Audio CODECs Enhance Multimedia Experience

Addressing the demand for high-quality sound, the stereo WM8980 and the mono WM8982 audio CODECs feature enhanced audio processing and a powerful speaker driver. Both devices also allow for direct connection to a television. A third device, the WM8978, is a stereo version of the company’s older WM8974. Shared features of all three include DSP cores, a five-band equalizer with 3D audio enhancement, PLLs supporting a frequency range from 12 to 19 MHz, support for a differential or single-ended microphone, and drivers for speakers and headphones. The video buffer in the WM8980 and WM8982 supports both ac- or dc-coupled connections and offers an optional 6 dB gain and third-order, low-pass-filter architecture. This design is said to eliminate the need for sag correction and large capacitors. Operating on voltages as low as 2.5V analog and 1.62V digital, the three CODECs produce up to 900 mW of speaker power. Prices for the WM8978, WM8982, and WM8980 are $3.85, $2.10, and $4.50 each/10,000, respectively. WOLFSON MICROELECTRONICS PLC, San Diego, CA. _(858) 676-5090.