You can connect two Tesira server-class AVB devices (Tesira SERVER, SERVER-IO AVB, TesiraFORTÉ AVB) together without the use of an AVB switch. The devices must be directly connected from AVB port to AVB port. The Control ports on the server-class devices may be directly connected to one another, or connected through an Ethernet switch. If additional non-AVB Ethernet devices (EX-LOGIC, TEC-1, PC) are to be used, then an Ethernet switch is required. Any Ethernet switches used to connect non-AVB ports and devices do not need to be AVB-compatible, however it is OK to connect non-AVB devices to an AVB-compatible switch.

Connecting any Tesira server-class AVB device to any non-server-class AVB device (EX-IN, EX-OUT, EX-AEC, EX-IO, EX-MOD) requires an AVB switch. In this case, the network port on the non-server-class AVB devices must be able to talk to both the Control port and the AVB port on the server-class devices. This can be accomplished either by directly connecting the Control ports of the server-class devices to the AVB switch, or by connecting the Control ports to a non-AVB switch along with a connection between the non-AVB switch and the AVB switch.

Connecting three or more Tesira AVB devices together requires an AVB switch.

Connecting any Tesira server-class device to the allowed number of Ethernet devices (EX-LOGIC, TEC-1, PC) with no other AVB devices does not require an AVB switch.

Information about AVB switches can be found on Cornerstone.