192 kHz DAC w/ Volume Control and 1 Vrms @ 3.3 V # Technical Documentation: CS4349CZZ Stereo Audio DAC
Manufacturer : Cirrus Logic
Document Version : 1.0
Last Updated : October 2023
---
## 1. Application Scenarios
### 1.1 Typical Use Cases
The CS4349CZZ is a 24-bit, 192 kHz stereo digital-to-analog converter (DAC) designed for high-fidelity audio applications. Its primary use cases include:
* Consumer Audio Systems : Integrated into DVD/Blu-ray players, set-top boxes, soundbars, and home theater receivers to provide high-quality analog audio output from digital sources.
* Professional Audio Equipment : Used in mixing consoles, audio interfaces, and broadcast equipment where clean, low-noise analog conversion is critical.
* Multimedia Devices : Embedded in digital televisions, gaming consoles, and portable media players.
* Computer Audio : Found on high-definition motherboard audio codecs and external USB DACs for improved PC audio fidelity.
### 1.2 Industry Applications
* Consumer Electronics : Dominates mid-to-high-tier consumer audio/video products due to its balance of performance and cost.
* Automotive Infotainment : Used in head units and amplifier modules, benefiting from its robust performance across a wide supply voltage range (4.5V to 5.5V).
* Industrial & Test Equipment : Employed in systems requiring precise analog signal generation from digital data, such as audio testers and measurement systems.
### 1.3 Practical Advantages and Limitations
Advantages:
* High Performance : Offers a dynamic range of 105 dB (typical) and a total harmonic distortion plus noise (THD+N) of -95 dB (typical), enabling transparent audio reproduction.
* System Simplicity : Requires minimal external components. It accepts standard audio data formats (I²S, left-justified) and includes an internal voltage reference, reducing board space and BOM cost.
* Flexible Power Management : Features a hardware-controlled power-down mode, reducing standby current to microamps, which is ideal for battery-sensitive or energy-efficient designs.
* Robust Operation : The wide analog supply voltage range enhances compatibility with various system power rails.
Limitations:
* Fixed Functionality : As a dedicated DAC, it lacks integrated features found in audio codecs, such as analog-to-digital conversion (ADC), digital signal processing (DSP), or input multiplexing. This requires additional components for recording or complex audio routing.
* Output Drive Capability : The voltage-output architecture may require an external operational amplifier (op-amp) buffer to drive low-impedance loads (< 10 kΩ) or long cables without signal degradation.
* Clock Sensitivity : Like all high-resolution audio DACs, its performance is dependent on a clean, low-jitter master clock (SCLK) from the digital source (e.g., processor, FPGA).
---
## 2. Design Considerations
### 2.1 Common Design Pitfalls and Solutions
* Pitfall 1: Poor Power Supply Decoupling
* Symptom : Audible hum, increased noise floor, or distortion.
* Solution : Place high-quality, low-ESR ceramic capacitors (e.g., 1 µF and 0.1 µF) as close as possible to the `AVDD` and `DVDD` pins. Connect them directly to the component's ground pin via short, wide traces.
* Pitfall 2: Incorrect Digital Audio Format
* Symptom : No audio output or severely distorted audio.
* Solution : Ensure the host controller (e.g., microprocessor) is configured to output I²S or Left-Justified data format,
