USB Multi-Function Audio (MFi - USB Role Switch)

The USB Multi-Function Audio (MFi - USB Role Switch) board will be removed from sale, effective 01/8/16. For further information see EOL notice.

Recommended replacement: xCORE-200 Multichannel Audio Platform MFi (XK-AUDIO-216-MC-ABL)

Customers wishing to develop a single tile USB Audio solution should refer to appnote: AN01027: Porting the XMOS USB 2.0 Audio Reference Software onto XU208 custom hardware.

The Multi-Function Audio (MFA) reference design uses the xCORE-USB family of devices to provide high quality digital audio connectivity for consumer and pro-audio applications.

The xCORE-USB Family of multicore microcontrollers combines the flexibility, low latency and determinacy of xCORE, with an integrated High Speed USB 2.0 PHY supporting 480Mbps data-rates.

The design provides certified USB 2.0 High Speed device operation with a USB Audio Class 2.0 device compliant implementation and configurable digital audio interfaces and peripherals.

Hardware and software solutions enabling Apple devices to operate in USB Host Mode, as well as in USB Device Mode with support for USB Role Switch are available to licensees of Apple's MFi program, through Apple's authorized MFi component distributor. For more information on the MFi program, visit: http://developer.apple.com/MFi.

MULTI-FUNCTION AUDIO (MFi - Apple Role Switch) FEATURES

MFA hardware features:

  • Complete hardware reference design
  • Based on the XS1-U6 processor
    • 500 MIPS, 6 cores,integrated USB 2.0 PHY
  • USB A and USB B sockets
  • USB or externally powered
  • Stereo line-level analogue audio output
    • PCM up to 192kHz at 24bits
    • DSD64 & DSD128
  • Stereo line-level analogue audio input
    • PCM up to 192kHz at 24bits
  • Coax S/PDIF output
  • Local crystal based audio clocking
  • MIDI input and output
  • Dedicated power supply for battery charging of Apple devices

MFA software features:

  • Complete software reference design
  • USB 2.0 device
  • USB Audio Class 2.0 compliant (optional 1.0 fall-back)
    • Asynchronous operation
  • PCM up to 384kHz** at 24bits
  • Native DSD64 & DSD128
  • DoP64 & DoP128*

**The MFA software supports PCM up to 384kHz. However the MFA hardware only supports PCM up to 192kHz. PCM 384kHz and DoP128 operation are therefore disabled in the MFA software by default.

Driver support

See USB Audio Driver Support for detailed information.

Windows Developers

See command length restrictions for information on building projects based on the USB Audio reference software.

Designing USB Audio 2.0 products

The Multi Function Audio platform is based on the XS1-USB device. We recommend that new USB Audio 2.0 designs should be based on xCORE-200 XU (USB) devices instead of xCORE-USB devices. See the xCORE-200 USB Audio Multichannel Platform.