Product Roundup: Audio/video multimedia ICs

Consumers continue to demand a more compelling video content experience, better audio quality, and the ability to stream content and connect devices in the home and on the go. The following are just a few of the products recently introduced into the market.

The TMPV7506XBG and TMPV 7504XBG Visconti2 family of image recognition processors from Toshiba Electronics Europe (www.toshibacomponents.com) is designed for automotive video camera-based vision applications used in advanced driver assistance systems. The TMPV7506 connects up to six cameras and is applicable for “bird’s-eye-view” parking assistance systems that make images synthesized from data captured by multiple cameras, while the TMPV7504 connects two cameras.

Toshiba’s Visconti2 image recognition processors

Both support high-resolution color cameras with up to 1.3 million pixels. They use HOG (histogram of oriented gradients) features, enabling real-time pedestrian detection both at night and in the day. The operating frequency is 266 MHz at –40° to 85°C ,and the parts come in 27 × 27-mm BGA516 packages.

Conexant Systems (www.conexant.com) recently introduced the CX20805 dual-core, 32-bit, high-performance, low-power digital audio processor which is targeted to applications with the most demanding audio requirements. It features high-speed USB 2.0, advanced power management, and a high-performance 800 MIPS DSP. The new chip is accompanied by an efficient C compiler, software tools and a suite of DSP algorithms.

The CX20805 is based on the Conexant Audio Processing Engine (CAPE) architecture, which lays the foundation for the company’s future audio chip innovations. Other features include large embedded memory with 520-Kbyte SRAM and 352-Kbyte ROM, full-duplex stereo I2 S multiplexed with a four-channel PCM interface, and quad digital microphone with pulse density modulation support.

Wolfson Microelectronics (www.wolfsonmicro.com) has announced the WM1811, its loudest, smallest audio hub yet. Targeted at MP3 music and video playback in smartphones and other portable devices, it delivers 100-dB SNR during DAC playback. This new ultra-low-power stereo audio hub is designed to deliver extended battery life and enriched audio quality.

Wolfson Microelectronics WM1811 audio hub

The part integrates a stereo Class D speaker driver, a Class W headphone driver, and the Wolfson ReTune programmable parametric equalizer, which provides speaker compensation in the digital playback paths.

Fairchild Semiconductor (www.fairchildsemi.com) offers the FSA8049 audio detection switch, which complies with two audio configuration jack standards, the OMTP and CTIA. The device detects the locations of the ground (GND) and microphone (MIC) poles on the audio plug and automatically routes them to the appropriate connections allowing the end-user to plug accessories, such as headsets, with different audio pole configurations into the device and have them operate correctly.

Fairchild Semiconductor’s FSA8049 audio detection switch

The switch can detect three- or four-pole audio accessories. It also can detect polarity of GND and MIC on four-pole plugs.

Marvell Semiconductor (www.marvell.com) has the ARMAD 1500 HD media SOC, which decodes HD advanced multi-format video and audio using its dual ARMv7-compatible PJ4B 1.2-GHz processors with symmetric multiprocessing and DSP accelerators. The SOCs processors yield 6,000 DMIPS. The chip targets IP/cable/satellite set-top boxes, advanced Blu-Ray players, digital media adapters, Google TV, and DTV applications.

Another part, the Si484x multiband radio receiver IC solution by Silicon Laboratories (www.silabs.com) will modernize wheel-tuned radio products with digital displays. These receivers reduce radio component count by more than 70%.

Silicon Labs Si484x multiband radio receiver IC solution

The family provides precise mechanical tuning that enables radio users to hear the exact channel that is being displayed. The receivers’ automatically tuned RF front-end circuitry adjusts to reject noise and amplify the target signal for exceptional sensitivity in weak signal conditions. The ICs also enable display indicators for valid stations, mono/stereo signals, and tuned frequency.

The TDA7498E Class-D audio amplifier from STMicroelectronics (www.st.com) offers a power density of 3.2 W/mm2 .This dual-BTL (bridge tied load) amplifier manages to pack 320 W of total ouput power — 160 W on each channel — on an area of 100 mm2 .

The TDA7498E Class-D audio amplifier from STMicroelectronics

The part enables the design of platform solutions where the speaker impedance can be simply changed — from 8 down to 2 Ω — without any power or current limitation The device also also integrates a host of features that increase audio quality in the final application, including built-in suppression of pop/click noises, standby and mute functionality, and balanced input for best TDMA noise rejection.

Christina Nickolas