Bridge-IT & Bridge-IT XTRA Support

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Latest Firmware

Bridge-IT & Bridge-IT XTRA Firmware v2.18.146

Release Date: 9th June 2023

Download Firmware v2.18.146

The below download is only to be used if your current firmware is still in version 1 (eg: v1.XX.XX)

Download Installer to upgrade from v1.XX.XX
Click here for Release Notes
See FAQ's on how to upgrade

Firmware Release Notes

  • Fixed issue where repeated connect/disconnect cycles could sometimes result in audio not being decoded correctly.
  • Improved SIP BYE handling.
  • Improved connection resilience in highly congested networks.
  • Fixed log rotation issue which could lead to problems with log downloads.
  • Fixed issue where repeated connect/disconnect cycles could sometimes result in audio not being decoded correctly.
  • Improved SIP BYE handling.
  • Improved connection resilience in highly congested networks.
  • Fixed log rotation issue which could lead to problems with log downloads.
  • Fixed issue where connection to CCC would sometimes be lost
  • Fixed issue where relay outputs were asserted momentarily after reboot
  • Fixed issue where relay output status wouldn’t be restored after auto-reconnect due to reboot or connection loss
  • Fixed RTP compatibility with 3rd party devices that use CSRC header
  • SNMP output source field now uses enumerated type
  • Fixed issue which could lead to a crash on heavily congested networks
  • Fixed issue which could lead to a crash when connecting to some versions of Report-IT
  • Bridge-IT only:
    • Web GUI version 2.6.4.9
    • Added LQ fields to SNMP MiBs
    • Increased bitrate selection with Opus over SIP
    • Fixed missing SNMP data for SIP connections
    • Fixed missing SNMP data at answering codec
    • Fixed performance over poor network conditions.
  • Fix issue where codec would crash after many AAC-LD connect/disconnect cycles.
  • Fix freeze issue affecting some Bridge-ITs.
  • Fixed issue where relay outputs would not reflect remote relay inputs after power cycle
  • Fixed issue where Fuse-IP status would not be updated on the WebGUI
  • Fixed codec freeze is related to Cloud Codec Controller URL host address resolution
  • Fixed STUN issue affecting some algorithms
  • Fixed resource management issues
  • Added support for Cloud Codec Controller.
  • Web GUI 2.6.4.8.
  • Reduced minimum audio silence threshold to 1 second.
  • Bug fixes:
    • Fixed SIP stability issues.
    • Fixed SD Card failover issue.
    • Fixed 44.1kHz encode issue.
    • Fixed Luci Studio compatibility issue.
    • Fixed receive byte count statistics issues.
    • Fixed remote FEC issue.
    • Fixed erroneous file failover alarm messages.
    • Fixed Web-GUI timeout issue when downloading large log files.

  • WebGui Version 2.6.4.3

  • New fixes for SIP.

  • Disabled caching for backup downloads.

  • Web GUI 2.6.4.2

  1. New GPIO status panel added.

  2. Support for import/export configuration using XML (advanced user feature).

  3. Program level rules added to Program Manager.

  4. Import and Export of programs added.

  5. Support for Headphone Output Mode selection.

  6. Lots of improvements.

  • SIP:

  1. Support for STUN.

  2. Support for RFC FEC.

  • Rules:

  1. Program level rules added.

  2. New UI to show GPI state and to show and control GPO state.

  • G3 Channel compatibility setting added for Dual Mono programs.

  • New Firewall security settings:

  1. Allow disable of PING outside of local subnet.

  2. Allow disabling of ports, e.g. SSH, HTTP, etc.

  • CSRF (Cross-Site-Resource-Forgery) protection.

  • Allow manual configuration of Ethernet link speed and direction.

  • Support for setting Hostname of device.

  • Support for setting title of Browser.

  • Bug fixes.

Warning Notes for Major Release Firmware v2.16.120:
  1. This Firmware supports new features and functionality that are not supported in older versions of firmware. It is strongly recommended that after this upgrade you do not downgrade your codec below v2.16.xx to avoid any compatibility issues. Create a full system backup before upgrading to ensure you can restore previous program settings if required.
  2. This firmware release does not include full support for Java*. We recommend transitioning to the HTML5 Toolbox Web-GUI for all codec configuration and control.

Includes HTML5 Toolbox Web-GUI 2.5.2.3 with support for creating programs; also includes:

  • Rearranged menu structure.
  • Redesigns of several existing panels.
  • Quick Connect panel added to the HTML5 Toolbox Web-GUI.
  • New panels added for new features such as Fuse-IP, SIP Interfaces, SIP Filter Lists.
  • Added SmartStream PLUS redundant IP streaming.
  • Includes SSL security certificate support.
  • Support for receiving Fuse-IP streams.

SIP improvements:

  • Configure up to 6 accounts and 2 interfaces.
  • Deterministic SIP answering and call routing.
  • “Public IP” address field added.
  • Support for SIP Blacklist and Whitelist filters

Other Improvements:

  • Removed 1-1 restriction on relay reflection, e.g. can now use relay 1 to trigger relay 4 on a remote codec.
  • Support for Min/Max auto-jitter buffer depth.
  • Added SNMP support.
  • dBFS audio scale used as a default for digital inputs
  • Support for Line Hunt dialing/answering in Tieline IP.
  • Support for specifying G3 profiles when dialling.
  • Upgrade firmware via SD card.
  • Backup and restore system configuration using an SD card.
  • Updates to speed dial functionality.
  • Support for Asymetric encoding.

*Note: The Java GUI is still available in this build however none of the new features are available.

  • File system improvements to ensure the system file can not become too large.
  • Music PLUS algorithm optimization improvements.
  • New Toolbox Web GUI version 2.4.2.55.
  • Rules engine improvements.
  • Other minor fixes in line with Genie and Merlin family codec release v2.14.100.
  • Includes Toolbox Web GUI version 2.4.2.52 with official support for the new HTML5 Toolbox GUIs. HTML5 Toolbox offers almost identical configuration options as the Java Toolbox. Currently no support for program creation. Dial/disconnect, and load/unload programs is available.
  • HTML5 Quick Connect: This simplified UI allows customers to make simple point-to-point connections over IP.
  • Allows loading/unloading of existing programs.
  • Improved landing page with clear Web-GUI options for customers.
  • Added a warning when a user attempts to leave the codec’s network configuration screen without saving changes.
  • Updated HTML and PDF user manuals including: A major section with sub-topics describing how to use the HTML5 Toolbox Web-GUI for configuration and control; A section on how to use the HTML5 Quick Connect Web-GUI. This is designed for simple monitoring and dialing of connections for non-technical users; Other minor adjustments.

  • Improvements to upgrading of SIP programs which were created in 1.xx.xx firmware.

  • Improvements to the performance of Music and Music Plus algorithms to improve PPM rendering and allow file playback when using these algorithms.

  • Improvements to the speed of bit-rate renegotiation.

  • New Auto Dim setting lets you enable/disable the automatic dimming of the LCD. Default is enabled. Configure via Settings > System > Auto Dim.

The v2.14.xx firmware release is a significant upgrade to Bridge-IT codec functionality. It includes a range of new features and enhancements, which improve codec configuration and control, including:

  • Codec UI “Connect” menu has changed to display: Connect > IP > [Tieline Session, or SIP, or Sessionless] > enter address

  • A significantly improved web-graphical user interface with new features.

  • Toolbox Web-browser GUI “Connect” button is now named “Programs”.

  • Toolbox Web-browser GUI “System” button is now named “Settings”.

  • Toolbox GUI “Programs” configuration wizard has more comprehensive settings and options.

  • Toolbox GUI “Master” panel is used to connect and disconnect audio stream connections.

  • The Opus algorithm as standard.

  • AAC-LD and AAC-ELD in the AAC license pack.

  • AES input monitoring.

  • Data support for connections with Commander and i-Mix G3 codecs.

  • Support for sessionless IP connections.

  • 3 levels of user lock functionality.

  • Improved support for Rules Engine features

  • Integration of web-GUI version 1.5.4.2

  • Quality of Service configuration (QoS) implemented.

  • Ability to update licences from Tieserver via the codec (web-GUI or codec UI).

  • Improved LCD screen support.

  • Support for auto-reconnection of multi-unicast endpoints.

  • Support for setting the Time-To-Live (TTL) value for multicast.

  • Minor enhancements to FEC

  • The AES/EBU channel status header has been adjusted to comply with EBU Tech 3250-E-2004 specification.

  • Added the ability to set a DNS value in the network configuration when setting up a static IP address. This allows a DNS server to be different from the default gateway address.

  • v1.10.00r6679 provides additional support for the Rules Engine.

  • Support for the Web GUI (graphical user interface) version 1.5.3.7

  • Support for Quality of Service (QoS) packet tagging configuration.

  • Ability to update licences from Tieserver via the codec (using either the Web GUI or codec front panel user interface).

  • Support for White LCD screens.

  • Support for auto-reconnection of individual end-points within a multi-unicast connection.

  • Support for setting a data packet Time-To-Live (TTL) value for multicast connections.

  • Addition of the ability to select 32kHz, 44.1kHz and 48kHz samplingrates for AES3 output and SD card backup recordings.

  • Minor bug fixes 

  • Note: Ensure you have Java v1.6.30 or higher installed when using the Web GUI with this release.

  • The buttons used to launch the web-GUI panels have become symbols that are highlighted after a panel is opened.

  • Implementation of the Bridge-IT Rules Engine into the web-GUI for programming control port inputs and opto-isolated relay outputs.

  • Implementation of support for using DSCP in IP data packet headers to provide QoS packet priority when traversing IP data networks.

  • Implementation of automatic TieServer license file upgrades.

  • Minor bug fixes.

resources

Bridge-IT data sheets

Bridge-IT manual

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Bridge-IT XTRA data sheets

Bridge-IT XTRA manual

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Tech Notes

Bridge-IT

HTML5 Toolbox Refreshes Every Few Seconds

Link Quality (LQ), Port Blocking and Packet Stats

Enabling Cloud Codec Controller in Bridge-IT and Bridge-IT XTRA

Installing a Studio Codec and Configuring Network Settings

Tips for connecting over Wired and wireless IP

IP/SIP and ISDN Compatibility with Other Codecs

Bridge-IT XTRA

HTML5 Toolbox Refreshes Every Few Seconds

Link Quality (LQ), Port Blocking and Packet Stats

Enabling Cloud Codec Controller in Bridge-IT and Bridge-IT XTRA

Installing a Studio Codec and Configuring Network Settings

Tips for connecting over Wired and wireless IP

IP/SIP and ISDN Compatibility with Other Codecs

FAQs

IMPORTANT – Read about the two ways to upgrade your codec, depending on which firmware version you have installed:

To perform a firmware upgrade of your codec you need to:

  1. Check what version of firmware you are currently running. From the front panel go to Settings (Config in v1.xx.xx) > Unit and scroll down to Version. If your firmware version starts with v1.xx.xx then you need to download the special firmware upgrade installer to upgrade Bridge-IT codecs from v.1.xx to v.2.xx.xx. This can be downloaded from the RED Download button above.
  2. Please read the FAQ Upgrading Bridge-IT codecs from V1.XX.XX Firmware to V2.XX.XX Firmware below on how to upgrade using this tool. If you have a firmware version v2.xx.xx or above please continue with the steps below.

Getting Started

To perform a firmware upgrade of your codec you need to:

  1. Download the latest firmware to your PC or an SDHC card from the GREEN Download button on this page.
  2. Connect your PC to your codec to open the Toolbox web-GUI for your codec.

The web-GUI is used to perform the firmware upgrade from within the Settings panel. (This process has been tested using MS Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox.)

Update Firmware using the HTML ToolBox Web-GUI:

  1. Disconnect all connections before attempting the firmware upgrade.
  2. Attach an Ethernet cable to the LAN port on the codec.
  3. Press the SETTINGS button (Config in v1.xx.xx) on the codec front panel and select Unit > LAN to display the IP address in your codec.
  4. Ensure your PC is connected to the same LAN.
  5. Open your web browser and type the IP address of your codec into the address bar of your browser, e.g. http://192.168.0.xxx (the last digits are the private address details unique to your codec over a private LAN).
  6. Refresh the browser and the web-GUI application should launch automatically.
  7. When you open the Toolbox web-GUI an authentication dialog prompts you to enter a password to login. The first time you log in you can enter the default setting “password” and click the OK button.
  8. Click the Settings button at the top of the web-GUI screen if the Settings panel is not displayed.
  9. Click Firmware.
  10. Click Update from a selected file and click the Select File button.
  11. Select the .bin file you have downloaded to perform the upgrade and click Open.
  12. Press the Update Firmware button to commence the upgrade.

We recommend clearing your browser cache after the upgrade is complete when using the HTML5 Toolbox web-browser GUI to control codec functions. The short cuts for this are:

  • Google Chrome: shift+Ctrl+delete
  • Mozilla Firefox: Ctrl+shift+delete
  • Internet Explorer: Ctrl+shift+delete
  • Safari: Ctrl+alt+e

Updating Using an SD Card (requires firmware v2.16.xx or higher)

  1. Disconnect all connections before attempting the firmware upgrade.
  2. Insert a SDHC card with the latest firmware into the SD card slot on the front panel of the codec. Note: A single partition FAT32 formatted SDHC must be used.
  3. Press the SETTINGS button.
  4. Use the navigation buttons to select System and press the OK button.
  5. Navigate down to Firmware update from an SD and press the OK button. Note: it can take a few seconds for the SDHC card to be detected.
  6. Navigate to the firmware file after the SDHC card has been detected, then press the OK button.
  7. After the upgrade is complete the codec will automatically reboot.

To safely remove the SD card, press the SETTINGS button and select Reset/Backup > Safely Remove an SD before removing the SD card from the codec.

WARNINGS:

  • If you are running a firmware version older than v1.4.24 all ‘Contacts’ will be lost during the upgrade to v2.14.xx firmware. Before upgrading your unit please make a note of any important contact information you don’t want to lose. More recent firmware versions do not feature ‘Contacts’ and instead use ‘Programs’ to manage all dialing information.
  • The following codec settings may need to be adjusted after the upgrade:
    • If auto-reconnect is enabled in a codec before the upgrade, this will need to be re-enabled.
    • It is necessary to readjust headphone and input levels in the codec as these will change after upgrading.
    • It is necessary to reconfigure multicast settings after upgrading.
    • File playback needs to be explicitly configured in the Programs wizard.

IMPORTANT:

  • Disconnect all connections before attempting the firmware upgrade.
  • Tieline recommends you back up all programs before performing the firmware upgrade.
  • During the firmware upgrade all old programs in the codec will be converted into the new program format automatically.
  • The upgrade tool supports Java 6 or higher.
  • The upgrade tool must be connected to the network at all times during the upgrade.
  • Ensure the computer is plugged in and does not go into ‘sleep mode’ during the upgrade.
  • If the computer performing the upgrade is disconnected from the network during the upgrade it will be necessary to restart the upgrade.

Codec Upgrade Procedure

1. Verify that the codec you want to upgrade is connected to a LAN or WAN and that you know its IP address.

2. Download the “Bridge-IT_Firmware_Installer.jar” file from here and save it in a directory on your PC.

3. Double-click the JAR file to launch the installer.

4. Enter the IP address in the Codec Address text box and enter your password in the Password text box, then click the Test Codec Connection button. (Note: to find your codec’s password via its front panel select Config > WebGUI > Password.)

5. Connection Successful appears in the dialog if the test is successful, then click Next.


6. Click the Upgrade Firmwarebutton to commence the upgrade. Note: the upgrade will take approximately 12 minutes to complete.

7. The dialog indicates when the upgrade has been completed.

Important Note:

The installer is designed to upgrade from v1.xx.xx to v2.xx.xx firmware only. If the codec has already been upgraded to v2.xx.xx firmware the installer will not upgrade the codec. In this scenario the following message is displayed when you click the Test Codec Connection button.

Changes to the Java browser plugins (as opposed to Java itself) have caused connectivity issues for some Bridge-IT codec users. Unfortunately, this has resulted in some customers being unable to use the browser-based Toolbox software configuration tool launched from their Bridge-IT (or Bridge-IT XTRA) codec.

Tieline has two solutions to assist with this issue:

Solution 1: As of Java 1.7 update 51, Oracle has added a new “Security Exception Site List” to its Java Control Panel. If you add the codec hostname/IP address to the List, even “older” versions of the Bridge-IT web-GUI should now work. To configure your codec in the Exception Site List:

1. Open the Java Control Panel (in Windows click Start > Control Panel > Java; in Mac go to System Preferences and look for Java).

2. Select the Security tab

3. Press the Edit Site List… button.

4. Press the Add button.

5. Enter the URL of the codec (either the hostname or IP address). IMPORTANT: It is very important that http:// is included in the address.

6. Click OK and verify that the site exception has been added to the Exception Site List.

7. Close and restart your browser after adding the exception before using the Toolbox web-GUI.

Solution 2: Tieline has created a simple standalone non-browser GUI application, which can be used on a PC or Mac to connect and configure Bridge-IT codecs.  These applications will work with any v1.x Bridge-IT Firmware from v1.10.00r6679 onwards. An error dialog will appear if you attempt to use it with an older firmware version.

Please download these zipped files via the links below.

Windows Users: BridgeIT Toolbox windows.zip (1.59 MB)

Mac Users: BridgeIT Toolbox-Mac.zip (1.71 MB)

Important Note for Mac Users:

When trying to launch the application for the first time, you may get a message from OS X telling you that the app “is damaged and can’t be opened”.

OS X Gatekeeper shows this message because the application bundle is not digitally signed. To run the application for the first time, you will need to disable Gatekeeper as follows:

  1. Go to System Preferences… | Security & Privacy | General tab.
  2. Click the Lock icon in the lower left corner and enter your password to make changes.
  3. Select Allow apps downloaded from: Anywhere.

You can enable Gatekeeper again after the first successful launch of the application.

Note: If you have an old Bridge-IT firmware version that is not compatible with the previous solutions, please contact Tieline Support at support@tieline.com for information on how to upgrade your firmware.

Bridge-IT XTRA codecs include all software and algorithm feature options when purchased. Bridge-IT codecs can be upgraded by purchasing and installing licenses with new features. Options include a multi-unicast license (includes multicast capability), AAC Encode license, or aptX® Enhanced encoding license. Contact Tieline at sales@tieline.com, or your favorite dealer, if you need to purchase a software license upgrade.

When a software license has been purchased there are two ways to perform an upgrade:

  1. Automatically download the software license from TieServer and perform the upgrade.
  2. Download the new software license file onto your PC and upgrade using the web-GUI.

Checking Installed Licenses

The codec License Manager is used to view which licenses are installed in each codec. To view the licenses installed in your codec:

  1. Press the SETTINGS button.
  2. Use the navigation buttons to select Licenses and press the OK button.
  3. A list of all possible licenses is displayed and all licenses that have been installed have a tick next to them.

Update and Install Licenses from the Codec

  1. Navigate to Update from TieServer in the License Manager screen and press the OK button.
  2. The codec will contact TieServer and automatically install all valid licenses.
  3. The screen will indicate the update is in progress and then confirm it has been completed successfully.
  4. Press the RETURN button a few times until you return to the Home screen.
  5. Use the navigation buttons to select Settings and press the OK button.
  6. Navigate to Reset and press the OK button.
  7. Navigate to Reboot Codec and press the OK button.
  8. Select Yes and press the OK button to reboot the codec.

Perform an Automatic Software License Install with the HTML5 Toolbox Web-GUI

  1. Open the HTML5 Toolbox web-GUI in a browser on your PC by typing either the IP address of the codec (LAN connection), or the USB address of the codec (USB connection) into the address bar.
  2. Ensure you have unloaded any currently loaded program in the codec via the Program Loader panel.
  3. Click Settings in the Menu Bar, then click Licenses to display the License Manager.
  4. Click Get license file from TieServer.
  5. A Success dialog in the web-GUI Licensing panel confirms when installation is complete and the codec screen should display a confirmation message.
  6. Reboot the codec via Settings > Reset > Reboot Codec and press the button. Note: do not reboot by removing the power cable from the codec.

Download a License File and Install Manually with the ToolBox Web-GUI

  1. Prior to installing any new software license you will need to connect your codec to a PC and save the license file on this computer.
  2. Open the HTML5 Toolbox web-GUI in a browser on your PC.
  3. Click Settings in the Menu Bar, then click Licensing to display the Licensing panel.
  4. Click Upload a selected file.
  5. Navigate to the “.lcf” license file on your PC, then click the Open button to commence license installation.
  6. A Success dialog in the web-GUI Licensing panel confirms when installation is complete and the codec screen should display a confirmation message.
  7. Reboot the codec via Settings > Reset > Reboot Codec and press the OK button. Note: do not reboot by removing the power cable from the codec.

You can make IP connections to a different codec brand, e.g. Comrex, if the SIP protocol is used on codecs at both ends and the codec you are connecting to is EBU N/ACIP Tech 3326 compliant. You can start by configuring the most commonly used settings on both codecs as follows:

  • Profile mono
  • Bit rate 64k
  • Algorithm G.722
  • Session port 5060 UDP
  • Audio port 5004 UDP

On newer firmware versions of Bridge-IT, Merlin, and Genie codecs the SIP Interface needs to be enabled first. There are two options to configure this:

  1. Using the Toolbox HTML 5 GUI select  Transport > SIP Interfaces and select the Enable check-box, then click Save.
  2. Using the codec front panel press the Settings button and select SIP >Interfaces > SIP1 or SIP2 > Enable.

Note: The codec user manual has more information on connecting using SIP and using SIP servers. Alternatively, for more info see the codec Compatibility document under Tech Notes on the Support page for your codec at www.tieline.com.

  1. Download the Acer USB Ethernet/RNDIS driver
  2. extract the file to your PC
  3. right click and install the .inf file

 

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