IP Competence

Per active channel, a PRAESENSA PA/VA system uses 3 Mbit bandwidth. Add per channel about 0.5 Mbit for clocking, discovery and control data. Dante supports very low latency. Even though you might e.g. for 10 channels not require Gigabit switches because of bandwidth, it is recommended to use these to minimize packet delay or loss (Gigabit switches have larger buffers and faster backplanes.)

To maintain real-time audio performance, the time it takes for audio to travel from the source (e.g., call station) to the destination (e.g., amplifier) must not exceed 5 ms. PRAESENSA PA/VA devices buffer audio packages for 10 ms at the destination before playing out. To assure all packages arrived in time before playing out, assure a maximum 5 ms latency for audio transmission over the network. This is to have 5 ms spare latency to cover unexpected additional network delays or bursts. Compare this with the departure of a train, which does not wait for you. Assure you are in time at the station to jump on the train.

Yes, PRAESENSA offers EN 54 certified fiber-optic transceivers for long-distance network connections:

• Multi-core, LED-based technology: up to 500 meters
• Single-core, laser-based technology: up to 10 kilometers.

As long as you do not exceed the latency and jitter constraints the network could be spanned over longer distances with active repeaters/switches in between. It can EN 54 certified as long as the applied network equipment is listed on our EN 54-16 certificate.

PRAESENSA devices by default use dynamic IP addresses for network communication. A DHCP server is recommended for larger systems. If no DHCP server is available, PRAESENSA devices will use the Link Local procedure, which allows controllers, amplifiers, and call stations to self-assign an IP address. This plug-and-play feature is one of the key advantages of Dante/OMNEO for a single subnet. It is also possible to manually assign IP addresses to the PRAESENSA devices.

All networked PRAESENSA devices have a built in Ethernet switch with at least two Ethernet ports on RJ45, supporting redundant network topologies (RSTP). A PRAESENSA network can be expanded easily by inserting more devices in the loop or chain.

Not all Ethernet switches can be used in a PRAESENSA PA/VA installation. As part of the PRAESENSA product range some pre‑configured, managed, multi‑port Ethernet switches are available for more connection flexibility. These switches are also included in the PRAESENSA certification for EN 54‑16 and other standards.

In case other switches or routers are to be used, consider the requirements stated in chapter 4.6.6 of the PRAESENSA installation manual.

PRAESENSA PA/VA devices use mDNS which improves usability by assigning dynamic, human-readable device names, making system management easier and more secure. PRAESENSA uses DNS Service Discovery (DNS-SD) to identify devices in the OMNEO network automatically. Instead of mDNS, PRAESENSA devices can also be configured to register themselves to a DNS server in the OMNEO domain, which runs on an EN 54-16 certified device: OMN-ARNI-S or OMN-ARNI-E.

mDNS stands for Multicast Domain Name System. Unlike traditional DNS, which relies on a central server, mDNS works locally within a subnet by allowing devices to automatically discover and identify each other using human-readable names. For PRAESENSA, mDNS makes device management easier since amplifiers, controllers, and call stations can be recognized without manual IP entry.

Multicast is a method of sending data (like audio streams) to multiple devices at once without duplicating the stream for each device. This makes network usage much more efficient. PRAESENSA PA/VA uses multicast to distribute audio messages across the system so that multiple PRAESENSA devices can receive the same audio simultaneously without overloading the network.

PTP, or Precision Time Protocol (IEEE 1588), is a networking standard that synchronizes clocks across devices on a network with extremely high accuracy (microsecond-level). PTP clocking is crucial for PRAESENSA PA/VA because it ensures that all devices within the network synchronize their internal clocks to a common reference point. This synchronization is essential for maintaining the integrity and accuracy of audio playback across the network.