MyAdvantech Registration

MyAdvantech is a personalized portal for Advantech customers. By becoming an Advantech member, you can receive latest product news, webinar invitations and special eStore offers.

Sign up today to get 24/7 quick access to your account information.

Deliver Broadcast-Quality Live Video Streams with Advantech’s Scalable Edge Accelerator Servers

2/19/2024

Challenge 

Imagine you’re a major broadcasting company producing hundreds of hours of content every year. Constant demand for live news reports and sports events requires high-resolution video and audio transmissions to be carried out with near-zero latency. Content creation, distribution, and consumption have been transformed by technological advances. Broadcasters are shifting from linear workflows using fixed-function devices to flexible, software-defined systems that support live streaming and distribution.

However, with the vast amount of network traffic, not to mention ever-increasing image quality and file sizes, video production environments need to leverage AI acceleration and inference technology for processing at the edge. Traditional infrastructure such as cloud-computing servers are large and power hungry. Engineered to deliver maximum performance, they are built for temperature-controlled, dust-free environments and deployed on mass in large-scale data centers where space and power resources are abundant. 

By contrast, edge computing is performed as close to the data source as possible. Edge devices can be deployed in downtown office cabinets as well as urban signal towers, environments where installation space and power are often limited. For broadcasters, edge solutions for content production must be built to operate amongst the action. In edge-based workflows, the focus is on providing broadcast-quality 4K/UHD live video links from remote production racks to central distribution hubs, while using the least power and smallest footprint.

Solution Requirements

Although a high-performance CPU is sufficient for software-based transcoding, the ability to integrate a graphics card for hardware-based transcoding is necessary. Inclusion of a GPU, high performance memory enables accelerated encoding, decoding, and end-to-end transcoding of multiple high-resolution streams simultaneously, while increasing overall power efficiency. Another key aspect for a media server is storage as broadcasters can quickly end up with hundreds of gigabytes of media metadata. A separate M.2 compatible storage socket and a 2.5” drive bay option for housing streaming software and media metadata can ensure easy access to server data and the media library.

Because the equipment racks commonly used to install servers and video encoding devices have a depth of only 600 mm, short-depth hardware is essential. For mobile applications, a one-to-one power-sharing redundant PSU option offers further utility and deployment flexibility. Another key system requirement is support for high operating temperatures. In tight enclosed spaces, ventilation is generally poor, limiting the airflow available to cool the system and increasing ambient temperatures. For this reason, edge-based server equipment must be able to withstand operation in high-temperature environments. 

System Diagram

Deliver Broadcast- Quality Live Video Streams with Advantech’s Scalable Edge Accelerator Servers

ASMB-610V3 + VEGA-3318 Transcode Test Performance

  * DDR5 offer up to 2x the effective bandwidth when compared to its predecessor DDR4, helping relieve this bandwidth per core crunch 

Solution Solution

Advantech’s HPC-6120+ASMB-610V3 Video Creation and Broadcast platform is a 1U edge accelerator server that can be deployed by broadcasters throughout the production, news, and playout environments. The motherboard is powered by a 13th Gen Intel® Core™ processor that delivers the increased performance, cores, and memory necessary to support demanding workloads at the edge. 

Designed with an 18-inch chassis depth, the server features 4 x DIMM sockets collaborating with Micron Technology to support up to 128 GB DDR5 memory rated up to 5600 MT/s throughput, as well as 4 x PCIe, 4 x SATA 3, 4 x GbE LAN, and 1 x dedicated IPMI NIC port — all in a compact 1u form factor. The main low-profile riser slot can be equipped with high-speed NIC cards to deliver scalability, advanced security, and accelerated networking. Meanwhile, the two full-height expansion slots can support one double-stack or two single-stack GPU cards for flexible configuration according to specific usage requirements. This flexibility allows enterprises to customize installation and AI acceleration to achieve computing-intensive performance in space-limited environments.

Additionally, the HPC-6120+ASMB-610V3 edge server can operate reliably at a higher operating temperature of 50 °C/122 °F. Nonetheless, the solution is also equipped with Advantech’s innovative thermal management system that accelerates cooling to facilitate high-volume data processing at the network edge. The server also supports a robust set of communication protocols, media processing tools, and security innovations for converting content into various formats without compromising the data. 

Overall, HPC-6120+ASMB-610V3 provides an integrated solution for AI-accelerated video applications that can be deployed to any third-party data center, run on any public cloud service, and configured in any way the customer chooses.

Key Features

  • LGA 1700 12/13th Gen. Intel® Core™ i9/i7/i5/i3 processor with W680 chipset
  • 18-inch short-depth chassis ensures space efficiency for 600 mm racks
  • Additional integration options support multi-channel 4K/UHD workflows
  • Can be connected to video streaming and editing platforms such as Amazon and Azure 
  • Flexible I/O for integrating optional GPU cards and high-speed NIC cards 
  • Equipped with four GbE network ports as standard (allows dual control and data transmission channels without an additional NIC card)
  • One PCIe x16 or two x PCIe x8 slots that support full-height 10.5-inch cards
  • 4 x DIMM sockets that support Micron’s DDR5 DRAM modules up to 128GB
  • • One onboard M.2 2280/22110 (SATA/PCIe compatible) [compatible with Micron’s M.2 2280 SSDs]

Why Advantech

Advantech offers a range of low-power, high-performance video capture and encoding accelerators suitable for live production and broadcasting applications. With more than 30 years as a leading provider of industrial computing solutions, Advantech has the technical expertise, manufacturing capabilities, customization support, and portfolio scope to deliver scalable, futureproof solutions that satisfy complex usage requirements. 

In addition to after-sales technical support, Advantech offers a 5-year extended product warranty and 10-year lifecycle guarantee. This minimizes maintenance and upgrade costs while also maximizing deployment efficiency and ROI. Furthermore, because Advantech products are already certified to most international standards, the development and testing stage can be drastically shortened for a faster time to market. 


Industrial Quotient (IQ) Partner - Micron

micron

Micron is an industry leader in innovative memory and storage solutions transforming how the world uses information to enrich life for all. With a relentless focus on our customers, technology leadership, and manufacturing and operational excellence, Micron delivers a rich portfolio of high-performance DRAM, NAND and NOR memory and storage products through our Micron® and Crucial® brands. Every day, the innovations that our people create fuel the data economy, enabling advances in artificial intelligence and 5G applications that unleash opportunities — from the data center to the intelligent edge and across the client and mobile user experience. To learn more about Micron Technology, Inc. (Nasdaq: MU), visit www.micron.com.