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OEM IC Pumps Up the Volume
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As mobile devices proliferate and
increasingly become involved in media playout, serious questions arise as to
the quality of the audio.
While high-quality audio via
earbuds has become a big business, acoustic reproduction via onboard speakers
is an orphan. Little tiny speakers have a reputation for little tiny sound. And
they can be easily overdriven and damaged.
Philips
spinoff NXP has released a new audio integrated circuit — the TFA9887 —
to improve the sound and performance of the microspeakers that inhabit mobile
devices such as smartphones and tablets. NAB’s Radio TechCheck newsletter noted
the development this week.
According to NXP the TFA9887
uses a number of tools to improve the audio performance of devices it is used
in. Leading the way is an algorithm that “maximizes” the audio signal. It
smoothly clips highs and lows to eliminate voice coil overheating and speaker
excursion on bass frequencies, says the company. The algorithm also processes
the audio to increase the signal within a speaker’s safe reproduction range.
The algorithm also makes use of feedback from sensors to monitor speaker
performance and to optimize signal reproduction even when a device’s DC
(battery) power is getting low.
The assembly includes
other audio-optimization tools such as a 2.65 W Class D digital amplifier,
additional DSP schemes and an onboard DC–DC converter. NXP makes software tools
available for further customizing the chip’s algorithms to meet a client’s
specific audio performance needs.
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