The new R&S Prios family of video boards from Rohde & Schwarz is designed for OEM customers from all areas of professional video and digital film technology. The first member of this family, the R&S Prios SDI, offers the classic SDI interfaces and also supports 10G Ethernet for video over IP. It can be configured for eight independent 1080p60 video channels or for two 4K/UHDp60 channels. 

The SDI interfaces are implemented by means of up to four swappable SFP modules, each with two SDI ports. Two of the SDI modules can be replaced with 10G Ethernet modules, making the R&S Prios SDI compatible with the advanced video-over-IP technology. Supported protocols will include SMPTE 2022 for data transmission and SMPTE 2059 for synchronization. Data is transmitted uncompressed in line with SMPTE 2022-6. If necessary, forward error correction in line with SMPTE 2022-5 can be enabled to compensate for the loss of IP packets. Redundant transmission with seamless protection switching in line with SMPTE 2022-7 is also supported. Additional protocols are planned to follow.

The R&S Prios SDI addresses OEM customers in the field of professional film and video, who can integrate the board into their own products. The high degree of flexibility offered by the R&S Prios SDI allows customers to convert their products right in the field from a pure SDI to a mixed (hybrid) SDI/video-over-IP configuration. The combination of SDI and IP enables applications that link conventional video technology with state-of-the-art IP technology using only a single interface board. For example, multiple SDI cameras can be connected directly to the board, whose signals can then be transmitted via a network to centralized recording equipment or to remote editing stations. 

Virtual studio applications benefit from the low latency made possible by the fast PCIe 3.0 x8 bus. The four SFP cages combined with the half-length design make the R&S Prios SDI exceptionally compact. As a result, applications involving very complex interfacing tasks that previously often required multiple interface boards can now be implemented on small servers of only one unit.

The software development kit for the R&S Prios family of video boards is compatible with the successful R&S Atomix line of video boards. Applications that support R&S Atomix boards can be adapted for use with R&S Prios boards with minimal effort. 

The flexible combination of SDI and IP technology on the R&S Prios SDI is useful for anyone who develops video applications and desires a smooth transition from SDI to video over IP. The product is here.