New Landmark SSI2130 VCO Chip from Sound Semiconductor

The press release:

SOUND SEMICONDUCTOR INTRO’S NEXT GENERATION VCO CHIP

First New Electronic Music VCO IC in Decades

September 16, 2020 – Sonora, California – Sound Semiconductor today announced the first new audio-band Voltage Controlled Oscillator (“VCO”) integrated circuit in decades, the SSI2130.

The SSI2130 VCO provides unprecedented performance and features for electronic music systems, audio function generators, or other devices that require high-integrity audio waveforms. Based on a precision- generated triangle core, the SSI2130 also produces saw, reverse saw, pulse with width control, and open- collector square wave outputs. Great care was taken to provide glitch-free waveforms.

In addition to buffered voltage outputs, the triangle, saw, and pulse signals are internally routed to a five- channel VCA mixer with two auxiliary inputs. The mixer output is current-mode for easy summing with additional SSI2130 VCO’s and connection to current-input voltage controlled filters such as the SSI2140 and SSI2144.
The SSI2130 also includes a sine shaper that provides a low-distortion sine wave from the triangle output, and a unique “time reverse” pin enables through-zero FM and PM synthesis with the addition of comparator, dual op amp, and handful of discrete components.

The analog multiplier has excellent exponential performance over a ten-plus octave range, and on-chip temperature compensation outperforms all previous VCO IC’s. Exponential input setup is easily accomplished through one or two trims in analog systems, or automated by CPU-based systems. Both hard and soft sync are offered.

The SSI2130 is packaged in a 32-lead QFN package and requires minimal external components. Pricing is $2.25 at 1k pieces and the SSI2130 is in stock now. Samples and an evaluation board are available to qualified OEM’s; hobby and DIY enthusiasts are served through a growing network of Sound Semiconductor’s authorized resellers.

"Our design team has been anxious to develop a new-generation VCO,” stated Dan Parks, President of Sound Semiconductor. "We knew the SSI2130 was going to be good, but it greatly exceeded expectations."

Sound Semiconductor is composed of musicians and technologists with the goal of developing affordable, high- performance integrated circuits for music creation. For more information, please visit www.soundsemiconductor.com.