A²B testing solutions

Why VCO1S A²B Analyzer?

The VCO1S A²B Analyzer system is designed specifically for development teams servicing automotive OEMs, automotive suppliers and audio connectivity equipment suppliers. The deterministic nature of the A²B technology makes it particularly well-suited for automotive audio devices (active speakers, microphones), in-car communication and infotainment.

The A²B Analyzer system consists of a compact hardware device, an accompanying C library software development kit, and network configuration and simulation tools. The hardware device includes a USB 2.0 interface for PC connectivity for audio data and command/control functions. The small form factor device also features a variety of popular audio and connectivity peripherals.

Faster time to market
The Siemens VCO1S A²B Analyzer is an off-the-shelf, plug-and-play solution, enabling engineers to quickly set up test systems and thoroughly verify audio components and networks in automotive environments.

The included A²B network configuration and node simulation tools support a wide range of functions, such as network discovery, diagnostics, GPIO/I2C simulation and dynamic routing of audio to/from the A²B bus. Combining the A²B Analyzer device and software tools helps accelerate the testing and development of A²B-based systems.

Easily integrate into A²B-based systems
The Siemens VCO1S A²B Analyzer is highly flexible. The accompanying software can be used to configure the hardware to simulate a wide range of complex A²B network communication scenarios.

Support for A²B stack integration is available, enabling seamless interoperability between the OS-based master device, such as an IVI head unit, with any A²B-based audio network.

Scalable across multiple use cases
Portable and customizable, the Siemens VCO1S A²B Analyzer can be used throughout the entire product development lifecycle. The A²B Analyzer can be used as an engineering bench tool for either rapid prototyping or system simulation.

Engineering teams can also use it for validation and end-of-line testing by performing signal generation, pass/fail analysis and automated functional tests. The Siemens VCO1S A²B Analyzer is also suitable for in-vehicle testing.

Why A²B – Bus Monitor Pro?

The Siemens VCO1S A²B Bus Monitor is a powerful debugging tool that provides unprecedented insights into the network traffic on an A²B technology-based audio network.

The A²B Bus Monitor system combines a compact, professional-grade, single-unit hardware device with an easy-to-use host application software.

Non-intrusive monitoring
The Siemens VCO1S A²B Bus Monitor acts as a spy node in a daisy-chained A²B-based network to non-intrusively monitor and capture data from the bus. All forms of traffic, audio and control can be logged live over USB and Ethernet.

Key actions, such as those occurring during an A²B network discovery process, can be captured and deconstructed for detailed analysis. In addition, up to two channels of A²B audio can be listened to in real-time through the PC speakers by simply clicking on the channel's corresponding VU meter bar in the audio slot view.

In-depth visibility into the A²B network & traffic
All logged A²B events and triggers are color-coded and can be filtered for easy management and interpretation.

Detailed slave-node-level information, including register settings, helps with increased debugging capability. The ability to import project session files (.ses) created using the VCO1S A²B Analyzer application software greatly helps with overall network awareness and empowers users to set up quickly with a thorough understanding of the system.

Intuitive visualization and analysis of captured data
All captured information is time-stamped, and a custom log viewer allows users to view perfectly time-aligned audio signals with I2C commands and trigger instances.

This time-aligned view results in greater visual comprehension of the entire network, a powerful capability in debugging complex A²B systems. In addition, real-time access to audio from the individual channels accelerates the overall analysis process.

Specially designed for automotive applications
The VCO1S A²B Bus Monitor PRO is ideally suited for automotive OEMs and automotive suppliers developing A²B technology-based systems and components.

With robust, compact hardware that supports both USB and automotive power and ignition, the device can be used on-bench as well as inside car cabins to capture data from test drives. An optional custom in-car power cable is available.