Chapter 11. HAVi
In this chapter…
Consumer electronic devices, such as digital set-top boxes and DVD players, are sophisticated and expensive digital processing systems. By connecting these devices to home networks, it is possible to share processing and storage resources between members of a family. Central to the fabric of all home networks is a software system called middleware. This software system allows connected devices to exchange both control information and streaming multimedia content. "Middleware" is a relatively new term in the home networking business. If we compare it to an IT environment, it equates to the presentation layer of the OSI (Open Systems Interconnect) seven-layer model. OSI is a networking framework that defines a set of protocols for implementing communications between two devices. Middleware is used to isolate application programs from the details of the underlying hardware and network components and provide a set of system interfaces to their functions. In the world of home networking, we encounter many types of hardware devices from different manufacturers. To provide interoperability between these diverse systems, a number of home networking middleware applications have evolved. This chapter takes a closer look at one of these systems—HAVi.