WiSA Technologies is the wireless sound technology provider for immersive experiences and next-generation home entertainment systems. WiSA offers wireless audio multichannel solutions that effectively help replace the cable constraints holding back the expansion of home audio beyond stereo.
The WiSA Server and PEST tools join the latest version of the mobile app, launched in December 2022, as the latest software-based applications designed to support the WiSA ecosystem of users, product designers and manufacturers. These WiSA tools provide manufacturers with comprehensive support for developing and manufacturing WiSA E and WiSA DS designs for multichannel audio.
WiSA Server
Running on the product application processor, WiSA Server is a low-overhead software package that minimizes the time and effort required by brands and OEM/ODMs to design systems using WiSA software. The WiSA Server Software Design Kit (SDK) provides high-level WiSA API commands via the product and mobile client interfaces and translates them into low-level I2C commands eliminating months from typical development cycles.
This accelerates product integration with simple, design-proven and tested API commands that significantly reduce code complexity and development time, and ensures correct by-design interoperability across product families. The new WiSA Server supports Linux or RTOS operating system environments, and automatically manages system push/pull notifications to all connected client devices. (e.g., volume notifications between mobile device, soundbar and speaker).
Product Support Engineering Tool (PEST)
In addition to managing and simplifying manufacturing module testing and programming, PEST provides efficiencies in test and manufacturing to make products operational and production ready. PEST provides software programming support to update WiSA modules, tracking and traceability for product modules and final products, and configuration support for WiSA modules, including device types, speaker locations, country code and manufacturing data. Also included is production test support for WiSA modules and final products including IOs, power, RF/Wi-Fi, audio, and pairing.
"We are doing everything possible to help our customers streamline their upfront development efforts and manage their manufacturing and testing of WiSA E and DS modules," says Tony Parker, vice president of business development and strategy at WiSA Technologies. "The WiSA server dramatically helps customers reduce upfront development efforts, while the PEST tool provides powerful tracking and management of the final production process. Both add tremendous value to our customers as they develop and manufacture enabled products."
WiSA E embedded software audio technology creates an affordable alternative to the company's hardware based WiSA HT - the original, successful and robust implementation that has the large advantage of not operating in the crowded Wi-Fi frequency spectrum. WiSA E supports up to 8 uncompressed 24-bit/48kHz audio channels with a fixed latency of 20 milliseconds and tight channel synchronization using the 5GHz Wi-Fi band.
This new implementation, which was mainly motivated by the need to support more TV manufacturers, should not be confused with the WiSA Discrete System (DS) technology that simply transmits up to five channels — four full-range audio channels and one high-fidelity subwoofer channel — of uncompressed 16-bit/48kHz sound over a 2.4GHz Wi-Fi network it creates. This is a simpler implementation that is ideal for soundbar systems. When the soundbar does the core channels connected to the TV or STB source (e.g. HDMI), the five wireless channels become available to supplement the soundbar speakers with immersive channels.
For manufacturers and ODMs designing products with WiSA E or DS modules, WiSA Technologies offers a software design kit (SDK) for the WiSA Server and a manufacturing design kit (MDK) for the PEST tool. For more information about the WiSA Server and PEST tools, please contact James Cheng, vice president of sales at WiSA Technologies.
WiSA Technologies is a founding member of WiSA (the Wireless Speaker and Audio Association) whose mission is to define wireless audio interoperability standards as well as work with leading consumer electronics companies, technology providers, retailers, and ecosystem partners to evangelize and market wireless multichannel audio technologies driven by WiSA Technologies, Inc. The company is headquartered in Beaverton, OR with sales teams in Taiwan, China, Japan, Korea, and California.
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