SMSC introduces highly integrated tri-band wireless headset audio processors

     SMSC announces DARR84, the industry's most integrated advanced wireless audio processor. The device supports three frequency bands and is designed to provide uncompressed wireless multi-channel and multipoint audio capabilities for consumer audio and gaming applications. It is the latest addition to SMSC KleerNet's family of low-latency, low-power wireless audio solutions.

     Jordan Watters, vice president of Marketing and Business Development at SMSC, said: "The application of wireless audio to gaming is a very hot trend in the consumer market, and headset technology that can support up to four players to interact with game audio and voice chat has great prospects. We can provide ready-to-use reference designs and compatible KleerNet interactive software to help customers develop a wide range of headsets and headphones with superior sound quality at an affordable price."

     The DARR84 integrates a 24-bit audio DAC, headphone amplifier, ADC microphone amplifier, and analog audio input to reduce the cost of the overall solution. An important differentiating feature of this wireless audio processor is the ability to mix game audio and chat, while simultaneously reducing the need for a system bill of Materials (BOM) by integrating multiple front-end audio interfaces. The highly integrated DARR84 is also ideal for developing high-quality speaker products for home theater applications, such as wireless front-end/back-end speakers and multichannel speakers with subwoofers.

     SMSC's DARR84 wireless audio processor is the perfect choice for engineers who want to integrate Wi-Fi and Bluetooth capabilities into consumer electronics for gaming headsets, VOIP, and high-end audio applications. It supports 2.4, 5.2, and 5.8 GHz bands, so it can coexist seamlessly with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi 802.11a /b/g/n standards to minimize the impact of Wi-Fi on wireless audio and the impact of wireless audio on Wi-Fi processing power. DARR84's digital audio transmission technology enables it to detect and correct transmission errors before they reach the receiving device.

     This is mainly due to SMSC's specialized wireless (DNA) Detect 'n Avoid RF monitoring technology, which enables high-quality audio transmission and effectively manages interference common between Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and other RF devices such as microwave owaves. At the same time, DARR84 also integrates a SRC, which can easily support different audio sampling rates. SMSC's DWLC84 and DWHS84 reference designs help engineers develop diverse speakers and speakers to reduce overall BOM costs and deliver high-quality gaming headsets at attractive consumer prices.