Apogee Shows DA-16 "IntelliDAC" 16-Channel, 24/96 D/AJul 25, 2001 
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Apogee Electronics, of Santa Monica, CA, (Booth 1523) was showing its new multi-channel D/A converter, the DA-16 IntelliDAC, which features a novel buffer-based dual-reclocking system for jitter removal, along with multiple interfaces and, for the first time, S/MUX sample-splitting. Designed for the latest hard-disk recording systems, the DA-16 offers 16 channels of Apogee quality at an exceptionally affordable price, and handles 24-bit D/A conversion at sample rates up to 96 kHz. The converters can source their digital input from either AES/EBU, ADAT optical or TDIF sources, and the unit can sync to word clock or a specified input. ADAT and TDIF inputs are organized into two groups of eight, and channels 1-8 and 9–16 can have different sources. In addition, the light-pipe inputs accept the Sonorus S/MUX protocol for transferring high-resolution signals via optical interfaces, allowing access to all 16 channels. LEDs indicate signal status on each channel, with the LED intensity modulated by the signal level to give an “analog-like” display. The balanced analog outputs are supplied in groups of eight channels on 25-pin D connectors, in keeping with other Apogee D/A conversion systems using these connectors. The subtitle “IntelliDAC” relates to the converter’s unique “intelligent” two-stage re-clocking sys-tem, a first for Apogee. “Traditionally, Apogee converters have excelled at removing jitter from the incoming clock signal, but this time, we’ve done something more,” says DA-16 designer Lucas Van Der Mee. “For extremely jittery input sources, more control is needed,” he says. The IntelliDAC solves this problem by utilizing two clocks. “A fast-responding ‘read’ clock, with a wide locking range, fills a dedicated FIFO buffer,” says Van Der Mee, “and an ultra-low-jitter ‘write’ clock, which writes the data out of the buffer, is used to clock the converters.” The advantage of this configuration is that both incoming clock and data are de-jittered. In addition, the system is less sensitive to phase errors between synchronous digital sources. “Errors up to plus or minus 150 degrees can be corrected,” notes Van Der Mee. This substantially reduces the chances of glitching, and enables the DAC to offer superior performance even when the input signal is extremely unstable. The DA-16 will be shipping in the third quarter 2001. For more information, visit their web site at www.apogeedigital.com. |
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