Product category:
Analogue and Mixed Signal ICs
News Release from: Wolfson Microelectronics | Subject: WM8400
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 31 January 2008
Codec/power combo targets
next-generation mobiles
Multimedia codec with integrated power management features delivers high performance audio and mixing capability, longer battery life and reduced system cost.
New from Wolfson Microelectronics, the WM8400 is the latest addition to the company's AudioPlus smart power product line The WM8400 combines a multimedia codec with integrated power management features to deliver the high performance audio and mixing capability, longer battery life and reduced system cost required in the leading multimedia mobile handsets
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 13 Apr 2001 at 8.00am (UK)
Related stories
High-performance audio DAC drives novel CD player
Wolfson's high-performance stereo digital-analogue conversion technology is at the heart of two new CD players introduced by hi-fi specialist Rega Research.
Stereo DAC supports Direct Stream Digital
Wolfson Microelectronics has unveiled its first stereo DAC with support for the Direct Stream Digital (DSD) audio data format.
WM8400 functions include a high performance multimedia codec, on-chip FLL, two DC/DC convertors and four LDO regulators, all inside a compact 6x6mm BGA package.
Flexible hardware control enables the WM8400 to support the generic power management needs of leading multimedia companion processors.
Compared with using separate codec and power management chips, which typically require two or more discrete components, the WM8400 can help mobile handset designers to save up to 25% on the device bill of materials (BOM) and up to 40% on the board footprint.
Further reading
AC'97-compliant audio convertor gains pen input
Wolfson Microelectronics reckons it could revolutionise the PDA industry by combining pen-input functionality with a high-performance portable audio codec.
Analogue front end for a sharper image
Wolfson Microelectronics has introduced a family of high-level integrated analogue front ends.
Audio convertors are not affected by jitter
Wolfson Microelectronics has expanded its family of devices for Internet appliances with the WM8734 codec and the WM8739 ADC.
The WM8400 incorporates a low-power audio codec, which delivers 98dB SNR performance and supports the signal switching, audio conversion and voice mixing requirements of next-generation mobile phones.
This enables designers to quickly add new features and enable flexible end-user modes such as the ability to watch mobile TV while receiving a voice call.
The digital core consumes less power than similar devices and can be as low as 5mW during a voice call.
In addition, the WM8400's codec is able to select, in software, Class AB or Class D speaker driver operation meaning handset designers can deploy filterless Class D technology into a wider range of increasingly diverse, handheld form factors, where restrictions such as noise and interference previously demanded a Class AB driver topology.
System designers may select the most appropriate mode of operation for the anticipated usage scenario, allowing battery life for the end user to be maximised.
The WM8400 also includes a powerful 1W mono speaker driver and low leakage, high PSRR and pop/click suppression enable direct battery connection for the speaker supply.
Four headphone driver outputs support conventional, fully differential or cap-less drive.
Multiple microphone or analogue line inputs (mono or stereo, single-ended or differential) can be supported and a programmable highpass filter is provided to remove low frequency noise from the input signal.
The digital audio interface supports most commonly-used data formats and clocking schemes while time-division multiplexing and an additional DAC interface provide additional flexibility.
From a power management perspective, the WM8400 includes two programmable 2MHz DC/DC step-down (buck) convertors, four low-dropout (LDO) regulators.
The startup sequence and default voltages for the core regulators; DC/DC1, DC/DC2, LDO1 and LDO2 are selectable in hardware via external pins, and all regulators are also software programmable.
The core regulators are intended to power the multimedia application processor subsystem while LDO3 and 4 are specifically designed to power the on-chip audio codec.
Paul Wilson, Wolfson's Power Management Product Line Manager comments: "Mobile handset designers are under intense pressure to deliver products that incorporate more high performance audio quality, into ever smaller form factors, with longer battery life than ever before".
"Wolfson is tackling this challenge head-on, with ultra low power consumption and integrated power management solutions like the WM8400 that help enhance the user experience by enabling significant power consumption reductions with no compromise in audio performance".
The WM8400 is available for sampling now in a 105-pin 6 x 6mm BGA package.
WM8400 customer evaluation boards with the Wolfson Interactive Setup and Configuration Environment (WISCE) are available to aid device evaluation and development.
WISCE provides an interactive register map interface allowing control and overview of the device settings.
• Wolfson Microelectronics: 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
