Dialog Semiconductor unveils standalone Class-G audio codec with 2.5mW consumption

The DA7210 includes a true-ground, capacitor-less headphone driver which helps improve bass response. It features the industry's lowest quiescent headphone playback power consumption at 2.5mW and only 5mW operating power under listening conditions. This combination extends battery life significantly in low power digital portable audio products such as smart phones, personal media players, multimedia handsets and personal navigation devices.

DA7210 delivers 40mW output into 16 Ohm headphones. It uses output signal envelope tracking across multiple pre-defined levels for true ground operation and features an integrated PLL for sample rate flexibility. The device operates down to 1.8V simplifying digital processor interfacing.

The GPF enables onboard signal tailoring and performance tuning without degradation or loss of sound quality, and removes the need for a dedicated external DSP.

With the introduction of the DA7210 Dialog has significantly eased the portable audio design process for portable applications without sacrificing sound quality. By incorporating a GPF on the codec we have not only offloaded these tasks from the processor, we have significantly lowered the cost and power consumption when compared with traditional solutions that require an external DSP, said Mark Jacob, director of marketing at Dialog Semiconductor. The DA7210 delivers the ultimate mix of high performance audio, ultra low power consumption, and reduced system design complexity.

Traditional low power audio codecs rely on sophisticated external DSP devices running proprietary algorithms for audio enhancement or more complex noise suppression functions. Dialog's integral GPF comprises eight programmable bi-quad sections delivering flexible DSP processing functionality within the codec device itself. The audio signal sent to the speakers can be tailored for optimum response without modifying the host processor software. In addition to output tailoring, the GPF can be used for equalisation and notch filtering, for example, enabling the noise from camera zoom motors to be attenuated and other audio enhancements including 3D spatial effects.

The DA7210 features stereo playback/record, high signal-to-noise ratio (100dB DAC and 95dB ADC), a 24-bit sample rate up to 96kHz and an integral I2C/PCM interface. It includes differential stereo microphone amplifiers. It is packaged in a 0.4mm-pitch QFN or CSP package with a 0.5mm-pitch CSP option (named the DA7211).

Engineering samples will be available from November 2009 with volume production delivery from Q1 of 2010.