Texas Instruments and Mistral Software have introduced a virtual CD changer reference design that the firms said could help replace traditional mechanical CD changers.
Based on TI's Aureus audio digital signal processors, the reference design supports MP3, WMA, MPEG4-AAC and ATRAC audio formats, and can be configured to include fixed and removable media options such as NAND flash, USB and SD. The design was developed with high-speed encoding technology to rip/encode CDs at 4x real time or faster, thus a 60-minute CD could be stored in 15 minutes. The design supports simultaneous decoding, so users can listen to audio while CDs are being ripped.
By replacing the mechanical CD changer with solid-state components the VCDC reference design can eliminate moving parts and reduce the overall component count of an automotive head unit. The Aureus DSP directly controls the peripherals, such as the CD loader, NAND flash, USB and SD, eliminating the need for a microcontroller.