TI Introduces First Digital Audio Amplifier Power Stages That Drive More Than 300 Watts on a Single Channel

TI Introduces First Digital Audio Amplifier Power Stages That Drive More Than 300 Watts on a Single Channel

October 26, 2006

-- Single-Chip Devices Provide All-Digital Clarity and Efficiency, While Reducing Component Count, System Cost and Board Size

    DALLAS, Oct. 26 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Texas
Instruments Incorporated (TI) (NYSE: TXN) today introduced
two new PurePath Digital(TM) power stages.  The TAS5261
provides OEMs with the industry's highest power single-chip
digital amplifier power stage, capable of driving more than
300 watts (W) into a 4-ohm speaker, while the two-channel
TAS5162 digital amplifier power stage can drive 200 W per
channel at 6 ohms and 125 W at 8 ohms.  The devices enable
higher efficiency and sound quality in a variety of audio
applications, including many previously restricted from
using digital amplifiers due to power requirements, such as
high-end DVD receivers and mid- to high-end audio/video
receivers (AVRs). (For more information, see
http://www.ti.com/tas5261 .) 

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    "Digital amplifier and Class-D chips comprise one
of the more promising audio markets, where we predict a
compound annual growth of 40 percent," said Will
Strauss, president of Forward Concepts, which published the
June 2006 report "Audio Chip Markets: The Foundation of
Multimedia." "As the world leader in Class-D and
digital audio amplifier technology, TI continues to set the
bar in this market with the TAS5261, capable of driving up
to 17 amps in a very small area of silicon."

    All-Digital Quality and Efficiency

    Existing 300-W systems (4 ohms) such as AVRs have had
to utilize less efficient Class-AB amplifiers or modules
due to power and current limitations of available digital
audio power stages.  Now, with the TAS5162 and TAS5261
single-chip power stages, designers can leverage TI's
industry-leading Class-D technology, which offers an
efficiency of greater than 95 percent and signal-to-noise
ratio (SNR) of 110 dB.  The TAS5261 features total harmonic
distortion plus noise (THD+N) of less than 0.09 percent
THD+N at 125 W (8 ohms).  The TAS5162 can drive two
channels simultaneously at 200W.  These enable a
cooler-running system that uses less energy, while
increasing performance and sound clarity.  

    In addition, unlike other high-power digital amp or
Class-D solutions, the single-chip devices eliminate
discrete components such as MOSFET H-bridges, reducing
board size, easing layout, simplifying heat sink design and
lowering manufacturing costs.  

    "TI's Class-D expertise allows OEMs to take
advantage of all the benefits of a digital amplifier,
including a cost-effective, all-digital, end-to-end
implementation and crystal-clear audio with no signal
degradation at even the highest power levels," said
Art George, senior vice president of TI's high-performance
analog business unit.  "The TAS5261 is unmatched in
how much power and current it can reliably drive, more than
doubling what is available in today's digital amplifier
power stages."

    The TAS5162 power stage is also pin-compatible with
earlier TAS51x2 devices, enabling OEMs to design a single
board that can drive 100 W (TAS5142), 125 W (TAS5152), or
200 W (TAS5162) per channel, eliminating multiple designs
and simplifying logistics.  Similar to the TAS5152 and
TAS5142, these new power stages include improved gate drive
technology, as well as cycle-by-cycle, two-stage
over-current and under-voltage detection.  

    TI's PurePath Digital(TM) Audio Technology

    The TAS5162 and TAS5261 digital amplifier power stages
are part of TI's PurePath Digital technology, which allows
consumer electronics manufacturers to build completely
digital, end-to-end audio products with cutting-edge sound
reproduction and the most lifelike sound in a compact form
factor. By reproducing movie soundtracks or music exactly
the way the artist intended, PurePath Digital technology
offers high-end digital entertainment to the everyday
consumer.  PurePath Digital technology complements TI's
complete signal chain for audio applications, including
digital and high-performance analog products such as
digital signal processors (DSPs), switch mode power
management, analog Class-D amplifiers and audio
converters.

    Availability, Packaging and Pricing

    The TAS5261 300-W digital amplifier power stage is
available today in volume in PSOP-3 packaging at $5.25 each
in quantities of 1,000 or more.  The TAS5162 200-W stereo
digital amplifier power stage, available in both PSOP-3 and
HTSSOP packaging, is slated for volume production by
December.  

    About Texas Instruments

    Texas Instruments Incorporated provides innovative DSP
and analog technologies to meet our customers' real world
signal processing requirements. In addition to
Semiconductor, the company's businesses include Educational
& Productivity Solutions. TI is headquartered in Dallas,
Texas, and has manufacturing, design or sales operations in
more than 25 countries. 

    Texas Instruments is traded on the New York Stock
Exchange under the symbol TXN. More information is located
on the World Wide Web at http://www.ti.com .

    Trademarks

    PurePath Digital is a trademark of Texas Instruments. 
All registered trademarks and other trademarks belong to
their respective owners.

    For more information, please contact:

     Stephanie Groswirt	
     Texas Instruments	
     Tel:   [phone]		
     Email: [e-mail]

     Wes Robinson		
     GolinHarris		
     Tel:   [phone]		
     Email: [e-mail]

SOURCE  Texas Instruments Incorporated