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October 2006FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE...
THAT Introduces
OutSmarts™,
the Smarter Balanced Output Driver IC
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OutSmarts Balanced Line Driver |
Milford, MA - THAT
Corporation today announced that it is now sampling the 1600
series, a
family of improved active-balanced floating-output driver ICs intended
for use in pro audio applications. Compared to competing integrated
solutions, the 1600 series offers at least 3dB more dynamic range and
improves signal quality under demanding output-drive conditions. The
series has fixed +6dB gain, and drives 600-ohm outputs to +27.5dBm,
allowing them to drive long cables and difficult loads with ease.
The 1600 family uses THAT's patented OutSmarts™
technology, a
dual-feedback-loop design that prevents the excessive ground currents
that flow in traditional cross-coupled output stages when clipping
into single-ended loads. THAT Chief Technical Officer Gary Hebert
explained: "Electronically balanced output drivers that mimic the
'floating' aspect of transformers have been used for years. The common
circuits work fine - until they're clipped into a single-ended load.
When the driven output clips, the grounded output current-limits. This
causes large, ugly current spikes to flow in the grounded conductor.
These spikes return to the power supply through an indeterminate path,
and in the process, they can upset the driven channel as well as
adjacent channels in the same device, leading to audible distortion
even in unclipped channels. Our patented design uses two control
loops, one for the differential and one for common-mode signals, to
eliminate this behavior."
THAT's president, Les Tyler, commented: "We're very pleased
that we can now offer output drivers that complement our extensive
line of pro-audio input ICs, including our InGenius® balanced line
receivers. The 1600-series completes the family, allowing us to cover
all pro-audio analog connections from microphones to line inputs and
now outputs. Like our input family line, the 1600-series is made in
our own fab in Silicon Valley and takes advantage of our advanced
dielectric-isolation semiconductor process."
These parts are available in two basic versions. The 1646 comes in
8-pin DIP, 8-pin SO and 16-pin-wide SO packages, making it
pin-compatible with the Analog Devices SSM 2142 and Texas Instruments'
DRV134 and DRV135. Tyler pointed out: "The proprietary-pinout
1606 offers two advantages for new designs. First, it offers a
differential input, which increases flexibility in connecting to the
differential outputs of today's D/A converters. Second, the 1606
requires only one small (0.1uf) capacitor plus one resistor to
minimize common-mode dc at the outputs. This saves board space
compared to the pair of 10-uF electrolytic capacitors required by
existing ICs." The 1606 is available in a space-saving 16-pin
QSOP package. A 14-pin DIP version will be available for evaluation.
The family runs from +/- 18V to +/- 4V supplies, drawing only 4.5mA
at +/-18V rails. For the entire family, THD is .0007%, noise floor is
-101dBu (unweighted, 20Hz~20kHz), slew rate is 15V/µs, and bandwidth is
>10MHz. Samples are available now.
Founded in 1989, THAT Corporation designs and sells
high-performance analog integrated circuits for professional audio
manufacturers, including InGenius balanced line inputs, microphone
preamplifiers, Analog Engine®, and industry-standard IC
voltage-controlled amplifiers (VCAs). The company also licenses
patents, trademarks, and other intellectual property to the TV
broadcast and reception industries. The company is head-quartered in
Milford, MA, and manufactures semiconductors in its own fab located in
Milpitas, CA. THAT maintains offices in Tokyo, Japan, Atlanta, GA, and
Vashon, WA.
For more information, contact:
THAT
Corporation,
45
Sumner Street,
Milford,
MA
01757-1656
,
USA
Telephone: +1.508.478.9200; Fax +1.508.478.0990
Email: info@thatcorp.com
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