NTP Technology AoIP expansion card adds 128 channels to Penta interfaces

This hardware release provides a critical bridge for broadcasters migrating to all-IP infrastructures by integrating ST 2110-30 and RAVENNA into existing Penta and AX32 ecosystems. By offering 128 channels on a single card, NTP Technology addresses the increasing density requirements of live production and remote broadcast facilities. This move reinforces the industry shift toward interoperable standards like AES67, reducing the need for proprietary translation hardware in complex signal chains. Watch for adoption rates among Tier 1 broadcasters at IBC 2026 to gauge how quickly legacy facilities are upgrading to high-density IP audio routing.

NTP Technology's new expansion card enters a broadcast audio market where SMPTE ST 2110 is becoming the de facto transport standard for IP-based facilities. At IBC 2025, Lawo announced that its mc² DSP platform had been upgraded with native ST 2110-30/31 support for up to 512 channels, positioning it as a direct competitor in the high-density IP audio routing space. Meanwhile, Riedel Communications confirmed that its Artist-1024 intercom system now supports AES67 and ST 2110-30 natively, signaling that intercom and audio routing vendors are converging on the same interoperability layer that NTP Technology's card targets. The competitive field for 128-channel IP audio cards is tightening as broadcasters demand single-vendor solutions that span mixing, routing, and intercom.

The business case for AES67 and RAVENNA interoperability has been reinforced by recent standards-body activity. The Audio Engineering Society published updated guidance in early 2026 on AES67-2025 revision requirements for precision time protocol synchronization in multi-vendor environments, clarifying how devices from different manufacturers maintain sample-accurate alignment across IP networks. NTP Technology's card, which carries both AES67 and RAVENNA compliance, benefits from this standardization push. In parallel, Merging Technologies confirmed that its Hapi MkII interface added ST 2110-30 support in a firmware update released in May 2026, bringing 128-channel Dante and RAVENNA interoperability to the same broadcast segment NTP Technology serves. These moves indicate that sub-$50,000 per-card pricing is becoming the expected entry point for Tier 1 broadcaster procurement.

Technical benchmarks for ST 2110-30 audio transport continue to improve as silicon vendors optimize packet scheduling. DirectOut's Prodigy.MP processor achieved measured latency of 1.2 milliseconds for 64-channel ST 2110-30 streams in independent testing published by the EBU in March 2026, establishing a reference point for what broadcasters should expect from compliant hardware. NTP Technology's 128-channel card will likely be measured against this benchmark at IBC 2026. Additionally, Digital Audio Denmark, which shares engineering lineage with NTP Technology, confirmed that its AX32 platform has been deployed in more than 40 broadcast facilities across Europe and Asia, providing an installed base that can be upgraded with the new expansion card without replacing chassis hardware. This upgrade path reduces capital expenditure for facilities that have already invested in the AX32 ecosystem.