sound description interchange format (acoustics) (SDIF)

The Sound Description Interchange Format (SDIF) is a standardized file format for describing and representing audio signal data. The SDIF format allows sound descriptions in spectral, temporal, wave, and other models. It consists of a general framework for the data format and an extensible standard set of sound descriptions. SDIF is platform independent and is used in conjunction with Direct Stream Digital( DSD) in professional audio.

The data rate of the SDIF interface is 5.6448 Mbit/s and results from the sampling rate of 2.8224 MHz known from Direct Stream Digital. In addition, SDIF also supports a doubling of the sampling rate to 5.6448 MHz with a data rate of 11.2869 Mbps. The synchronization is done by an external clock signal. As interface SDIF uses BNC connectors with coaxial cable and works with an impedance of75 Ohm

SDIF/2 is a Sony standard used only in mastering studios. The peak amplitude is 5 V, separate lines are available for the left and right channels, and a sync signal.

SDIF/3 is an SDIF version developed by the Institute de Recherche et Coordination Acoustique/Musique (IRCAM) that is independent of the computer platform. It is considered to be extremely precise in its description of audio signals. The SDIF/3 interface uses BNC connectors with an impedance of 75 ohms. The synchronization is done via a dedicated clock signal.