R&D Stories: Getting Started with Automotive Audio Bus (Part 4)

In this article, Brewster LaMacchia concludes his series on Automotive Audio Bus (A2B) applications (not just for automotive). After an introduction to the properties of this locally networked audio transport, a look at A2B system design, and A2B data transport and interface, in Part 4, the author looks at systems and tools that are available to speed prototyping and evaluation. This article was originally published in audioXpress, January 2021.

audioXpress continues Brewster LaMacchia's article series on Automotive Audio Bus (A2B) technology from Analog Devices. The first two parts of this article examined the overall A2B system operation and how its features can enable new types of digital audio applications. Now, the author takes a deeper look at A2B data transport and how to interface between peripherals and the A2B bus using Analog Device's AD242x series of parts. This article was originally published in audioXpress, December 2020.

The second article in a four-part series about Analog Devices' A2B or Automotive Audio Bus explores the technical underpinnings of the A2B bus design. Brewster LaMacchia examines how certain optimizations for automotive applications must be accounted for when targeting broader audio applications. He also includes a look at analog phantom power and how A2B provides that feature in a digital system. This article was originally published in audioXpress, November 2020.

This is the first article in a four-part series about Analog Devices' A2B or Automotive Audio Bus, a digital audio bus technology originally developed for automotive requirements that is finding interesting design possibilities in other audio applications. This first article discusses the main features of A2B, and its use with I2S and PDM interfaces, before exploring the technical underpinnings of the A2B bus design and creating systems with the development tools available. This article was originally published in audioXpress, October 2020.