All,

the Barix Exstreamer P5 now starts shipping. This very affordable IP Audio device is actually .. an IP Speaker. And at the same time, it is not .. the loudspeaker is missing.

IP Speaker from Barix

So … why ? What is the reason behind this ?

As we all know, architects want to have the choice of design, form and color if it comes to selecting a speaker. Installers need to pick a speaker with the right environmental specs. And the price, or a specific manufacturer, may be a decision criteria too for the selection of the speaker.

Other manufacturers offer “IP Speakers”. Such an IP Speaker limits the choices for the installer drastically, as the speaker design part is fixed, and eventually already installed speakers, which would be perfectly useable, need to be pulled out and replaced.

The Barix Exstreamer P5 solves this dilemma. It is EVERYTHING an IP Speaker needs to be, with the exception of .. the speaker ! You can use almost any commercially available loudspeaker, being it round, square, outdoor, indoor, brown, white, shiny, expensive or cheap … as long as it has 8 Ohm impedance (the vast majority is of that type) and it can accept min. 5W RMS driving power.

The installation is incredibly simpe – two loudspeaker wires are connected to the Exstreamer P5 (screw terminal block included), and the device is hooked up to the network a Cat5 cable (PoE providing switch, or use an in-line power supply). NO need to wire power and network separately to the device. Also, if space is a constraint, you can separate the speaker from the Exstreamer P5.
A lot of flexibility – and the good news is that the combo “Exstreamer P5 plus reasonsable ceiling speaker” costs less than the typical combined IP Speaker device !

This IP Speaker solution from Barix supports all the standard stuff others do – SIP, priority multicast stream etc, and in addition, our devices can also play MP3 or even AACplus streams, resulting in CD quality background music, if wanted.
And – last not least – the Barix Exstreamer P5 also has a local interface port for an affordable volume/source control. So you can even select a background music channel, set the volume – and of course, even if you turn down the volume and listen to background music, a priority page comes through at a predefined level.

Check this out now .. the Exstreamer P5 is the better IP Speaker ! Coming from a trusted brand in the IP Audio and VoIP space since 10 years .. Barix ! The same technology used in the Exstreamer P5 also runs evacuation systems in nuclear power plants and oil refineries, it is rock bottom stable, so there is no need to power cycle your ceiling mounted IP speakers or find that reboot button ever …

“The IP Speaker without the speaker”(TM), now from Barix.

Barix IP Audio devices are an excellent solution when it comes to special SIP interfacing applications. Being it an audio monitoring application, where a call should be placed if a microphone picks up sounds above a certain threshold, or a SIP door station – the standard SIP application, which can be loaded on all Annuncicom and Exstreamer devices, serves well.

But do you know that you can also use a Barix device as a SIP gateway to traditional, multizone paging systems ?

How do you then select a zone ?

The SIP firmware can control local relays on the device, if existing (Exstreamer 500, for example, offers 4 relays). These can be commanded in the SIP call by means of standard signalling (SIP Info and RFC2833). Many IP PBX’es also allow you to send specific commands when you initiate a call, this is the perfect time to select a zone automatically.

The Barix wiki contains a nice article describing the exact configuration necessary of an Asterisk instance to offer the luxury of direct zone selection by extension. If done this way, a user of the phone system can just dial one of a selection of extensions, and the Barix SIP Gateway (actually, an Exstreamer 500 or Annuncicom 1000 device) will select the specific zone(s) to page to automatically, based on the actual extension called.
Here is a link to the general overview of how this is done: SIP Paging

And here is the article detailing the bits and pieces on how to configure Asterisk to directly control the relays from SIP

Greetings !

Johannes

Folks,

a new STL firmware is now available here. This software provides a host of new features, yet simplifies the use. It can be downloaded freely and installed on all our standard Barix IP Audio devices (Exstreamer, Instreamer and Annuncicom). Not all features are working on all hardware (for example, on an Exstreamer 100 you can only use the decoding functionalities, obviously). Best performance and full features are available if you use it on Exstreamer 1000 or Exstreamer 500 hardware.

Here’s a screenshot:

STL Firmware screenshot

Major improvements and new features:
– New WEB User Interface with profiles (Locations) and single Apply
– Full Duplex PCM (uncompressed), up to 48KHz sample rate
– Analog Audio Output Silence Detection
– Analog Audio Input/Output VU meter bars
– Low Latency Frame Buffering
– Selectable high quality A/D converter (at 32 and 48 KHz)
– USB playback as fail-over or by relay trigger
– Reflector Client included in same load (either/or selection)

The camouflaging algorithm which takes care of dropouts has been further improved as well, brief dropouts due to RTP useage (which is unidirectional) are practically unhearable. It’s probably a quite well hidden secret that our devices do this since many years …

Greetings

Johannes

New Annuncicom 155 solution allows for on-vehicle configuration of reliable communication systems based on existing LAN/WAN infrastructures

ZURICH, SWITZERLAND, August 24, 2010 — Barix AG, a pioneer in IP-based audio transmission, intercom, control and monitoring systems, introduces the Annuncicom 155 IP intercom and announcement device developed foremost for use on trains and in rail stations and tunnels.

The device, to be introduced at the Innotrans rail transportation show in Germany (Messe Berlin Exhibition Centre, September 21–24, Hall 4.1, Stand 216), enables systems integrators to set up tailored communication systems ranging from simple door intercom, PA and background music systems to complex monitoring functions and emergency announcement systems.  It is also the first Barix device to meet EN50155 standard requirements for rail vehicle installations.  (“Railways Applications Electronic Equipment Used on Rolling Stock.”)

The basic principle of an Annuncicom 155 communication system is both elaborate and simple.  At least two devices are connected to a standard TCP/IP LAN network to exchange live announcements as well as priority, monitoring and control information for a standalone system.  Barix SIP firmware can enable integration into conventional SIP-based telephone systems.  Control signals and a serial port allow the connection of a selector switch, buttons or display.  This allows for destination selection and the control and display of connection status.

The Annuncicom 155 system can operate as a standalone system or in conjunction with PCs and central IT management in a standard network, enabling low-cost and quick configuration of the communication system while guaranteeing future expansion.

“As with all Barix products, the Annuncicom 155 is based on standard TCP/IP and works with Audio-over-IP.  This means it can be integrated very easily and conveniently into existing networks, and allows for wide-range networking and deployment – even in Multicast mode to simultaneously address any number of subscribers,” said Johannes G. Rietschel, CEO and Founder of Barix AG.  “Its stable design is perfectly suitable for harsh everyday operation in trains, buses and ships, as well as for deployment in general applications under harsh environments, including transport and industrial.”

The Annuncicom 155 conforms to the usual transportation standards including EN50121 and EN50155.  Devices without EN50155 conformity are typically not used in trains, carriages and other rolling stock for railways.

“The requirements for such devices are quite demanding, and we are happy to offer the first Barix product to the rail transportation industry that meets requirements for on-board use,” said Rietschel.

Many people use IP Phones at home. A very popular phone is the Siemens Gigaset product range, which provides analog line as well as VoIP/SIP connectivity. Models C470IP, C475IP, S675IP and S685IP are currently in the market.

But .. how do you connect a door intercom or door station to them ?

Fortunately, the latest SIP firmware for the Annuncicom makes a perfect companion for the Siemens Gigaset IP phones, it can talk with the Siemens phone via IP !

• A visitor, who presses the “ring” button on the phone, places a SIP call to the Siemens base. This can be done “peer-to-peer”, so it won’t consume an account entry, and it does not need a PBX or server to work.

• The DECT phones will ring, indicating a call from the IP address of the Annuncicom

• The user can answer the phone talk to the person in front of the door, and also open the door by typing a configurable number sequence on the keypad (for example, “11”).

• Even multiple Annuncicoms can be used in this fashion, for example, for front door and back door !

The solution works, of course, also with other SIP PBXes like Asterisk, but the beauty with the Siemens IP phones is that there is no servers, no PBX, only little configuration needed.

Contact us if you are interested in more details, or check out our wiki pages.

Johannes