Cirrus Logic expands portable audio chip leadership into markets for mobile comms and smartphones

AUSTIN, USA: Building upon its initial success with innovative ICs for targeted smartphone applications, Cirrus Logic Inc. (Nasdaq: CRUS) is expanding its portfolio of standard products for smartphones and mobile consumer electronics applications.

The CS42L73 is a high-quality, ultra low-power audio codec designed for smartphone applications, and the CS35L0X is an analog-input, hybrid Class D speaker amplifier for mobile communications and portable devices.

These products build upon the company’s technology leadership in portable audio products and help solve multiple system challenges encountered by designers in the areas of extending battery life, improving audio quality, simplifying signal management and reducing electrical-magnetic interference (EMI) while enabling smaller form factors.

Smartphones, which combine the functions of a PC, mobile phone and personal media player all in a single device, are increasingly being tasked to efficiently manage a higher multitude of interactive features and media-rich content.

These applications require an increased demand for higher processing performance and system power usage – all at a time when consumers are demanding longer battery life. The CS42L73 codec allows power-hungry smart phones to conserve energy and extend battery life by offloading audio-related tasks, such as signal routing and processing, typically reserved for the applications processor. Analyst firm iSuppli has forecasted that smartphone sales will nearly double to 497 million units by 2014.

“Cirrus Logic is expanding its product portfolio in mobile communications for a broad range of customers,” said Jason Rhode, president and chief executive officer, Cirrus Logic. “Our strategy is to continue to develop innovative products such as the CS42L73 and CS35L0X that solve real problems for smartphones and portable devices, especially in areas such as lowering system power while retaining high audio quality.”

The CS42L73 is available today and is also featured on the XMM 6260 reference design from Infineon Technologies AG.

With three serial audio ports and asynchronous sample rate converters, the CS42L73 is able to manage the complex routing, processing and mixing of a variety of multiformat audio signals, such as voice, music MP3s, ringtones and streaming audio, while increasing overall system efficiency.

Its rated power consumption is as low as 4 mW during a voice call, offering the lowest power consumption in the market of a product with asynchronous sample rate converters and a digital mixing engine in the signal path. Stereo playback to the headphone is even better, as the CS42L73 only dissipates 3.5 mW.