USB-HEAR – USB High-end Audio Receiver
USB-HEAR is a microcontroller-based USB audio receiver solution for HiFi DAC and amplifier applications. It is implemented as a system on module (SoM) which enables easy and rapid integration.
The receiver implements a USB audio class 2.0 compliant PCM and DSD playback interface compatible with Windows, macOS and Linux hosts. For Windows, a bit-perfect, high-res audio driver is available.
For proper integration with a DAC, the module supports an external master clock input. The receiver can be controlled and monitored through an I2C register interface and a set of control and status lines.
Typical Application Scenario in a DAC or Amplifier Product
Feature Summary – USB High-end Audio Receiver
USB Audio:
- USB audio class 2.0 compliant isochronous streaming, two audio channels (stereo)
- Asynchronous clocking model, USB playback stream is synchronized to master oscillator
- 32-bit PCM sample format up to 768 kHz sampling rate
- Native DSD up to DSD1024, compatible with Windows driver and Linux
- DSD over PCM (DoP) up to DSD256
DAC Output:
- I2S compliant digital interface for connecting a digital-to-analog converter
- 32-bit PCM format up to 768 kHz sampling rate
- DSD format up to DSD1024
SPDIF Output:
- 24-bit PCM format up to 192 kHz sampling rate
Digital Input:
- I2S compliant digital interface for connecting external digital sources such as a streaming client or tuner
- 32-bit PCM format up to 192 kHz sampling rate
Control Interface:
- Control and status register set accessible via I2C
- Interrupt status line for notifications on status register changes
- Status lines for master clock selection, PCM/DSD format selection and DAC mute
USB HID Consumer Control:
- Multimedia key events can be sent to the host to control a player application
- For example: Volume Up, Volume Down, Play, Pause, Fast Forward, Fast Backward etc.
Firmware Update:
- Firmware update via USB supported on Windows, macOS, and Linux
- Firmware update via I2C from main controller
Supported Operating Systems
USB-HEAR works with built-in drivers on Windows 10 and 11, macOS and Linux.
To enable the full feature set, specifically native DSD playback, a custom driver for Windows 11 and 10 is available.
Supported Microcotrollers & Licensing
USB-HEAR solution based on NXP i.MXRT1064
USB-HEAR is available as a hardware module (SoM) from our partner Fibrecode. For more information on pricing and availability, check out https://usb-hear.com/.
USB-HEAR solution based on ST STM32H7
For some MCUs of the STM32H7 family, Thesycon offers firmware for licensing. For more information, please use the contact form.
Software made in Germany
Our software is purely designed and implemented by our team in Germany - no outsourcing. Technical support is provided directly by the developers.
© 2023 THESYCON
