Dialog powers Nintendo’s Wii U Wireless Microphone

For the Wii U Wireless Microphone, Nintendo required a cost-effective wireless solution that would not rely on the over-crowded and unregulated 2.4GHz wireless band (since devices experience audio disturbance during peak network traffic). Using low latency audio based on the 1.9GHz band, Dialog’s solution doesn’t compete with other wireless signals. This allows it to deliver excellent audio quality and not be impacted by any wireless interference.

By utilising advanced power management technology, Dialog has enabled dry cell battery life of up to 40 hours for the Wii U Wireless Microphone. This enables the best possible consumer experience by optimising radio transmit time and power to extend battery life. The SC14448 single chip solution also improves battery life by powering down functions when they are not required.

While the Wii U console can be equipped with two USB radio dongles to support two Wii U Wireless Microphones, the unique radio control is designed to ensure that the two closely fitted dongles do not interfere with one another. This further enhances consumer experience by providing disturbance-free audio quality and excellent low-latency performance. Enabling very small form-factor designs, the SC14492 wireless audio single chip solution integrates USB functionality.

Sean McGrath, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Connectivity, Automotive & Industrial Business Group, Dialog Semiconductor, comments: “Traditional radio technologies for audio applications suffer from drop-outs or have long-latency. The Dialog solution takes advantage of an interference-free frequency band and selects a special protocol for low-latency audio. It is perfectly suited to the high-quality audio and active user experience that consumers expect from Nintendo’s Wii U Wireless Microphone."

Following its launch in December 2013, the Wii U Wireless Microphone is now available in Japan.