[zacheryjensen]

Originally Posted by badbob001

Scraping the bottom of the barrow:

Wolfson Microelectronics' WM8352 power management/codec device has been selected to use in Irex' DR800SG eReader.
http://www.newelectronics.co.uk/arti...t-eReader.aspx



Here's a link to info on the chip: http://www.wolfsonmicro.com/products/WM8352

Would this be something that the DR1000x doesn't have?

Every portable electronic device has something similar to this. It may have more features than past implementations of this type of component. What this amounts to is all the "extra crap" that gets tossed in as both requirements and afterthoughts to the more specific design of the system. Basically the primary functionality of this tool is managing power sources and voltages and dealing with faults, etc. in a coherent manner. Then, because it's impossible to do an amp properly without integrating with the power supply (or you will have ground loop feedback really bad, think headphones in an integrated sound card on a PC.) then they toss that in too. It's an understandable marriage. Then you get the controller connector, for USB or proprietary connectors, and finally a simple lighting controller.

So power, audio/amp, power/battery mgmt, data port, LED's. Thing nearly every consumer device needs these days, all in one convenient package.

It's good stuff, but nothing particularly special. That is, unless nobody knew the iRex would have audio support I guess. Everything else is accounted for (micro usb, led's, battery/power)