Wolfson Microelectronics Introduces Second Generation of Low Power Audio DACs.Business Editors/High-Tech Writers EDINBURGH, U.K.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 22, 2002 Wolfson Microelectronics, Ltd., the technical leader in developing audio ICs for multimedia and communications applications, introduced a new generation of audio DACs for applications needing low voltage, low power, and a small form factor. The new device, the WM8726, is a 24-bit, 192kHz stereo DACs that can run at supply voltages down to 3 Volts. It is targeted at cost sensitive applications such as digital TV and digital set top boxes, home theater systems, MP3, CD, and DVD players. According to David Milne, Wolfson's president and managing director, "Consumers are becoming more sophisticated in their selection of portable devices and manufacturers, of necessity, need to address the growing demand for high-performance audio, regardless of the size and shape of the end product. Wolfson's expertise in mixed-signal technology enables us to bring advanced solutions to the portable audio market." The WM8726 is a pin compatible upgrade to the Company's popular WM8725, featuring on-chip digital volume control, improved linearity and a more flexible data interface that supports industry-standard DSP (1) (Digital Signal Processor) A special-purpose CPU used for digital signal processing applications (see definition #2 below). It provides ultra-fast instruction sequences, such as shift and add, and multiply and add, which are commonly used in math-intensive data formats. The device was designed specifically to lower the power requirements of the entire system. It also features Wolfson's proven multi-bit sigma delta architecture, which results in reduced sensitivity to clock jitter A flicker or fluctuation in a transmission signal or display image. The term is used in several ways, but it always refers to some offset of time and space from the norm. For example, in a network transmission, jitter would be a bit arriving either ahead or behind a standard clock cycle , low out-of-band noise, and improved sound quality with a signal-to-noise ratio The ratio of the power or volume (amplitude) of a signal to the amount of unwanted interference (the noise) that has mixed in with it. Measured in decibels, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR or S/N) measures the clarity of the signal in a circuit or a wired or wireless transmission channel. (SNR See signal-to-noise ratio. SNR - signal-to-noise ratio ) of 100dB and Total Harmonic Distortion The total harmonic distortion, or THD, of a signal is a measurement of the harmonic distortion present and is defined as the ratio of the sum of the powers of all harmonic components to the power of the fundamental. (THD ThD abbr. Latin Theologiae Doctor (Doctor of Theology) Noun 1. ThD - a doctor's degree in theology Doctor of Theology ) at -95dB. Price & Availability The WM8726 in a 14-pin SOIC (Small Outline IC) A small-dimension, plastic, rectangular, surface mount chip package that uses gull-wing pins extending outward. See gull-wing lead, SOJ and chip package. package sells for $1.44/1K quantities. It is available now. Photo of WM8726 is also available. Please contact Donna Wilson for details. About Wolfson Microelectronics Wolfson Microelectronics Ltd., develops mixed-signal semiconductors for multimedia and communications applications. Privately held and based in Edinburgh, UK, Wolfson is a leading supplier into both audio and imaging markets and is the supplier of choice by market makers around the world. For more information, please visit the Company's website at www.wolfsonmicro.com. |
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