Dante as software works on Linux-based devices

PORTLAND, Ore., – Supporting the AV industry’s shift from purpose-built hardware to software-based solutions running on standardized hardware, Audinate – developer of the industry-leading Dante® AV networking technology – today announced two new software-based Dante products. Dante Embedded Platform™ enables manufacturers to add full Dante functionality in software running on Linux for x86 and ARM processors. The Dante Application Library™ allows software developers to seamlessly integrate Dante functionality directly into their PC & Mac applications.

These new software-based solutions give manufacturers and developers the ability to deploy Dante into products where it wasn’t previously feasible, in ways that weren’t previously possible.  Dante can now be deployed in products where either the price point or form factor made integrating dedicated Dante hardware challenging.  Dante as software also provides exponentially 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 lead customers, who will be demonstrating their solutions at the upcoming InfoComm 2019 show in Orlando:

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.

Zoom Video Communications Inc., a leader in video-first unified communications, has teamed up with Audinate to integrate the Dante Application Library into its Zoom Rooms application for video meetings.

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.

Dante Embedded Platform for X86 and ARM Applications

Leading manufacturers are already delivering AV products built on powerful commodity x86 and ARM computing hardware running Linux, giving their users the flexibility of software-based DSPs and mixers in robust, compact packages.

Commenting on today’s multiple announcements, Lee Ellison, CEO of Audinate noted: “This is an inflection point in the AV industry.  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.”   

Dante Embedded Platform is designed for these OEMs, providing cost-effective Dante networking with minimal additional hardware, immediately giving users connectivity to the largest ecosystem of AV-over-IP devices in the world.

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 Mac and PC Applications

Dante Application Library for Windows and MacOS gives 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.

With Dante Application Library, developers can integrate Dante device discovery and subscriptions directly into their conferencing, recording, lecture capture and media playback products for a seamless “one-stop-shop” setup experience. Use Dante Application Library to improve customer satisfaction with instant access to thousands of popular Dante-enabled products that include microphones, DSPs, amplifiers and powered speakers.

Dante Embedded Platform and Dante Application Library each enable complete interoperability with more than 2,000 Dante-enabled audio products already on the market.

For more information, visit www.audinate.com or visit us at InfoComm in booth 6845.