7/30/2010

Audio Connections
Finally the Audio Engineering Society (AES) has
issued a standard document for interconnection
of pro audio equipment.
Audio Interconnection
NATIONAL BROADCASTING NETWORK (NBN
(NBN--4) It is AES48,, titled “AES48-2005: AES standard on
By: John Achilles Denna
interconnections —Grounding and EMC
practices — Shields of connectors in audio
equipment containing active circuitry.

ECE-41724

Audio Connections Ground Loops

• Unbalanced audio (home audio) is cheaper to • Ground loops occur when the grounds of the two
support than balanced audio, it requires less units are also tied together in another place: via
expensive connectors and wires, the trade-off is the third wire in the line cord, by tying the metal
a lower sound quality limited by cable distance. chassis together through the rack rails, etc.
• These situations create a circuit through which
• Balanced audio (professional audio) generates a current may flow in a closed “loop” from one
cleaner signal with less hum and noise. It is unit’s ground out to a second unit and back to
excellent in rejecting ground loops the first.
• It is not simply the presence of this current that
• Unbalanced audio is used in environments creates the hum—it is when this current flows
where the required quality is not that much through a unit’s audio signal ground that creates
stressed the hum.

Common Audio Interfaces XLR

• XLR Connector ¾ It is commonly used as standard balanced connector for professional
audio or broadcast.
• Terminal Blocks ¾ Colloquially known as Cannon Connector or cannon plug
¾ XLR was derived from Cannon X series, then added L-Latch for the next
• RCA Connector version (Cannon XL), and then added R-Rubber for the next version
• PL/Mini PL Connector (Cannon XLR)
¾ Most commonly found in wired microphones

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Terminal Blocks
¾ Also known as Euro-block
¾ It is commonly used for speaker connections

Note: No standard polarization for terminal blocks

RCA TRS or PL
¾ Derived from Radio Corporation of America ¾ Stands for Tip-Ring-Sleeve
¾ It is used as standard consumer audio/video connectors ¾ Sometimes called audio jack, phone plug, stereo plug, etc.
¾It is commonly used in microphones and guitar amplifiers
Color Coding:
Yellow : Composite Video
Red : Analog Audio
White : Analog
g Audio

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The Absolute Best Right Way To Do It The Absolute Best Right Way To Do It

The method specified by AES48 is to use

balanced lines and tie the cable shield to
the metal chassis (right where it enters the
chassis) at both ends of the cable.
cable

The Absolute Best Right Way To Do It Audio Interconnections

• A balanced line requires three separate ¾Balanced Female XLR to Balanced Male XLR
conductors, two of which are signal (+ and –)
and one shield
• The shield serves to guard the sensitive audio
¾Balanced Female XLR to Balanced TRS
lines from interference.
• Chassis tying the shield at each end also
guarantees the best possible protection from RFI
[radio frequency interference] and other noises ¾Balanced Female XLR to Unbalanced RCA
[neon signs, lighting dimmers].

Audio Interconnections Audio Interconnections

¾Balanced TRS to Balanced TRS

¾Balanced TRS to Unbalanced RCA

¾Unbalanced RCA to Unbalanced RCA

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Audio Interconnections Unbalanced Connection

Unbalanced Connection
Balanced Connection

Balanced Connection
Reasons why audio equipments doesn’t come
wired this way:
– Some things are really hard to change
– Unbalanced equipments are easily available and
inexpensive

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Balanced to Unbalanced Connection Balanced to Unbalanced Connection

The quickest, quietest and most foolproof method
to connect balanced and unbalanced is to
transformer isolate all unbalanced
connections

Balanced to Unbalanced Connection Balanced to Unbalanced Connection

If transformer isolation is not an option, special In addition, a ground-sending-end-only shield
cable assemblies are a last resort. connection minimizes the possibility of high
radio frequency interference since it prevents
Solution: the shield from acting like an antenna
to eliminate the hum and buzz problems,
disconnect one end of the shield. This stops the Another Solution to RFI:
noisy hum current flow in the circuit – but only at
Hybrid Shield Termination
low frequencies.
“providing the RF path through a small
capacitor (0.1 or 0.01 microfarad ceramic
disc) connected from the lifted end of the
shield to the chassis”

The Pin 1 Problems

To make equipment cheaper to build, manufacturers
started connecting cable shields to the circuit board’s
common trace, then took that trace to the chassis.

The problem is that any voltage drop across the wiring that
is common to both the shield current and the circuit’s
path to ground will be injected into the audio circuitry.

Shield currents include the noise currents coupled into

ground by power line filters, potential differences
between “ground” at opposing ends of long cable runs,
and the shield acting as an antenna, picking up RF
dimmer noise and other radio signals. It’s quite common
to have AM, FM, and TV broadcast signals flowing on
the shields of audio wiring.

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Balanced Connectors
• Uses an AES3 interface formerly known as AES/EBU.
(for clarification, the interface requires isolation for AES3
but not required for EBU specifications).
• AES is the standard serial transmission format for
professional digital audio signals covered by AES3-1992
((Recommended practice
p for Digital
g Audio Engineering-
g g
Serial transmission format for two channel linearly
represented digital audio data).
• S/PDIF – Sony/Philips Digital Interface Format, is the
consumer version of the AES3 interface and mode of
transport for Digital Audio Signals.
• It is based on a coaxial cable and RCA connector.

Electrical Representation of Audio Signal How Unbalanced and Balanced Connection works

Audio
Signal

Noise

+ Audio
Signal

Noise

- Audio
Signal

Overview of Interfacing AES3 and S/PDIF Initials, Acronyms & Standards

In the old days, (80’s) direct conversion of AES3 to • AES/EBU
S/PDIF is considered as bad practice, but due to 9 Audio Engineering Society/European Broadcast Union.
receiver chip tolerance today, such actions are
• AES3-1992
permitted already.
9 AES recommended practice for digital audio engineering –
serial transmission format for two channel linearly
- Initials acronyms & Standards
Initials, represented digital audio data
data.
- AES3 (AES/EBU) & S/PDIF Differences
• ANSI S4.1992
- AES3ID Variation
9 American standard equivalent to AES3-1992.
- Conversion Cautions
- Converting AES3, AES3ID & S/PDIF • IEC 60958-4
9 International Standard equal to AES3-1992.

• S/PDIF
9 Sony/Philips Digital Interface Format

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Initials, Acronyms & Standards Initials, Acronyms & Standards

• S/PDIF • AES3ID-1995
9 Sony/Philips Digital Interface Format ¾ AES information Document for digital audio
engineering.
• IEC 60958-3 ¾ transmission of AES3 formatted data by unbalanced
9 International standard equivalent of S/PDIF. coaxial cable using a 75ohm line connected by BNC
instead if 110ohm balanced line.
• CP
CP-340
340
9 EIA equivalent of S/PDIF. ¾ it is a special AES3 subset for broadcast applications
and long distance runs.
• EIA ¾ For long distance high frequency transmission,
9 Electronic Industry Association unbalanced coax is superior to balance lines due to
high capacitance of shielded twisted-pair cable
• EIAJ Note :
9 Electronic Industry Association Japan AES3 is a professional only audio standard while S/PDIF is a
consumer only audio standard, IEC 60958 and EIAJ CO-1201 cover
both consumer and professional definitions.

AES3 S/PDIF or SPDIF

Created from Sony/Philips digital interface format.
“AES3 allows the use of transformer or
transformerless interfaces, while the This was also made an international standard and
corresponding EBU standard requires the use of issued as IEC 60958-3 (same number, different
transformers. Therefore it has become a common dash as the p
professional version),
), and it conforms
shorthand to say AES/EBU when the interface is with the EIAJ (Electronic Industry Association
transformer coupled, and AES3 when it is not or if Japan) standard CP-1201 (renumbered CP-340).
the interface type is unknown.”

Differences b/w AES3 an S/PDIF Conversion Cautions

- You can convert one electrical interface to another
with just a few parts, but the protocol used in AES3
and S/PDIF is not exactly the same and that can
cause problems. The basic data formats are
identical, but there is a bit in the channel status
frame that tells which is which
which, and assigns certain
bits different meanings.

- Remember that even though the audio data is the

same between AES3 and S/PDIF, they have
different subcode formats.

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Conversion Cautions AES3 to AES3ID or S/PDIF

- AES3 converted to 75-ohm coax is not S/PDIF, and “IF” you know that either the transmitter or the receiver is
S/PDIF converted to XLR balanced is not AES3. transformer coupled and the interconnect distance is short
then a simple resistor divider will match the impedances and
Nor is AES3id 75-ohm BNC the same as 75-ohm
change the level.
RCA S/PDIF -- it may work, but it is not the same. 56 Ω
They are still in their native format; just the
transmission medium has changed
changed.
110 Ω 200 Ω

2 Output
- Going from S/PDIF to AES3 has a higher degree of Input AES3
1 1
AES3ID 75 Ω
110 ohms
success than the other way around. AES3 signals 3 BNC, S/PDIF
75 Ω RCA
often are not recognized as valid by S/PDIF inputs.
56 Ω

AES3 to AES3ID or S/PDIF AES3ID or S/PDIFI to AES3

This is the AES3id recommended network for creating a 12- - This conversion only requires impedance matching
dB pad (4:1 voltage divider) and converting the AES3 110 since the levels are smaller than AES3, but
Ω balanced output impedance into 75 Ω for driving the compatible. No satisfactory resistor-only network
AES3id input. Therefore an average output level of 4 volts exists to convert between AES3id or S/PDIF and
will be reduced to 1 volt.
AES3 even though one appears in the AES3id
document.

- DO NOT FORGET that the levels coming out of an

AES3 transmitter are too large for the typical AES3id
or S/PDIF input so you must add the attenuator.
Going the other way you do not need the attenuator
since all AES3 receivers can handle the smallest in-
spec AES3id or S/PDIF output signal as long as a
minimum of 200 mV arrives.

1 : 1.21

AES3id to S/PDIF & Vice-versa

Input AES3ID 2 Output AES3
1
Since both formats use 75 Ω coaxial cable, connecting an
75Ω BNC 110Ω 110Ω
1
75Ω
3 AES3id output to an S/PDIF input is simple. All that is needed
(S/PDIF 75 Ω 200mV
RCA) 165mV Minimum
is to provide compatible hardware hook-up and a 6-dB pad
minimum (2:1 attenuator).

-S/PDIF outputs may be connected directly to AES3id inputs.

All that is needed is to provide compatible hardware hook-up
and a 6-dB pad (2:1 attenuator).
-As long as connecting distances are short, the simple T-
network shown below is sufficient.

Note: Even though the network is symmetrical and functions normally in

either direction, it is to be used only to interface between an AES3id output
and an S/PDIF input. If this adapter is used the other way around, to
connect an S/PDIF output to an AES3id input, the attenuation may make
the S/PDIF signal too small for the AES3id receiver to acquire.

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Input AES3ID
27 Ω 27 Ω Output
S/PDIF
Grounding/Shielding Considerations
75Ω BNC 100 Ω
1 1 75 Ω RCA • An Unbalanced return conductor resembles as a shield and
provides shielding for electric fields, the only problems is
that magnetic fields are not shielded, this is also true for
balanced connection. The twisted pair construction of
balanced cables provides greater noise immunity to
AES3ID to S/PDIF Converter 75 Ω to 75 Ω 6dB attenuator magnetic field interference.
Unbalanced cable shields carry signal in the form of
return current thus further distinguishing it from the
real shields.
By Definition :
Shield is a metallic partition between two regions of
space which controls the propagation of EM fields
from one place to another.

General Manufacturing Landscape Balanced Audio vs. Unbalanced Audio

• Q : If balanced audio is superior than unbalanced audio,

• A lot of audio manufacturers either intentionally or unwittingly
connect balanced shields to audio signal ground. This results to why is it that it is rarely found in consumer audio
interconnection hum and buzz problems. equipment?
Ans. 1 : during the 50’s, the period of telecommunication and
AC power distribution roll out, two types of audio engineers
Being able to possess the knowledge on how to go about this evolved.
will
ill d
definitely
fi it l resolve
l one off th
the b
basic
i yett pressing
i problems
bl
1st – Telco engineers after learning that long runs of AC
with audio equipment interconnections.
power lines must be balanced in order to have acceptable
performance.
2nd – Hi Fi audio engineer developed systems that are
not intended for long cable runs relied on unbalanced
connection.

Major Issue : COST!!!

Balanced vs. Unbalanced Shields Chassis Ground vs. Signal Ground

Chassis ground is generally considered any conductor that is
connected to a unit’s metal enclosure, the terms chassis
ground may have come about since units with 3 conductor
line cords connect the chassis to earth ground when
plugged into a properly wired AC outlet.

In units with a 2 conductor line cord (Consumer) the chassis

does not connect to earth ground, though it is normally
connected to the signal ground in the box.
Signal ground is the internal conductor used as the “0 Volt”
reference potential for the internal electronics and is
sometimes further split into digital and analog ground
sections.

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don’t modify cables, or try your own version

of grounding unless you really understand
exactly what type of output and input you Thank you for your
have to connect
attention….

ECE-41724

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