Application specific integrated circuit and method of operation

An electronic apparatus comprising:

• a piezoelectric transducer;
• an application specific integrated circuit comprising:
• a DC-to-DC converter adapted to increase a voltage that characterizes power supplied by an external power source;
• a piezoelectric drive signal input;
• a piezoelectric drive signal output;
• a piezoelectric transducer drive amplifier comprising:
• a piezoelectric transducer drive amplifier input coupled to the piezoelectric drive signal input
• a piezoelectric transducer drive amplifier output coupled to the piezoelectric drive signal output;
• wherein the piezoelectric transducer drive amplifier is adapted to receive power from the DC-to-DC converter, receive a piezoelectric drive signal through the piezoelectric drive signal input;
• and
• output an amplified piezoelectric drive signal through the piezoelectric drive signal output.

A method for operating an application specific integrated circuit comprising the steps of:

• boosting a voltage that characterizes power drawn from a power source;
• powering a first amplifier;
• receiving a piezoelectric drive signal from at an input of the application specific integrated circuit at an input of the first amplifier;
• amplifying the piezoelectric drive signal in the first amplifier to produce an amplified piezoelectric drive signal;
• and
• driving a piezoelectric transducer with the amplified piezoelectric drive signal.