Winbond 4-channel codec for short-loop VoIP applications

Winbond Electronics Corp has introduced the W684386 four-channel Codec optimised for short-loop VoIP applications - an industry first according to the company.

The W684386 is part of the Pro-X (programmable extended) series of Codec/SLIC devices, a highly integrated solution to support four FXS phone line interfaces on a single low-power CMOS device.

Winbond claims that the device provides the best idle channel noise and return loss performance currently available.

The W684386 is designed for short-loop applications and targets the VoIP equipment market. It is ideal for high-density VoIP gateways, analog phone adapters, voice-enabled DSL and cable modems, IP-PBX, FTTX systems, and set-top boxes.

The device features Winbond’s proprietary Codec/SLIC architecture. It combines four programmable Codecs which allow it to support a range of signalling capabilities for phone line supervision and control.

It gives designers a user-friendly signal-processing environment. The device’s four-channel SLIC block supports programmable impedance matching and trans-hybrid balancing. This ensures that worldwide compliance can be supported from a single hardware configuration.

The W684386 also incorporates programmable DC/DC controllers, which allow power consumption optimisation on a per channel basis. It supports higher-density architectures with external ringing and centralised power options.

The W684386 is available in a 128-QFP package and is priced at US$4.50 for 1,000-unit quantities. It will go into full production in the second quarter of 2008.