Cordless Professional Intercom
Objective
Drake Electronics wanted a cordless version of their existing wired professional intercom, which is deployed in TV studios, theatre, air traffic control and other 'command and control' environments. The new system required high quality low-latency audio plus control data, and had to allow many users to roam freely throughout a large TV studio complex.
Approach
The new system is based on Cambridge Consultants' DECT (Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications) protocol stacks which, following the production of a fully detailed product specification, were enhanced and customised for this specific role and then ported to the Drake platform.
The internationally adopted DECT standard has been familiar in cordless telephones over the last decade. What is less well known is that DECT is a complete cellular solution, in which any mobile unit can move seamlessly from base-station to base-station over the entire area of coverage. Not only that, but it can also deliver data rates higher than in simple telephony. For this solution the cordless link runs at 64kbits/s - enough for high quality sound as well as the complex intercom control signals.
Result
Our DECT software is now incorporated in Drake's FreeSpeak® product, providing reliable wireless voice and data transmission. The product allows users in the broadcast industry greater mobility and freedom of movement through wireless connectivity, enhanced by DECT's cell-to-cell handover capability.
Benefit
Drake Electronics, part of the Vitec Group, was able to launch an industry-leading product, which has proved popular with its end users and has won several industry awards.
By using Cambridge Consultants' proven DECT intellectual property (IP) as the basis for the design, the development was completed very quickly and with minimum development risk.