Iron Device supplies piezo tech for speakers in Lenovo monitor

Audio system-on-a-chip (SoC) fabless firm Iron Device said on Tuesday that it has supplied its piezo speaker amplifier technology to Lenovo for their high-end monitors.

The company supplies its SMA6101 amplifier for the piezo speaker for LG Electronics’ G8 smartphone last year. 

It supplied its SMA1501 chip for Lenovo Qreator 27 monitor that launched in October, an Iron Device spokesperson said.

The company aims to supply more amplifier chips to multiple monitor companies including LG, they said.

Using Iron Device’s technology, sound can be emitted from display panels without the need for a soundboard. This technology can be applied to anything with a screen, including smartphones, tablets and notebooks.

Piezo technology uses piezoelectricity, or the electric charge that accumulates in certain materials, that causes vibration to make sounds. 

This allows for the making of thinner devices.

Iron Device’s SMA series supports 40V output. It is designed for piezo speakers that require high voltage. SMA6 series is for mobile devices. SMA1501 series if for larger panels such as monitors. Audio SNR is 102dB.

LG Display also uses the technology for its OLED panels, calling it crystal sound OLED. 

More companies are preferring full screen for monitors and smartphones with less unnecessary terminals, the Iron Device spokesperson said. The company is hoping more high-end monitors such as those for gaming adopt piezo technology.

Iron Device was founded in 2008 by CEO Park Gi-tae, who worked at Samsung Electronics’ System LSI business. The company designs various amplifiers for display and speakers. It was acquired by Silicon Mitus in August, 2016.

Since last year, Iron Device has been supplying its audio amplifier for Samsung Galaxy A smartphones and KT’s artificial intelligence speakers. The company will be supplying its chips for Samsung’s AI speakers launching next year.