Intercommunication system

1. An intercommunication system, comprising:

an interface unit coupled to a baseband audio source and communicatively coupled to a network, the interface unit configured to provide a network interface to the baseband audio source;

a record/playback unit having a storage device and communicatively coupled to the network, the record/playback unit configured to capture audio on the network for storage on the storage device and playback audio stored on the storage device to the network; and

a digital crew unit coupled to at least one of an audio input device or an audio output device, the digital crew unit having a user interface and being communicatively coupled to the network, the digital crew unit configured to transmit audio captured by the at least one audio input device via the network or to receive audio from the network for output via the at least one audio output device,

wherein each of the interface unit, the record/playback unit, and the digital crew unit is configured to at least one of transmit or receive an audio stream multicasted via the network, and

wherein each unit of the interface unit, the digital crew unit, and the record/playback unit include:

a processor;

a communication interface to communicatively couple the unit to the network; and

a component interface to couple the unit to a peripheral device.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of units interconnected via the network, wherein the plurality of units includes at least the interface unit, the record/playback unit, and the digital crew unit.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of units is scalable through addition of one or more units, wherein the one or more units include at least one of a second interface unit, a second record/playback unit, or a second digital crew unit.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the interface unit, the record/playback unit, and the digital crew unit collectively operate to implement a plurality of channels on the intercommunication system.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein a total number of supportable channels is proportional to a capacity of the network.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the audio stream is a stream of network packets converted from digitized audio.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the interface unit, the record/playback unit, and the digital crew unit are configured to advertise the audio stream via a session announcement protocol, to describe the audio stream via a session description protocol, and to transport the audio stream via the network using a real time protocol.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the at least one of the interface unit the record/playback unit, and the digital crew unit is configured to control transport of the audio stream via the network via corresponding control channel utilizing a real time control protocol.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the source includes at least one of a radio source, a baseband audio source, a public address system, a cockpit voice recorder, or a warning system.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the digital crew unit includes an interface for the at least one of the audio input device or the audio output device.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the audio input device includes at least one of a microphone or a headset, and the audio output device includes at least one of the headset or a speaker.

12. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of digital crew units, wherein each digital crew unit of the plurality of digital crew units is associated with a different crew position within a craft.

13. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of interface units, wherein each interface unit of the plurality of interface units is coupled to a baseband audio source available within a craft.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the interface unit is coupled to a plurality of sources and provides access to the network for the plurality of sources.

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the record/playback unit is configured to receive the audio stream from at least one of the interface unit or the digital crew unit, store the audio stream received in the storage device, and transmit a stored audio stream to at least one of the interface unit or the digital crew unit for playback.

16. The system of claim 1 , wherein the network is configured to route packets associated with the audio stream to nodes subscribed to receive the audio stream.

17. The system of claim 1 , wherein the peripheral device is the baseband audio source for the interface unit, the storage device for the record/playback unit, and the at least one of the audio input device or audio output device for the digital crew unit.

18. The system of claim 1 , wherein the digital crew unit further comprising a user interface for at least one of display of available audio streams or selection of one or more of the available audio streams to monitor.

19. The system of claim 1 , wherein the audio stream includes audio encoded using a 24-bit linear pulse-code modulation, encapsulated in a user datagram protocol datagram, and appended with an internet protocol header.