Using NDI on Luminex GigaCore switches

Using NDI on Luminex GigaCore switches

An introduction to NDI

NDI  (network Device Interface) allows for compressed, high-quality, low-latency video transmission over standard Gigabit IP networks, enabling scalable and flexible AV workflows. It supports video resolutions up to 4K and beyond, and is widely used in broadcasting, live events and corporate environments. The NDI protocol is developed by Vizrt.


Checklist for NDI-Ready Switches



Network Requirements for NDI

Bandwidth

    • NDI HX ,HX2, HX3 (compressed): Requires ~6–20 Mbps per stream (depending on the compression that is used)

    • Full NDI (visually lossless): Can require 100–200 Mbps or more per 1080p60 stream and 300–600 Mbps or more per 2160p60 stream

                Requirement: High-throughput switches with non-blocking architecture and adequate uplink bandwidth.

                All Luminex GigaCore switches have 1Gbps ethernet port and 1Gbps or 10Gbps fiber ports.


    Multicast Support

    • NDI uses mDNS and Bonjour for device discovery, which relies on multicast.

    • Multicast must be efficiently managed with IGMP Snooping and optionally IGMP Querier capabilities.

                Requirement: Switches must support IGMP Snooping and have an IGMP Querier present in the network.

                GigaCore Switches come with IGMP Snooping and IGMP Querier enabled.

    Low Latency and Jitter

    • Real-time video transmission requires minimal delay and jitter.

    • This necessitates low-latency switching and QoS (Quality of Service) to prioritize AV traffic.

                Requirement: Layer 2/3 switches with AV-friendly QoS profiles and low internal latency.

                GigaCore Switches are built for this and come with QoS settings optimised for AV applications 
    ​ 
     

    Network Segmentation and VLANs 

    • In complex environments, VLANs help isolate traffic and reduce unnecessary data propagation.

                Requirement: Robust VLAN support for segmenting NDI traffic from control or internet traffic.

                GigaCore Switches come with 20 groups (VLANs) preconfigured, with the possibility to add more groups (VLANs) if necessary on the Gigacore Gen2 models.

         

     https://support.luminex.be/portal/en/kb/articles/gigacore-generation-2-devices



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