Northbound Node

Driver Maturity

Production

Recommended for normal production use.

Caution

Compatibility Note: This information is a general guide and may be incomplete, may not match a specific project implementation, and is subject to change as supported products and versions evolve. Confirm the exact implementation and requirements for each project with Riedel and the relevant equipment vendor, then validate the required functions end to end in the target environment before deployment.

Minimum hi Version: v2.5.0

Overview

The Northbound Node presents assigned hi Sources and Destinations as a Pro-Bel SW-P-08 matrix. An external control system connects to the node and can send supported routing commands to switch mapped hi Crosspoints. hi returns the current mapped state and sends updates when that state changes, including changes made through other hi controls.

Network Requirements

The external control system must be able to open a TCP connection to the Northbound Node listener on the commissioned hi server address. The Northbound Node defaults to TCP Port 31101; the permitted listener range is 31000 to 31999. Configure the required network route and firewall policy for the selected Port.

Standards Conformance

The interface uses Pro-Bel SW-P-08 matrix messages for the operations listed under Supported Features. hi does not support every SW-P-08 message or control concept.

Operator Workflow

For configuration and verification steps, see Northbound Node Integration Configuration.

Connection Details

Property	Details
Protocol	Pro-Bel SW-P-08 matrix interface
Transport	TCP
Connection Initiator	External control system connects to hi
Data Flow	Bidirectional: external commands enter hi; hi replies and sends mapped state updates
Listener Port	`31101` by default configurable from `31000` to `31999`
Required License	hiDock
Authentication and TLS	None - the SW-P-08 interface uses plaintext TCP without authentication restrict access at the network level

Required Configuration

Device-Side Setup

Follow Northbound Node Integration Configuration for the device-side and hi-side configuration steps.

Supported Features

Direction	Operation	Scope
External system to hi	Crosspoint Connect	Requests a route between a mapped Source and Destination.
External system to hi	Crosspoint Interrogate	Requests the current state of a mapped Crosspoint.
External system to hi	Tally Dump Request	Requests the supported tally state for the presented matrix.
External system to hi	Dual Controller Request	Requests the supported dual-controller status.
External system to hi	Source Name Requests	Requests a single Source name or the Source name list.
External system to hi	Destination Name Requests	Requests a single Destination name or the Destination name list.
hi to external system	Crosspoint Changes	Reports changes to mapped Crosspoint state.
hi to external system	Port Label Changes	Reports changes to mapped Source or Destination labels.
hi to external system	Dual Controller Status Change	Reports the supported controller status change.

Device Coverage

Tested With identifies devices that have been tested with hi. Potentially Compatible (Not Yet Verified) identifies devices that use the same protocol or connection method but have not been tested with hi. Device-specific configuration, firmware, and feature support can affect results.

Tested With

BFE KSC
Bitfocus Companion
Lawo VSM

Potentially Compatible (Not Yet Verified)

Other control systems that act as a Pro-Bel SW-P-08 controller and use only the messages listed under Supported Features.

Known Limitations

Only Sources and Destinations assigned to the Northbound Node are exposed to the external system.
Support is limited to the message types listed above; the interface does not imply full SW-P-08 feature coverage.
Confirm the configured listener Port and the network access during commissioning. The external system must connect to the hi server address and the listener Port of the Node.

What's Not Supported

SW-P-08 Lock, Unlock, and Protect concepts are not supported.
Unlisted SW-P-08 message types and vendor-specific extensions are not supported.

Trademarks

Note

Pro-Bel and SW-P-08 are referenced to identify the protocol. All product names, logos, and brands are property of their respective owners. Copyright in third-party software and materials remains with the respective owners. Use of these names does not imply endorsement.