AKM modulator generates 110dB SNR

Asahi Kasei Microsystems Co. Ltd (AKM), a supplier of audio ICs, has released a Class-D two channel modulator that can generate 110dB signal-to-noise ratio (SNR).

Touted by the company to provide industry-leading sound reproduction, the AK4730 marks AKM's first entry into the high-power amplifier world and is aimed at both professional and consumer products.

The product exceeds Class-AB performance with Class-D efficiency. The input to AK4730 is digital and supports two-channel, 192kHz sampling. It combines a two-channel PWM modulator with pre-driver circuitry for external MOSFETs.

The new Class D products utilize an advanced multireference E-Bridge architecture unlike other solutions that use two voltage levels for modulation (H-Bridge). According to AKM, the use of the E-Bridge architecture achieves higher linearity and SNR performance for audio playback with fidelity closer to the original sound.

In addition to an on-chip PWM modulator and MOSFET driver, the AK4730 also has built-in individual channel digital volume controls, tone controls, digital-realm output stage power supply regulation and an overload detection circuit. When combined with the AK4113 digital audio interface IC, ultra-low crosstalk six-channel solutions are realized, simplifying the engineering of high-performance multi channel audio systems.

Samples of the AK4730 are offered in 80-pin HQFP packages. Also available are 70W and 100W output evaluation boards.