP  |  | Livewire Clock  | One device assigns itself as LAN-wide reference, all other devices slave to it
9997  | TCP  |  | Protocol logging  | Debug protocol logging for Element

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Best Practices in Network Audio" (PDF). Audio Engineering Society. 2009. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
2. ^ a b 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.

* v
* t
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Digital audio and video protocols

Control|

| Direct|

* HDBaseT

|

Bus|

* CEC
* MIDI
* Modbus
* Obsolete:
* mLAN
* ZIPI

IP|

* Modbus
* ONVIF
* Open Sound Control
* AES70
* RTSP
* RTP-MIDI
* DetNet

Audio only|

| Direct|

* ADAT Lightpipe
* AES3
* MADI
* S/PDIF

|

Bus|

* A-Net
* AES50 (SuperMAC)
* AudioRail
* MaGIC

Ethernet|

* AES51
* AVB
* Milan
* CobraNet
* dSNAKE
* EtherSound
* REAC
* SoundGrid

IP|

* AES67
* Dante
* NetJack
* Livewire
* Q-LAN
* Ravenna
* WheatNet-IP

Video|

| Direct|

* DVI
* HDBaseT
* HDMI
* SDI

|

Bus|

* DisplayPort

Ethernet|

* AVB
* TSN

IP|

* IPTV
* MMT
* MTS
* NDI
* RTP
* HBRMT
* SMPTE 2022
* SMPTE 2110
* SRT
* RTMP
* NDI
* IPMX

Other|

| Visual charts|

* Comparison of audio network protocols

|

See also|

* AES47

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