Intel Adds Support For SoundWire ACE2.x, Featuring With Lunar Lake CPUs

The most recent Linux patch, as reported by Phoronix, indicates that Intel has enabled support for SoundWire ACE2.x on next-gen Lunar Lake CPUs.

For those unaware, SoundWire is a communication protocol designed by MIPI Alliance. It provides a low-power and high-quality audio interface that enables efficient transmission of audio data between components. It is specifically utilized in the automotive and mobile industries to streamline the integration of audio components. According to the source, Intel has also added support for SoundWire in previous generations, but this time the "ACE2.x" is a more advanced version.

This is how the SoundWire ACE2.x was described by Intel engineers in the previous patch which already added support for the feature's driver code:

This series uses the abstraction added in past kernel cycles to provide support for the ACE2.x integration. The existing SHIM and Cadence registers are now split in 3 (SHIM, IP, SHIM vendor-specific), with some parts also moved to the HDaudio Extended Multi link structures. Nothing fundamentally different except for the register map.

This series only provides the basic mechanisms to expose SoundWire-based DAIs. The PCI parts and DSP management will be contributed later, and the DAI ops are now empty as well.

via Phoronix

Intel regularly updates and adds new Linux patches to incorporate features. Intel's Lunar Lake lineup is expected to launch by 2025 and by that time, we may see a lot of new changes being implemented in the Linux kernel. The CPU lineup is expected to feature a mix of Intel 18A and external process nodes while "Driving Performance per Watt Leadership". Based on the launch schedule, the lineup will be competing with AMD's Zen 6 core architecture which is also going to offer new performance and efficiency records.

Intel has an Innovation event planned for Q3 2023 and we are likely going to hear more about future CPUs then.

News Source: Phoronix