---
title: "SIGNAL CONVERTING DEVICE AND METHOD FOR IP-to-ASI"
url: "https://maker.wiznet.io/jaden/projects/signal-converting-device-and-method-for-ip-to-asi/"
markdown_url: "https://maker.wiznet.io/jaden/projects/signal-converting-device-and-method-for-ip-to-asi/md"
type: "UCC: User Created Content"
author: "이성"
author_url: "https://patents.google.com/patent/KR101405348B1/en"
editor: "WIZnet"
editor_url: "https://maker.wiznet.io/"
original_author: "이성"
original_url: "https://patents.google.com/patent/KR101405348B1/en"
published: "2026-08-18"
language: "en"
hardware: ["WIZnet W5100"]
likes: 0
views: 133
comments: 0
source: "WIZnet Makers (https://maker.wiznet.io/)"
---

# SIGNAL CONVERTING DEVICE AND METHOD FOR IP-to-ASI

> SIGNAL CONVERTING DEVICE AND METHOD FOR IP-to-ASI

Original author: 이성 (source: https://patents.google.com/patent/KR101405348B1/en)

## Components

- **WIZnet W5100** x 1 ([docs](https://docs.wiznet.io/Product/Chip/Ethernet/W5100))

## Article

The **IP-to-ASI** system described in this patent is a converter that takes an MPEG Transport Stream delivered over an IP network and outputs it as an ASI signal that professional broadcast equipment can use.

![](https://maker.wiznet.io/upload/ckeditor5/387798902%5F1787042447%2Epng)

### 1. What Is IP-to-ASI?

Broadcast video is typically compressed using formats such as MPEG-2 or MPEG-4, while video, audio, and related information can be multiplexed into an **MPEG Transport Stream (MPEG-TS)**. When that TS is transported over an Ethernet/IP network, it becomes a form of **TS over IP (TSoIP)**.

**ASI (Asynchronous Serial Interface)**, on the other hand, is a serial interface used to transport MPEG-TS between broadcast devices.

The architecture described in the patent can therefore be simplified as:

```plaintext
IPTV / Network
      │
      │ Ethernet
      │ UDP/RTP + MPEG-TS
      ▼
┌──────────────┐
│ W5100 Series │
│ IP Module    │
└──────┬───────┘
       │
       │ Decapsulated MPEG-TS
       ▼
┌──────────────┐
│    FPGA      │
│ EP3C25F256   │
└──────┬───────┘
       │
       │ ASI
       ▼
┌──────────────┐
│  Equalizer   │
└──────┬───────┘
       │
       ▼
    Modulator
   (e.g. 8-VSB)
```

The important point is that this is **not primarily a video decoding and re-encoding system**. The patent proposes extracting the TS from the incoming IP stream and converting it directly into the required broadcast transport format, avoiding the conventional decode/re-encode path.

---

### 2. What Does the W5100 Do?

**The patent specifically identifies the WIZnet W5100 series as a suitable implementation of the IP Module (210)**.

The patent describes IP streams transported using protocols such as **UDP/RTP**, including unicast and multicast transmission. The IP Module receives this stream, performs IP-stream processing and decapsulation, and reconstructs the TS carried in the payload.

Conceptually:

```plaintext
Ethernet Packet
┌──────────────────────────────┐
│ Ethernet / IP / UDP(RTP)     │
│                              │
│ ┌──────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ MPEG Transport Stream    │ │
│ │ TS packet / TS packet... │ │
│ └──────────────────────────┘ │
└──────────────────────────────┘
             │
             ▼
      W5100 / IP Module
             │
       Network Processing
             │
             ▼
┌──────────────────────────┐
│ MPEG Transport Stream    │
│ TS packet / TS packet... │
└──────────────────────────┘
             │
             ▼
           FPGA
```

The **W5100 does not decode the video**. It does not need to understand the MPEG video or audio content itself.

Its role is on the network side of the system: it provides the Ethernet/TCP/IP interface needed to receive the IP stream so that the encapsulated MPEG-TS can be delivered to the following processing stage.

---

### 3. What Data Is Sent Through the W5100?

It is important to distinguish the direction and format of the data.

The data arriving from the external network into the W5100/IP Module is an **IP stream carrying broadcast content**. The patent describes UDP/RTP as typical transport protocols.

Conceptually:

```plaintext
Ethernet
   ↓
IP
   ↓
UDP / RTP
   ↓
MPEG-TS
   ↓
Compressed Video / Audio / Broadcast Data
```

After network processing and decapsulation, the important data delivered toward the FPGA is the:

```plaintext
MPEG Transport Stream (TS)
```

Therefore, **ASI data is not what is sent into the W5100**.

A useful way to divide the responsibilities is:

**W5100 = IP/Ethernet sideFPGA = TS-to-ASI conversion side**

---

### 4. What Does the FPGA Do?

The FPGA is identified as the **Signal Processor (230)**. The patent gives **EP3C25F256** as a specific implementation.

Its main input is the **decapsulated MPEG-TS** produced by the preceding IP processing stage.

The FPGA can then generate two output paths:

```plaintext
                     ┌──→ ASI Encoding ──→ ASI Output
MPEG-TS → FPGA ──────┤
                     └──→ Serial TS ─────→ Serial TS Output
```

The patent describes the Signal Processor as encoding the decapsulated TS according to the **ASI format** for one output while also being capable of converting it into a conventional serial TS format for another output.

This means that the FPGA is **not re-encoding the MPEG video**, for example from one video codec to another.

Instead, its main job is to preserve the MPEG Transport Stream content while converting its **transport/output representation** into a form suitable for the ASI broadcast interface.

---

### 5. Why Use a W5100 + FPGA Architecture?

The responsibilities of the two devices are clearly separated:

| Component | Role |
| --- | --- |
| **W5100 series** | Ethernet and hardware TCP/IP interface |
| **W5100 / IP Module** | Receives the IP stream and supports extraction of the TS payload |
| **FPGA EP3C25F256** | Processes the TS and generates ASI/serial TS output |
| **DRAM** | Temporary storage for FPGA processing |
| **Equalizer** | Conditions the ASI signal |
| **ATmega 8-bit MCU** | System and user-interface control |
| **Modulator** | Converts the transport stream into a broadcast modulation format such as 8-VSB |

Therefore, saying **“the W5100 converts IP into ASI”** would be technically misleading.

A more accurate description is:

> **The W5100 series provides the Ethernet/TCP/IP interface for receiving an IP stream carrying MPEG-TS data. After the transport stream is extracted from the IP stream, the FPGA processes the MPEG-TS and converts it into an ASI-compatible output for broadcast equipment.**

The complete data path can be summarized as:

```plaintext
IP (UDP/RTP + MPEG-TS)
        ↓
      W5100
        ↓
     MPEG-TS
        ↓
       FPGA
        ↓
       ASI
        ↓
    Equalizer
        ↓
 Broadcast System
```

The key idea of the patent is therefore to perform **transport conversion rather than video transcoding**: the MPEG-TS is moved from an IP-based transport environment to an ASI-based broadcast interface without requiring the video to be decoded and encoded again.

---

Source: https://maker.wiznet.io/jaden/projects/signal-converting-device-and-method-for-ip-to-asi/