Audio codec answers camera demands

A new mono codec addresses all major digital stills and video camera audio requirements on a single chip.

A new mono codec addresses all the major digital stills and video camera audio requirements on a single chip, answering growing demand for high-quality sound in portable, digital recording and camera equipment.

The Wolfson WM8974 is a low-power, feature rich mono codec and is the first in a series of products to be coming from Wolfson targeting digital stills cameras and digital voice recording applications.

The WM8974 features: a new DSP core that provides a wind noise filter to improve audio recording during video recording mode; a five-band equaliser to improve audio output; and a programmable notch filter to reduce motor noise.

The WM8974 also includes an integrated PLL supporting a wide operating frequency range from 12 to 19MHz.

The device supports a differential or single-ended microphone complemented by the microphone pre-amp and ALC, followed by an output stage, where the drivers for speakers and headphones are included to reduce component count in the final system.

With the support of up to 5V, the speaker driver is capable of driving an industry leading speaker output of up to 900mW.

The WM8974 operates at power supplies as low as 2.5V and consumes less then 10mA during 48kHz playback, and operates on 1.62V in standby.

"Digital still cameras are increasingly differentiated by their audio capabilities, and Wolfson is releasing a series of compact, high performance, affordable solutions that address this opportunity", said Yan Goh, Wolfson Product Marketing Manager.

The WM8974 is available now in a 4 x 4mm QFN package at $2.04 in quantities of 10,000.

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