National Semiconductor Corporation has introduced the first product in a new line of Boomer® Class D audio amplifiers with integrated converter technology that eliminates the need for an external boost converter. The LM48510 enables manufacturers to design portable products that are able to operate at constant high-level output power even as batteries deplete to lower voltages.

The new audio amplifier provides the boosted power portable products need when operating on low battery voltages. The amplifier’s small footprint makes it well-suited for portable global positioning systems (GPS), wireless handsets, portable media players, medical equipment, voice-prompted fire alarms and a broad range of other battery-powered applications. In addition to its small footprint, National’s LM48510 uses minimal external components, which saves significant board space compared to multi-chip solutions.

High output power
National’s LM48510 is capable of creating 1.2W of continuous power to an 8-Ohm speaker from a 3V input voltage. The amplifier drives a 4-Ohm speaker load at a continuous output power of 1.7W with less than 1 percent total harmonic distortion plus noise (THD+N). 

The Boomer amplifier features a low-power consumption shutdown mode as well as output short-circuit and thermal overload protection. Advanced pop-and-click circuitry eliminates output transients which would otherwise occur during power or shutdown cycles.  The LM48510 is externally configurable for independent gain control from multiple sources.

Pricing and availability
Available now in a 0.5 mm-pitch, 16-pin LLP® package, the LM48510 is priced at $1.35 in 1,000-unit quantities. More information and easy-to-order samples are available at http://www.national.com/pf/LM/LM48510.html. A large selection of audio amplifiers is supported by National’s WEBENCH® online design tool. To explore these solutions, visit http://webench.national.com. To learn about high-performance audio amplifiers for portable applications, visit National’s library of online seminars and audio design tutorial eBooks at audio.national.com.