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Wolfson launches high performance low power audio solution for enhanced quality sound and extended playback times
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Wolfson Microelectronics (LSE:WLF.L), today announces the launch of the WM8910, an ultra low power DAC designed to significantly extend playback time in portable audio applications, such as media players, multimedia phones and handheld gaming systems.
The WM8910 is the latest addition to Wolfson’s family of market-leading DACs, delivering high performance audio and low power consumption in an ultra slim, low profile form factor.
Incorporated within the WM8910 is a control write sequencer to ensure ease of system design, and a ground-referenced headphone amplifier to improve ‘pop and click’ performance and reduce external component count, allowing consumer electronics designers to push boundaries and develop highly differentiated end products at a reduced cost.
The WM8910 features Wolfson’s innovative SmartDAC™ technology, a unique low power DAC capacitor switching architecture, which enables DAC to headphone power consumption of less than 4.5mW. Sitting alongside this is Wolfson’s Class W amplifier technology, an evolution of class G, which includes an adaptive dual drive charge pump and DC servo circuit architecture.
The Class W headphone amplifier technology intelligently tracks the actual music signal level and uses an adaptive dual drive charge pump to not only optimise power dissipation, but also eliminate the need for large DC blocking headphone capacitors, resulting in significant savings in PCB space and the audio subsystem bill of materials (BOM).
Audio performance is enhanced further with the integration of Wolfson’s innovative SilentSwitch™ technology, which extends its ‘pop and click’ suppression capability by incorporating sophisticated clamp and sequencer circuitry. With this feature, unwanted noise at the headphone amplifier output is reduced during power-up and mute/un-mute by clamping the output to ground. Using an integrated sequencer with programmable delay times to power-up and power-down parts of the WM8910 significantly reduces ‘pops and clicks’, as well as reducing time to market by lowering software driver development time.
The WM8910 provides the core for a distributed ultra low power audio subsystem, and its inherent flexibility offers the system designer the option to use the latest digital microphones through an integrated digital microphone interface. Analogue line inputs are supported, with bypass paths to the class W headphone and line output also included in the WM8910.
Duncan Macadie, Wolfson’s Low Power Audio Product Line Manager said: “The WM8910 is a highly advanced low-cost device which delivers significantly extended playback time, enhanced audio performance and an overall reduction in the external component count. This represents an ideal solution for all portable multimedia applications.”
Availability
The WM8910 is available for sampling now in a 40-pin 5x5mm QFN package. For 1k quantities, the WM8910 is priced at $1.66.
WM8910 customer evaluation boards with the Wolfson Interactive Setup and Configuration Environment (WISCE) are available to aid device evaluation and development. WISCE connects to the evaluation board over USB and offers a unique interactive register map interface. This interface provides unprecedented control and overview of the device settings.
About Wolfson Microelectronics
Wolfson Microelectronics plc is a global leader in the supply of high performance, mixed-signal semiconductor solutions to the consumer electronics market. In the home, in the office and on the move, Wolfson’s innovative technology can be found at the heart of the world’s leading digital consumer goods, including premier hi-fi equipment, mobile phones, mp3 players, flat panel TVs, digital still cameras and portable navigation devices.
Wolfson is committed to the design and supply of ground-breaking products, including ultra low power and high performance audio devices, silicon microphones, power management IC’s and noise cancellation solutions, all of which come together in the Wolfson AudioPlus™ portfolio. This rich portfolio allows Wolfson’s global customers to better differentiate their digital consumer products and create whole new end-user experiences.
Wolfson has blended together many of its successful audio components to develop an architecture-defining family of mixed-signal hub solutions. These feature-rich hubs deliver world-class audio performance, significantly enhance battery life, provide longer music playback time, and offer more end-user features at a lower total cost - all of this whilst enabling designers to optimally manage the complex world of multiple concurrent use cases.
The company’s headquarters is located in Edinburgh, UK. Wolfson’s customers are located worldwide, and so is Wolfson, with design centres, sales offices, applications teams and engineering expertise across Europe, the US and Asia.
Wolfson Microelectronics plc is listed on the London stock exchange (LSE: WLF.L).
For more information about Wolfson Microelectronics, please visit:
www.wolfsonmicro.com or sign up for Wolfson eNews at:
www.wolfsonmicro.com/enews
Contact:
Laura Moore
Wolfson Microelectronics plc
Tel: +44 (0) 131 272 7000
Email: laura.moore@wolfsonmicro.com
CONTACTS FOR PRESS RELEASE SUPPORT MATERIALS
CORPORATE
Allan Hughes
VP Marketing
Wolfson Microelectronics plc
allan.hughes@wolfsonmicro.com
+44 (0) 131 272 7000
US
Al Haun
Precision Communications
al_haun@comcast.net
+1 (508) 876 9400
EUROPE
Laura Moore
PR Manager
Wolfson Microelectronics
laura.moore@wolfsonmicro.com
+44 (0)131 272 7137
JAPAN
David Huerta
Jspin Communications
david@jspin.co.jp
+81 352 691 038
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Sunray Liu
Beijing New Synergy Consulting
sunray@1and7.com
+86 10 8811 3067
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Terry Kim
Shout Korea Communications
wolfson@shoutkorea.com
+82 255 89890
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Thomas Chou
Access PR
wolfson@accesspr.com.tw
+ 888 2 8773 4277
ROW
Laura Moore
PR Manager
Wolfson Microelectronics
laura.moore@wolfsonmicro.com
+44 (0)131 272 7137
