Wolfson Microelectronics, a leading provider of high performance mixed-signal semiconductors to the consumer electronics market, has announced that Microsoft has chosen the WM8352, a power management device with integrated stereo CODEC, for the next generation of its highly acclaimed portable media player, the Zune HD.
The WM8352 power management device is a product from Wolfson’s successful portfolio of power management devices and offers a highly integrated solution delivering superior sound quality and extended battery life to leading edge portable multimedia devices.
Compatible with leading multimedia application processors, the WM8352 power management device features an integrated high fidelity audio CODEC and power management subsystem, enabling the creation of new and exciting multimedia platforms, whilst significantly reducing power consumption, system cost, design and manufacturing complexity and time-to-market. With the WM8352 power management device, consumer electronics manufacturers can make savings up to 25 percent on the device bill of materials (BOM) and up to 50 percent on the board footprint in the areas of power management and audio.
Jess Brown, power management product line manager at Wolfson, said: “We are delighted to have Microsoft select our technology for the next generation Zune HD. Our inclusion in the innovative Zune HD is a great endorsement of our power management product line and the Wolfson AudioPlus technology strategy. It is also a great testimony to the quality of support that the Wolfson team provided to Microsoft on the previous Zune, where the WM8350 was used.”
The Zune HD is Microsoft’s next generation of the portable media player. Available in the U.S. on September 15, the Zune HD is the first portable media player that combines a built-in HD Radio receiver, high-definition (HD) video output capabilities1, organic light-emitting diode (OLED) touch screen, Wi-Fi and an Internet browser.
WM8352 power management device functions include a high performance, low power audio CODEC with advanced mixing capability that delivers excellent 98dB SNR (signal-to-noise ratio) performance. The device also features on-chip clock generation, six DC-DC converters, four LDO (low drop-out) voltage regulators, a lithium battery charger, two white LED drivers and an auxiliary ADC (analogue to digital converter), all inside a compact 7x7mm BGA package.
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