1998-03-12 , E/IC-854/41

Philips Semiconductors, the largest European semiconductor manufacturer, has introduced a new family of enhanced performance telephone ICs for speakerphones, telephone/fax machines, telephone/answering machines and cordless phone basestations. Featuring the company's world-famous speech circuit design, plus high-performance microphone, earpiece and loudspeaker amplifiers, full duplex control and flexible signal routing, these new devices dramatically reduce the number of components required. As a result, manufacturers benefit from the combined advantages of lower manufacturing costs and better performance.

The  TEA1099, which is unique in the telephone IC marketplace, is targeted at applications such as cordless basestations and multi-line phones that require auxiliary transmit and receive channels in addition to normal handset, speakerphone and DTMF insertion functions. The  TEA1097 is a lower-cost version that does not include an on-chip duplex controller, allowing this speakerphone function to be implemented externally. Therefore, it is particularly suited for telephone/answering machines and telephone/fax machines that utilise a DSP processor. The  TEA1098 includes the on-chip duplex controller but omits the auxiliary transmit and receive channels, providing a lower-cost option for use in corded telephones.

"Philips Semiconductors is already number one in speech circuit ICs and number two in speakerphone ICs," said product marketing manager Peter Biermans. "This new family of telephone ICs will enable us to penetrate other application areas such as combi-phones and cordless basestations. "

Wide dynamic range and optimum input sensitivity on all transmit and receive channels, plus automatic line loss compensation and loudspeaker amplifier dynamic limiting ensure excellent speech quality. When used in equipment that is powered from the telephone line, these ICs ensure maximum output power from the loudspeaker amplifier under all line conditions. They also feature an EMC-optimised chip layout that prevents susceptibility to RF interference, even when they are used within RF equipment such as cordless telephone basestations.

In addition to being powered from the telephone line, the TEA1097 and TEA1099 can optionally be supplied from an external voltage or current source, automatically reverting to phone line power if the external source fails. This allows the critical parts of a telephone that are powered from an AC supply to remain operational if the supply fails. A special low-voltage mode even keeps the handset operational when the telephone line current falls to very low values, for example, when several phones are operating in parallel on the same line.

All three ICs generate a stable 3.3-volt supply rail to power microcontrollers, DTMF diallers and LCD display drivers, plus a filtered 2-volt output to drive electret microphones. They are manufactured in an advanced bipolar process at Philips Semiconductors' facility in Caen, France, and in volumes of 100k pieces per year cost in the region of US$ 1.50 for the TEA1097, US$ 1.80 for the TEA1098 and US$ 2.15 for the TEA1099. Samples are available now, with volume quantities deliverable 8 weeks after receipt of order from the second quarter of '98 onwards.

Philips Semiconductors, a division of Philips Electronics NV, headquartered in Eindhoven, The Netherlands, is the ninth largest semiconductor supplier in the world and the fourth largest supplier of discretes in the world. Philips Semiconductors' innovations in digital audio, video, and mobile technology position the company as a leader in the consumer, multimedia and wireless communications markets. Sales offices are located in all major markets around the world and are supported by systems labs.