The BUFROUTE Routing Switcher Control System is an advanced user interface for signal routing tasks. Personal computers are used as high-level user interface devices. They are isolated from the routing matrices by communication interface boxes that provide protocol translation and control and status data interchange. BUFROUTE simplifies complex routing tasks, including the management of conversion gear, and provides the user with an easily comprehensible graphical display. Many matrices from various manufacturers are controlled by an assortment of BUFROUTE user stations and panels without disrupting operation of the routers' native control panels.

Operation of the system is intuitive yet versatile. User input can be either by trackball or touchscreen. Routable devices are represented by pictorial icons, and are organized into logical groups. Simply click on a device's icon to select it, and then click on the input or output side of another device to route into or "out of" it. An extensive salvo recall system is included which allows routing setups to be repeated at a later time. Standard room setups and reconfiguration of interrupted sessions are fast and easy. Panels are available that are programmed via any PC user station to provide fast stand alone routing.

BUFROUTE includes powerful tieline support software that makes it practical to use smaller matrices and manages the use of conversion gear. Smaller routers are connected together by tielines, increasing the useful lifetime of existing routers and reducing the cost of new ones. Tieline devices may include encoders, decoders, A/Ds, D/As (video and audio), and wires. It is a simple task to route between analog and digital or component and composite devices. If a route cannot be done directly, the software will search through up to three nested levels of tieline devices for all possible ways to connect from source to destination and then display them graphically. The possible tieline paths are displayed in a prioritized order; a simple click is all it takes to make a tied route. Tie paths, which are possible, but in use elsewhere are displayed along with the devices using them, so operators can make decisions whether a tieline can be given up. All tieline devices involved in a path are automatically freed whenever the ultimate destination is switched to another source.

Various screen types are selectable, depending on the kind of routing involved. For limited source/destination uses, a screen can be selected that makes limited routing as fast as possible. In another mode, entire room setups can be visualized and understood because signal levels are shown as color-coded lines connecting devices together. Double-click and a schematic-like display shows all breakaways and tieline progressions currently routed into a device.

Initial configuration is included with the system. Changes are easily made at any user station by engineering personnel, and are password protected. The user assigns icons, device names, router inputs and outputs, tieline status, access levels, router information, router level groupings, passwords and more. All user stations have copies of the configuration data and operate independently, therefore a malfunction of any particular PC cannot cause a system failure.

Currently, BUFROUTE is controlling one or more models of routing switchers from the following manufacturers: