The Scots are coming...
eet.com
Scottish audio-chip vendor pushes into U.S.
By Craig Matsumoto
EE Times
(02/01/99, 5:13 p.m. EDT)
EDINBURGH, Scotland — Chip vendor Wolfson Microelectronics Ltd. is releasing three AC'97-compliant audio codecs this week as the company takes its first step to expand its markets beyond the Asia-Pacific region.
Although based in the United Kingdon, Wolfson has found most of its customers among Taiwanese makers of PCs and consumer electronics. The company wants to sell standard parts to the PC and consumer-electronics industries, however, and it needs more exposure in the United States and even in Europe to accomplish that goal, said Julian Hayes, audio marketing manager for Wolfson.
Wolfson started life as a mixed-signal design house in 1985 and only recently began selling its own parts, which concentrate on various signal-processing applications, including digital imaging and digital audio. The company is coming off a growth year, with revenue of $14 million in 1998, compared with $7 million in 1997.
Its first parts in that push are three audio codecs, released this week, compliant with version 2.1 of the AC'97 standard. These will be followed in April by audio D/As targeted at consumer applications, particularly set-top boxes.
The WM9704Q provides true four-channel SurroundSound using four on-chip D/A converters. The chip also can pump normal stereo signals to all four channels, making the switch between formats seamless.
The WM9704M handles both audio and modem signals, combining the functions because they require similar signal processing. Finally, the WM9703 is a low-end device for baseline stereo sound that's still AC'97 2.1-compliant. |
