PCMDaten

PCMDaten refers to Pulse Code Modulation data, the digital representation of an analog signal created by sampling its amplitude at regular intervals and quantizing each sample into a fixed number of bits. The term is often used in contexts where the raw sample stream is important, such as in audio processing, telecommunications, and digital recording. PCMDaten can exist as a raw data stream or be stored within container formats that couple the samples with metadata describing the sampling rate, bit depth, and channel count.

Key properties of PCMDaten include the sampling rate (for example 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, or higher), the bit depth (8, 16, 24, or more bits), and the number of channels (mono, stereo, or multichannel). These factors determine the data rate and the precision of the digital representation. Endianness matters for multi-byte samples, particularly when PCMDaten is transferred between systems with different byte orders. PCM is typically linear, but telecommunication uses non-linear companding methods (such as μ-law or A-law) in combination with PCM data in some contexts.

Formats and usage: PCMDaten can be stored as raw PCM or embedded in file formats such as WAV, AIFF, or CAF, which carry metadata like sample rate, bit depth, and channels. It is widely used in professional audio, music production, broadcast, and telephony. In consumer audio, common examples include CD-quality PCM data (16-bit, 44.1 kHz, stereo) and higher-resolution forms used in digital audio workstations. Data integrity, synchronization, and proper metadata handling are important for interoperability.

See also: Pulse Code Modulation, linear PCM, ADPCM, WAV, AIFF.