Product category:
Analogue and Mixed Signal ICs
News Release from: Analog Devices
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 19 September 2006
Acquisition expands Analog's audio
expertise
Analog Devices has acquired AudioAsics, a Danish developer of high-performance, low-power microphone and audio signal conditioning technology.
Analog Devices has acquired privately held AudioAsics, a Danish company consisting of a team of experienced developers of high-performance, low-power microphone and audio signal conditioning technology The combination of ADI's signal processing capabilities with AudioAsics' expertise is expected to result in miniature, low-power audio solutions that provide better sound quality in portable consumer and communications products like MP3 players, cellphones and PDAs
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 2 Jul 2008 at 8.00am (UK)
Related stories
A/D convertor measures smaller signals faster
Sigma-delta ADC achieves greater than true 16bit noise-free resolution up to 2.4kHz across all input voltages from 40mV to 5V.
SAR convertor claims record speed and accuracy
A/D convertor achieves a new level of 16bit data capture performance, with best-in-class 15bit ENOB and 10Msample/s throughput.
ADI paid approximately $19 million in cash at the closing in exchange for all of the outstanding shares of AudioAsics.
In addition, on the achievement of certain milestones following the closing, ADI would be obliged to pay up to an additional $8 million.
AudioAsics was founded in 2003 as a privately held company in Roskilde, Denmark, with funding from Danish investors Vaekstfonden, Seed Capital Denmark and Hvista.
Further reading
Front-end IC cleans up transmitter designs
The ADF9010 integrates a high-performance transmitter quadrature modulator with an integer-N synthesiser and on-chip low-phase-noise voltage-controlled oscillator.
Demodulator and amp cut receiver complexity
Combined two-chip solution can reduce the active component count by 60% within a radio design, providing considerable board area and bill of material savings.
Microcontrollers integrate 24bit convertors
With on-chip 24bit sigma-delta ADCs, the ADuC706x provides the resolution required by today's high-performance industrial and instrumentation equipment.
ADI expects to expand its presence in Denmark by creating a centre of excellence for low-power audio implementation, leveraging the 100 years of collective experience and distinguished reputation among audio designers of the 18 employees of AudioAsics.
Analog Devices also will maintain and expand AudioAsics' facility in Bratislava, Slovakia.
AudioAsics' CEO, Michael Deruginsky, will remain with ADI working within ADI's audio group.
"We are going to bring big sound to small form factors using AudioAsics knowhow in low-power and ADI's core technologies".
"AudioAsics allows Analog Devices to continue developing our low-power audio capabilities, while expanding our presence in the Nordic and Eastern European regions", said Dick Meaney, ADI Vice President for Precision Signal Processing.
"From a product and technology perspective, AudioAsics has the bases covered by bringing together the signal conditioning required by high-performance microphones and marrying that with low-power mixed-signal capability, which is a must-have in any portable application".
AudioAsics designs low-voltage, low-power audio ASICs, including analogue-to-analogue and analogue-to-digital pre-amplifiers for use in miniature microphones and receivers as well as high-performance analogue-to-digital convertors and speaker drivers.
AudioAsics is currently shipping products that support both ECM (electret microphone) and MEMS-based microphone devices.
Industry-wide microphone unit shipments are projected to reach more than 2.5 billion in 2008, according to The Information Network, and industry trends indicate MEMS-based digital microphones will represent the majority of all microphone shipments by 2010.
The acquisition of AudioAsics enables Analog Devices to offer a complete portfolio of low-power audio products extending across the signal chain, including ADI's SigmaDSP and Blackfin processors and Class D amplifiers.
"Analog Devices was a natural fit for AudioAsics when we saw how well our analogue, digital and mixed-signal processing and IP complemented ADI's audio signal chain offerings", said AudioAsics' Deruginsky.
"We're excited about the commitment Analog Devices is making to grow our team and increase our competitive position in the microphone pre-amp marketplace".
• Analog Devices: contact details and other news
• Email this article to a colleague
• Register for the free Electronicstalk email newsletter
• Electronicstalk Home Page
Search the Pro-Talk network of sites
