Standards Review: USB 3, Type-C, and Thunderbolt 3 - Interfaces and Implications on Audio

In its Standards Review article series, audioXpress published a two-part feature about the SuperSpeed USB 10 Gbps (USB 3.1 Gen 2) specification, the new USB Type-C interface, and Thunderbolt 3 technology. The second part examines how these technologies have evolved, how they work together, and the implications of USB Audio Device Class 3.0 specification, which standardized audio over USB Type-C. These two articles were originally published in audioXpress, December 2016 and January 2017.

audioXpress December 2016 is now ready to download. Our Standards Review article explains the fundamentals of the USB 3.1, USB Type-C, and Thunderbolt 3 specifications. We review four measurement microphones from PCB Piezotronics, the Mytek Digital Brooklyn DAC, the new miniDSP DDRC-24 processor, and we feature a Retro-Style High-Fidelity Preamplifier for DIY enthusiasts. This is an issue no one will want to miss.

In our regular column Standards Review, audioXpress has been addressing the specifics of audio networking, available protocols and development solutions. This article explores the options for audio networking development and implementation in new audio products based on RAVENNA and what differentiates this powerful media network technology, also at the forefront of AES67 interoperability efforts .

This article discusses the plan for the new MPEG-H Audio standard, a real-time 3-D audio encoder system with applications for broadcast and streaming distribution, developed in large part by the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany, and recently finalized and submitted as an ISO/MPEG standard.

The AES X192 initiative - driven by the Audio Engineering Society (AES) task group SC-02-12-H - resulted in the new AES67-2013 standard, published on 11 September 2013, which defines key parameters for networked AoIP interoperability. This article from audioXpress' Standards Review column was published short after, in January 2014.

The High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) specification currently supports one of the most successful consumer electronics standards. Fourteen years passed since the original HDMI 1.0 specification the HDMI Forum announced the new HDMI 2.0 specification with some interesting features for the audio industry, including better support for high-resolution audio options.

In a two-part article series, audioXpress explores the reasons why Dante technology became the “de facto” standard in audio networking and we interview Lee Ellison, Audinate's CEO, discussing the company’s ability to cleverly manage existing industry efforts and commercial requirements to build a unique example of marketing success.