The Road to USB4 ...and a New USB Audio Device Class!

This year, I was really looking forward to meeting with the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF), the support organization for the advancement and adoption of USB technology, and discuss their projects for the USB4 Specification, the really big, gigantic update story on that front (at least in consumer electronics) since CES last year. The USB-IF announced the publication of the latest and greatest USB4 specification in September 2019, offering a major update to the USB architecture that complements and builds upon the existing USB 3.2 and USB 2.0 architectures. This article was published originally in The Audio Voice 264 newsletter, February 6.

Chirp, the pioneer of data-over-sound technology and Arduino, the open-source electronics platform, announced the first official integration of data-over-sound on Arduino’s range of boards. The partnership with Arduino makes it easier to rapid prototype acoustic networking, and fully support developers with a seamless software-defined solution when building projects using data-over-sound.

Renesas Electronics announced its new R9J02G012 USB Power Delivery (USB PD) controller intended for use in a wide range of USB Power Delivery products employing direct current (DC) power including AC adapters, PCs, smartphones, other consumer and office equipment, and toys. The new R9J02G012 supports both USB Power Delivery Rev. 3.0 (USB PD 3.0) and USB Type-C Authentication Rev 1.0, which enables device-to-device authentication.

The NFC Forum announced the publication of one candidate and two adopted specifications, following approval by the Board of Directors. The new specifications - now available from the NFC Forum website - enhance the performance and security of NFC services, delivering more robust peer-to-peer communication and better user experiences.

Audio Forensics – Techniques, Technologies and Practice is the subject for the forthcoming 54th International Conference of the Audio Engineering Society. The conference is set to take place June 12-14, 2014, at the Holiday Inn Bloomsbury in London.