October 31, 2011 – Wolfson Microelectronics Korea (CEO Ki-Tae Kim, www.wolfsonmicro.com ) announced today the release of its latest audio hub, the all-digital audio solution WM8996, and the Class D digital input speaker amplifier WM9082. When these two new products are used together, designers can implement a digital audio subsystem that minimizes sound quality loss caused by routing analog signals over long distances when designing smartphones and tablet PCs.

The WM8996 is optimized for devices used for high-quality voice calls and music playback. In particular, it incorporates innovative audio mixing technology to easily handle multiple audio routing and use cases, and enables an ultra-compact package through efficient silicon space utilization. Furthermore, this solution drastically reduces power consumption while 혁신적으로 enhancing audio quality, providing improved HD audio quality and extending battery life. Equipped with a digital audio interface that implements the Pulse Density Modulation (PDM) protocol, the WM8996 can connect not only to the simultaneously released WM9082 digital speaker amplifier but also to digital microphones such as the WM7210 and WM7220.

The WM9082, a high-performance Class D speaker amplifier, offers PDM input capabilities and delivers superior performance when used with the WM8996. The audio output of the WM9082 achieves industry-leading 100dB SNR performance and low out-of-band noise levels, thereby reducing electromagnetic interference (EMI). It also drives 4 Ohm speakers at up to 2.5 watts in an ultra-small 2.3 mm² package.

The digital audio interface connecting the WM8996 audio hub and the WM9082 Class D speaker driver completely reduces noise by eliminating the input filtering components required in traditional analog amplifiers. The PDM interface format provides the option to transmit data digitally, reducing the complexity of the final product design without compromising audio quality. This method minimizes the sound quality loss that occurs when routing analog signals over long distances. Therefore, the PDM interface between devices simplifies the design and shortens time-to-market. Furthermore, by reducing the number of components traditionally required to support the audio subsystem, PCB area and BOM costs are also reduced.

Eddie Sinnott, General Manager of Wolfson’s Product Portfolio, stated, “The WM8996’s mixing technology enables the effective use of silicon. Furthermore, when used in conjunction with the WM9082 as an all-digital audio solution for multimedia devices to be added to our audio hub portfolio, it improves functionality, performance, and design simplicity while also reducing costs.” He added, “Additionally, when used with Wolfson’s various digital MEMS microphones and audio-centric DSPs such as the WM0010, it can provide a complete solution for audio signal protection by enhancing audio quality and implementing noise reduction algorithms.”