Olympus chip coup for Wolfson

Technology developed by Edinburgh-based Wolfson Microelectronics will feature in one of the world's most advanced personal audio recorders.

The chip designer said its "audio hub" design had been selected by Japanese firm Olympus for its new digital LS-7 model. The pocket-sized device is capable of recording sound at very high resolutions without sacrificing battery life.

While the potential value of the deal has not been disclosed, it will be seen as a coup for the Scots group, which recently reported a 30 per cent rise in full-year turnover to just under 100 million. Olympus is a market leader in portable digital recorders.

Nigel Burgess, product line manager for imaging, computing and entertainment at Wolfson, said: "We are delighted that Olympus has selected our WM8962 audio hub for its latest audio recorder. It provides a combination of excellent audio performance, flexibility and low package size, ideal for consumer electronics applications such as the LS-7."

Chips designed by Wolfson, which was spun out of Edinburgh University in 1984 and floated in 2003, feature in a range of consumer goods. Its audio hub technology has helped drive a surge in revenues from portable devices.