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Topic: S/PDIF Converter (Optical <-> Electric) (Read 7355 times) previous topic - next topic
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S/PDIF Converter (Optical <-> Electric)

Reply #1 –
Are you thinking of the possible increase in timing jitter? Because other than that the signal is purely digital and surely lossless.

S/PDIF Converter (Optical <-> Electric)

Reply #2 –
The only way to test would be bit-comparison ...
The name was Plex The Ripper, not Jack The Ripper

S/PDIF Converter (Optical <-> Electric)

Reply #3 –
Of course they are. Although, some DIY gismos may be problematic if not designed properly.
If age or weaknes doe prohibyte bloudletting you must use boxing

S/PDIF Converter (Optical <-> Electric)

Reply #5 –
Quote from: Sebastian Mares on
I am aware of timing jitter, but I thought some crappy devices might have a DAC and ADC although that seems stupid - but hey, it's stupid to have LCDs with VGA input only, too.

Ápart from timing issues, they are lossless in a sense that they shouldn't change a single bit of data.
Using DACs/ADCs would just be a waste of money, or something to sell to the high-end freaks, who
also buy cables for a couple of hundred dollars / meter... 
We have a couple of them in use, even the ones which do some processing to the sub-code data,
still audio data remains unchanged as it should be.
 

S/PDIF Converter (Optical <-> Electric)

Reply #6 –
Quote from: pdq on
Are you thinking of the possible increase in timing jitter? Because other than that the signal is purely digital and surely lossless.
Jitter would only be an issue if the device re-clocked the signal. But I suspect most converters simply use the electronic signal to drive a transistor to drive an LED, or a light sensitive transistor to produce an electronic signal.

S/PDIF Converter (Optical <-> Electric)

Reply #7 –
Quote from: Robbie on
Quote from: pdq on
Are you thinking of the possible increase in timing jitter? Because other than that the signal is purely digital and surely lossless.
Jitter would only be an issue if the device re-clocked the signal. But I suspect most converters simply use the electronic signal to drive a transistor to drive an LED, or a light sensitive transistor to produce an electronic signal.


Actually it would be possible for the timing jitter to increase in going from electrical->optical or optical->electrical. At some point in the conversion the signal becomes analog and component noise can add some random variation in the transition time. If the device were to re-clock (not very likely) then it could in that case improve the timing jitter (or not).

S/PDIF Converter (Optical <-> Electric)

Reply #8 –
But the DAC should re-clock and thus eliminate any transmission jitter, so why worry?

S/PDIF Converter (Optical <-> Electric)

Reply #9 –
Quote from: pdq on
Actually it would be possible for the timing jitter to increase in going from electrical->optical or optical->electrical. At some point in the conversion the signal becomes analog and component noise can add some random variation in the transition time. If the device were to re-clock (not very likely) then it could in that case improve the timing jitter (or not).

Of course if your circuit have different propagaton times of rising and falling edges. Properly designed circuits won't increase jitter or distort signal. Indeed, the output stage is used to shape the signal so it could be transmited over coax according to spdif requirements.
If age or weaknes doe prohibyte bloudletting you must use boxing

S/PDIF Converter (Optical <-> Electric)

Reply #10 –
I doubt a clock is involved.  They're probably just an analog amplifier that boosts the current on the incoming digital signal and then converts it to or from optics using a diode.  Well, if the source is optical, obviously the diode comes before the amp.