Media oriented systems transport
MOST is a technology that employs high speed multimedia network which facilitates common devices like PDA, DVD, radio and many others for the purpose of getting used by them at the lowest cost. The common devices can connect with this network to provide functionality to the end consumers to avail live audio and video having a standardized interface. It provides extendibility and reliability to the devices.
Extendibility in the sense that more standardized devices can be easily added to the MOST networks without problems. Reliability compounds to the workability of the devices so that any device following the standard TCP/IP protocol. The reusability feature would enhance the functionality as more devices with a HMI (Human Machine Interface) can interact with each other for using the multimedia features.
MOST devise are connected using a ring which feeds the output to the input of the device in a circular manner. The token which travels in the network is a frame which contains streaming data segment, packet data and control information (MOST.com). The streaming data flows in the ring at the same speed the network is running. The synchronous feature of the data flowing in the network is at the same speed and retains the quality of the data.
However packet data is non-synchronous in nature and may flow in several frames. The amount of streaming data and packet data forms a larger portion of the frame and the ratio is according to the application requirements. Control data on the other hand forms a little portion of the frame and contain the control information. It signals of the information into parts, in every frame so that it is grouped and regrouped by the receiving device for the knowledge of the placement of segment and packet data.
The MOST devices make sure that it follows functional and hierarchical system models which can be interchanged with other devices in the network to promote reusability for the various functionalities of the devices in the network. The components are modular in nature which promotes the inheritance and reusability of the modules to be combined with other modules. It also facilitates re-partitioning of the model for communication. For use in different devices other than vehicles, the model can be organized in a manner that it fits any architecture.
The physical layer of the technology relies on the ring which the MOST topology follows. It pushes a frame into the network which travels and loads and reloads data to the connecting device in the network. According to the decided transfer of data, the related audio and video would be transmitted to the connecting device for its display.
MOST was not aware to me before this assignment. The networking concepts for ring topology and frame distribution of packets made sure that the background is well built to understand the concept and idea of MOST and its usage.
MOST was quite different concept to sharing of real time multimedia data over the network. In comparison to company LAN or WAN it offers more reliability, security and is independent of architecture. The underlying nature of the network is completely ignored in this technology. The functionality of the devices is broken into modules that can be merged with other modules in the network to share the functionality and modular approach.
A company’s LAN or WAN would not be independent to architecture issues and reusability issues are quite absent in the LAN or WAN. The MOST technology makes sure that it can render functionality like architecture neutral, platform dependent and network architecture independent.
References / Bibliography
MOST.com. Retrieved 7, October 2007 from http://www.mostcooperation.com/technology/introduction/index.html.
