
Engineer To Engineer Note EE-54
Notes on using Analog Devices’ DSP, audio, & video components from the Computer Products Division
Phone: (800) ANALOG-D or (781) 461-3881, FAX: (781) 461-3010, EMAIL: dsp.support@analog.com
HOW TO USE AD1819A 
VARIABLE SAMPLE RATE 
SUPPORT
Last Modified: 5/12/98
Overview
This Engineer’s Note will cover the AD1819A's variable 
sample rate support. One advantage the AD1819A has 
over other AC `97 codecs is that it can support any 
sample rate between 7 kHz and 48 kHz with one Hz 
precision. Two different sample rates may be used, and 
either may be assigned to any of the four converter 
channels in the AD1819A. In addition, one of the sample 
rates may be multiplied by a constant factor of 10/7 or 8/7 
for generation of irrational sample rates used in V.34 
modems.  The variable sample rate support in the 
AD1819A eliminates the burden of digital re-sampling 
imposed on DC `97 controllers by the AC `97 
specification, without any loss in audio performance.
Sample rate changes take effect immediately after either 
register is written.
Miscellaneous Control Bits Register
Register 76h contains four bits which assign one of the 
two SRGs (Sample Rate Generators) to each conversion 
channel, and two bits to enable the 10/7 or 8/7 multipliers 
for irrational modem rates.
Bit Name Description
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------0 ARSR ADC right sample rate generator select 
2 DRSR DAC right sample rate generator select 
5 SRX8D7 multiply SR1 rate by 8/7 
6 SRX10D7 multiply SR1 rate by 10/7 
8 ALSR ADC left sample rate generator select 
10 DLSR DAC left sample rate generator select
Other bits are reserved or used for other purposes, so this 
register should be read, the result modified as necessary, 
and then written back.
If the ALSR, ARSR, DLSR, or DRSR bits are zero then 
the corresponding converter channels are assigned to 
SRG0, and use the sample rate in 
register 78h.  If any of those bits are ones then 
corresponding channels are assigned to SRG1, and use the 
sample rate in register 7Ah. The default state of all of 
these bits is zero in the AD1819A, 
but that may change in later parts.  Hence, software 
should always set these bits instead of assuming they are 
reset to a fixed value.
REGISTERS
Four vendor-defined registers in the AD1819A control its 
pair of sample rate generators (SRGs).  Two (78h and 
7Ah) contain the sample rates to be generated. Another 
(76h) assigns one of the two sample rates to each 
conversion channel, and enables the 10/7 or 8/7 
multipliers for modem support. The last (74h) enables 
DAC request 
bits, which are required for proper transfer of DAC data at 
sample rates less than the 48 kHz serial frame rate.
Sample Rate registers
Registers 78h and 7Ah contain the sample rates currently 
assigned to each SRG in Hz. Behavior of the SRGs is 
undefined if sample rates less than 7 kHz (1B58h) or 
greater than the default rate of 48 kHz (BB80h) are used.
If the SRX8D7 or SRX10D7 bits are set then the sample 
rate generated by SRG1 is multiplied by a constant factor 
of 8/7 or 10/7, respectively. The rate generated by SRG0 
is unaffected by these bits. The result is undefined if both 
bits are set. Care must be taken to ensure that neither the 
base sample rate (if both SRX bits are clear) nor the 
multiplied sample rate (if one of the SRX bits is set) are 
ever outside of the allowed 7 kHz to 48 kHz range; this 
should not be a problem for any of the V.34 irrational 
rates.
Serial Configuration register
Register 74h contains one bit to enable DAC requests, and 
six read-only bits for the DAC request bits themselves.
Bit Name Description
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------0 DRRQ0 Master codec DAC right request 
1 DRRQ1 Slave 1 codec DAC right request 
2 DRRQ2 Slave 2 codec DAC right request 
8 DLRQ0 Master codec DAC left request 
9 DLRQ1 Slave 1 codec DAC left request
a

10 DLRQ2 Slave 2 codec DAC left request 
11 DRQEN Enable DAC requests in serial frame
Other bits are reserved or used for other purposes, so this 
register should be read, the result modified as necessary, 
and then written back. If there is only one codec in the 
system then it is the master 
codec; multi-codec systems are covered elsewhere.
DAC request bits are asserted whenever the associated 
DAC channel is able to accept data in the next serial 
frame. This information is required because it is possible 
to provide more samples to a DAC channel than it can 
accept when the DAC channel is running at a rate 
less than the serial frame rate of 48 kHz.  If a DAC 
request bit is deasserted then the controller should not send 
a DAC sample for that channel in the next frame.
If the DRQEN bit is set then the AD1819A produces 
DAC request bits at two different points in the input serial 
frame. Those two points are 
in the bottom half of the status address slot, and in the 
status data slot.
The DAC request bits in the status address slot are 
compatible with the recently released AC `97 2.0 
extensions. They are active-low (send sample if zero), and 
are output in the same order as the output slots for the 
corresponding DAC channels.
Slot Bit SDATA_IN Controls slot
----------------------------------------------------------
---1 19 0 
1 18:12 status address 
1 11 DLRQ0# 3 
1 10 DRRQ0# 4 
1 9 DLRQ1# 5 
1 8 DRRQ1# 6 
1 7 DLRQ2# 7 
1 6 DRRQ2# 8 
1 5:0 0
DAC requests are also produced in the status address and 
data slots by emulating register reads of register 74h. 
Once DRQEN is set, every 
input frame (except those following an output frame 
containing a read command) will contain 74h in the status 
address slot and the contents 
of register 74h in the status data slot.  This mode is 
provided for use with controllers that cannot propagate 
data from the low half of the status address slot. It is 
preferable to use the DAC request bits from the status 
address slot instead of those from the status data slot, 
because the latter are obscured whenever a real register read
command is issued.
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE AD1819A
AND AC `97 2.0
Many features of the AC `97 2.0 variable sample rate 
extensions are based on features introduced by Analog 
Devices in the AD1819A, but there are some differences 
with which systems using the AD1819A must cope.
First is the sample rate registers themselves.  The 
AD1819A's sample rate registers are at indices 78h and 
7Ah instead of at 2Ch through 34h, and there is no fixed 
mapping of converter channels to SRGs.  Also, the 
AD1819A relies on the user not to write sample rates 
outside of the acceptable range to the sample rate registers; 
AC `97 2.0 codecs handle invalid settings by forcing the 
register to the nearest acceptable value.
AC `97 2.0 codecs require that a bit (VRA, register 2Ah) 
be set before sample rates may be changed, while the 
AD1819A's variable sample rate support is always 
enabled. VRA also enables DAC request bits in the status 
address slot on AC `97 2.0 codecs, while the AD1819A 
uses the DRQEN bit in register 74h to enable DAC 
requests in both the status address and status data slots.
Future AC `97 codecs from Analog Devices will comply 
with the AC `97 2.0 variable sample rate extensions, 
while retaining as much compatibility with the AD1819A 
as possible.
SYNCHRONIZATION OF AUDIO DATA
Some controllers or applications require that all stereo 
ADC or DAC samples be delivered in (left, right) pairs. 
The AD1819A will deliver ADC samples and DAC 
requests in pairs as long as some simple rules are 
followed.
The ADCs will deliver samples in pairs as long as both 
ADC channels are assigned to the same SRG (ALSR = 
ARSR in register 76h) and loopback mode is disabled 
(LPBK = 0 in register 20h). The ADCs must be powered 
down and back up again whenever ALSR and ARSR are 
changed or LPBK is cleared in order to guarantee that 
samples will be delivered in pairs.
DAC requests will be issued in pairs as long as both DAC 
channels are assigned to the same SRG (DLSR = DRSR 
in register 76h), loopback mode
EE-54 Page 2
Notes on using Analog Devices’ DSP, audio, & video components from the Computer Products Division
Phone: (800) ANALOG-D or (781) 461-3881, FAX: (781) 461-3010, EMAIL: dsp.support@analog.com

is disabled (LPBK = 0 in register 20h), and DAC samples 
are delivered in pairs. The DACs must be powered down 
and up again whenever DLSR 
and DRSR are changed or LPBK is cleared in order to 
guarantee that DAC requests will be delivered in pairs.
Power cycling the ADCs or DACs is unnecessary if they 
are powered down when the changes are made; the altered 
settings will take effect when the converters are next 
powered up.
EE-54 Page 3
Notes on using Analog Devices’ DSP, audio, & video components from the Computer Products Division
Phone: (800) ANALOG-D or (781) 461-3881, FAX: (781) 461-3010, EMAIL: dsp.support@analog.com