The first IEEE standard in a project to synchronize audio and video communications has moved to sponsor ballot. IEEE (News - Alert) P802.1Qav, "IEEE Standard for Local and Metropolitan Area Networks---Virtual Bridged Local Area Networks - Amendment: Forwarding and Queuing Enhancements for Time-Sensitive Streams," will improve streaming audio and video applications over bridged local-area networks.

 

IEEE P802.1Qav is sponsored by the IEEE 802 Standards Committee of the IEEE Computer Society. It will improve streaming audio and video applications over LANs by providing performance guarantees that allow for time-sensitive traffic in a local area network and control delay, jitter, and packet loss for wired, wireless, and mixed wired/wireless L2 networks.

 

After completion, the standard will enable streaming audio, video and related content to be delivered with only a small and bounded delay. According to Michael Johas Teener, Task Group Chair for the Audio Video Bridging task group within the IEEE 802.1 Working Group, it is difficult and expensive to configure current proprietary networks.

 

Even though systems engineers are planning to use IEEE 802 standards-based networks such as Ethernet and WiFi (News - Alert), they require a guarantee of low delay as well. A more self-configuring system is required. This will be provided by the IEEE 802 AVB standards without the need for time-consuming resource management.

 

IEEE P802.1Qav is the first of the AVB standards going to Sponsor ballot. The next in line are IEEE P802.1AS and the IEEE P802.1Qat. While IEEE P802.1AS will specify how to do precise synchronization, IEEE P802.1Qat specifies how to reserve resources in a network for delivery of video and audio streams.

 

According to Tony Jeffree, chair of the Higher Layer LAN Protocols Working Group, which is developing the standard, it is the hard work and cooperation of the audio and video community that has enabled the standard to come together quickly. Jeffree also added that this is a fine example of how engineers work together when they focus on solving a problem.

 

IEEE P802.1Qav standard enables bridges to provide guarantees for time-sensitive, loss-sensitive real-time audio video data transmission. It specifies per priority ingress metering, priority regeneration, and timing-aware queue draining algorithms. The IEEE Standards Association is a standards-setting body that develops consensus standards through an open process that engages industry. IEEE standards set specifications and best practices based on current scientific and technological knowledge.