Portable Audio players are handheld devices that play recorded music or speech. Many formats like MP3, ACC or WMA are used for recording the audio. The storage medium used in the players determines the form factor, weight, battery life, user interface, and price of these players.
Ultra-portable players are built with internal flash memory like SmartMedia cards, MultiMediaCards, Secure Digital cards or CompactFlash cards. The available capacities of these cards vary from 8 MB to 4 GB. The portable audio players are moving towards being a portable media player (PMP) with the support of Video as well. A good model will support MPEG-2 and 4, WMV and DivX movie formats, as well as MP3, WAV, ASF and WMA audio files. Some can also receive and record FM radio and voice. The latest PMPs now also support wireless connectivity in addition to USB or Firewire for recording and exchanging music and movies.
The hardware used in these players is being constantly improved to support enhanced quality audio and advanced video compression etc. With the development of miniature 1.8-inch hard disks most of the players now come with a hard disk capacity of 4 GB to 80 GB. The use of Digital Signal Processors and dedicated Mpeg-4 decoders is becoming common.
Texas Instruments Incorporated introduced a new headphone amplifier optimized for cellular handsets and other portable audio applications. The TPA6130A2, which is part of the DirectPathTM line of...
>>
Wolfson announces the launch of its WM8903 CODEC - the first in the Company’s family of next generation of ultra low power audio devices. The WM8903 is designed to extend playback time for...
>>
Maxim Integrated Products introduces the MAX9877, the industry's smallest audio subsystem. This device combines a high-efficiency, high-power, mono Class D speaker amplifier; a DirectDrive,...
>>
Analog Devices, Inc. and Sonic Focus, Inc., announced today that ADI’s industry-standard SoundMAX® integrated motherboard audio will now include Sonic Focus™ Adaptive...
>>
STMicroelectronics today announced a new mobile multimedia application processor in its award-winning* Nomadik™ family. The STn8815 embeds two new smart accelerators and more memory to...
>>
The new era for home radio emerges By Prem Rajalingham, Frontier Silicon, UK Today, millions of people are regularly listening to their favourite radio stations via the internet through their PCs. However, with the advent of low-cost, consumer-oriented Wifi radios, from now on there will be no need to boot-up the PC.
>>
TI's complete end equipment solutions for audio applications integrate best-in-class systems expertise, audio codecs, DSPs, Class D amplifiers, PurePath Digital Audio Amplifiers, headphone...
[from Texas Instruments] >>
ST integrates the circuitry that performs all of the front end functions of a compact disk player, the circuitry that controls the actuators and process the pickup head signal according to the user...
[from STMicroelectronics] >>
The portable Internet audio market has exploded with a wide range of products and formats. These products create a whole host of opportunities for consumers and challenges for designers. Freescale...
[from Freescale] >>
Analog Devices' amplifiers are the number one selling brand of amplifiers in the world today. Designers who want dependable, reliable parts that enable the highest performance from their...
[from Analog Devices] >>
Power MOSFETs contribute to reduced power consumption and miniaturization of cells.
NEC Electronics has long taken a proactive approach to power management, developing and commercializing...
[from NEC Electronics] >>
Atmel provides a full range of solutions for digital audio and mass storage systems. Allowing optimized system integration and low power consumption, the AT8xC51SNDx processors are already...
[from Atmel] >>
Tensilica’s HiFi 2 Audio Engine was carefully crafted to meet the requirements for the broadest possible range of consumer products. The HiFi 2 Audio Engine is available as an audio-extension...
>>
New technologies and products enable portables and TV manufacturers to captivate consumers with remarkable video, audio, and imaging. Here is a roundup of recently introduced products.
>>
This article examines key parameters affecting headphone amp performance including: PSRR, turn-on transient suppression, and PCB grounding solutions. It focuses on just one application (the...
>>
These players use Actel’s A40MX04 and A42MX09 FPGAs respectively to implement application-specific functions. In each case, these Actel FPGAs met the price, power, and performance...
>>
In an audio circuit, passive components define the gain, provide biasing and power-supply rejection, and establish DC-blocking from one stage to the next. Portable audio, for which space, height,...
>>
The VisualAudio is a new software tool for designing and developing audio systems. This article describes its framework, audio modules, and application to audio product development.
>>
Six new PowerWise reference designs from National Semiconductor Corp. empower design engineers to speed through the design process, delivering products that consume less power, extend battery life...
>>
This reference design gives manufacturers everything they need to address growing market opportunities for portable media players, recorders, photo viewers, mobile and portable TV & PVR and...
>>
STMicroelectronics has announced a complete reference design for a high-bit-rate wireless audio solution intended for consumer electronic products such as home theater systems, surround-sound and...
>>
The LM4673 is a single supply, high efficiency, 2.65W, mono, Class D audio amplifier. A low noise, filterless PWM architecture eliminates the output filter, reducing external component count, board...
>>
Texas Instruments Incorporated has introduced a monolithic, filter-free, Class-D audio power amplifier with an integrated boost converter, which provides constant output power for portable...
>>
The Intersil ISL54400, ISL54401, ISL54402 dual SPDT (Single Pole/Double Throw) switches combine low distortion audio and accurate USB 2.0 full speed data signal switching in the same low voltage...
>>
AMRI-2000 is an Integrated Circuit (IC) used in AMRT-1410 input device module to provide a mouse-like pointing solution for use in a variety of mobile devices. Typical applications include mobile...
>>
Ideal for digital radios, music players and personal media players, the 24-bit AK4342 stereo D/A converter offers a ground-referenced capless headphone amplifier, a 2-Vrms line output amplifier,...
>>
The new era for home radio emerges By Prem Rajalingham, Frontier Silicon, UK Today, millions of people are regularly listening to their favourite radio stations via the internet through their PCs. However, with the advent of low-cost, consumer-oriented Wifi radios, from now on there will be no need to boot-up the PC.
