Dolphin Integration's flexible audio converters allow minimum cost with the freedom of the Analog Front-End to be on a separate die

Grenoble, France – July 8, 2011 -- For high volume applications, such as portable devices, cost reduction is a main concern when designing a System-on-Chip. Nevertheless, the challenge is to achieve cost reduction while increasing performances and functionalities of the device. Dolphin Integration emphasis on Flexible IP addresses these concerns for its audio converters through a two-pronged offering.

To begin with, ultra low power consumption and ultra high density of audio codecs are reached by the new architecture Helium3. Gains are striking: more than 75% of area savings between the previous architecture at 180 nm and Helium3 for the analog part of the configuration mCODS95-N.02-Helium3. Meanwhile the low power consumption and 95 dB of SNR are preserved!

This basis allows to split a CODEC: the analog part may be either at a mature node (e.g. 180 nm) or on the same die as the digital part at an advanced node (e.g. 40 nm). Such splitting on the interface named "Bow" allows to reach the highest combined density: 82 % savings for the digital part. Not only new functionalities can be aggregated with the digital filters, but this architectural prowess authorizes multiple configurations with the same design of the analog part, and conversely!

The combined result is a CODEC area < 1 mm2! (see http://www.design-reuse.com/sip/view.php?id=27157),

To discover more about this architecture, and to evaluate the flexible choices of configuration and die processes, simply contact jazz@dolphin.fr

About Dolphin Integration

Dolphin Integration is up to their charter as the most adaptive creator in the Microelectronics Design Industry to "enable mixed signal Systems-on-Chip". It stars a quality management stimulating reactivity for innovation and Foundry independence. Their current mission is to supply worldwide customers with fault-free, high-yield and reliable sets of CMOS Virtual Components, resilient to noise and drastic for low power-consumption, together with engineering assistance and product evolutions  For more information about Dolphin, visit: www.dolphin-integration.com