User`s guide

APOGEE ELECTRONICS
12
Mini-DAC – User’s Guide
APOGEE ELECTRONICS
13
Mini-DAC – User’s Guide
About Digital Audio Formats
Name(s) Connector used Valid Sample Rates
Channels per
connector
Digital Data Rate
AES Single Wire or Double Fast or
Single Wide
XLR 44.1-192kHz 2 Fs x 1
AES Double Wire or Double Wide XLR 88.2-192 kHz 1 Fs /2
S/PDIF Coaxial RCA (coaxial) 44.1-192kHz 2 Fs x 1
S/PDIF Optical Toslink (optical) 44.1-96kHz 2 Fs x 1
ADAT Toslink (optical) 44.1-48kHz 8 Fs x 1
S/MUX 2 Toslink (optical) 88.2-96kHz 4 Fs /2
S/MUX 4 Toslink (optical) 176.4-192kHz 2 Fs /4
As sample rates and bit resolutions have increased, digital audio formats have been modied to
handle the increased ow of data, to the point where the proliferation of format variations has
led to some confusion. For example, 5 variations of the AES/EBU format have been developed to
handle sample rates between 44.1kHz and 192kHz.
FIGURE 4 depicts the characteristics of the digital audio formats available on the Mini-DAC,
including the names by which the format is known, the connector used, valid sample rates, the
number of digital audio channels per connection, and the rate of transmission. For example, AES
Double Wire format can carry only 1 channel of audio per connection, uses XLR connectors, is
used only with sample rates between 88.2 and 192 kHz, and transmits data at half the sample rate
– i.e., bits travel at 48kHz when transmitting a 96kHz digital audio signal.
FIGURE 4