Hybrid SDI/IP routing refers to a broadcast routing architecture that carries both SDI and SMPTE ST 2110 IP signal paths simultaneously within the same chassis, managed through a single control system. Unlike a traditional SDI router with an external gateway device bolted on, a true hybrid router embeds the gateway function inside the routing fabric — so both signal formats are natively supported, both are switched by the same crosspoint matrix, and both are managed from the same hardware panel or NMOS controller.

Utah Scientific's hybrid routing systems run SDI and ST 2110 in parallel within a single frame, with a built-in SDI fallback path that keeps signals live if the IP network encounters any disruption.

An SDI router with an external gateway places a separate piece of hardware between the router and the IP network. That external device is a single point of failure — if it loses power, crashes, or loses network connectivity, the IP signal path goes offline entirely. It also requires its own rack space, power, cooling, and management interface.

A true hybrid SDI/IP router, like the Utah Scientific UTAH-400 Gateway Router, embeds the gateway function directly inside the router chassis via PassThrough cards. If the IP network fails, the SDI path continues operating without any interruption — no operator intervention required.

Utah Scientific offers three primary products for hybrid SDI/IP routing:

UTAH-400 Series 2 Gateway Router — the flagship hybrid system with native ST 2110 encapsulation inside the frame and built-in SDI fallback. Scales from 72×72 to 1056×1056.

UTAH-400 Series 2 — enterprise SDI router upgradeable to hybrid operation by adding PassThrough cards into existing I/O slots. No chassis replacement required.

On-Ramp — 1RU hybrid gateway that adds ST 2110 capability to any Utah Scientific router line including UDS, Series 2, and UHD-12G.

All three are backed by Utah Scientific's no-fee 10-year hardware warranty.

On Utah Scientific hybrid routing systems, SDI signals remain live automatically through the dedicated SDI path inside the chassis — no operator intervention required. The system maintains a physical SDI connection for continuous signal flow that operates independently of the IP fabric.

If the IP control system crashes, the IP network loses connectivity, or the NMOS controller encounters any disruption, critical feeds continue routing via the SDI crosspoint matrix. This is a hardware-level failsafe, not a software workaround — the SDI path is always live, regardless of the state of the IP network.

Yes. If you have an existing UTAH-400 Series 2 router, hybrid ST 2110 IP capability can be added incrementally using Utah Scientific's PassThrough cards, which slot directly into standard I/O card positions in the existing chassis. No chassis replacement is required.

PassThrough input cards provide SDI inputs to the router and simultaneously create SMPTE ST 2110 IP copies of those signals. PassThrough output cards convert SDI outputs to ST 2110 IP streams. The SDI routing fabric continues to operate as normal throughout, providing a continuous fallback path if the IP side encounters any disruption.

For facilities on the UDS or UHD-12G product lines, the On-Ramp device connects to the existing router and provides equivalent ST 2110 capability in a 1RU external form factor.

SMPTE ST 2110 is the broadcast industry standard that defines how uncompressed professional media — video, audio, and ancillary data — is transported over IP networks as separate elementary streams. Unlike SDI, which carries video, audio, and data multiplexed together over a single coaxial cable, ST 2110 separates each essence type into its own IP stream, allowing them to take independent paths through the network and be synchronised at the destination using PTP timing.

Utah Scientific's hybrid routing systems support both standards simultaneously — SDI on the existing coax infrastructure, ST 2110 on the IP network — managed through the same control plane, with neither signal format dependent on the other for reliability.

No. Utah Scientific's hybrid routing architecture is specifically designed to protect existing SDI infrastructure investment while adding ST 2110 capability incrementally. The UTAH-400 Series 2 chassis accepts PassThrough cards in standard I/O slots without chassis replacement. The On-Ramp connects to any existing Utah Scientific router. The Gateway Router can operate as either a core router in a hybrid environment or as a gateway and edge device in an ST 2110 core — adapting to your infrastructure as it evolves.

The SDI path remains operational throughout, so there is no requirement to cut over to IP until your team and infrastructure are ready.

Yes. Utah Scientific hybrid routing systems manage SDI crosspoints and ST 2110 IP flows from the same control interface — the SC-4, SC-40, or SC-400 hardware panel, or any NMOS-compliant software controller. Operators do not need to work in separate management environments for separate signal types.

Utah Scientific's NBOSS software-based NMOS control solution extends this further, enabling operators to switch ST 2110 flows as easily as SDI using familiar Utah Scientific panel interfaces including hardware panels, Soft-LC, and Web Panel.

The On-Ramp is a 1RU standalone hybrid gateway that adds SMPTE ST 2110 encapsulation and de-encapsulation to any Utah Scientific router — including the UDS Compact Series and UHD-12G lineup, which do not accept PassThrough cards. It features five hot-swappable card slots and 16 SFP cages, and supports 12G UHD, 3G HD, and 1.5G SDI to ST 2110 conversion.

PassThrough cards are the right choice when you have an existing UTAH-400 Series 2 chassis and want to add ST 2110 inside the existing frame without additional rack units.

On-Ramp is the right choice for UDS or UHD-12G installations, or when you need hybrid gateway capability as a standalone device connected to any router.