Phonak and NXP Develop New Ultra Low Power Wireless Communication Technology

(Top News, 2 Dec 2008)

NXP Semiconductors has announced a single-chip, ultra-low power radio for use in hearing systems developed in collaboration with Phonak. The new device is currently being integrated into Phonak's portfolio of CORE-based hearing systems and wireless accessories.

"Working with a leading semiconductor player such as NXP has enabled Phonak to rapidly develop this new chip for our hearing systems," says Hans Leysieffer, Vice President of R&D. "Combining cutting edge technology and expertise in ultra low power embedded software architecture enables Phonak to offer unparallel hearing performance for hearing system wearers."

"Medical electronics is one of the fastest growing areas of semiconductor development and becoming increasingly important for NXP," says Rene Penning de Vries, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of NXP Semiconductors. "At NXP we value customer engagement and working with the leading players in their field to use technology innovation to help develop new insightful and engaging technology. Our ultra low power solutions, based on magnetic induction radio technology and CoolFlux DSP, were the cornerstones for this breakthrough project."

"This cooperation between Phonak & NXP illustrates how two companies can leverage know-how and individual competencies to create a winning solution," says Antoine Delaruelle, Senior Director and Manager of Ultra Low Power Solutions, NXP Semiconductors. "Our chip does support a high data rate of up to 298kbps and bi-directional communication, enabling novel applications such as stereo audio streaming and binaural processing. Within this particular project, miniaturization was a key requirement and we worked closely with Phonak's engineers to develop a highly integrated solution, utilising embedded non-volatile memory and supporting direct operation from a single battery."

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