First published on MSDN on May 07, 2014
To support enabling our partners to innovate on hardware design for new devices, we’re making updates to the audio component certification requirements. In the past, both integrated and externally connected audio components submitted for Windows Hardware Certification needed to meet the Device.Audio.UAACompliance requirement. With this update, partners will have more flexibility to design hardware that meets various scenarios and needs.
Device.Audio.Hardware.Architecture
Audio subsystems must use a technology compatible with Windows
Integrated audio devices
An
integrated audio device
is one that supports an internal component or a port that’s used exclusively for media content. Here are some examples of integrated audio devices:
-
Speakers
-
Microphones and microphone arrays
-
Analog audio jacks (headphone jack, line out, line in, microphone jack)
-
S/PDIF
-
Digital outputs like HDMI and DisplayPort
For these devices, any audio hardware architecture can be used provided at least
one
of the following is true:
-
The device provides basic functionality for all of its endpoints when used with any of the audio class drivers packaged with Windows.
-
A driver is available through Windows Update that will enable basic functionality for all the device’s endpoints.
Externally connected audio devices
An
externally connected audio device
is one that isn’t integrated to the system and has a connection that isn’t specific to audio or media. Here are some examples of external audio devices:
-
USB audio
-
Bluetooth audio
For these devices, any audio hardware architecture can be used, but we strongly recommended that these devices conform to standard specifications and provide basic functionality with a Windows audio class driver. On certain Windows devices that don’t allow the installation of a third-party drivers, the only way for an external audio device to function is if it’s compatible with a class driver.
All audio devices
If the PnP ID of an audio device is compatible with any of the audio class drivers packaged with Windows, the device must provide basic functionality for all of its endpoints when using that driver.
A device provides
basic functionality
when it meets all the Windows Hardware Certification Kit audio device requirements.
For more info
Audio Device Technologies
