There are two primary families of BBD chips, the 300X chips and the 320X chips. They use different supply polarity and voltage levels but otherwise operate the same way. Within each family there are a series of models that offer different number of stages, delay time ranges, clock frequency ranges, etc.
The MN3101 is long since out of production, but we make a pin-compatible replacement module, the CT3101 that can be used with any 300X BBD chip. Technically the CT3101 could also be used with 320X devices by reversing the ground and supply voltages, although the Coolaudio V3102 clock chip is available and matches the 320X BBD power supply arrangement. Note that the V3102 cannot be used for 300X BBDs because it does not support the higher power supply voltages.
| BBD COMPARISON |
MN3009 | MN3007 | MN3008 | MN3005 | V3207 | V3208 | V3205 | SSI2100 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Series | 300X | 320X | SSI | |||||
| Manufacturer | Xvive | Xvive | Panasonic | Xvive | Coolaudio | Coolaudio | Coolaudio | Sound Semiconductor |
| Stages | 256 | 1024 | 2048 | 4096 | 1024 | 2048 | 4096 | 512 |
| Max Supply | -15V | -15V | -15V | -15V | 10V | 10V | 8V | 5V |
| S/N Ratio (typ) | 88dB | 80dB | 78dB | 75dB | 73dB | 71dB | 60dB | 61dB |
| Clock Freq kHz | 10-200 | 10-100 | 10-100 | 10-100 | 10-200 | 10-100 | 10-100 | 1-2000 |
| Delay mSec | 0.6-12.8 | 5.12-51.2 | 10.24-102.4 | 20.48-204.8 | 2.56-51.2 | 10.24-102.4 | 20.48-204.8 | 0.13 - 256 |
The 300X series has the best S/N ratio for a given clock frequency and delay period because it's higher supply voltage gives it more headroom (dynamic range). If the system is running at 9V then the 300X series may not provide much advantage as the dynamic range is reduced.
The 300X series is more expensive, but can provide significantly better S/N and is the only series that includes a 256 stage device (3009) for very short delay times.
The SSI device is in a class by itself, operating at much lower voltages but similar S/N performance and includes a onboard clock generator that reduces the external component count and simplifies the design. Note that the V3207 can achieve a shorter delay than the corresponding MN3007 because it supports a clock of 200kHz, but the SSI2100 can achieve the lowest delay times.
So in general, if the system power supply is less than 10V or is price sensitive, the 320X series may be the best solution. If a high S/N ratio is desired or very short delay times then the SSI2100 or the 300X series may be preferred. The S/N ratio of any BBD may be improved by support circuitry such as a compander (V571 or similar).