Wolfson Microelectronics plc: News : Wolfson Power Management IC selected for IREX Technologies’ new touch-screen eReader

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Wolfson Power Management IC selected for IREX Technologies’ new touch-screen eReader

Monday, October 26, 2009

Wolfson Microelectronics today announces that IREX Technologies has selected the WM8352, a Wolfson power management device with integrated stereo CODEC, for its innovative new touch-screen eReader, the DR800SG.

The WM8352 is part of the successful portfolio of Wolfson AudioPlus™ devices, which offers a highly integrated solution delivering superior sound quality and extended battery life to leading edge portable multimedia devices, such as the IREX DR800SG.

Compatible with leading application processors, the WM8352 features an integrated high fidelity audio CODEC and power management subsystem, enabling the creation of new and exciting multimedia platforms, whilst significantly reducing power consumption, system cost, design and manufacturing complexity and time-to-market. With the WM8352, consumer electronics manufacturers can make savings of up to 25 percent on the device bill of materials (BOM) and up to 50 percent on the board footprint in the areas of power management and audio.

Jess Brown, power management product line manager at Wolfson, said: “We are delighted that IREX has selected our high performance power management and audio technology for its sleek new IREX DR800SG eReader.

“Our inclusion in the IREX DR800SG is a great testament to the outstanding quality of our power management technology, as well as an endorsement of the skills and expertise of our engineering and design teams in creating complete integrated solutions for a range of leading multimedia platforms.”

WM8352 functions include a high performance, low power audio CODEC with advanced mixing capability that delivers excellent 98dB SNR (signal-to-noise ratio) performance. The device also features on-chip clock generation, six DC-DC converters, four LDO (low drop-out) voltage regulators, a lithium battery charger, two white LED drivers and an auxiliary ADC (analogue to digital converter), all inside a compact 7x7mm BGA package.

Jan van de Kamer, founder and vice president of product development at IREX Technologies said “The IREX strategy is to create innovative reading solutions and the DR800SG, recently launched in the U.S., pairs a sleek design with a unique approach to purchasing and accessing content. We are constantly seeking partnerships with experts like Wolfson Microelectronics to help drive our innovations and we’re very excited to bring the high standards of power management solutions from Wolfson Microelectronics to the IREX DR800SG.”

Soon to be available in the U.S. at select Best Buy locations, and available in Europe first half of 2010, the DR800SG eReader features an 8.1 inch screen, making the display nearly twice as big as some competitive devices. 3G Wireless connectivity lets users buy books anywhere at anytime.

Agreements with NewspaperDirect and LibreDigital – two leading distributors of digital content – will give IREX users access to the most comprehensive collection of newspapers and magazines available in the eReader market, up to 1,100 more titles than currently available on some competitive devices.

IREX users also have access to the Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE: BKS) eBookstore.

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About IREX Technologies

IREX Technologies BV have been instrumental in pushing the frontiers of digital reading since 2001 when their team developed the electronics paper display for the Sony Librie the first commercially available e-reader launched in 2004. Following the formation of IREX Technologies in 2005 as a spin-off company from Royal Philips Electronics their focus on open innovation and co-operation has seen them become the world’s leading provider solutions for reading written digital content with the ease and comfort of print on paper and taking advantage of the interactivity, flexibility and up-dating functionality provided by digital information. IREX serves the B2B market as well as the consumer market and works closely with companies and publishers to enable them to offer their content (newspapers, books, documents) digitally to clients, subscribers and employees. www.irextechnologies.com

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, MEMS 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 Product & Solutions 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

CHINA

Sunray Liu
Beijing New Synergy Consulting
sunray@1and7.com
+86 10 8811 3067

SOUTH KOREA

Terry Kim
Shout Korea Communications
wolfson@shoutkorea.com
+82 255 89890

TAIWAN

Thomas Chou
Access PR
wolfson@accesspr.com.tw
+ 888 2 8773 4277

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