Smart audio amplifier enables deepest, richest and loudest audio yet

Texas Instruments (TI) has unveiled a new low-power smart amplifier that allows designers to develop next-generation smartphones with industry-leading audio quality at peak volumes while maximizing battery efficiency. The TAS2555 Class-H audio amplifier with integrated speaker protection uses back electromotive force and low power of 5.7W to produce bigger sound from small devices. TI is the first in the industry to provide both integrated and non-integrated smart amplifiers, giving engineers a broad range of design options, says the company. The TAS2555 is also the first low-power amplifier supported by the PurePath Console 3 software suite, which gives both advanced and beginner designers a path to meet diverse system requirements. The solution takes the guesswork out of speaker characterization and includes easy-to-use tools for tuning and integration into end products, thus accelerating time to market for smartphones, tablets and other audio-enabled portable electronics. Key features : 1 - Louder and clearer audio: Offers 5.7W output power into 4ohm and 3.8W into 8ohm at 4.2V. 2 - Low idle-channel noise (ICN) simplifies designs: 15.9µV ICN eliminates audible speaker noise when using the smartphone in a receiver or pause mode and also eliminates the need for external components. 3 - Integrated multilevel Class-H boost converter and automatic gain control: Dynamically adjusting audio output during periods of low battery voltage maximizes battery life. User-specified boost control helps customize boost on/off based on end-equipment power profile requirements. 4 - Reduces development time: Use any processor with an I2S output to enable on-chip speaker protection. This greatly reduces porting and integration time, enabling end equipment manufacturers to get to market faster. Tools and support to speed design - TI also offers a range of intuitive design tools for the TAS2555 smart amplifier to speed time to market and simplify evaluation. Along with the PurePath Console 3 software suite, TI offers a comprehensive evaluation module (EVM) and a learning board tool for speaker evaluation.