Winbond's integrated USB audio controller

SAN JOSE, USA: Winbond Electronics Corp. America has introduced a new, highly integrated USB audio controller for the fastest growing area of the VoIP telephony market. The W681308 can be designed in all application segments of a Skype or other PC-based VoIP system. It substantially speeds design time and time-to-market, increases system reliability and significantly lowers system cost.

The W681308 is the latest addition to Winbond's growing family of USB audio controllers. With full function integration that quickens design time, the W681308 provides a single-chip, one-stop solution for a spectrum of Skype and other PC-based VoIP applications from wired and wireless USB handsets, to USB speakerphones, to PSTN/USB dual-mode phones, to USB PSTN gateways and USB analog telephone adapters (ATAs) to the wireless USB 2.4GHz base/handset. Winbond's higher-integration part can replace three to four devices, and offers the lowest BOM (bill of materials) costs for PC-based VoIP applications.

Its 16-bit ADC/DAC with 8/16/48kHz wideband sampling rate results in the best voice quality in a VoIP environment.

Winbond's W681308 chip is USB2.0 full speed compatible and integrates a fast 8051 MCU that enables feature rich applications. The part also has a 8/16/48kHz sampling rate wideband codec with a 16-bit ADC/DAC and acoustic echo cancellation (AEC) and AGC to support USB speaker phone applications. This single-chip solution also supports full-duplex echo cancellation, three-channel PCM mixer, integrated microphone amplifier and speaker driver, flexible OTP custom programming and complete reference design solutions. The high integration of the W681308 enables lower cost and smaller board space design.

Skype, which has revitalized the VoIP market, experienced a significant growth since 2006. With Skype's US/Canada calling program at an annual US$29.95 cost, industry forecasts call for an exponential growth as compared to other VoIP telephony options. Winbond, a leading supplier of semiconductor solutions to the consumer, computer, communications and electronics products markets, continues its commitment to the VoIP market and specifically Skype phones and PC peripheral applications with these new products.

Ike Saeed, vice president of marketing, Mixed Signal Product Center, Winbond Electronics Corp. America, said: "Winbond's market commitment is to provide a complete line of USB Audio and PC-based VoIP solutions. With this new product for USB VoIP applications, we are enabling customers to easily and quickly build a full line of USB VoIP products for Skype."

This device joins the Winbond USB audio controller series (W681306, W681307 and W681308), which provides a complete line of USB VoIP and audio solutions including Skype with integrated, fast MCUs, USB2.0 full-speed compliant controller, 16-bit ADC/DAC with 8kHz to 48kHz sampling rate.

They support Skype or SIP USB VoIP application and other Instant Messaging (IM) options such as MSN and Yahoo Messenger. This series is  designed to provide the highest voice quality in a VoIP environment and delivers USB VoIP solutions for customers with the shortest time-to-market requirements.

A complete software development kit (SDK) and 8051-based Keil C development system for these parts is available. The W681308 is in a 48-pin LQFP lead-free package. W681306 and W681307 are both in 100-pin LQFP lead-free packages.