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20.0 Advanced Audio Interface
The Advanced Audio Interface (AAI) provides a serial syn-
chronous, full duplex interface to codecs and similar serial
devices. The transmit and receive paths may operate asyn-
chronously with respect to each other. Each path uses a 3-
wire interface consisting of a bit clock, a frame synchroniza-
tion signal, and a data signal.
The CPU interface can be either interrupt-driven or DMA. If
the interface is configured for interrupt-driven I/O, data is
buffered in the receive and transmit FIFOs. If the interface is
configured for DMA, the data is buffered in registers.
The AAI is functionally similar to a Motorola
TM
Synchronous
Serial Interface (SSI). Compared to a standard SSI imple-
mentation, the AAI interface does not support the so-called
“On-demand Mode”. It also does not allow gating of the shift
clocks, so the receive and transmit shift clocks are always
active while the AAI is enabled. The AAI also does not sup-
port 12- and 24-bit data word length or more than 4 slots
(words) per frame. The reduction of supported modes is ac-
ceptable, because the main purpose of the AAI is to connect
to audio codecs, rather than to other processors (DSPs).
The implementation of a FIFO as a 16-word receive and
transmit buffer is an additional feature, which simplifies
communication and reduces interrupt load. Independent
DMA is provided for each of the four supported audio chan-
nels (slots). The AAI also provides special features and op-
erating modes to simplify gain control in an external codec
and to connect to an ISDN controller through an IOM-2
compatible interface.
20.1
AUDIO INTERFACE SIGNALS
20.1.1
Serial Transmit Data (STD)
The STD pin is used to transmit data from the serial transmit
shift register (ATSR). The STD pin is an output when data is
being transmitted and is in high-impedance mode when no
data is being transmitted. The data on the STD pin changes
on the positive edge of the transmit shift clock (SCK). The
STD pin goes into high-impedance mode on the negative
edge of SCK of the last bit of the data word to be transmit-
ted, assuming no other data word follows immediately. If an-
other data word follows immediately, the STD pin remains
active rather than going to the high-impedance mode.
20.1.2
Serial Transmit Clock (SCK)
The SCK pin is a bidirectional signal that provides the serial
shift clock. In asynchronous mode, this clock is used only by
the transmitter to shift out data on the positive edge. The se-
rial shift clock may be generated internally or it may be pro-
vided by an external clock source. In synchronous mode,
the SCK pin is used by both the transmitter and the receiver.
Data is shifted out from the STD pin on the positive edge,
and data is sampled on the SRD pin on the negative edge.
20.1.3
Serial Transmit Frame Sync (SFS)
The SFS pin is a bidirectional signal which provides frame
synchronization. In asynchronous mode, this signal is used
as frame sync only by the transmitter. In synchronous mode,
this signal is used as frame sync by both the transmitter and
receiver. The frame sync signal may be generated internally,
or it may be provided by an external source.
20.1.4
Serial Receive Data (SRD)
The SRD pin is used as an input when data is shifted into
the Audio Receive Shift Register (ARSR). In asynchronous
mode, data on the SRD pin is sampled on the negative edge
of the serial receive shift clock (SRCLK). In synchronous
mode, data on the SRD pin is sampled on the negative edge
of the serial shift clock (SCK). The data is shifted into ARSR
with the most significant bit (MSB) first.
20.1.5
Serial Receive Clock (SRCLK)
The SRCLK pin is a bidirectional signal that provides the re-
ceive serial shift clock in asynchronous mode. In this mode,
data is sampled on the negative edge of SRCLK. The SR-
CLK signal may be generated internally or it may be provid-
ed by an external clock source. In synchronous mode, the
SCK pin is used as shift clock for both the receiver and
transmitter, so the SRCLK pin is available for use as a gen-
eral-purpose port pin or an auxiliary frame sync signal to ac-
cess multiple slave devices (e.g. codecs) within a network
(see Network mode).
20.1.6
Serial Receive Frame Sync (SRFS)
The SRFS pin is a bidirectional signal that provides frame
synchronization for the receiver in asynchronous mode. The
frame sync signal may be generated internally, or it may be
provided by an external source. In synchronous mode, the
SFS signal is used as the frame sync signal for both the
transmitter and receiver, so the SRFS pin is available for use
as a general-purpose port pin or an auxiliary frame sync sig-
nal to access multiple slave devices (e.g. codecs) within a
network (see Network mode).
20.2
AUDIO INTERFACE MODES
There are two clocking modes: asynchronous mode and
synchronous mode. These modes differ in the source and
timing of the clock signals used to transfer data. When the
AAI is generating the bit shift clock and frame sync signals
internally, synchronous mode must be used.
There are two framing modes: normal mode and network
mode. In normal mode, one word is transferred per frame.
In network mode, up to four words are transferred per frame.
A word may be 8 or 16 bits. The part of the frame which car-
ries a word is called a slot. Network mode supports multiple
external devices sharing the interface, in which each device
is assigned its own slot. Separate frame sync signals are
provided, so that each device is triggered to send or receive
its data during its assigned slot.
20.2.1
Asynchronous Mode
In asynchronous mode, the receive and transmit paths of
the audio interface operate independently, with each path
using its own bit clock and frame sync signal. Independent
clocks for receive and transmit are only used when the bit
clock and frame sync signal are supplied externally. If the bit
clock and frame sync signals are generated internally, both
paths derive their clocks from the same set of clock prescal-
ers.