Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02306506 2003-12-11
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention pertains to systems for enabling
the communication of signals and data between a musical
instrument and electronic components needed to control and
re-produce sounds generated by that instrument. More
specifically, this invention relates to a system and method
that facilitates the interconnection of one or more diverse
musical instruments and related audio components on a
universal network for purposes of communication of audio
signals and signals to identify and control the devices.
The generation, transmission, amplification and
control of audio signals and devices involves diverse yet
interrelated technologies that are changing rapidly. The
development and implementation of high bandwidth digital
communication technologies and distribution systems is
significantly affecting all media industries,
1
CA 02306506 2000-04-25
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from book publishing to television/video broadcasting. Products, systems, and
services that affect the sense of sight or sound are converging in the use of
common
technologies and distribution pipelines. This has a profound effect, not only
on the
nature of the products that are produced. but on the sales channels and the
nature
of producing content for those products.
Current examples of the convergence of audio and digital technologies are the
arrival and consumer acceptance of the VIPEG-3 digital music format, the
inexpensive recordable CD (e.g., the "IVIiniDisc"), and the high bandwidth
Internet.
However, the markets for technology-driven products are not served by
implementation of multiple technical standards. Typically, a new technology
begins
in its early phase with multiple standards, which in many cases are vigorously
debated and disputed among various advocates for the different standards. In
most
technology-driven industries that prosper, a single standard historically is
universally adopted by members of that industry. Examples of such
1~ standardization include AC versus DC household electrical supply,
Postscript
printing language, and VHS versus Beta video recording format. Similarly,
there is
a need for a universally accepted standard for digital communication of audio
and
video content. Because of the overwhelming acceptance of the Internet and its
TCP!IP protocol, coupled with a substantial pre-existing infrastructure of
network
'?0 hardware, software, and know-how, a universal standard for diaitai
audio~'video
~~ummuW canon and control should revolve around this weil-known TCPIiP arid
Internet technology.
o
CA 02306506 2000-04-25
f~ttorney's Docket No. 4089C
The weakness of the existing audio hardware market is in its application of
digital electronic technologies. Today's musicians can record and process
multi-
tracks of high quality sound on their computers but are forced to plug into
boxes
with 1950's era analog circuits. For example, the original challenge in the
guitar
musical instrument industry was to make the guitar louder. The circuits of the
day
distorted the sound of the instrument, but did accomplish their task. With
time,
these distortions became desirable tones, and became the basis of competition.
Guitar players are very interested in sound modification.
Digital technology allows a musician to create an infinite variety of sound
modifications and enhancements. The guitar player in a small club has a
veritable
arsenal of stomp boxes, revert effects, wires, guitars and the like. He
generally has
a rack of effects boxes and an antiquated amplifier positioned somewhere where
the
sound distribution is generally not optimal because the amplifier is
essentially a
point source. Because of this lack of accurate sound placement, the sound
1~ technician is canstantly struggling to integrate the guitar player into the
overall
Sound spectrum, so as to please the rest of the band as well as the audience
who
would love to hear the entire ensemble.
Technology has made some progress along a digital audio path. For example.
there are prior art guitar processors and digital ampliners that use digital
signal
'?0 processing (DSP) to allow a single guitar to emulate a variety of
different amta~
types, amplifier types, and other sound modifications such as revert anc'.
delay. To
achieve the same variety of sounds and variations without using DSP technology-
. a
CA 02306506 2000-04-25 -' -
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musician would have to buy several guitars, several different amplifiers, and
at
least one, if not more than one, accessory electronic box.
All existing instruments, if they use a transducer of any kind, output the
sound information as an analog signal. This analog signal varies in output
level
and impedance, is subject to capacitance and other environmental distortions,
and
can be subject to ground loops and other kinds of electronic noise. After
being
degraded in such fashion by the environment, the analog signal is often
digitized at
some point, with the digitized signal including the noise component. Although
existing digital audio technologies show promise, it is clear that the audio
equipment and musical instrument industries would benefit from a system and
method where all audio signals are digital at inception.
At present, there are multiple digital interconnection specifications,
including
AES/EBU, S/PDIF, the AD AT "Light Pipe" and IEEE 1394 ''Firewire". However,
none of these standards or specifications are physically appropriate for the
unique
i~ requirements of live musical performance. In addition, clocking,
synchronization,
and jitter/latency management are large problems with many of these existing
digital options.
Different segments of the music market have experimented in digital audio.
tome segments have completely- embraced it. but there is no appropriate
scalable
'?l, standard. Clearly-, digital components exist, but these are designed as
digital
islands". Correspondingly, many manufacturers have chosen to make their small
portion of the product world digital but rely mainly on traditional analog 1/O
to
connect to the rest of the world. This may solve the local problem for the
specinc
CA 02306506 2000-04-25
Attorney's Docke t Vo. 4089C
~oroduc~ in question, but does little to resolve the greater system-oriented
issues
that arise as the number of interconnected devices grows. In addition, the
small
sound degradation caused by a analog-to-digiial and digital-to-analog
transformation in each "box" combines to produce non-optimal sound quality.
Finally, the cost, power and size inefficiency related to having each
component in a
chain converting back and forth to digiial begs for a universal, end-to-end
digital
solution.
mother basic yet important part of the problem is that live musicians need a
single cable that is long, locally repairable, and simple to install and use.
In
addition, it is highly desirable to support multiple audio channels on a
single cable,
as setups often scale out of control with current multiple cable solutions.
Also.
phantom power is preferred over batteries as means to power the active
circuits
used in digital instruments.
Based on the technology trends and patterns that have already been
established, a digital guitar will emerge with the transducers (pick-ups)
feeding a
high bandwidth digital signal. This advance will remove many detrimental
aspects
of the analog technology it will replace, including noise, inconsistent tonal
response
from time to time, and loss of fidelity with a need for subsequent signal
processing.
The introduction of digital technology from the instrument will allow the
entire
'?0 signal path and the equipment associated with the signal path to be
digital.
~~n1<>r~unately. there is no system available that will easily and quicklw
interconnect multiple musical instruments and associated audio components ~co
that
CA 02306506 2003-12-11
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they can communicate with each other and be controlled
entirely in the digital domain, using a universal interface
and communications protocol.
Performing musicians need a new, performance-
s oriented solution that provides multiple channels of
advanced fidelity audio, intuitive control capabilities,
extreme simplicity and total reliability. It is also
desirable for this system to be scalable to meet the
requirements of permanent installations, including recording
studio applications.
SU1~IARY OF THE INVENTION
To overcome the limitations and weaknesses of
existing analog and digital technologies in the musical
performance environment, applicant has invented a system
that will allow, in a preferred embodiment, up to sixteen
(16) channels of 32 bit - 96 kHz digital audio signals and
data to flow over a single cable in both directions, using
inexpensive connectors and cables already available and in
use in virtually every computer network. This cable will
also carry sufficient power to allow the electronics in the
guitar (or other instrument) to function without a battery
or other power source. For convenience, the system of the
present invention will sometimes be referred herein as the
Global Musical Instrument Communications System (or GMICS).
GMICS is a trademark of the assignee of the present
invention, Gibson Guitar Corp.
According to one aspect, the invention provides a
digital media communications and control system comprising:
a. a plurality of digital media devices, each of the devices
including a device interface module for communication of
digital data and control data from at least one of the
6
CA 02306506 2003-12-11
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devices to at least one other of the devices; b. a universal
data link operatively connected to each of the device
interface modules; c. the device interface modules and
universal data links are operative in combination to connect
the devices together in the system and provide full duplex
communication of the digital audio data and control data
between the devices; and d. at least one of the devices is
configured as a system timing master and at least one of the
other devices is configured as a slave device, wherein the
system timing master is operative to provide synchronization
data to the slave devices.
In accordance with another aspect, the invention
provides a digital media communications and control system
comprising: a plurality of digital media devices, each of
the devices including a device interface module for
communication of digital data and control data from at least
one of the devices to at least one other of the devices; a
universal data link operatively connected to each of the
device interface modules; the device interface modules and
universal data links are operative in combination to connect
the devices together in the system and provide full duplex
communication of the digital data and control data between
the devices; and wherein the data link includes a cable
having means for providing phantom power to the devices.
The invention also provides a digital media
communications and control system comprising: a. a plurality
of audio devices, each of the devices including a device
interface module for communication of digital audio data and
control data from at least one of the devices to at least
one other of the devices; b. a universal data link
operatively connected to each of the device interface
modules; c. the device interface modules and universal data
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7 4 6 9 7 - rJ 6 CA 02306506 2004-09-09
links are operative in combination to connect the devices
together in the system and provide full duplex communication
of the digital audio data and control data between the
devices; and d. wherein the control data includes device
identification data that identifies each of the devices to
other of the devices connected to the system; at least one
of the devices is configured as a system.
In a further aspect, the invention provides a
digital media communications and control system comprising:
a plurality of audio devices, each of the devices including
a device interface module for communication of digital audio
data and control data from at least one of the devices to at
least one other of the devices; a universal data link
operatively connected to each of the device interface
modules; the device interface modules and universal data
links are operative in combination to connect the devices
together in the system and provide full duplex communication
of the digital audio data and control data between the
devices; and wherein the audio devices are operative to
generate user data associated with a specific user of that
device and the device interface modules and data links are
operative to communicate the user data to other devices
connected to the system; at least one of the devices is
configured as a system timing master and at least one of the
other devices is configured as a slave device, wherein the
system timing master is operative to provide synchronization
data to the slave device.
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There is also provided in accordance with another
aspect of the invention a digital media communications and
control system comprising: a plurality of audio devices,
each of the devices including a device interface module for
communication of digital audio data and control data from at
least one of the devices to at least one other of the
devices; a universal data link operatively connected to each
of the device interface modules; the device interface
modules and universal data links are operative in
combination to connect the devices together in the system
and provide full duplex communication of the digital audio
data and control data between the devices; wherein the audio
data communicated between the devices is packed in system
data packets; and wherein the data packets are continuously
transmitted between devices in accordance with a packet
timing signal that is synchronized to an audio sampling rate
associated with the digital audio data.
The invention further provides a digital media
communications and control system comprising: a plurality of
audio devices, each of the devices including a device
interface module for communication of digital audio data and
control data from at least one of the devices to at least
one other of the devices; a universal data link operatively
connected to each of the device interface modules; the
device interface modules and universal data links are
operative in combination to connect the devices together in
the system and provide full duplex communication of the
digital audio data and control data between the devices;
wherein the audio data communicated between the devices is
packed in system data packets; wherein each of the system
data packets comprises a plurality of data channels
including a header, a plurality of audio data channels
containing the digital audio data, a user data channel
8a
7 4 6 9 7 - 5 6 CA 02306506 2004-09-09
containing the user data, and a control data channel
containing the control data; wherein the control data
channel can contain non-system control data; wherein the
audio devices are operative to generate user data associated
with a specific user of that device and the device interface
modules and data links are operative to communicate the user
data to other devices connected to the system; and wherein
the non-system control data comprises MIDI control data.
According to another aspect, the invention
provides a musical performance system comprising: a. a
musical instrument including a first device interface module
operative to convert audio signals generated by the
instrument into digital audio data and to generate control
data associated with the instrument; b. an audio amplifier
including a second device interface module operative to
receive the digital audio data and the control data; and c.
a first data link operatively connecting the first and
second device interface modules and adapted for bi-
directional communication of the digital audio data and
control data.
In a further aspect, the invention provides a
musical instrument comprising: a. an audio transducer for
generating analog audio data; b. a device interface module
operative to convert the analog audio data into digital
audio data and to provide the digital audio data and system
control data at a musical instrument output; c. the musical
instrument output including an instrument connector adapted
for connection to a system data link whereby the device
interface module and data link can cooperate to provide bi-
directional communication of digital audio data and system
control data over the data link.
8b
7 4 6 9 7 - 5 6 CA 02306506 2004-09-09
In accordance with another aspect, the invention
provides a method of arranging a plurality of electronic
audio devices in an audio system comprising: a. providing
each of the audio devices with a device interface module
adapted for communication of digital audio data generated by
one or more of the devices connected to the system and for
storage and communication of control data associated with
that audio device; b. operatively connecting the device
interface modules over one or more data links, the data
links adapted for full duplex communication of the digital
audio data and control data to and from each device; and c.
directing the digital audio data for use by one or more
specified devices connected to the system; and d.
communicating the digital audio data and control data across
the data links in discrete data packets.
The invention also provides a device interface
module for providing a universal data link to connect an
audio device in an audio communications and control network
to other audio devices connected to the network, the device
interface module comprising: a device connector adapted to
connect the audio device to a single network cable; data
communications means to provide full duplex communication of
multi-channel digital audio data and control data between
the audio devices across the single network cable; and
wherein the device interface module is operative to send
device identification data that identifies each of the audio
devices to other of the audio devices connected to the
network.
The system of an embodiment of this invention
includes the GMICS data link, a high-speed point-to-point
connection for communication of digital audio data between
two GMICS devices. The system and method may further
8c
7 4 6 9 7 - 5 6 CA 02306506 2004-09-09
include definitions and description of the characteristics
of individual GMICS devices as well as GMICS system
configuration and control protocols.
The GMICS data link is a high-speed point-to-point
connection transmitting full-duplex digital audio signals,
control signals, and user data between two interconnected
GMICS devices. Self-clocking data are packed in frames that
are continuously transmitted between GMICS devices at the
current sample rate.
Flexible packing of digital audio data within a
frame allows a tradeoff between bit resolution and channel
capacity to optimize the fit and interface for GMICS devices
having diverse characteristics. A Control data field
provides for GMICS system configuration, device
identification, control, and status. User data fields are
provided for transmitting non-audio data between GMICS
devices.
A GMICS system may include two types of GMICS
devices - "instruments" and "controllers". An instrument is
typically a sound transducer such as a guitar, microphone,
or speaker. A controller is typically an intelligent
amplifier that provides connections and power for multiple
GMICS instruments, and is capable of, and responsible for,
configuring the GMICS system. Controllers may also include
upstream and downstream connections to other controllers for
increased instrument connectivity.
Data link electronics and associated cabling and
connectors are designed for reliable use in harsh
environments. "Hot-plugging" of GMICS devices is supported
by the system.
8d
7 4 6 9 7 - rJ 6 CA 02306506 2004-09-09
Accordingly, an embodiment of a Universal
Communications and Control System for Amplified Musical
Instruments is provided that includes the following novel
features:
(1) The Control data for each device includes a
"Friendly naming" scheme using a Device ID so that: (a)
there is an automatic configuration by, and synchronization
to, the system by the identifying device; (b) the use of a
"Friendly name" allows the user to name his device on the
system; (c) the "device name" resides in the device, not in
a data base; and (d) the device ID is available when the
device is plugged into a 'foreign' GMICS system.
(2) A bi-directional device interface is provided
that adds "response" to the existing instrument stimulus to
create a full duplex instrument that is able to display and
react to other devices in the system.
(3) The system topology allows for nodal
connection of resources so that instruments and control
devices plug in to create the desired system complexity and
allowing for simple system enhancement by plugging in a new
device with the desired features.
(4) The system implements dynamic resource
allocation, including: (a) routing of audio and control
signals "on the fly"; (b) audio nodes can be 'moved' at
will; and (c) special effects devices can be shared without
physically moving or connecting them.
(5) Logical connections are made to the system so
that a device can be physically connected into the system
through any available connector, e.g., a guitar does not
have to be directly plugged into the guitar amplifier.
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CA 02306506 2000-04-25
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(6> The system has a multi-layered protocol that supports many different
physical transport media and allows for simple expansion of both the number of
audio channels and the data bandwidth.
(7) There can be a familiar looking (to the userj point to point connection
of devices. or a "star" network (analogous to a "breakout box") configuration
for
multiple devices, thereby simplifying the user experience.
(81 The system can operate at multiple sampling rates so that different
G1~IICS data links operate at different sample rates within the system.
(9) Phantom power for instrument electronics is delivered over the GNIICS
data link.
(10) The system can take advantage of conventional network hardware,
e.g.. one embodiment of a GIVIICS system is implemented over a 100 megabit
Ethernet physical layer using standard Category 5 (CATS) cable
Thus, GVIICS is the first low-cost digital interconnection system based on a
1 ~ universal standard that is appropriate for use in the live. professional,
studio and
home music performance environments. CTVIICS technology can be quickly adapted
for use in musical instruments, processors. amplifiers, recording devices. and
m_mn~ devices.
GVIICS overcomes the limitations ana performance liabilities inherent in
'?() current "point solution" digital interfaces and creates a completely
digital system
rhac offers enhanced sonic iidelitv, simplified setup and usage while
providing new-
levels of control and reliability.
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CA 02306506 2000-04-25
Attorney's Docket No. 4089C
Gi'~IICS enables musical instruments and their supporting devices such as
amplifiers, mixers, and effect boxes from different vendors to digitally inter-
operate
~n an open-architecture infrastructure.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Fig. 1 is a block diagram of the system of this invention showing a typical
arrangement that interconnects instrument devices with various control
devices.
Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the system of this
invention showing a physical implementation and interconnection of devices in
an
on-stage performance audio environment.
Fig. 3 is a front perspective view of a music editing control device usable in
the system of this invention.
Fig. a is a block diagram showing two device interface modules used in
instrument or control devices connected to in a G'~IICS system, with one
device
l~ interface module configured as a system timing master and a second device
interface module configured as a slave.
Fig. ~ is a schematic diagram of a crossover connection between linked
device. in a GVIICS system so that the data transmitted by one device is
received
by ire ot:~ze: device.
''(! >~ lg. 0 is a block diagram showing typical connections of guiiar,
effect.: box.
-end ampi_it=er devices in a G1~IICS system.
' 10
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Attorney's Docket No. 4089C
Fig. 7 is a block diagram showing the direction of dominant data flow in a
simple G1VIICS system.
Fig. 8 is a block diagram showing the direction of dominant data flow in a
GNIICS system that includes a recording device.
Fig. 9 is a high-level view of a typical GMICS data packet format.
Figs. 10 a and b are block diagrams illustrating control message flow
scenarios among linked devices in a GyIICS system.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Svstem Overview
As shown generally in Figs. 1 and 2, the topology of a GMICS system 10 of
this invention is characterized by a modular, daisy chained bi-directional
digital
interconnection of musical instrument devices, processing devices, amplifiers
and/
or recording systems. Each device has a data link connection to one or more
other
devices. Thus, the system 10 is comprised of instrument and control devices
that
are interconnected by GNIICS data links. Each G?VIICS device generates,
processes,
relays, or receives audio data, control data, or both.
For example, as shown in Fig. '?, a guitar setup in a G~IICS system 10 may
include a guitar 1?, an amplifier 13, and a control pedal 15. The guitar 1'?
may be
'?0 directly connected to the amplifier 13 through a system data link cable
11. The foot
control 15 may be connected through a USB cable 16 to a control computer 1 i.
with
the control computer 17 also connected to the amplifier 13 through another
link
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CA 02306506 2000-04-25
:attorney's Docket No. 4089C
cable 11. alternatively, the guitar 12 may be directly connected to the
control pedal
15. which is in turn connected to the amplifier 13. The guitar 12 contains a
system
device module 23 (Fig. 4) so that the guitar 12 can generate digital audio
data as
well as send control data from one or more of its several internal control
devices
such as a pickup selector, volume control knob, or tone control. The control
pedal 15
will generate control data, and relay the audio data sent from the guitar 12.
The
amplifier 13 will act as a receiver for any control or audio data sent by the
guitar or
volume pedal. Because the system 10 provides bi-directional communication of
audio and control data, it is feasible for amplifier 13 to send control
messages or
audio back to the guitar 12.
Physical Interface
GIVIICS is capable of having multiple physical interfaces. This application
identifies two physical interfaces, the common instrument interface and the
high-
speed optical interface.
1 ~ In one embodiment of the system. the common instrument interface (the
connection between a musical instrument and an amplifier) is based on a
conventional 100 megabit Ethernet physical layer. The 100 megabit GVIICS data
link is referred to as the G100TX link. This includes both the data transport
mechanism and the interconnecting cables and connectors. One embodiment of the
'?0 GVfICS transport uses standard C~T5 cable and Rd-45 connectors.
Other physical interfaces can include a high-speed mufti-link optical
interface, wireless. and a physical layer interface based on a new gigabit
Etherner
physical layer. The wireless applications of a GVIICS system are dependent on
the
' f'?
CA 02306506 2000-04-25
Attorney's Docket No. 40890
current capabilities and bit density of available technology. The high
bandwidth
optical interfaces are ideal for transporting large numbers of Gi~IICS
channels over
long distances. This is very useful in large arenas where the mixing console
or
amplifiers may be hundreds of feet from the stage and require an enormous
number
of audio channels. Phantom power is not available for optical-based systems.
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CA 02306506 2000-04-25
Attorney's Docket No. 4089C
Electrical Interface
The common interface, G100TX, will transport GNIICS data through the link
layer protocol used in 100 megabit Ethernet. Data is encoded with a 4bit/5bit
scheme and then scrambled to eliminate RF 'hot spots', thus reducing
emissions.
This is a well-documented and tested data transport with a large installed
base. Of
the eight conductors in a standard Category 5 ("CATS") cable, only four are
used for
data transport. G100TX uses the four unused conductors to supply phantom power
for instruments that can operate with limited power. Guitars, drum
transducers,
and microphones are examples of such devices. Preferably, the Gl00TX-based
GVIICS data link supplies up to 500mA at 9 volts DC to the instrument. The
Link
Host insures that the GIVIICS Link power is safe both to the user and to the
equipment. Current limiting is done so that the system will become operational
after a short circuit has been corrected. Fuses that need replacement when
triggered are not recommended.
l~ The GMICS protocol is designed to allow the use of many different physical
transport layers. There are a few important rules that must be followed when
selecting a possible transport layer for G1~IICS. First, the transport must
have very
low latency. Gi~IICS is a real-time digital link. Latency must not only be
very- low,
ur the order of a few hundred microseconds. but must also be deterministic
et; ~econCL. the physical interface must be robust enough to function properly
in a iive
~enformance environment. ~ live environment may include high voltageicurrent
cables running near or bundled with a link cable. For a link to be acceptable
it
must function properly in this harsh environment.
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Data Link Interface
Data is transmitted between GNIICS devices in the form of discrete packets
at a synchronous rate. The GMICS data packets contain a header, 16 audio data
pipes, a high-speed user data pipe, the GMICS control data pipe, and an
optional
CRC-32. The header contains a preamble, start of frame byte, data valid flags,
sample rate, frame counter and bus control bits.
Audio data pipes are 32-bit data highways between two G1~IICS devices. The
format for the data in the pipe is identified in the packet header and in some
cases
in a 4-bii nibble used as a tag in each data pipe. Audio can be 16, 24, 28 or
32 bits
of PCNI audio data. Specific compressed data formats are also supported and
are
identified in the tag. Each individual audio pipe can be reassigned as 32 bit
data if
desired, providing up to 16 extra data channels, with the corresponding non-
availability of audio channels.
The GMICS control data pipe is a highway for GNIICS-related control
l~ messaging. The control pipe can ship multiple types of control including
MIDI,
although native GMICS control should be used. The control pipe contains a
control
type byte, version field. 48 bit source and destination address spaces,
message field.
and a 3 2 bit data word.
.1~'Iaster Timing Control
''0 In order for all devices within the GMICS system to be processing data in-
phase with one another, there must be a single source of synchronization. This
aourice is called the System Timing Vla~ter (STVI). It can be anv non-
instrument
device and may be selected during the system configuration process. If ne
device l
1~ -
CA 02306506 2000-04-25
~tiorney's Docket No. 4089C
configured as the STIVI one will be selected automatically based on system
hierarchy. In a situation where multiple devices are hooked up as a daisy
chain,
three rules are presented which allows for an STNI to automatically be
selected.
The GVIICS packet timing is synchronous to the audio sample rate of the
system. This sample, or packet, timing is either locally generated, in the
case of the
ST1VI, or recovered and regenerated in a slave device. The transport clock is
asynchronous to the sample clock and is only used by the physical layer
transport
mechanism. Fig. 4 is a simplified block diagram of a device interface module
including a G1VIICS ST1VI 23m connected to a GMICS system timing slave device
23s. The slave device 23s uses only the recovered and regenerated sample clock
for
encodingldecoding the GyIICS data packets.
GVIICS Control
Control information is an essential factor in instrument functionality. An
intricate native control protocol is used in a G1VIICS system. GNIICS control
1~ revolves around 48 bit address spaces that are divided in three 16-bit
fields: device,
function, and parameter. This allows for access to a device at multiple
levels.
Device addresses are determined during enumeration. The manufacturer of the
nevice determines the other two address fields. This alleviates the necessity
to
~redefir~e parameter and controller messages as is done in 1~IIDI systems.
Devices
'?G can query for other device addresses and associated friendly names by
using system
control messages. This allows for complete control while still supportxna a
non-
technical, user-friendly interface.
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CA 02306506 2000-04-25
Attorney's Docket No. 40890
The control type byte allows non-GyIICS control messages access to the
control pipe or channel. Control message from other specifications can be
encapsulated in the 32 bit data word. yIIDI is one example of a defined
alternate
control type.
Device Classification
In the case where no control information is being sent, a device can send a
device classification message in place of conirol data. This message provides
information regarding the functionality and capabilities of the device. Any
other
device in a G1YIICS system can use this information as needed. The device
classification method is encapsulated in the 32-bit data word.
Classic ylode
Classic mode is a means of further increasing the simplicity and universality
of a G1~IICS system. Classic mode provides a set of default channel
assignments for
instruments. This will allow for an unknown device to power up in a known
state
1~ providing a positive initial user experience. Devices can assign channels
in anv
fashion, but all devices should supply the capability of being in classic
mode. unless
overridden by a previous configuration. Classic mode can expand to allow for
automatic controller assignment, and various other features.
Classic mode assures that devices power up in known states by providing
~?(s default assignments for all channels. Other devices can communicate by
default on
know-r~ channels. Default channel assignments are given to all applicable
instruments. Classic mode increases the universalitv and simplicity of GVIICS
in a
wav that General MIDI provides a common user experience for tone generation.
1i
CA 02306506 2000-04-25
:attorney's Docket No. 4089C
The channel assignments described in this embodiment are defaulis: other
channel
assignments may be used at the discretion of a device manufacturer, but any
variation will create incompatibilities with other Classic mode devices.
acoustic Guitar Classic Mode
~n acoustic guitar device in a GMICS system may have the following default
channel assignments: ,
Acoustic Guitvcr~'llf~ode
f,FJefault' anrre~
~ssignmefor~coustic
T 3: ,y
's ~riX~N'.
~ .. 1 a
aw.?1
Channel # Assignment
(decimal)
1 ll~Iono Guitar
1
(Mono Pickup)
~
' ? ~ Microphone t
3 - 4 Stereo Guitar
j 5 - 10 HeY Pickup
I
11 - 16 ~ Reserved
1b
CA 02306506 2005-12-19
~ttornev's Docket No. 4089C
Electric Guitar Classic Mode
An electric guitar in a GMICS system may have the following default channel
assignments:
Acoustic-Guitar Classic
Mode
(Default C~Cannel
Assignments for
Acoustic
Guatarsj
Channel # Assignment
(decimal)
1- 3 Nlono Guitar
(3 Mono Pickup)
Microphone
- 6 Stereo Guitar
~ - 1G ~ iieX Pivkup I
13 - 16 Reserved
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CA 02306506 2005-12-19
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Keyboard Classic Mode
Electronic keyboards in a GNIICS system may have the following default
channel assignments:
Key&oard ~lassic:Nlode-
(Default Channel
Assignments for
Acoustic
Guitarsj
Channel # Assignment
(decimal)
1 Mono
2 Microphone
3 - 4 Stereo
- 16 Reserved
5
System Mechanical Detail
The GNIICS Connector
G100TY G1VIICS Link
The 100 megabit G1VIICS data link (G100TX) uses the industry standard RJ-
45 connector and Category 5 cable as shown in Fig. 5. Preferably, the cables
and
connectors will meet alI requirements set forth in the IEEE80'?.3
specification for
100B~SE-TZ use.
CA 02306506 2000-04-25
Attorney's Docket No. 4089C
GiVIICS G100TX Signals & Connector Pin Assignment
G100TX-based G1VIICS uses a standard Category 5 cable for device
interconnection. A single cable contains four twisted pairs. Two pairs are
used for
data transport as in 100BASE-TX network connection. The remaining two pairs
are used for power.
Standard Category 5 patch cords are wired one-to-one. This means that each
conductor is connected to the same pin an both connectors. A crossover
function
must be performed within one of the connected devices so that the data
transmitted
by one device is received by the other, as shown in Fig. 5.
Due to this relationship, a GMICS system has two different connector
configurations for GNIICS devices. The diagram of Fig. 6 shows a guitar 12,
and
effect boY 24, and an amplifier 13. There are two preferred connector
configurations
used in the system. labeled A and B in the table below All instruments must
use '
connector configuration A. Amplifiers and other devices use connector
configuration
l~ B for inputs from instrument and connector configuration A for output to
other
devices. GVIICS connections are made with Category 5 approved RJ-45 plugs and
Tacks.
The following table lists the signals and connector pin numbers for both the A
B connector configuraiions.
.? 1
CA 02306506 2000-04-25
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~ Signal Name Type A Tgpe ~B
I ~'o From Instrument
Amglifier, ~~.Pin
5
M r a
~~.~' d ~ 3 ~~ 3 ~.:,~ '' a s ~~ , ~ ~
g' a i .a.s ,p ~ s,
~* # ~ - ~ ~~ ~~ ' r'rn ~ ,
~
~_
Q ~~
. '
Tx Data + (from instrument) 1 3
Tx Data - (from instrument) 2 6 I
Rx Data + (to instrument) 3 I 1
i I
Rx Data - (to instrument) 6 2
(
i i
I
j Gnd (Instrument Phantom 4 4
Power)
I Gnd (Instrument Phantom 5 5
Power)
i
' V+ (Instrument Phantom Power)7 7
V+ (Instrument Phantom Power)8 8
~
Table - Sagnal ~z~td connector pin numbers ,
The pin number assignments are chosen to insure that signals are
transported over twisted pairs. The transmit and receive signals use the same
pin:
that a computer's network interface card (NICI does. The two pair of wires not
used
ir~ standard 100BASE-T~ networks carry phantom power. This connector pm
ass:anment is chosen to reduce the possibility of damage if a G1~IICS device
is
directly plugged into a computer network connector.
.~.~
CA 02306506 2000-04-25
Attorney's Docket No. 4089C
Instrument Connectors
AlI instruments connected to a G1VIICS system use a RJ-45 Jack wired in the
Type A configuration. This connector is labeled To Amplifier.
~'o Amp~i~er-. a A Co~gt~ratian : R~~~
Slgn~ ~~a~iaem E~~
. _- #'
,
Tx Data + (from instrument) 1
Tx Data - (from instrument) ~ 2
Rx Data + (to instrument) 3
Rx Data - (to instrument) 6
Gnd (Instrument Phantom Power) 4
Gnd (Instrument Phantom Power) 5
V+ (Instrument Phantom Power) r
V+ (Instrument Phantom Power) 8
Table - Instrument Type A configuration
Effect/Amplifier Connectors
Effect Boxes and Amplifiers may have more than one GiYIICS connector.
There are two possible configurations for these G1~IICS connections. Inputs
from
instruments to the effect box or amplifier are wired in the Type B
configuration and
Should be labeled From Instrument. Output from the effect box or amplifier
ahould
be wired in the Type A configuration and labeled To :4naplifier.
'? 3
CA 02306506 2005-12-19
Attorney's Docket No. 40890
From Instrument - Type B RJ-45
Configuration Pin
Signal: Name #
Tx Data + (from instrument) 3
Tx Data - (from instrument) 6
Rx Data + (to instrument) 1
Rx Data - (to instrument) 2
Gnd (Instrument Phantom Power) 4
Gnd (Instrument Phantom Power) 5
V+ (Instrument Phantom Power) 7
V+ (Instrument Phantom Power) 8
Table - EffectlAmp Type B configuration
.ill connectors that can receive input directly from an instru~r-~ent use an
RJ-45 jack wired in a Type B configuration.
'?4
CA 02306506 2000-04-25
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~'a ~crgh~er -':T3xpe-: ~; Configuration1tJ-45-
~~gna~~m~ 3 z pi~#~
Tx Data + (from instrument) 1
Tx Data - (from instrument) 2
Rx Data + (to instrument) 3
Rx Data - (to instrument) 6
Gnd (Instrument Phantom Power) 4
Gnd (Instrument Phantom Power) 5
V+ (Instrument Phantom Power) 7
V+ (Instrument Phantom Power) 8
EffectlAmp Type A configuration
All other connections use a RJ-45 jack wired in a Type A configuration.
Dominant Data Flow
The terms To Amplifier and From Instrument not only refer to the typical
physical connections but also the dominant data flow. While it is true that
the
Gi~IICS protocol is a symmetrical bi-directional interconnect there is almost
always
a dominant direction to the data flow. In a simple G~'IICS system consisting
of a
musical instrument, an effects box, and an amplifier. the dominant data
direction is
from the instrument to the effects box then on to the amplifier, as shown in
Fig. 8.
2~
CA 02306506 2000-04-25
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In the second example of Fig. 8, three instruments (two guitars 12 and a
microphone 14) are connected to through an amplifier 13 to a mixer 25 that is
connected to a recording device 26. The recording device 26 does not have a
dominant direction of data flow. While recording, the dominant direction is to
the
recorder 26 while it is from the recorder 26 during playback. For clarity in
describing a G1VIICS system, a recording device 26 will always be treated as
an
instrument in that the dominant data flows from the recorder.
Special Considerations
Special considerations need to be made when selecting RJ type connectors for
use with GMICS. These special requirements are due to the fact that GMICS
enabled devices are used in live performance applications by musicians and
must be
reliable and resilient.
Several physical supports exist that augment the standard RJ-45 connector.
This includes the addition of locking clip protection for the RJ-45
connectors. In
addition, cable manufacturers can make specially designed cable ends that help
the
locking clip from breaking. Without some sort of protection these locking
clips can
be over-stressed and broken. Once the locking clip is broken the connector
will not
stay properly seated in the mating jack and the connection will be
unsatisfactory .
Mechanical stress on the RJ-45 jack must be also considered when designing
?0 ~~IICS enabled devices. The locking nature of the RJ-45 offers advantages
and
disadvantages. The positive locking provides protection against accidental
unplugging. However, the RJ-45 will not automatically release (as will a
standard
26
CA 02306506 2000-04-25
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guitar cable) when the cable is completely stretched or becomes tangled.
Therefore it is recommended that the RJ-45 jack and mechanical assembly be
able
to withstand repeated tugs of the cable without physical or electrical damage.
The GMICS Cable
GMICS G100TX Interconnect Cable
G100TX-based GMICS devices use industry standard computer networking
cables for both signal and power. The G100TX daia link is designed to use
standard
Category 5 patch cables of lengths up to 500 ft. Acceptable Cats cables must
include all four twisted pairs (8 wires). Each conductor must consist of
stranded
wire and be 24 gauge or larger. The cable and connectors must meet all
requirements for 100BASE-TX network usage. It should be noted that Gi~IICS
uses
the standard computer-to-hub CAT 5 patch cords, not the special computer-to-
computer cables. The G1VIICS cable is always wired as a one-to-one assembly.
The following table shows the connector/cable wiring for a GNIICS G100TX
Interconnect Cable.
Signal Name Twisted pair Connector pin
# #
~ Tx Data (from instrument) 1 ~ 3
Tx Data - (from instrument) 1 , 6
' ' I
Rx Data (to instrument) ( 2 ! 1
Rx Data - (to instrument) 2 I ''
I
Gnd (Instrument Phantom Power)3 j 4
Gnd (Instrument Phantom Power)~ 3 j :~
I
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CA 02306506 2000-04-25
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v- (Instrument Phantom Power)4 7
~
V+ (Instrument Phantom Power)4 8
1 able - C;onnectorlcable wiring
Special Considerations
There are special considerations to be made when selecting Category 5 cables
for use with G100TX. These special requirements are due to the fact that
G1VIICS
enabled devices are used in live performance applications, which place
additional
requirements on the cable, compared to standard office network installations.
One consideration would be to use a cable that includes protection for the
locking clip of the RJ-45 connectors. Without this protection the locking
clips can be
over-stressed and broken. Once the locking clip is broken the connector will
not
stay properly seated in the mating jack.
A second consideration is the flexibility and feel of the cable itself. The
selected cable should have good flexibility and be constructed such that it
will ,
withstand the normal abuse expected during live performances. Unlike most
network installations the connecting cable in a G100TX system will experience
1~:, much twisting and turning throughout its life. For these reasons,
stranded CATS
~~aDl2 iS required for GyIICS applications. Solid wire CAT5 will function
correctly
initially, but will fail more often. It should be noted that cables must be
hooked
from ~ connectors to B Connectors, not A to A or B to B. ~ G~IICS system
should
never be wired in such a fashion that ay loops exist.
.~8
CA 02306506 2000-04-25
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Also, the pin assignments described with reference to this embodiment are
e:~emplary only and may be varied depending on the choice of cable and
connector.
Device Definitions
GiVIICS is designed to function on two levels: as a daisy-chained system or as
a hub-centric system. The following sections give mechanical definitions of
devices
that may be contained in a GMICS system. All GMICS devices should follow the
following rule: No device in a GMICS system should contain more then one type
A
connector (To Amp).
Instruments ,
Instruments (guitars, keyboards, etc.) are defined as any device that contains
a type A (To Amp) connector only. It should be noted that the GNIICS
definition of
an instrument goes beyond the traditional definition of musical instruments.
It is
possible for a device such as an amplifier or a signal processor to only
contain a type
A connector and therefore be considered an instrument according to the above
1 ~ definition. In such a situation a hub would be required to connect a
guitar to the
amplifier.
Signal Processors
Signal Processors (siomp bores, effects processors, etc.) should generally
have
one B (From instrument) and one A (To Amp) connector. This definition. i
'?0 necessary to allow for signal processing devices to function in both a
daisy- chain
setup and a hub-centric system.
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Amplifiers
Amplifiers can either be seen as the end point of a daisy chain system. or as
another device capable of being connected to a hub. If an amplifier is
considered an
end point device, then it will contain only one type B connector (From
Instrument).
o An amplifier that is to be used with hubs should generally have one type B
(From
Instrument) and one type A (To Amp) connector.
Hubs
Hubs shall generally have multiple type B (From Instrument) connectors cznd
up to one type A (To Amp) connector for connection to another hub. Hubs can
have
either daisy chain systems or single devices connected to them.
System Electrical Detail
GVIICS Physical Layer - G100TX
IEEE802.3 compatibility
The common GMICS data link physical layer (G100TX) is based on the
1008 ASE-TX Ethernet physical layer as described in the IEEE802.3
Specification.
while much of the IEEE802.3 specification is relevant, special attention
should be
oaid to the following clauses:
.. Physical Signaling (PLS) and Attachment Unit Interface ( AL'I>
'?0 specifications
21. Introduction to 100 VIb/s baseband networks, type 1008 ASE-T
CA 02306506 2000-04-25
Attorney's Docket ~'o. 4089C .
24. Physical Coding Sublayer (PCS) and Physical Medium Attachment
(PI~L~j sublayer, type 100BASE-Y
G~IICS G100TX/IEEE802.3 Differences
The GiVIICS data link Physical Layer is always operated at 100 megabits per
second in the full duplex mode. Much of the functionality of a standard 10/100
megabit physical layer implementation is dedicated to detecting and switching
modes and is not required for Gl00TX. '
Timing Parameters
Sample Clock Recovery
Recovering the sample clock from any digital link is of critical concern to
the
designer. In G1VIICS the sample clock is based on the recovered frame rate and
not
the data transmission rate over the physical medium. The fitter performance
required for a specific application must be taken into account when designing
the
sample rate recovery circuits. For high quality A/D & D/A conversion fitter
should
not exceed poops.
It is imperative that the recovered sample clock is locked to the incoming
sample rate, and it is also desirable that all devices operate in phase with
each
other. This will insure that all devices are processing data in a synchronous
manner.
'?0 Onlv one device may supply' sample timing for all devices in a GVIICS data
link or jvstem. The only exception to this rule would be a device with sample
rate
31
CA 02306506 2000-04-25
Attorney's Docket No. 4089C
conversion capability. The master timing source shall generate GVIICS packets
on
all its G1VIICS Links with a maximum packet-to-packet fitter of 120 nsec. X11
other
devices must generate all their outgoing packets based on the reception of
this
stream of incoming packets. The packet-to-packet fitter of these outbound
packets
musi not exceed 160 nsec. Note that accurate measurement requires a fitter
free
input. This is not a measure of accumulated fitter.
Latency
Latency of data transmitted between directly connected G1~IICS devices shall
not exceed 250 microseconds. This does not include A/D and D/~, conversion. As
GMICS is designed to be a live performance digital link, care must be taken
when
choosing A/D and D/A converters to minimize latency within these devices.
litter
The jitier performance required for a specific application must be taken into
account when designing the sample rate recovery circuits. For high quality
:~/D &
1 ~ D/A conversion, fitter should not exceed 500pS. Extreme care must be taken
when
propagating the sample clock within a large system. The G1~IICS system is
designed with the expectation that the device itself will manage the fitter to
an
acceptable level. In this manner, the designer can determine the required
quality of
the resultant fitter at the appropriate cost and return.
3'?
CA 02306506 2000-04-25
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power
Gl00TX Phantom Power Source
G1~IICS phantom power sources shall supply a minimum of 9vDC, at >500m_~
to each connected instrument, measured at the cable termination on the ,
instrument.
The phantom power source must supply 24 volts +/-5% (22.8 - 25.2 volts DC)
measured at the source's Type B GNIICS Link connector. The phantom power
source must be capable of delivering >500mA to each Type B GVIICS data link.
Current limiting should occur at a point greater than 500mA (1 amp
recommended).
It should not be in the form of a standard fuse, as such a device would need
to be
replaced if an over-current condition occurred. It is desirable that the full
power be
restored upon correction of the fault. Each Type B GVIICS data link must be
independently protected so that one defective link cannot stop all other links
from
functioning. :~11 Type B GVIICS Links must supply the above specified phantom
1~ power.
G100T~ Phantom Powered Instrument
Phantom powered devices must properly operate on a range of voltages from
'?-~vDC down to 9vDC. The phantom powered device must not draw more than
~OUm ~ while m operation. Proper heat dissipation gad or cooling of the
instrument
at '~-~vDC must be considered during the physical design of the instrument.
Phantom Power Considerations when using Daisy Chained Devices
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CA 02306506 2000-04-25
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Use of Phantom Power
Special consideration must be given to phantom power in a daisy chain
configuration of GyIICS. If more than one device within the chain were allowed
to
use the power supplied by the GiVIICS data link, the power budget would likely
be
exceeded. Therefore it is recommended that only end point devices, such as
instruments, be permitted to use the power supplied by the G100TX cable.
Phantom Power Source and Pass Through r
Phantom power distribution must be carefully managed. At first, it would
seem that allowing phantom power to physically pass through a device within
the
chair. would be ideal. However, this design can create unsupportable
configurations. Since the ultimate chain length is indeterminate, the user
could
unknowingly violate the maximum cable length specification. Exceeding the
maximum cable length would cause excessive voltage drop in the cable thereby
limiting the voltage at the instrument to less than the required minimum
voliage.
1 ~ a device may only pass along the phantom power if the available voltage at
its Type ~ G1VIICS connector is greater than 20vDC with a load of >500mA. This
simple test will insure that proper power will be supplied to the instrument
even
when attached by a 500 foot cable. If this condition cannot be met. the device
must
supply its own phantom power.
~?C~ l~raster Timing Control & Device Enumeration
3-~
CA 02306506 2000-04-25
Attorney's Docket No. 40890
SvsLem Timing Master
When dealing with sampled data it is imperative to achieve sample
synchronization. This synchronization insures that all devices are processing
data
in phase with one another. There is always one source of synchronization in a
GNIICS system, and that device is called the System Timing Master (STlVl).
Establishing the STM
When multiple devices are daisy chained together or wired in a more hub-
centric
format, the following three rules are used to establish the STM (these rules
are
dependent on the device definitions as follows:
1) A device with only A connectors can never be the STNI.
2) A device with only B connectors will be the STNI.
3) In the case that all non-instrument devices in the system contain A and B
type connector configurations, then the one device with no signal on its Type
A configuration connector will be the STNI. ,
1 ~ Examples of STNI
guitar_ _ 4rn15~~
_. .. _
(a)
Guitar ~ Amp ~S~ ate
~ ~_
- 3~ -
CA 02306506 2000-04-25
:attorney's Docket No. 4089C
)
Establishing the STM Losing rules 1 and ~: (a) Incorrect (b) Correct
,
Guitar - _ Stomp ___ - Amp
-= _
~ - -
Guitar Stomp Amp tsar)
1
(c)
Establishing the STM using rules 1, ~, and 3:
(a)incorrect (b) incorrect (c)Correct
Guitar j
B I
'? ('~ i
CA 02306506 2000-04-25
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Establishing the STM with a Hub using rules 1, .,~, and 3
10
Establishing the STNI with a Mixer (Hub) using rules 1, 2 and 3
Device Enumeration
The ST1VI serves two purposes; it provides the sample clock, and enumerates
1~ all devices on the GlYIICS data link. The enumeration process supplies each
G1~IICS
device with the address that it will respond to in response to control
messages.
address spaces are 16 bits, which limits the number of devices in a GVIICS
system
co 6.356.
Svsiem Startup
~?0 X11 GVIICS devices should respond to the "Startup address" on power up.
Startup Device Address OxFFFC
37
~~~ ,.,~.,..,~...» ~.. i _ ..~.. ...~.W.,
CA 02306506 2005-12-19
Attorneys Docket No. 40890
Once a device establishes itself as the ST1VI it will automatically assign
itself
the base address.
Base Device Address (STNS ~ 0x0000
After addressing itself, the STM should begin the enumeration process.
Address fields other then the device address fields should use the "not in
use"
address 0x0000 during enumeration.
Enumeration Algorithm
Since any device other then an instrument can be the STM, it is necessary for
all non-instrument devices to be able to perform the enumeration process. For
this
reason the enumeration algorithm presented here is quite simple. The
enumeration
algorithm is focused around three system control messages as follows:
Message type Message.value Data
Enumerate device 0x0001 Next device address
i Address offset 0x0002 Source Address +
return 1
i Request new device0x0003 ~ //ND
I
i
address ~
i
E~LUmeration a~gorithrn messages
l~ Daisv chain Enumeration
38
CA 02306506 2000-04-25
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In a daisy chain system, the STM will assign itself the base address it will
then send an "Enumerate device" message with the ''base address" as the source
address, and the "startup address" as the destination address.
//ST?~I pseudo code
ST~I.address = 0x0000;
STNLSendMessage([Destination device address = OxFFFC]
[Source device address - 0x0000][Message - Ox0001(enumerate
device)]
[Data = STM.address + 1]);
The next device in the chain will receive the "Enumerate device" message
from the STM, address itself as the number provided in the incoming message, ,
increment the data field, and then send the new "Enumerate device" message
upstream. It is important to recognize that the device should not pass the
original
STNI message along. The new "Enumerate device" message should maintain the
source and destination addresses of the original message.
ilNext device in chain pseudo code
Device2.ylessageBuffer = Device2.ReceiveMessageQ; (/Enumerate device
Device2.address = Device2.NlessageBuffer.Data //0x0001;
Device2.SendNIessage([Destination device address = OxFFFC]
[Source device address - 0x0000][Message - Ox0001(enumerate
device)]
[Data = Device2.address + 1]):
The process above should be followed for each device in the system except for
the last device. The Nth device in the system. which represents the other end
point
in the daisy chain should address itself with the number provided in the
incoming
message and then send a ''Address offset return" message back to the address
provided in the source address field (usually the STI~~i). The '' Address
offset return"
39 -
CA 02306506 2000-04-25
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message should use the "base address"(ST1V1) as a destination address, and the
device's own address as the source address. The data field should equal the
device
address plus one.
//End point device pseudo code
DeviceN.iVIessageBuffer = DeviceN.ReceiveNlessage~; //Enumerate device
DeviceN.address = DeviceN.MessageBuffer.Data ; IIN-1
DeviceN.SendMessage([Destination device address = 0x0000]
[Source device address = N-1][Message = Ox0002(Address offset)]
i0 [Data = DeviceN.address + 1]);
Hub-centric Enumeration
In a hub-centric system, where the STM will generally be a hub, enumeration
will occur slightly different; the hub will select a starting port, and then
follow the
15 method provided for the daisy chain system. Once the STNI receives the
''Address
offset return" message, it will move to the next port, and follow the daisy
chain
enumeration with the data field equal to the number provided by the "Address
offset return" message.
I/Hub (STNI) pseudo code
20 Hub.address = 0x0000;
Next Device Address = Hub.address + 1:
for(int i = 1; i <= Number of Ports; i++)
t
'?5 Hub.port[i].Sendll~Iessage([Destination device address = OxFFFC]
[Source device address = 0x0000]Message = Ox0001(enumerate
device)]
[Data = Next Device address]);
llFollow daisy chain procedure (Section ~.-~.'?.1);
fort ; ;?
i
if ( Hub.port[i].ReceiveMessage( ) ) II Address offset return
3:~ (
CA 02306506 2000-04-25
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Next Device Address = Hub.VIessageBuffer.Data;
Break:
In the situation that a hub is connected to another hub, then the second hub
should repeat the process above, but use its own address as the starting
address. It
should also send all messages with its own address as the source address, so
that it
receives the "Address offset return" message. Upon receiving this message it
should
for~~ard it to the STNI or the previous hub.
//Hub pseudo code
Hub.address = lvl;
Next Device Address = Hub.address + 1;
for(int i = 1; i <= Number of Ports; i++)
Hub.port[i].SendNIessage([Destination device address = OxFFFC]
[Source address = l~I][l~Iessage = Ox0001(enumerate device)]
[Data = Next Device Address]);
!/Follow daisy chain procedure
fore; ; ;)
if ( Hub.port[i].ReceiveNlessage( ) ) //Address offset return
' Next Device Address = Hub.l~IessageBuffer.Data;
Break;
SendMessage([Destination device address = 0x0000 ]
3~ [Source device address = Hub Address][Message = Ox000'?(~ddress
offset)]
[Data = Next Device Addre~sjj:
PluaginQ and Unplu~aina
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CA 02306506 2000-04-25
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Devices may be plugged and unplugged from the system at any time. All ,
other devices in the GMICS system should maintain their current address if
this
occurs. If a new device is plugged in after startup initialization occurs, or
an old
device is unplugged and then plugged in again a new address must be assigned.
Instead of re-enumerating the whole system, the "Request new device address"
message can be used to get a new address.
When a device first plugs in to a GMICS system, it is unaware of whether or
not an initial enumeration has occurred. Hence it is the responsibility of the
device
that it is directly connected to the new device to send the "Request new
device
address" message. Unless that device is the STNI, in which case the STM should
acknowledge a new device physically hooked up to it, and then send an
"Enumerate
device" message with the last address given +1 as the data field.
//New device being plugged in
//Directly cannected device
Device. SendMessage([Destination address - 0x0000][Source address -
Device. Address]
[Message = Ox0003(New Address))[Data = NULL]);
'?0 /; STNI
ST~I. SendMessage([Destination address - OxFFFC][Source address -
Device. Address]
[Message = Ox0001(Enumerate device)][Data = Last Address
Giver, ~ 1]);
3Q
//New Device
NewDevice. SendMessage([Destination device address = 0x0000
[Source device address = NewDevice. Address]
fl~Iessage = Ox0002(~ddress offset)][Data = NewDevice.~ddress--1]);
Data Link interface
~.o
..w.~,.~..- .,.. ... _ ...
CA 02306506 2005-12-19
Attorney s Docket No. 4089C
Overview
The data packets sent between G1VIICS devices are at the heart of the G\~IICS
system. They contain the audio information sent between devices as well as
control
information.
Figure 9 is a high-level view of the G\~IICS data packet format. It is broken
down into two different sections, the header (see table below) and
Audio/Control
data. Each G1VIICS data packet will be a fixed size of 27 - 32 bit words. The
standard G1VIICS packet shall have 16 channels of 32 bit audio, a control
version
and type byte, two 48 bit control address fields, a 16 bit control message
word, a 32
bit control data word, a 32 bit User High word, and an optional 32 bit CRC.
The
GNIICS packet will have 4 words of header, which will include preamble, start
of
frame, cable number, sample rate, bus control bits, audio/control valid flags,
and a
32 bit frame counter.
Header Format
Word B31 -B28 827- B23-B20 Bl9-B16B15- BII-B8 B7-B4 B3-BO
I
B24 BI.
0 Preamble = OY55555555
(~s described
in IEEE 802.3
section i .2.3.2)
1 Start of Frame Preamble i
~ = = 01555555
i
i OsDS i
y audio Valid I Control/ Sampl F)C~\-1
flag bits Cable I Re
~#
i i I i
~ ~ a Rate P T I
CRC ser
Valid ved F S P
flag i ~
bits ~ i ~ i
I I
i
43
... .,~_. . .W~
CA 02306506 2005-12-19
Attorney s Docket No. 4089C
3 ~ Frame Count
GNIICS Data Lanh Header Format
Preamble and Start of Frame
These two fields are used as specified in the CS1VIA/CD IEEE 802.3
specification. For further information, refer to sections 7.2.3.2 and 7.2.3.3
in the
IEEE 802.3 specification.
CTS and l~IIP Fields.
These two bits will be used to manage the control bus. It will allow for all
devices to send control messages, without requiring enormous buffers. A device
will
set the Clear To Send (CTS) bit low to indicate to other devices in the system
that
they may not send a message at this time. This bit should remain low until
tr ansmission begins, at which point the bit should be set high to allow other
devices
to send messages.
The 'l~Tessage in Progress (1VIIP) bit will be set high to indicate to other
to devices in the system that a message is being sent. It should remain high
until a
message is sent in its entirety.
To maintain order on the bus, the following rules must be obeyed:
1) A device can set its CTS bit low at any point, but can not send a message
until it has received a minimum of two frames with the MIIP bit set Iow.
v0 '?) A device must send its message in its entirety before it can release
control.
44
CA 02306506 2000-04-25
Attorney's Docket No. 40890
3) :~ device must wait a minimum of 8 frames from the end of the last message
it sent before another can be sent.
Fig 11 displays possible scenarios regarding the control bus.
FPF Field
o The FPF field gives a high level description of the subsequent data in the
GVIICS packet. The two defined formats are shown below.
_ FPF .
~'Ioattn~Point~
de~z~ition
Value
~ Description
j
I
1
lbinary
)
I I
0 Words 4-19 in the GNIICS packet contain audio information,
I
which will be defined by the label field located
i in each word.
~
1 Words 4-19 contain 32 bit data.
FPF Field Definitions
Sample Rate Field
This field specifies the sample rate of the audio. Five sample rates are
supported: 3'?k, 44.1k. 48k. 96k, and 192k. Sample rates and their respective
binary
representations are shown below.
4~
CA 02306506 2000-04-25
~ttornev's Docket No. 4089C
Sample Rate Field Definitions.
I Value (binary) Sample l~,ate
i
000 32k
I I
001 44. 1k
010 48k
011 96k
100 192k
101 - 111 i Reserved
I I
Table - Sample Rate Field Definitions
The default sample rate for all GVIICS devices is 48k. 311 GVIICS devices
must support the 48k sample rate. Devices configured for multiple sample rates
should power up at 48k. The 192k sample rate is supported by reducing the
number of audio channels to 8 and sending two samples per packet. Channels 1-8
should function as normal and provide their corresponding samples. Channels 9-
16
should sequentially provide the second samples of channels 1-8.
Cable Number Field
i~:~ This numeric field is intended for labeling G~IICS streams that m~av- he
multiplexed onto a high bandwidth medium such as fiber optic cabling.
=i 6
CA 02306506 2000-04-25
Attorney's Docket No_ 4089C
~~~~rltroi/CRC V alid
B19 818 &17 B16
Control Valid Classification User high valid CRC Valid bit
bit valid bit
bit I
ControllCheeksum Field Format
This 4 bit field tells the receiver whether this packet contains am valid
Control, User high, Device Classification, and CRC data. Any of the four bits
will be
set if there is valid data in their corresponding fields.
Audio Valid Field
This bit field tells the receiver of the packet which Audio Channels contain
valid data. There is one bit per channel where a set bit denotes valid audio
data.
The format of this field is as follows:
Bit 16 = Audio Channel #1 Valid
Bit 1. = Audio Channel #2 V alid
Bit 18 = Audio Channel #3 V alid
...etc...
i ~ Bit 31 = Audio Channel #16 Valid
Frame Count Field
The frame count field keeps a running count of frames starting at the
beginning of transmission. The number stored in this field will roll over when
it
'?(? ~eaoi~es the maximum 3'? bit number O~cFFFFFFFF.
~i
CA 02306506 2000-04-25
Attorney's Docket No. 4089C
Data Format >
Ii Word ~ B31-B.8 ~ B27-B24 ~ B23-B20 ~ B19-B16 ~ B15-B12 ~ BII-B8 B7-B4 ~ B3-
BO
~_ 1g Data
UsrH
I '21 I Control Destination Device Version Control Type
Address
?2 Control Destination Parameter AddressControl Destination
Function Address
I
I 23 Control Source Function Address Control Source
i Device Address
I I
2:1 ~ Control Message Control Source
Parameter Address
;
25 ' Control data/Device Classification
i I >
CRC-32
i i
GMICS Data Linh AudiolControl Format
Dana Field
The information in the data section of our packet is partially dependent on
the FPF field in the header. If the FPF flag is low then our packet will
contain 16
channels of audio. If the FPF flag is high the packet will contain 16 words of
32 bit
~~iaca.
~udioi Control Data
~~.-hen the FPF bit is low, the body of a GVIICS packet will take on the
iorma~
;hewn on the table on the next page:
-15
_ _ ~ _ __ ~-~~-m.
_~. _ _~..-v
CA 02306506 2005-12-19
attorney's Docket Rio. ~089C
AzcdiolControl Packet Format
Word B31-B28 B27-B~4 B23-B20 B19-B16 B15-B12 B11-B8 B7-B~1 B3-BO
Audio 0 Type 0
~ Audio 1 Type 1
6 Audio 2 Type 2
Audio 3 ~ Type 3
g Audio 4 Type 4
g ~ Audio 5 Type 5
Audio 6 Type 6
11 Audio 7 Type r
1~ Audio 8 Type 8
13 Audio 9 Type 9
I
1~ Audio 10 Type 10
Audio 11 Type 11
16 Audio 12 Type 1'?
1 r Audio 13 ~ Type
13
18 Audio 14 t Type
1-1
1g Audio 15 Type 15
UsrH
'? Control Destination Device Version ~ Control Type
1 Address
w? Control Destination Parameter Control Destination Function
- Address Address
,
i
'?3 ' Control Source Function Control Source Device
Address Address
;. i i
p_.~ Control Message Control Source Parameter
Address j
.>5 Control data/Device Classification
j .~ CRC-,3'?
~9
CA 02306506 2000-04-25
Attorney's Docket ~o. 40890
Tvae Fieid
The type field is a 4 bit field which describes the nature of the information
that follows. The type field is formatted as follows:
B~ B~ " B~ Bo
High Level Format(HLF) Field Sub Format(SF)
Field
Type Field Format
The following high level formats are defined:
r~F~~er~. ~le~imo~cs
-
Value High Level
(binary) Format
00 ~ Raw Audio
O1 ! Compressed
' ~ '
i0 ~ Reserved
I
j 11 Reserved
__ I
High Leuel Format Field
Sub formats for each high level format are defined below:
CA 02306506 2000-04-25
Attorney's Docket No. 40890
SF Field Definitions
I '~Jalue ~ Sub format
1
(binary) ~ i
00 00 28 bit Raw Audio
00 O1 24 bit Raw Audio
00 10 20 bit Raw Audio
00 11 ~ 16 bit Raw Audio ~
0100 I AC-3 t
O1 O1 - O1 11 ~ Reserved
'i
00 - 10 11 t Reserved
I
I
11 00 - 11 11 i Reserved
Sub Format Field
It should be noted that the recommended default GVIICS audio format is 24-
bit raw audio.
Audio Fields
Each of the 16 audio channels has a dedicated 32 bit word in the GVIICS
T"acket of which 28 bits can be used for data. The format of the audio is
liven in the
tv~e tieid. Regardless of format the Audio data must be left justified.
~l
CA 02306506 2000-04-25
Attorney's Docket No. ~089C
32 bit Data
In the case that the FPF field in the GiVIICS header is high, the body of the
GVIICS packet will be in the following format:
'Word B31-B28 B2?-B24 B23-B20 B19-Bl6-BIS-BI?BII-B8 B?-84 ~ B B
~ ~
r
I
I -~-19 I 32 bit Data
l
'?G ~ UsrH
I
1 Control Destination Control Type
Device Address ~ Version I
~
l ~ l
22 Control Destination
Parameter Address
~ Control Destination
Funciion Address l
I
l ~ontroi source r unction r~aaress ( Loniroi source Levice r~anress
'?-~ ~ Control Message Control Source Parameter Address
25 Control Data/Device Classification
I
26 ~ CRC-32 , ,
3~ bit Floating Point Data Packet Format
32 bit Data Field
This field will provide the ability to pass intermediate 32 bit DSP data
around. The 32 bit words will also be available for other 32 bit formats as
they
become available.
User Hiah Field
The 3'? bit user high field is a high speed data pipe that will be available
for
suture applications. A device can use this field to sena ay data it would
like. a
ion; ~~ a receiving demce knows how to handle the data.
CA 02306506 2000-04-25
r~tiorney's Docket ~o. 4089C
Control Fields
This 5 word field is set aside for Gl~IICS control messages. The format of
these messages and the data contained within can be found in the description
of the
Control Pipe below.
Device Classification (dc)
In the case that the Classification Valid bit is set in the header, the 32-bit
'
control data word becomes a 32-bit device classification field. Device
classification
is further described below.
CRC-32 Field
'This field contains a 32-bit Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) for the data
contained in entire data packet. This includes the header and both the audio
and
data pipe sections. This CRC is based on the standard CRC-32 polynomial used
in
Autodin. Ethernet, and rIDCCP protocol standards. An example of a C language '
function performing CRC-32 generation is shown below.
i"crc32h.c -- package to compute 32-bit CRC one byte at a time using *.
*the high-bit first (Big-Endian) bit ordering convention *I
! * */
i'~ Synopsis: *i
* gen crc table -- generates a 256-word table containing all CRC *'
'~0 '* remainders for every possible $-bit byte. It "l
!* must be executed tonce) before arv CRC updates.;
;* *%
i~' unsigned update crc(/crc_accum, data blk_ptr, data blk_sizes *'
/x unsigned crc_accum: char *data blk_ptr: int data-blk size*
p5 !* Returns the updated value of the CRC accumulator after *-
;* processing each byte in the addressed block of data. ~'!
,* *,
/* It is assumed that an unsigned long is at least 3'? bits wide and *'
/* that the predefined type char occupies one 8-bit byte of storage. */
53
CA 02306506 2000-04-25
Attorney's Docket No. 4089C
!* *;
~'* The generator polynomial used for this version of the package is X~
x~32+x~26tx~23+x~22+x~16+x~12+x~11+x~10+x~8+x~7+x~;~+x~4+x~p+x~
- ltx~*,r
J
/* as specified in the Autodin/Ethernet/ADCCP protocol standards. */
/* Other degree 32 polynomials may be substituted by re-defining the */
I* symbol POLYNOMI_<1L below. Lower degree polynomials must first be *I
/* multiplied by an appropriate power of x. The representation used */
i0 I* is that the coefficient of x~0 is stored in the LSB of the 32-bit */
/* word and the coefficient of x~31 is stored in the most significant*/
/* bit. The CRC is to be appended to the data most significant byte */
/* first. For those protocols in which bytes are transmitted MSB */
/* first and in the same order as they are encountered in the block */
15 /* this convention results in the CRC remainder being transmitted wit*/
/* the coefficient of x~31 first and with that of x~0 last (just as */
/* would be done by a hardware shift register mechanizaiion). */
~* */
'* The table lookup technique was adapted from the algorithm describe*/
'?0 !* by wram Perez, Byte-wise CRC Calculations, IEEE Micro 3, 4(1983).*/
#define POLYNOMIAL Ox04clldb iL
25 static unsigned long crc table[256];
void gen crc table()
/* generate the table of CRC remainders for all possible bytes *I
register int i, j; register unsigned long crc accum:
3C~ for ( i = 0; i < 256; i++ )
~; crc accum = ( (unsigned long) i « 24 );
for (j=O;j<8;j++)
if ( crc_accum & Ox80000000L )
crc_accum =
l crc accum. « 1 ) ~ POL'NOVIIAL;
else
crc accum =
crc_accum « 1 ): i
crc table[i] = crc_accum;
40 return; }
unsigned long update crc(unsigned long crc_accum. char *data blk_ptr.
ir~t data blk size)
/* update the CRC on the data block one byte at a time *~
j register int i, j;
-t
CA 02306506 2000-04-25
attorney's Docket Rio. 4089C
for ~ j = 0; j < data blk size; j++ )
t = ( (int) ( crc accum » 247 ~ *data blk_ptr++ ) & Oxff:
crc accum = ( crc accum « 8 ) ~ crc table [t];
return crc accum; }
Control Pipe Specification
Overview
Each GMICS packet provides a control type byte, a version byte, a 48 bit
destination address field, a 48 bit source address field, a 16 bit message
field, and a
32 bit field for control data. The control information can be in any of the
defined
formats, which are currently GMICS and MIDI.
worm B,~r-s2s.s~~-s2~:: ~2~= za~:.sm=Bas.s~~ ~~z Bra-8~ ~~-s4 a3-BO ,
'? Version ~ Control Type t
1 I I
I
Control
Destination
Device
Address
t
'?'? Control Destination Function
. Address
Control
Destination
Parameter
Address
~
I Control Control Source Device Address
Source t
Function t t
Address
Control ~ Control Source Parameter Address
Message
Control Data
Control Message Format
5~
CA 02306506 2000-04-25
rlttornev's Docket No. 4089C
Control Tvpe Bvie
The control message byte will indicate the type of control message that
follow s.
~"on~raFMessage Typ e Definitions
Value Control Message ,
l
(binary) Types
I 0000 0000 - 0000 Reserved
111 l
0001 SPW 1VIIDI
0001 0011 - 0001 1111 Reserved
0010 0000 - 0111 1111 Reserved
1TPC CCCC ~ GNIICS Control
l
Control Message Type Format
MIDI Control VIessa~e Tune
When MIDI is used for control, the control message byte will take the form
show: below.
B? 86 BS ~ B4 ~ B3 ~ B2 ~ B1 ~ BO
Ii 0 . 0 l 0 I 1 ~ SysE~ ~ JPF l ?~ of Valid Bytes I~
.. . ~
1n
.yllDl C'ovtrol .Message Type Bs~te
~6
CA 02306506 2000-04-25
Attorney's Docket ~o. 4089C
If the SysEx bit is high then the following MIDI data will be a MIDI SysEx
message. If it is low then the following data is any of the other existing
MIDI
message formats. The "Joined with Previous Frame" (JPF) bit indicates whether
the MIDI data is a continuing part of data sent in a previous packet.
The "# of Valid Bytes" field indicates the number of valid MIDI bytes minus
one. The LSByte of the "Control Message" field should be used to indicate the
MIDI
cable number. The other byte should not be used. 1VIIDI bytes should be
encapsulated in the 4 bytes provided by the control data field. If there are
less then
4 MIDI bytes, they should be left justified within those 4 bytes.
1G G~IICS Control Nlessa~e Type
GMICS control is a native control-messaging scheme that is described in the
following seciions. This section discusses the nature of the GMICS control
message
type byte.
B7 B& ' B5 B4 B3 B2: BI BO
-
f 'I JPF Channel # f
CDV f ,
~I f
1 ~ GNIICS Control ~l~lessage Type $yte
The 1~ISB in the "Control Message Type Byte" is the quintessential factor in
detemining whether the corresponding two bytes are Gl~IICS control or some
other
format. If the MSB is high then the following bytes are GMICS control data.
The 'Control Data Valid" (CDW bit determines if the GVIICS message
'?0 cont<~ins a 3'? bit data word that corresponds to the message.
W
CA 02306506 2000-04-25
:~ttornev's Docket Rio. 4089C
~'ontrol Data Yalid CDR defusitian
l
V alue I Description
l
I (binary)
' 0 ~ The control data field contains no data
1 ~ The control data field contains data j
GMICS Message Status (GMS) definition
As with MIDI, the JPF bit indicates whether the GNIICS data is a continuing
part of data sent in a previous packet. The Channel number field indicates the
channel this message is intended for. The channels are defined as follows:
Channel. Numberll~essage
~'yprl3ef nitions
Value Channel Number
j
(Decimal) !Message Type
I N -1 ~ Channel # n
is ~ Omni I
I
1- 29 ~ Reserved '.
l
3C ~ Reserved
31 ~ Reserved
Channel :~unzber De~i.nations
~8
CA 02306506 2000-04-25 --
Attornev's Docket No. 4089C
jr~ihen a device has a multiple channel setting (i.e. Hex Pickup'! (See
Appendix-~), the channel number field should indicate the first channel in the
group. and all channels in the group should respond to the message.
~ ersion Number Field
The version number field should indicate the version of the control
specification being used. Only specification versions of the x.x format should
be
used. The 8 bit field should be divided as follows:
B? B6 ' Ba B'~ 83 B2' BI BO-
i int i int int frac frac frac frac frac
i ~
Version number field
Where bits 0-4 should be used for the fractional portion of the version number
and bits ~~-7 should be used for the integer portion of the version number.
Control Source and Destination address Fields
GVIICS addresses are 48 bits long, and divided into three 16 bii fields.
16 bit 16 bit 16 bit
Device Address I Funciion Address ~ Parameter :address
''.' i
1;, G.vIICS address format
~9
CA 02306506 2000-04-25
Attorney's Docket No. 4089C
Device address
All G~rIICS devices must contain a unique device address. Device addresses
will be determined during the enumeration process presented in section 5.4.
X11
control messages should be sent with source and destination address fields
properly
filled. The following addresses are reserved. They may be used if the
situation
permits.
Address Name ~~~~ss, Nurrtber'Address Name Address Number
n ~
...
_ ~ex~ ~Fiex)
; . ~._ _,; .
.
System BroadcastOxFFFF Amplifier DaisyOxFFF9
I
chain Broadcast
i
Local Hub OxFFFE Signal ProcessorOxFFF8 j
I
Broadcast System Broadcast
Daisy chain OxFFFD I Signal ProcessorOxFFF7
~
i
t Broadcast ~ Hub Broadcas~ j
' ~
i
Startup OxFFFC Signal Processor~ OxFFF6
Daisy chair.
I
i Broadcast i
,
amplifier System! OxFFFB i Reserved OYFFEO - ~ ,
Broadcast ~ JxFFF-
~I
.a,.,r,l;fi;~.~~ OxFFFA ' Base (ST'~I'~
H,~h 0x0000
I !
Br:~adcas~ ~ I
!
60 '.
CA 02306506 2000-04-25
Attorney's Docket No. 4089C
The system broadcast address should be used to address a1 devices ~n a
GI~iICS system. A.11 G~IICS devices should acknowledge this address, except
for
crevices That neither create nor accept control information.
All devices connected to a hub's multiple type B connectors including the hub
itself should respond to the local hub broadcast message. If a hub generates
this
message or receives this message on one of its type B connectors it should not
pass ,
this through its type A connector if one exists. If a message is received with
this
address on a hub's type A connector, it should pass it along to all its ports.
The daisy chain broadcast address should be used to address all devices
within a daisy chain. If a hub receives a message with this address on one of
its
type B connectors, it should not pass to any other of its ports, both type A
and B. If
a hub generates this message it should only send it down one of its type B
ports,
and never through its type A port. If a hub receives this message from its A
port, it
should pass to all devices attached to it.
The amplifier system, hub, and daisy chain broadcast messages should be
handled in the same fashion as their general counterparts (i.e. System
broadcast).
except only- amplifiers need to acknowledge this address. This holds true for
the
predefined signal processor addresses and any other device addresses that may
later tie de Wined.
The startup and base addresses should be used as mentioned above.
al
CA 02306506 2000-04-25
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Function Address -
yZ a define a function as either an effect or an assignable controller. hence
ali
effects and assignable controllers should have a 16-bit address assigned by
the
manufacturer. Devices will query for these addresses. The following addresses
are
reserved:
~Address~ ~~ a~,e~e~es~'tugber~Address f~Fe ' ~~c~ress.I~'~er
~~ :
.(hex) - (Hex)
Reserved ~ OxFFFF ~ (Not in use) 0x0000 ~
NILT
Reserved Function Addresses
The NIU address should be used when there is no address needed in this
field. This includes when a message is directed at a device itself, and not
one of its
i0 functions.
Parameter Address
A parameter is currently defined as any effect parameter. By effect ,
La~ameter we are referring to things such as chorus depth, delay time. etc.
This
definition may expand as needed. This means that manufactures should assign.
l~ i~nic~ue 16 bit addresses for all parameters that may be controlled by
another device.
6~~
CA 02306506 2000-04-25
Attorney's Docket Nc. 4089C
The following addresses are reserved:
Address Name Address Number Address Name Address Number
(Hex) (Hex)
Reserved OxFFFF (Not in use) 0x0000
NIU
Reserved Function Addresses
As with the Function address field, the NIU address should be used when
there is no address needed in this field.
Vlessaae Field and Data Field
GiVIICS control provides a 16-bit message field. These messages are defined
by the GMICS organization. A 32-bit data field is also provided.
The following are reserved messages:
Reserved Control Messages
Value Control ~ Description o Data
I
(hex) Messa;e Types
1
0x0000 Reserved '
i
OxFFF F Reserved
Reserved message spaces
63
CA 02306506 2000-04-25
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Effect Parameters
Effect Parameters require no message in regards to their actual value. Effect
parameter values are communicated by supplying the proper address and correct
data value.
All data values that are in regards to an effect parameter should be a 32 bit
floating point number in-between 0 and 1. It will be the responsibility of the
individual signal processing devices to properly interpret the values as
necessary.
A message is provided for signal processing devices to return a string that
represents the curreni parameter value. A request message is also provided for
devices that seek to obtain this information.
'Eisiwrceratioa M'essa~es~
Value Control Description of Data ,
i
(her) Messabe Types
0x0030 Return Actual parameter value in ~
i
parameter value 16 bit UnicodeT'x
j OY0031 I Request ~ //IV'D i
i i I
i j
parameter value
i
Parameter value messages
The ~trina format of the parameter value should be in 16 bit L~mcocler'', two
c~haracter~ per frame.
64
CA 02306506 2000-04-25
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Enumeration Messages
Enumeration Messages
I
Value Control Description of Data
I (hex) Message Types
I 0x0001 ~ Enumerate Next device address.I
i
devices Expressed as 16 bit
I right
justified integer
i
I 0x0002 ~ Address offsetReturns to a hub or
the
return ST1VI the next address
that
should be used
I
Should be expressed
as 16
I
i bit right justified
i integer
,
0x0003 ~ Request new //ND '
device address
0x0004 - 0x0008 Reserved
Enumeration messages
.ail current enumeration messages that require data use a 16 bit integer. The
:~s~ ~zt integer data words should be right justified mthin the 32 bits
allowed fo.~
a..
uatii.
6:J'
'' "- CA 02306506 2000-04-25
Attorney's Docket No. 4089C
Address & Name Queryin~ ylessa~es
These messages are provided so devices can build a database of addresses
and friendly names.
i address &
Name Querying
I
i
t
j Value Control Message Types Description of Data
(hex)
! 0x0009 ue device addresses //ND
Ox000A ue function addresses IIND
Ox000B ue Parameter addresses //ND
Ox000C Return device address //ND Address should
be
i retrieved from the
source
' address fields
Ox000D Return Function address //ND Address should
be
j retrieved from the
source ~
' address fields
j Ox000E Return Parameter address//1~1D Address should
be
i retrieved from the
source i
I I address fields '
Ox000F Query device friendly //STD I
names & I
addresses
0x0010 Query Function friendly IIND
(
names & addresses ,
I 0x0011 Query Parameter friendly//ND
names & addresses
0x0012 I Return device friendly Devices friendly name
name & in
address 16 bit UNICODET~'..
i Address in source
address
i
field
i 0x001'? . Return function friendlyFunctions friendly
V name I
I names & address in 16 bit UNICODET'''.
',
i ; Address in source
address '
i ~ field
0x001-1 i Return ~ Parameters friendly
parameter friendly name ~',
i
J
, ' ir_ 16 bit UNICODET'x.
I I name & address I
~~ :address in source
address
I field
0x0015 - ' Reserved
Ox001F i i
Address & Name Queryins ll~lessages
66
CA 02306506 2005-12-19
Attorney's Docket No. 4089C
Although messages are provided for address requests only, it is recommended
that the address and friendly name messages be used.
Friendly names should be supplied in 16 bit UnicodeT'~, two characters per a
frame. Names should be unique. This is best accomplished by incorporating the
manufacturer's name in some fashion. Names should be limited to 16 characters.
Use abbreviations if necessary.
Channel Messages
Channel Messages
Value Control Description of Data
(hex) Message Types
0x0020 Channel on/off 16 bit data word (see
below)
0x0021 - Ox002F ~ Reserved
Channel messages
The channel on/off message is a single packet message that can be used turn
channels on and off. When using this message the 32 bit data field should be
formatted as follows:
Byte B7 B6 B5 B~ B3 B? BI BO
1 ~ Channel Channel ChannelChannelChannel Channel I Channel i
I Channel
#16 ~ #15 #1~ #13 #12 #11 #10 ~ #9
'
0 i Channel I ChannelChannelChannelChannel Channel Channel Channel
I
~
#Q ~ #. j #6 #5 #.1 #3 #2 #1
Data format for chavnel onloff message
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:attorney's DocKet No. 4089C
Byte 0 represents the least significant byte of the 32-bit data weld. ~ value
of
indicated channel on, and a value of 0 indicates channels off.
Device Classification
GlIiIICS allows for devices to send a 32 bit word that identifies a device's
class
and functionality.
A device class word is formatted as follows:
831-B24 B2~BIG -'. BlrB8 BT-BO
(Byte 3~. Byre 2)' byte r~ (Byte 0)
Instrument/ Instrument/DeviceInstrument/deviceInstrument/device
Device Type Function Function Function
Device Class Word Format
Instrument/Device type Field
This field is devoted to defining the instrument or device. Device/Instrument
definitions are listed below.
InstrumentlDevice ype Definitions
T
'Jalue ~ Instrument/devic
(binary) ~ a types
0000 0000 Reserved
I 0000 0001 Acoustic Guitar
0000 0010 j Electric Guitar
0000 0011 - 1111 Reserved
1111 I
hLstrumemtiDevice Type Field Detiuitions
68
CA 02306506 2005-12-19
' Attorney's Docket No. 40890
Instrument/Device Function Field
Electric Guitar
Byte B7 B6 B5 B.1 B3 B2 BI BO
Mic Head- Hex Mono Mono Mono ReservedReserved
i
i phones Pickup Pickup Pickup Pickup
I 2 3
1 Volume Tone Pickup Effect ReservedReservedReservedReserved
~
SelectorSelector
0 ReservedReservedReservedReservedReservedReservedReservedReserved
Electric Guitar Function Field
acoustic Guitar
Byte B7 B6 B6 B4 B3 B2 BI BO
3 Mic Head- Hex Mono ReservedReservedReservedReserved
phones Pickup Pickup
1
1 Volume Tone Pickup Effect ReservedReservedReservedReserved
' I ~
i SelectorSelector
i I
0 ~ ReservedReservedReservedReservedReservedReservedReservedReserved
l i
Acoustic Guitar Function Field
69
CA 02306506 2000-04-25 -'' w
Attorney's Docket No. 4089C
Use of GNIICS System
Typical arrangements of musical instruments and related audio and control
hardware in a GiVIICS system are shown in Figs. 1 and 2.
Each of the instruments and the microphones are digital. Each of the
amplifiers, preamplifiers and the soundboard are connected using the GNIICS
data
link described above. The stage has a hub 28 with a single cable (perhaps an
optical fiber) running to the control board 22. An optical GMICS data link
will
allow over a hundred channels of sound with a 32 bit - 192 kHz digital
fidelity, and
video on top of that.
As each instrument and amplifier are connected into a hub 28 on the stage
via simple RJ-45 network connectors, they are immediately identified by the
sound
board 22 which is really a PC computer with a Universal Control Surface (Fig.
3)
Giving the sound professional complete control of the room. Microphones are
actually placed at critical areas throughout the room to audit sound during
the
performance. The relative levels of all instruments and microphones are stored
on
a RW CD RONI disc, as are all effects the band requires. These presets are
worked
or~ until they are optimized in studio rehearsals. and fine tuning corrections
are
recorded during every performance.
The guitar player puts on his headset 2 l, which contains boih a stereo (each
'?0 ear) monitor and an unobtrusive microphone. In addition, each ear piece
has Gr.
outward :'acing mike allowing sophisticated noise canceling anti other sound
processing. The player simply plugs this personal gear directly into his gmtar
1'%
and the other players do the same with their respective instruments. The
monitor
i0
CA 02306506 2000-04-25
:attorney's Docket No. 4089C
mix is automated and fed from different channels per the presets on the CD-
ROVI at
the board. The monitor sound level is of the artists choosing (guitar player
is loud).
The guiiar player has a small stand-mounted laptop 17 (Fig. 2) that is
G'1~IICS enabled. This allows sophisticated visual cues concerning his
instrument,
vocal effects and even lyrics. The laptop 17 connects to a pedal board 1~ that
is a
relatively standard controller via a USB cable 16 to a connector on the laptop
17.
_another USB cable is run to the amplifier 13, which is really as much of a
specialized digital processor as it is a device to make loud music. This
guitar 12 is
plugged into this amplifier 13, and then the amplifier 13 is plugged into the
hub 28
using the GVIICS RJ-45 cables 11.
The laptop 17 contains not only presets, but stores some of the proprietary
sound effects programs that will be fed to the DSP in the amplifier, as well
as some
sound files that can be played back. Should the drummer not show up, the
laptop
can be used.
1 ~ The guitar player strums his instrument once. The laptop 17 show s all six
strings mth instructions on how many turns of the tuner are required to bring
the
instrument ir_ tune, plus a meter showing the degree of tone the strings have
(i.e.,
do they need to be replaced). The DSP amplifier can adiust the guitar strings
on
the flw tc tune, even thought they are oui of tune, or ii can place the guitar
mio
'?() different tunings. This player, however, prefers the "real" sound so he
turns off the
auto-tune function.
i1
CA 02306506 2000-04-25
Attorney's Docket No. 4089C
The best part of these new guitars is the additional nuance achieved by
squeezing the neck and the touch surfaces that are not part of the older
instruments. They give you the ability to do so much more musically.
The sound technician, for his part is already prepared. The room acoustics
are present in the "board/PC". The band's RW CD-R01VI contains a program that
takes this info and adjusts their entire equipment setup through out the
evening.
The technician just needs to put a limit on total sound pressure in the house,
still
and always a problem with bands, and he is done except for monitoring
potential
problems. .
The complexity of sound and room acoustic modeling could not have been
addressed using prior art manual audio consoles. Now, there is sophisticated
panning and imaging in three dimensions. Phase and echo, constant compromises
in the past, are corrected for digitally. The room can sound like a cathedral,
opera
house, or even a small club.
The new scheme of powered speakers 18 throughout is also valuable. Each
speaker has a digital GiVIICS input and a 48 VDC power input. These all
terminate
in a power hub 19 and a hub at the board 22. In larger rooms, there are hubs
throughout the room, minimizing cable needs. Each amplifier component is
replaceable easily and each speaker is as well. The musician has the added
?(~ :components and can switch them out between sets if necessary.
The GVIICS system dispenses with the need for walls of rack effects and
patch bays. All of the functionality of these prior art devices now resides in
software plug-ins in either the board-PC or the attached DSP computer. Most
io ..
CA 02306506 2000-04-25
Atiorney's Docket No. 4089C
musicians will bring these plug-ins with them, preferring total control over
the
performance environment.
The band can record their act. All the individual tracks will be stored on the
board-PC system and downloaded to a DVD-ROVI for future editing in the studio.
.
To set up the G\~IICS system, the players put their gear on stage. They plug
their instruments info their amplifiers, laptops, etc. These are, in turn,
plugged
into the G1VIICS Hub. The band presets are loaded and cued to song 1. The
house
system goes through a 30-second burst of adjustment soundtrack, and then the
band can be introduced.
'The keyboard business several years ago went to a workstation approach
where the keyboard product became more than a controller (keys) with sounds.
It
became a digital control center with ability to control other electronic boxes
via
midi, a sequencer and included very sophisticated (editing) tools to sculpt
the
sounds in the box. It included a basic amount of reverb and other sound
effects that
1 ~ had been external previously.
In the G1~IICS system, the guitar amplifier can be a workstation for the
guitar player, encompassing many effects that were previously external. In
effeci.
the amplifier is actually become part of the player's control system, allowing
control
ma the only appendage the player h<~s that is not occupied playing, his foot.
'?(? ~ddiiionallv, a small stand mounted laptop will be right by the player
where he can
make more sophisticated control changes and visually see how his scstem l:
functioning. The view screen can even allow the lyrics and chord chances to be
displaced in a set list.
;5
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CA 02306506 2000-04-25 -'
attorney's Docket Rio. 4089C
The amplifier in the new GNIICS system will allow flexible real time control
of other enhancements and integration into the computer and future studio
world.
The amplifier can be separated into its constituent parts:
The preamplifier 1 (the controls, or the knobs);
The preamplifier 2 (the sound modifier);
The power stage (simple amplification); ,
The speakers (create the sound wave envelope).
The cabinet (esthetics and durability);
This is a lot of functionality when you look at the constituent components.
The G1VIICS system introduces a novel technology and a whole new way of
looking
at a musical instrument amplifier. Nlany designers and companies have already
identified the constituents of the whole and marketed one of them as a single
purpose product with modest success. But, just as a controller keyboard (one
without the sounds) has not made a major market penetration, the single
purpose
1~ constituent is not satisfying to the player. The Gi~IICS workstation
encompasses
all of the constituents in an easy to use form.
:~s described above, the GVIICS Link uses currently available components.
the Ethe:-net standard (the communications protocolj. a commonly used R~-4~
connector and a new communications protocol utilizing Internet type
formatting.
'?0 This allows the system to send ten channels of digital musical sound over
standard
c,lbles directly from the instrument for further processing and amplification.
~ new
upgraded MIDI standard signal along with a music description ianauaae can alto
tmzvel over this cable. This scheme allows for up to phantom instrument power
as
i4 -
CA 02306506 2000-04-25
Attorney's Docket No. 40890
described over that same cable to power circuits in the instrument, including
D/A
conversion.
The txI~IICS circuit board is very small and uses custom application specific
integrated circuits (ASIC) and surface mount technology. It will connect to
o standard pick-ups and CPA's in classic guitars and is particularly suited
for new
heYaphonic pick-ups that provide an individual transducer for every string)
The GMICS Enabled Musical Instrument
The only noticeable hardware difference in Gi~IICS enabled traditional
instruments will be the addition of a RJ-45 female connector, and a small
stereo
headphone out. Of course, this innovation makes a host of new possibilities
possible
in the design of new modern instruments. Older instruments will be able to
access
most of the new functionality by simply replacing the commonly used monophonic
audio connector with a new RJ-45 connector and a tiny retrofit circuit board.
Vintage values can be retained.
l~ The original analog output will be available as always with no impact on
sound, and the digital features need never be used. The GMICS system will
allow
access to both the digital signal and the unadulterated analog signal.
Having eight digital channels available for output, si.Y of these will be used
by each string in a six-string instrument. Two channels will be available to
~e
'_'C? zn~ut txirectly into the instrument for furiher routing. In a typical
set up, one input
will be a microphone from the performer's headset and the other input is a
monitor
mix fed from the main board. The headphones would then be the stereo monitor
adjusted to the musicians liking without impacting the sound of the room.
7~
CA 02306506 2000-04-25
Attorney's Docket No. 4089C
The physical connector will be a simple, inexpensive and highly reliable RJ-
45 locking connector, and category 5 stranded 8-conductor cable.
A new he.c pickup/transducer will send 6 independent signals to be processed.
The transducer is located in the stop bar saddles on the guitar bridge.
Alternatively, the classic analog signal can be converted post CPA to a
digital signal
from the classic original electromagnetic pick-ups. There are also two analog
signal
inputs that are immediately converted into a digital signal (.a/D converter)
and
introduced into the GiVIICS data stream.
This GVIICS ASIC and the G1VIICS technology can be applied to virtually
every instrument, not just guitars.
The preamplifier 1 (the controls. or the knobs):
~ T he Control Surface
The knobs or controls for the current generation of amplifiers are unusable in
a performance setting, and practically in virtually every other setting. It is
very
diffaculi to adjust the control knobs in the presence of 110 dB of ambient
sound
level. Utilizing both the GIVIICS and USB protocols, a communication link is
available with all components of the performance/studio system. Any component
can be anywhere without degrading the sound. The GVIICS standard includes a
channel for high-speed control information. using the MIDI format Gut witr.
e(f au~r~;~~matelw one-hundred times the bandwidth. Thus. the G1~IICS sytem is
backward compatible with the current instruments utilizing MIDI most keyboards
and sound sy nthesizers).
l
CA 02306506 2000-04-25 ,
Attorney's Docket No. 4089C
The display and knobs will be a separate unit. In the GNIICS system, this is
referred to as the physical control surface that will be plugged into either
the
Master Rack directly, or into a laptop computer via a USB connector. When
using
the laptop, it will function as the visual information screen showing various
settings, parameters, etc. Software resident on the laptop will be the music
editor
allowing control over infinite parameters. '
This laptop will be unobtrusive but highly functional and the settings can be
displayed on this screen visible from a distance of 12 feet to a player with
normal
vision. It will have a USB connection. There will also be a pedal controller
with a
LTSB or GMICS out to the Master Rack where processing shall take place.
Because
both GMICS and USB have phantom power, both the Control Surface and the Foot
Controller have power supplied via their connectors. Software drivers for
major
digital mixers and music editors will allow the controller function to be
duplicated
in virtually any environment.
The foot controller will have one continuous controller pedal, one two-
dimensional continuous controller pedal, and eleven-foot switches clustered as
above.
i7
CA 02306506 2000-04-25
Attorney's Docket No. 4089C
The t~reamplifier 2 (the sound modifier): '
The Master Rack Unit
The Master Rack unit is a computer taking the digital GMICS unprocessed
signals in and outputting the GMICS processed digital signals out for
distribution
(routing). The Master Rack will be in a cabinet enclosure that will allow five
rack
unit. The Global Amplification System will use two of these, and the other
three
will allow any rack-mounted units to be added.
The Master Rack enclosure is rugged with covers and replaceable Cordura
TAT gig bag covering. It will meet UPS size requirements and is extremely
light.
The three empty racks are on slide-in trays (which come with the unit) but
will
allow the effects devices to be removed easily, substituted and carried
separately.
The rack trays will make electrical contact with the mother board unit, so
that
stereo input, stereo output, two foot switch inputs, and digital input and
output are
available so that no connections are necessary once the effects device is
docked.
The ylaster Rack enclosure has several unconventional features which will be
highly useful for the performer/player. There are power outlets, four on each
side '
that will allow for power to the three empty rack bays, plus others. The power
ouLiets will allow wall plug power supplies (wall worts) both in terms of
distance
between outlets and allowing space for these unlikable supplies. The supplies
are
'?0 rested inside the enclosure (protected and unobtrusive) and will never
have to be
dealt with again. Loops will allow these supplies to be anchored in using
simple tie
wraps.
i8
CA 02306506 2000-04-25
Attorney's Docket No. 40890
All rack units mount to a sliding plate on which they will rest. The effects
devices can thus slide out and be replaced, similar to "hot swap" computer
peripherals. A set of patch bay inputs and outputs is installed on the back
plane,
accessible via a hinged action from the backside of the Master Rack. The other
side
of the patch bay will be accessible from the top of the enclosure, which will
be
recessed and unobtrusive when not needed. All I/O to the integral Global
Amplification System will be on the bay for flexible yet semi permanent set-
ups.
The Global Amp rack units can also slide out for maintenance and
replacement. One of the rack units is the control computer for the G1VIICS
system,
including a "hot swappable" hard disk, a "hot swappable" CD-RW unit, and the
digital processing and signal routing and control circuits. The control unit
takes
the digital GMICS signals in and out and 2 USB connectors, coupled to a
general
purpose processing section. The processor section processes multiple digital
signals
intensively on a real time basis and handles all the G1VIICS control
functions.
The rack unit uses an internal SCSI interface to communicate with outboard
storage devices. This allows not only modification of the sound, but the
ability to
record and store musical signals for real time play back. The unit has a built
in
EchoplexT'~, plus the ability to store large programs to load from cheap hard
media. ,
~:ing the SCSI protocol allows the use of hard disks, ZIP drives. CD drives,
etc. to
?U rrmumize use of expensive R.~.1VI.
The other rack units include a power supply and other ''high voltage" relay s.
etc. The power supply is preferably a switching supply that can be used
throughout
the world. The pow ar outlets for the rack bays are connected to a
transformer,
79 '
CA 02306506 2000-04-25
Attorney's Dockei No. 40890
~~hich can be switched in or out to accommodate worldwide use even for these
effects.
The l4laster Rack will nest on top of the Base Unit/Sub Woofer and will
extend from the Base via microphone type locking extension rods. Thus. the
unit
can be raised to a level to be easily accessed and view by the
performer/player.
A 48 VDC power bus will be provided. Modules stepping this down to
common voltages for non-AC boxes will be available (i.e. 12 WC, 9 VDC). This
will
eliminate ground loops and heavy wall plug power supplies.
3 The power stage (simple amplificationO
The major effort in amplification of a signal deals with the power supply
section. particularly when the amplification is at high levels. The G1VIICS
system
devices use conventional switching power supplies to supply standard 48 VDC.
This will address issues of certification in various countries, will allow the
"amplifier" to work in any country around the world, reduce weight, insure
safety
and increase reliability and serviceability.
CA 02306506 2000-04-25
Attorney's Docket No. 4089C
s The speakers (sound modifier create the sound envelope).
The speakers have both a digital G1VIICS signal and 48 VDC power input.
Optionally, the speaker can have a built in power supply and thus could take
AC in.
The speaker cabinet can have a built in monitoring transducer that sends
information back to the Master Rack via the GMICS Link, allowing sophisticated
feedback control algorithms. Thus, with adjustments digitally on the fly by
the
DSP amplifier, even poor speakers can be made to sound flat or contoured to
suit
personal taste. ,
Additionally, multi-speaker arrays can be used, where individual speakers
are used per guitar string in a single cabinet, giving a more spacious sound.
The cabinet (esthetics and durability);
By "packetizing" speaker cabinets, they can be made small and scalable. In
other words, the can be stacked to get increased sound levels, or even better,
distributed on stage, in the studio, or throughout the performance arena.
Sophisticated panning and spatialization effects can be used even in live
performance. The speakers can be UPS shippable, and plane worthy .
The L niversal Control Surface
One embodiment of a universal control surface usable in the Gi~IICS system
is shown in Fig. 3.
'?0 '?4 Slider Tvpe controls.
Each slider has LED's acting as VU meters (or reflecting other parameters)
on the left of the slider. A single switch with an adjacent LED is at the
bottom of
3'
1
CA 02306506 2000-04-25
Attorney's Docket No. 4089C
the slider. Four rotary controls are at the top of each slider. Preferably, a
full
recording Jog Shuttle, recording type buttons, and "go to" buttons are
included.
Standard control position templates can be printed or published that can be ,
applied to the control surface for specific uses.
The control surface shown in Fig. 3 does not represent a true mixing console.
The controls are simply reduced to a digital representation of the position of
knobs,
etc., and are then sent to a computer via USB, MIDI or GNIICS where any real
work
takes place, such as mixing, editing, etc. The control surface can connect via
USB
to a remote PC.
Thus, a system and method has been described that allows for the universal
interconnection, communication and control of musical instruments and related
audio components in the digital domain.
Thus, although there have been described particular embodiments of the
present invention of a new and useful Universal Audio Communications and
Control System and Method," it is not intended that such references be
construed as
limitations upon the scope of this invention except as set forth in the
following
claims.
gp
