R&D Stories: Getting Started with Automotive Audio Bus (Part 1)

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.

On this Test Bench, Vance Dickason offers a characterization of the ODT29 fabric dome tweeter from Omega Audio, an OEM transducer manufacturer new to the pages of Voice Coil. The company, headquartered in Holon, Israel, was founded in 1978 when the founder of Omega Audio, Levi Mordechai left Morel. All of Omega Audio’s ODT line of tweeters, dome midranges are handmade in the company's facility, from dome coating to coil winding and motor assembly. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, October 2020.

This Test Bench article focuses on the Scan-Speak Ellipticor 21WE/4542T00 midrange woofer, an impressive looking driver. The motor design for the Ellipticor 21WE/4542T00 is again an AirCirc multi-magnet and patented SD design, using an elliptical two-layer voice coil wound with round copper wire on a titanium former. Motor parts include polished front and back plates for the neodymium magnets that incorporates a 12 mm diameter rear vent for additional cooling. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, October 2020.

Gary Galo reviews GeerFab Audio’s D.BOB Digital Breakout Box, a valuable new solution for all the music enthusiasts who would like to listen to their Super-Audio CD (SACD) music collection by feeding the DSD datastream via HDMI from the player to an outboard digital-to-analog converter (DAC) in high-resolution audio. And GeerFab Audio created the first device that delivers! This article was originally published in audioXpress, October 2020.

Arduino boards are extremely popular among DIY enthusiasts and a number of add-ons or “shields” exist, particularly for audio players. Now, the Arduino MKR family has expanded the possibilities even more. This article details an Infineon amplifier board featuring integrated MERUS MA12070P proprietary multi-level Class-D ICs, which create an exciting platform for advanced wireless audio projects — including full-fledged Alexa-powered DIY smart speakers. This article was originally published in audioXpress, October 2020.

Voice Coil October includes an updated directory of speaker-focused electronics, amps, and DSP vendors. And an insider's perspective about Nuvoton’s new smart amps, featuring Klippel's Controlled Sound (KCS) technology. This month's Acoustic Patents article discusses a Planar Loudspeaker Manifold patent granted to Dolby Laboratories, and Vance Dickason's Test Bench characterizes the latest Scan-Speak Ellipticor 21WE/4542T00 midrange, followed by the ODT29 fabric dome tweeter from Omega Audio. Now available online and in print!

The October 2020 edition of audioXpress is now available online and in print. This is one of the most feature-rich issues we have ever published, with a residential installation Market Update, a new article series about Analog Devices A2B, two articles about communications, including an article by Manfred Lutzky (Fraunhofer IIS) on codecs, plus a great review of the GeerFab Audio D.BOB Digital Breakout Box by Gary Galo. Plus three DIY-oriented articles and our regular expert columns on acoustics, tubes, and audio electronics.