NPCA110B Audio Enhancing Engine and CODEC
Product Brief
November 2011
Revision 1.0
General Description
The Nuvoton NPCA110B device is a member of Nuvoton’s
Sound Enhancing family optimized for low cost TV, portable
devices such as docking stations for MP3-players and mobile
phones, Multi-Media speakers, PC monitor speakers and
Boom boxes.
The NPCA110B integrates Waves MaxxAudio-3 Lite
sound enhancement algorithms. These are proprietary,
patented, psychoacoustic algorithms that compensate for
the acoustic limitations of small CE devices.
MaxxAudio-3 Lite algorithms enable reproduction of rich
content, with a wide dynamic range and a full frequency
range, on a limited audio system. For low-frequency
reproduction, MaxxBass uses a patented psychoacoustic
technique to create a perceived low bass, which can be
extended up to 1.5 octaves lower than the original. This
technique reproduces full and rich sounding bass tones.
Power handling is done by MaxxVolume, which utilizes the
power amplifiers and speakers to their full extent yet avoids
clipping and distortion.
The MaxxAudio-3 Lite software suite provides an additional
algorithm to design a resonance-free audio system: Maxx-
EQ provides a flexible equalizer with 10 bands.
The NPCA110B enables digital control over the volume and
bass, replacing traditional analog potentiometers.
The Maxx family of devices includes:
■ High-performance, 24-bit audio enhancing engine pre-
programmed with Waves MaxxAudio-3 Lite algorithms
■ Optional Audio ADC
■ Optional Audio DAC
■ Digital I/O and other features for high-performance
audio systems
The MaxxAudio Graphical User Interface (GUI) enables
sound engineers to easily tune the device and customize
presettings for different audio products.
Outstanding Features
■ Improves audio quality for low-performance speakers
■ System-level BOM savings
■ Stereo operation
■ I2C controlled
■ 24-bit accuracy
■ Audio algorithms
— MAXXBASS®
— MAXXEQ
— MAXXVOLUME®
■ Audio input
— One I2S or Synchronous Serial Interface (SSI) input
— Up to two stereo analog inputs: typical SNR of
90 dB; typical THD of 75 dB
■ Audio output
— One I2S or SSI output
— Two analog outputs: typical SNR of 96 dB; typical
THD of 86 dB
■ Several General-Purpose digital signals available to
the application (GPIOs)
■ Typical operational power target of less than 0.15W
■ Power-down target of less than 0.5 mW
■ 3.3V operation
System Block Diagram
MP3 Player
FM Radio
Analog Audio
Analog Audio
Controller
I2C (Optional)
SPDIF Rx
or
I2S
TV Chipset
© 2011 Nuvoton Technology Corporation
NPCA110B
I2S
Analog
GPIOs
Power
Amplifiers
Speakers
R
L
AMP
Analog Audio
Headphones
www.nuvoton.com