Audio Hardware & Digital Sound
An overview of audio hardware, digital signal processing (DSP), and common transmission protocols.
Digital Audio Formats
- PCM (Pulse Code Modulation): The raw digital representation of an analog signal.
- WAV/AIFF: Uncompressed containers for PCM.
- FLAC/ALAC: Lossless compression.
- MP3/AAC/OGG: Lossy compression.
Audio Hardware Components
- DAC (Digital-to-Analog Converter): Converts digital bits into an analog voltage for speakers.
- ADC (Analog-to-Digital Converter): Converts microphone signals into digital bits for processing.
- DSP (Digital Signal Processor): Specialized microprocessor for audio/signal manipulation.
- Op-Amp (Operational Amplifier): Used for signal amplification and filtering.
Hardare Protocols & Interfaces
- I2S (Inter-IC Sound): Serial bus used to connect digital audio devices together (e.g., CPU to DAC).
- S/PDIF (Sony/Philips Digital Interface): Consumer-grade digital interconnect (Optical/Coax).
- AES3: Professional digital audio standard.
- MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface): Control protocol for musical devices.
- USB Audio: Class-compliant interface for external sound cards.
Common Standards
- Sample Rate: kHz (e.g., 44.1kHz, 48kHz, 96kHz).
- Bit Depth: Resolution (e.g., 16-bit, 24-bit, 32-bit float).
- dynamic Range: The ratio between the loudest and quietest sounds.