MIPI SDCA™

General Info

MIPI SoundWire® Device Class for Audio (MIPI SDCA℠) defines a standard MIPI SoundWire device class for host-controllable audio devices, such as microphones and amplifiers, connected via a SoundWire interface. Leveraging the MIPI Discovery and Configuration Specification for SoundWire (MIPI DisCo℠ for SoundWire®), SDCA simplifies audio software architecture and driver requirements, and optimizes the integration of audio devices into host platforms.

Utilizing MIPI SDCA within both host and peripheral audio devices enables the development and use of system firmware and generic device class drivers, rendering software reusable across multiple audio devices from multiple vendors.

Implementation

MIPI SCDA enables system designers to develop generic class drivers for MIPI SoundWire audio devices. SDCA provides a standard framework for system software and native operating system (OS) drivers to determine the function of SDCA-enabled SoundWire audio devices, the properties of their control interfaces (addressing, access mode, access layer, deferred access and interrupts) and reset properties.

In conjunction with the introduction of the new MIPI specification, capabilities of audio devices can be seamlessly reported to the host via the framework defined in the MIPI DisCo Specification for SoundWire, enabling native OS and driver support, improved management of power consumption and enablement of advanced audio features.

Key Components

• SDCA Audio Functions — Conceptual descriptions of how software views an SDCA audio device in order to control it (standardized functions defined are smart amp, smart microphone, speaker-microphone, universal audio jack, retaskable jack codec, human interface device and universal implementation-defined function)
• SDCA Entities — Basic building blocks used to describe each SDCA audio function (entities include input terminal, output terminal, mixer unit, feature unit, clock source, smart amp processing unit, smart microphone processing unit and many other essential entity types required to describe each audio function)
• SDCA Controls — Provisions for an abstract model of how host software changes behavior of the SDCA function in a peripheral audio device

Version Updates

Version 1.1 updates SDCA to include several new features: simple jack, simple microphone, simple amplifier and network digital audio interface for Bluetooth/display devices. This latest version also improves support for autonomous ultrasound sensing and resolves issues and corrections identified in the previous version. In addition, MIPI DisCo (Discovery and Configuration) content has been integrated directly into the SDCA specification.

Get Involved

MIPI Alliance encourages companies interested in shaping the specification to join and participate in the MIPI Software Working Group. Please contact us at software@mipi.org for more information.