Wolfson aims at portables with its first programmable DSP

Wolfson Microelectronics has launched its first programmable digital signal processor (DSP) chip for audio systems that can reduce power consumption in portable systems such as smartphones and tablets.

Previous Wolfson chips have used dedicated DSP, but opening up the core to third party developers is a major step forward for the company and the software support is key. The WM0010 uses the HiFi2 DSP from US IP provider Tensilica, which also comes with tools such as compilers and debuggers, which is vital as smartphone, tablet and TV makers will use the chip to add their own audio algorithms.  The chip uses 12mA at 1.3V, and the performance allows the chip to switch off for 7/8ths of the cycle for operations such as MP3 decoding. This reduces the power consumption to around a third of a typical audio SoC for this function, says the company.

The chip will also run a real time operating system, although the licensing agreemen hasn't been finalised for this yet. Samples will ship in Q2 with volume production in Q4.   

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austriamicrosystems Launches Highly Integrated Ambient Noise Cancelling Speaker Drivers

Dramatically improves listening quality in mobile accessories with minimal impact on power

In a move contrary to the trend to increasing digitalisation, austriamicrosystems has launched two Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) ICs for mobile accessories such as headphones using fully analogue designs. The AS3410 and AS3430 provide industry’s lowest BOM cost and low power consumption through a high level of functional integration through reducing low frequency noise on the receive path.

The AS3410 ANC IC is ideally suited for feed-forward topology enabling small, cost-effective solutions targeting on-ear and in-ear devices. The AS3430 addresses feedback topologies resulting in end products with superior noise cancelling capabilities but with a more complex design. Both devices include; mic pre-amps, filter op amps, true ground headphone amp, mic gain calibration, LED driver, volume control and an assisted hearing mode. These features enable PCB space savings of up to 50% as compared to discrete implementations.

The AS3410 and AS3430 Active Noise Cancellation ICs provide a level of performance unmatched by competitive solutions with more than 20 dB noise reduction achievable and SNR of more than100 dB and THD of 0.1%. Running off a single AAA battery these devices support operating life of more than 100 hours, making them well suited for headsets for mobile phones, music players, netbooks and eTablets.

“With an extensive set of development tools and comprehensive documentation, these new ANC products enable rapid prototyping and system optimization, simplifying development and reducing time to market,“ said Oliver Jones, austriamicrosystems’ Marketing Manager for Audio products. “In addition, this expansion to our existing Active Noise Cancelling portfolio simplifies the production process for headsets due to the integrated calibration feature and reprogrammability.“

The AS3410 is available in a 24-pin 4x4 mm QFN package and is priced at $2.55 for 1000 piece quantities. The AS3430 is housed in a 32-pin 5x5 mm QFN package and is priced at $4.55 for 1000 piece quantities. Both operate from a 1.0 to 1.8 V supply over a temperature range of -20 to +85 °C.

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Dialog Semiconductor Licenses NXP's CoolFlux DSP and LifeVibes Software for Smartphones and Next Generation Convergent Portable Devices

Moves up the value chain with DSP processor

In a very interesting move, Dialog Semiconducto - a leading provider of highly integrated power management semiconductors - has licensed NXP's CoolFlux ultra-low-power embedded digital audio signal processor and accompanying firmware, including NXP Software's LifeVibes Voice speech enhancement engine.
The move by Dialog is the next step in a strategic initiative to develop and deliver market-leading standalone and integrated power management and audio ICs with highly differentiated feature sets. Integration of the NXP DSP allows multiple audio decoding algorithms to be supported, including the facilitation of advanced speech processing algorithms. It recently launched some innovative audio amplifiers developed in Swindon, and this licensing deal is another step up the value chain to include voice processing and software. The first products to integrate the NXP technology will be introduced later this year.
Jalal Bagherli, CEO at Dialog said: 'Through this agreement with NXP, Dialog continues to develop, acquire and license the market's best technology and ensure its ICs remain truly cutting edge. Voice and music quality have become increasingly vital to the success of smartphones and portable convergent devices, and we will now be able to supply our existing and expanding customer base with an integrated solution, empowering them to achieve differentiation through superior audio and power management performance.'
Mark Hamersma, senior vice president of Business Development at NXP said: 'NXP's experience in complex processor design and voice enhancement has enabled us to create a low-power DSP and high performance software solution for portable devices, enhancing voice communications particularly in noisy environments.
'We are proud our CoolFlux DSP core IP and LifeVibes audio enhancement software have been selected for running on an industry leading integrated power management and audio platform for portable devices.'
LifeVibes NoiseVoid, HandsFree and VoiceClarity voice enhancement modules eliminate background noise and echo while improving speech quality in smartphones and portable media devices. This is achieved without degrading the voice quality; the caller's voice sounds both natural and clear. Supporting multiple microphone set-ups, the software automatically adapts instantly to changes in background noise, enabling users to enjoy comfortable, high-quality communications effortlessly, independent of their environment.

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ST-Ericsson takes on Wolfson in DACs

The newly formed joint venture ST-Ericsson has launched its first product, a igh-quality audio digital-to-analogue converter (DAC) that aims to take on devices from Wolfson Microelectronics in the mobile music market.
The STw5211 combines ST-Ericsson’s Playback Time Extender (PTE) processing technology with 102dB signal-to-noise ratio through the whole audio path, allowing OEMs to build music phones with high audio quality and double today’s typical 10-hour playback time and comes in a 2.6mm x 2.6mm wafer-level chip scale package (WLCSP). By incorporating the power management circuitry, the device can be directly connected to the battery with no need for external voltage regulators. Additionally, the headset amplifier is of “true ground” type and does not need coupling capacitors.
“STw5211 was developed to address increasing demand for mobile music handsets with both higher audio quality and longer playback time,” said Monica de Virgiliis, Vice President at the Wireless Multimedia Group at ST-Ericsson. “Typically, power consumption increases as features are enhanced and quality improved; however, STw5211 with PTE technology allows music to be played autonomously while the rest of the platform is switched into a power-saving state. This results in a substantial increase in battery life without any compromise in audio quality for the consumer.”
Volume production of the STw5211, built in 130nm, is planned for August 2009, with samples available in April.
Key features:

· 102dB SNR audio quality

· Integrated PTE technology for extended playback

· 66dB THD

· 8 to 192kHz sample rate conversion

· 32kHz RTC clock-only operation

· System clock generator

· Ultra-small 2.6 x 2.6mm footprint, requiring few external components