SPDIF (Sony/Philips Digital Interconnect Format)

SPDIF is a digital audio interconnect format jointly developed by Sony and Philips, two major media device companies. SPDIF refers to the physical layer required to move digital data between a media player device and the speakers as well as the Data Link Layer protocol specifications. The physical layer means all the physical and electrical specifications for devices and the relationship between a physical medium and a device. The data link layer on the other hand presents the procedural and functional means to transfer data. It can also identify and correct errors that may transpire in the physical layer.
Both the data format and the physical layer are utilized to transfer digital audio signals from multi media devices such as CD [layers, PC audio cards, DVD players, auto audio systems and the likes to speakers, which will then interpret them as sound.
SPDIF is simply a standard audio transfer file format that is most commonly found on digital audio equipment such as a DAT (Digital Audio Tape) machine or audio processing device. Its major function is to allow the transport of audio format from one file to another without the alteration to and from an analog format, which could corrupt the signal quality.
The RCA connector is the most commonly used connector with an SPDIF interface; optical connectors can also be used.
Use of SPDIF
• Most CD and DVD players have ports for various sound cards and SPDIF, especially if your multi media device is of the most current issue.
• If you want an audio file to be transferred from your multi media device like a DVD player and the likes to better sound systems such as speakers, SPDIF standard is your best choice. It transfer sounds from digital to analog format.
• You can easily modify your sound formats using your computer as most PCs have motherboards supplied with SPDIF output and input ports. SPDIF connectors were directly attached to the mother board. This means that you can easily transfer the audio format from your music players to the computer.
SPDIF Audio Data Format
• The SPDIF Audio Data Format is an IEC-60958 standards component and it is derived from the AES/EBU standard, which is similar to AES/EBU at the protocol level; it also works with cheaper software programs.
• SPDIF differs with AES/EBU protocol in the Channel Status Bit, which is the allocated section of the digital audio data broadcasted over IEC958 between hardware devices.



Read more details about s/pdif and digital optical cable.