MXnet V2 AES67

Technical Overview & Configuration Guide

Core reference for MXnet V2 AES67 operations — capabilities, installation requirements, and configuration.

Overview

AES67 is an open Audio-over-IP (AoIP) interoperability standard developed by the Audio Engineering Society. It provides a common transport layer that allows audio equipment from different manufacturers and different AoIP ecosystems (Dante, Ravenna, Livewire, Q-LAN, etc.) to exchange audio on the same network.

MXnet V2 devices now integrates native AES67 transmit capability directly into the encoder and decoder platform, allowing MXnet audio to be delivered onto third-party AES67 audio networks — no external converters required. This expands MXnet's role in mixed AV environments such as conference centers, houses of worship, sports bars, and commercial installs where a dedicated audio DSP or AoIP network is already in place.

Installation Requirements

In order for an MXnet V2 endpoint to support AES67 operations, an update to the Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) is required. The MXnet V2 device must be on at minimum FPGA version A9.19.4 Wed, 27 May 2026. A download link to the FPGA Batch Updater with the required files can be found here. Instructions on how to use the FPGA Batch Updater can be found here.

The MXnet 1G CBOX must also be running at minimum software version V4.34.0, direct link here. The latest MXnet 1G CBOX firmware can always be found at our dedicated KB article.

Supported Roles

MXnet V2 endpoints support AES67 transmission from both the encoder and decoder side:

1. AES67 Transmitter (Encoder)

The encoder multicasts its audio source — HDMI de-embedded audio or local analog line input — as an AES67 stream onto the network. The encoder continues to output its native MXnet AV stream at the same time, so AES67 transmission does not interrupt normal matrix operation.

2. AES67 Transmitter, Bridge Mode (Decoder)

The decoder receives a native MXnet stream and re-transmits its audio as an AES67 stream. This lets any routed MXnet source feed a third-party AES67 audio system — for example, sending program audio from an MXnet source into a facility-wide paging or DSP system.

In both roles, MXnet V2 operates as an AES67 transmitter only. Receiving AES67 streams from third-party devices is not supported at this time.

Configuration & Operation

AES67 operation is enabled and managed per-endpoint from the MXnet CBOX web interface. The following steps apply to AES67 configuration, as well as Dante configuration on supported hardware.

1. Access the web interface of an AC-MXNET-CBOX running the 1G software platform.
2. Navigate to the Configure page and choose the 'Modules' sub-tab, and the list of all supported modules (AVDM hardware, Dante, AES67) will be displayed.
3. For the desired compatible MXnet endpoint, click on the dropdown within the Mode column and choose AES67. The device will automatically reboot and load the appropriate configuration.

Note: If the desired device is not populating within the Modules page, ensure that the FPGA of the V2 device is updated to at least A9.19.4 Wed, 27 May 2026, mentioned above, and the 1G CBOX is running software version V4.34.0 or greater.

Verifying the endpoint FPGA version (Endpoint Properties)

Verifying the CBOX software version (MXnet System Updates)

Modules sub-tab — enabling AES67/Dante operation from the Mode column

Note: If the device is an AC-MXNET-1G-DANTE-V2 device running the AES67 software, DANTE or AES67 can be selected. Dante and AES67 operational modes cannot be run simultaneously.

4. Once the desired operation mode has been enabled and the device is back online post-reboot, navigate to the Set Module IP window (the red arrow in the above image). This window grants the ability to modify the IP and tagged VLAN configurations of the chosen V2 device's operational mode.

Module Network Settings — IP Settings

Module Network Settings — VLAN Settings

Note: The device will restart upon applying either a new IP or VLAN configuration.

MXnet-to-AES67 audio transmission is now fully operational.

Stream Discovery

MXnet AES67 transmit streams are announced via SAP on standard AES67 multicast addressing, so third-party AES67 receivers and controllers can discover, identify, and subscribe to MXnet streams using their normal workflow.

Key Specifications

Typical transmit latency from an MXnet AES67 transmitter to a third-party AES67 receiver is approximately 11 ms at 48 kHz.

Automatic Format Adaptation (“Auto Mode”)

Most third-party AES67 receivers operate with fixed, pre-configured channel counts and sample rates, while MXnet natively follows the incoming source format (which can change whenever the HDMI source changes). To guarantee compatibility with fixed-format AES67 receivers, MXnet V2 automatically conditions the outgoing stream — no manual format configuration is required:

• Auto Channel Remapping — If the source channel count doesn't match the 2-channel AES67 output (e.g., an 8-channel LPCM HDMI source), channels are automatically dropped or padded to fit the stereo output.
• Automatic Sample Rate Conversion — Automatic sample rate conversion to 48 kHz is enabled by default. Regardless of the source's original sample rate, the built-in sample rate converter resamples the audio in real time so the AES67 stream stays at a constant 48 kHz.

Deployment Notes & Current Limitations

• MXnet V2 operates as an AES67 transmitter only; receiving AES67 streams is not supported at this time.
• AES67 transmit streams are limited to 2 channels (stereo) at 48 kHz.
• AES67 carries LPCM only; compressed/bitstream formats (Dolby, DTS) are outside the AES67 specification.
• Dante and AES67 operational modes cannot be run simultaneously on AC-MXNET-1G-DANTE-V2 hardware; select one mode per device.
• During an HDMI sample-rate or channel-count transition, the transmitter outputs a mute pattern until the new format locks, preventing audible artifacts on downstream receivers.
• PTP operates in software slave mode; for best clocking performance, the AES67 network should include a stable PTP grandmaster (typically provided by the third-party audio system or a network-grade clock).

Summary

With AES67 transmit on MXnet V2, both encoders and decoders can deliver audio directly onto professional AES67 audio networks — encoders transmitting their local HDMI or analog source, and decoders bridging any routed MXnet stream out to the AES67 domain. This eliminates outboard audio converters, simplifies system design, and positions MXnet V2 as a true converged AV solution for commercial and residential integration.