Summary
- Profile Type
- Technology offer
- POD Reference
- TODE20260204023
- Term of Validity
- 4 February 2026 - 4 February 2027
- Company's Country
- Germany
- Type of partnership
- Investment agreement
- Research and development cooperation agreement
- Commercial agreement with technical assistance
- Targeted Countries
- France
- Switzerland
- Netherlands
- Germany
- Japan
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General information
- Short Summary
- German engineering team offers FM DAC, a novel digital-to-analog conversion principle based on frequency modulation. It targets ultra-low noise, high linearity and strong time-domain fidelity without resistor ladders or aggressive noise shaping. Partners are sought for industrialization, FPGA/ASIC implementation, product integration and joint R&D.
- Full Description
-
The FM DAC is a new digital-to-analog conversion principle developed in Germany. Instead of reconstructing the signal primarily via amplitude quantization (R-2R) or oversampling/noise-shaping (Delta-Sigma), the FM DAC encodes the audio or measurement signal information in a frequency-modulated clock domain. A digital input stream is mapped to a precisely controlled frequency-modulated pulse stream. In a dedicated demodulation stage the signal is converted back into an analog waveform. By moving the core information into the frequency domain, typical DAC limitations such as resistor mismatch, idle tones, or heavy noise-shaping artefacts can be reduced, while preserving excellent temporal accuracy.
Laboratory prototypes have validated the principle. The next step is transfer into a robust, manufacturable design (e.g., FPGA/ASIC, production-ready clocking, analog output stage) and adaptation to target applications. Potential use cases include high-end audio components, precision instrumentation, measurement systems and industrial signal reconstruction.
The company seeks partners for industrial development, manufacturing/DFM, ASIC/FPGA realization, integration into existing platforms, and cooperative R&D projects (national/EU). - Advantages and Innovations
-
- Novel frequency-modulation based DAC principle (alternative to Delta-Sigma and R-2R)
- Strong time-domain fidelity (phase coherence, transient precision)
- Very low noise potential without aggressive noise-shaping strategies
- Reduced sensitivity to component tolerances typical for resistor ladders
- Scalable implementation path (FPGA today, ASIC tomorrow)
- Suitable for both high-end audio and precision/industrial signal reconstruction - Stage of Development
- Lab tested
- Sustainable Development Goals
- Goal 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
- Goal 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
- Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
- IPR status
- IPR granted
Partner Sought
- Expected Role of a Partner
-
Partners are sought for one or more of the following roles:
- Industrialization and design-for-manufacture (DFM/DFT), including supplier set-up
- FPGA and/or ASIC implementation (architecture, verification, timing/clock design)
- Analog front-end/back-end design (demodulation, output stage, EMC/ESD, certification)
- Integration into existing products (audio, instrumentation, embedded systems)
- Joint R&D projects (e.g., EU or national funding), application-specific optimization
- Strategic investment or scale-up cooperation to bring the technology into series production - Type and Size of Partner
- Big company
- SME 11-49
- SME 50 - 249
- R&D Institution
- Type of partnership
- Investment agreement
- Research and development cooperation agreement
- Commercial agreement with technical assistance
Dissemination
- Technology keywords
- 03007 - Sound Engineering/Technology
- Market keywords
- 03004003 - Other electronics related equipment
- 03001009 - Other electronics related (including keyboards)
- Targeted countries
- France
- Switzerland
- Netherlands
- Germany
- Japan