Agere Systems has released a new technology framework that enables mobile handset vendors to rapidly develop wireless phones supporting the latest advancements in multimedia.
Agere Systems has released a new technology framework that enables mobile handset vendors to rapidly develop wireless phones supporting the latest advancements in multimedia for such applications as audio and video streaming and playback, video recording, digital photo imaging and downloadable ring tones. Unlike solutions that require an additional multimedia coprocessor, the combination of this unified media framework and Agere’s proven baseband silicon provides a secure and cost-effective platform supporting both the high-quality multimedia and assured communications performance that are essential for driving widespread, mass-market acceptance of enhanced-featured mobile devices. Agere is demonstrating this multimedia framework technology that includes software and hardware during the 3G World Congress tradeshow in Hong Kong this week.

Consumer demand for multimedia-capable phones continues to grow with network operators focusing their efforts on providing a wide array of innovative multimedia content and services.

As a result, industry analyst firm Strategy Analytics estimates that multimedia-capable wireless phones are expected to represent 57% of global handset sales by 2009.

Agere’s multimedia framework is specifically designed to meet user expectations for uncompromising mobility by contributing to the compact sise, power savings and low costs of a mobile handset design.

The tight coupling of the frameworks components with Agere’s baseband solutions enables handsets to achieve the increased performance necessary for rich audio and video features, while eliminating the expense of an additional multimedia coprocessor.

In addition, the framework simplifies the process of combining and incorporating additional video and audio components, which helps phone makers to customise their solutions for specific segments of the market.

Its modular structure also provides a stable software and hardware continuum as standards for new or enhanced multimedia applications emerge.

“Handset makers are facing a sea change as advances in technology enable new waves of mobile phone uses and segments requiring silicon and software with the flexibility to support varying levels of audio and video features”, said Luc Seraphin, Vice President of Agere’s Mobility Division.

“This technology provides a foundation for multimedia from which customers can quickly expand and grow their product portfolios while taking comfort that they can maintain the fundamental communication performance of their phones”.

The framework can be used for handsets based on 2.5G/GPRS, Edge and 3G/UMTS network technologies.

In addition, Agere’s solution supports all of the latest multimedia standards available, including MPEG-4 and H.263 video, JPEG images, MP3 music, AAC and aacPlus audio, as well as MIDI ring tone synthesisers.

Agere recently began offering the multimedia framework as part of its baseband silicon and software solutions for GPRS and Edge mobile phones.

A new reference design aims to help portable digital audio manufacturers add functionality and reduce retail prices.
A new reference design aims to help portable digital audio manufacturers add functionality and reduce retail prices. The latest in a series of portable entertainment reference designs, the new production-ready design provides a complete hardware and software solution based on a 1in hard disk drive (HDD) with a capacity of 5Gbyte, that supports not only music but JPEG and MPEG-4 as well, enabling consumers to carry all of their digital music and photos with them wherever they go at a price they can afford. Built around one of TI’s advanced digital audio digital signal processors (DSP) and analogue technology, the turnkey design enables accelerated development of portable audio jukeboxes under $250 retail that can operate for 15 hours on a single battery charge.

The design enables manufacturers to combine audio and imaging on a colour LCD screen, as well as offers QCIF resolution video playback, all in a form factor that is small enough and light enough to fit in a shirt pocket.

In addition, the programmable platform enables OEMs to accommodate changing multimedia standards in software without requiring product redesign.

‘The portable jukebox compressed audio player market has been reinvigorated by 1in HDDs’, said Susan Kevorkian, Senior Analyst with IDC’s Consumer Markets group.

‘Now, device manufacturers can offer exceptionally portable form factors, with 5Gbyte storage capacity, digital photo support and colour displays - a winning combination for many music consumers’.

According to IDC’s most recent compressed audio player market forecast entitled ‘Worldwide compressed audio player 2004-2008 forecast: MP3 reaches far and wide’ (IDC 31811, August 2004), portable jukeboxes will have a 57% worldwide compound annual growth rate during the forecast period.

The power-efficient, high performance DSP supports real-time processing of audio files and DRM technology simultaneously, while providing enough headroom for OEMs to differentiate their products with enhanced functionality.

The new reference design also includes TI analogue and power management technology and offers broad support for a variety of features and functionality, including: complete driver and API code to support a Seagate 1in 5Gbyte drive; MPEG-4 playback; JPEG decoding with simultaneous audio decode for ‘music slideshows’; USB 2.0 device support, enabling easy connection to computers, and USB host support, enabling file sharing and image transfers directly between portable products; high-quality time-scale modification (TSM) algorithm, enabling the playback of recorded sound at up to twice the speed, or slowing playback down to half the speed while maintaining normal pitch; colour LCD and extensive multilanguage support with customisable user interfaces; support for Microsoft’s Digital Rights Management (DRM) technology; power optimised for long MP3 playback time - up to 15h on a single charge of the built-in lithium-ion battery; a flexible DSP solution, allowing OEMs to add postprocessing or converge other new types of functionality into portable digital audio players; integrated FM tuner with auto scan; highly optimised audio track and database caching to ease user content management and navigation; and all major digital audio algorithms, including Windows Media Audio (WMA) encode and decode, MP3 and voice recording, as well as a built-in FM receiver.

‘Today’s portable entertainment devices must fit the consumer’s lifestyle, as well as protect the needs of content owners’, says Chris Schairbaum, Worldwide Manager of TI’s Portable Audio and Infotainment business.

‘By supporting USB host, image and video decode, and DRM technology, TI offers manufacturers the essential tools they need to accommodate the changing digital entertainment market’.

TI’s new portable audio player reference design and complete manufacturing kit are available today from TI and third party partners.

MPEG-4, WMA encode, DRM and USB host support will be available in the first quarter of 2005.

Local customisation support is available worldwide from regional TI design partners.

Texas Instruments has teamed with audio industry leader Dolby Laboratories to create the TI-based Dolby Digital Professional Encoder platform.
Texas Instruments has teamed with audio industry leader Dolby Laboratories to create the TI-based Dolby Digital Professional Encoder platform. Based on Dolby’s premier digital-audio encoding technology and TI’s leading TMS320C67x floating-point digital signal processing (DSP) technology, the Dolby-certified platform offers up to three times the channel density of existing fixed solutions for equipment for the creation of professional digital audio for DVDs, HDTV broadcasts and cable/satellite transmissions. Dolby selected TI’s flagship TMS320C6713 floating-point DSP as the basis for its reference platform.

Running at 300MHz, a single programmable C6713 encodes three stereo pairs and enables a universal broadcast encoder platform, allowing broadcasters to standardize on audio encoding hardware platforms.

Previous implementations of the professional version of Dolby Digital, also known as AC-3, required users to have a separate DSP for each stereo pair.

With the increased capabilities of the TI DSP-based platform developers will be able to reduce the board space required for end equipments.

‘When we selected TI as the base hardware technology for our new Dolby Digital Professional Encoder reference design, we had high expectations’, said Sabine Jennings, Professional Licensing Manager, Dolby.

‘Backed by TI’s expertise in the audio market, along with their unparalleled development tools and support services, our expectations were exceeded when we confirmed that we could increase the number of stereo pairs encoded per DSP by three times’.

‘With this level of efficiency, we will be able to bring the professional quality of Dolby Digital in a smaller, more cost-effective, flexible implementation that has been demanded by our customers’.

Created by Lyrtech, the reference design is available for evaluation of the Dolby Digital Professional Encoder platform.

This design supports six S/PDIF inputs (12 digital audio channels) and three S/PDIF outputs (six digital audio channels) with the ability to embed Timecode and Metadata information into the digital audio output streams, the reference board uses a USB 2.0 interface to connect to a host computer, enabling real-time configuration of Dolby Digital encoder parameters as well as transfer of data.

A standard TI DSP starter kit (DSK) peripheral connector is also provided to allow this flexible board to support existing daughtercard adapters as well as custom modules.

The C67x floating point DSP generation has been broadly accepted by the digital audio industry and appears in consumer electronics equipment.

It is the core technology for the family of Aureus audio DSPs that do the multi-channel audio processing in A/V receivers, such as those from Harman/Kardon, JVC, Yamaha and Denon, and multimedia/gaming systems.

The C67x continues to gain momentum in other markets, such as musical instruments, biometrics, machine vision and instrumentation.

‘As this engagement with Dolby demonstrates, the C6713 DSP provides the outstanding audio performance Dolby’s customers expect for their end equipment’, said Gerard Andrews, DSP Audio Solutions Marketing Manager, TI.

‘With the C67x architecture, TI will continue to provide the continuing innovation required to drive the professional audio broadcast and recording markets over the coming years’.

Dolby’s choice of Texas Instruments’ C6713 DSP in the Dolby Digital Professional Encoder reference platform demonstrates the growing strength of the relationship between Dolby and TI.

Last year, for instance, Dolby approved TI´s Aureus audio DSP when developing its Pro Logic IIx enhanced Surround Sound technology.

TI has developed implementations of all of the firm’s world-renowned audio technologies including Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Ex, Pro Logic II, Pro Logic IIx, Dolby Headphone and Dolby Virtual Speaker.

Software for the Dolby Digital Professional Encoder is available now from Dolby.

The reference design is based on the 300MHz TMS320C6713, which has a suggested retail price of $34.29 each in volumes of 10,000.

A new audio amplifier reference design offers a complete and robust solution for designers looking to move up to the performance potential of a Class D audio amplifier in a smaller footprint.
The IRAUDAMP1 Class D audio amplifier reference design from International Rectifier is a complete and robust solution for designers looking to move up to the performance potential of a Class D audio amplifier in a smaller footprint. This latest reference design features the 200V-rated IR2011S high-speed gate driver IC, which drives a pair of IRFB23N15D HEXFET MOSFETs for each channel in the power stage to provide the amplified audio PWM (pulsewidth modulated) waveform. The reference design is a complete analogue input, Class D audio power amplifier with 500W + 500W peak stereo output into 4ohm.

The IRAUDAMP1 is based on a self-oscillating PWM modulator for the lowest component count and a robust design, with protection functions and housekeeping power supplies to simplify use.

This reference design is intended to demonstrate how to use the IR2011S, implement protection circuit features and design an optimum PCB layout.

Performance highlights of the IRAUDAMP1 include: total harmonic distortion plus noise of 0.008% at 1kHz, 100W, 4ohm; high efficiency of 93% at 350W, 1kHz, 4ohm; and a wide operating supply voltage range +/-25 to 60V.

Protection circuits include overvoltage (OVP) and overcurrent (OCP) protection.

In addition, DC voltage output protection prevents speaker damage from DC current.

The IR2011 200V-rated high- and low-side MOSFET driver IC is designed for 100-1000W Class D audio amplifier circuits.

Housed in an 8-pin DIP or SO-8 package, it has a maximum ambient temperature rating of 125C, which improves safety margins compared with similar devices rated at 85C.

Texas Instruments and AT and T are working together to provide designers and manufacturers new platforms for the development of VoIP products compatible with AT and T’s global IP network.
Texas Instruments and AT and T are working together to provide VoIP equipment designers and manufacturers new platforms for the development of VoIP products compatible with AT and T’s global IP (Internet Protocol) network. The combination of TI’s market-leading VoIP software and silicon technology and AT and T’s broadband telephony solutions will quickly enable communications equipment manufacturers to develop new equipment, such as terminal adapters and VoIP gateways, for use in managing voice services through broadband connections. As part of the agreement, TI-based reference designs for voice gateways will be compatible with AT and T’s CallVantage Service, via AT and T’s certification lab testing.

One of the first TI-based VoIP products that will be available through AT and T’s CallVantage Service is VTech Communications’ VoIP6322 dual line corded/cordless broadband telephone system.

The 2.4GHz DSS VoIP6322 can be used with both traditional and broadband phone services and includes a corded basestation and one cordless handset.

The VTech system can be expanded to a total of eight cordless handsets, thus allowing users to distribute phone service throughout the home or SOHO without additional wiring.

‘VoIP is the most significant, fundamental new technology shift in telecommunications in decades and promises to deliver tremendous value by leveraging the cost efficiencies and advanced communications capabilities of IP-based technology’, said Cathy Martine, AT and T’s Senior Vice President of Internet Telephony.

‘This alignment with TI will help deliver the benefits of IP-based telephony to our customers faster and more cost-effectively’.

The agreement between TI and AT and T is additional evidence of the excitement and momentum surrounding VoIP, and is expected to simplify the process by which customers use voice over broadband services in their homes and businesses.

Users can benefit from VoIP by saving money over traditional phone services and enjoying advanced telephony capabilities, such as find-me/follow-me services and conference calling, which improve the convenience and control they currently have over their communications services.

‘Ultimately, we expect that VoIP will emerge as the technology that drives customers toward successful voice, data and video connections on any device, anywhere and at anytime’, said Fred Zimmerman, Executive Director, Customer Premise Solutions of TI’s VoIP business.

‘This extended alignment between AT and T and TI draws from both companies’ strengths and market leadership positions to enable equipment designers and manufacturers to quickly ramp high quality VoIP products all over the world’.

Transmeta Corp has released a new Efficeon processor technology evaluation platform and reference design kit for the next generation of energy efficient, high performance, fanless and compact designs.
Transmeta Corp has released a new Efficeon processor technology evaluation platform and reference design kit for the next generation of energy efficient, high performance, fanless and compact designs. The Efficeon Technology Reference Design Kit is a manufacturing-ready reference design comprising schematics, PCB layout, bill of materials, reference design guide and drivers with BIOS support available from multiple BIOS vendors. The hardware platform is a four-layer Mini-ITX form factor motherboard, measuring 170 x 170mm, including onboard video/graphics, audio, Ethernet, USB 2.0, and IDE interfaces.

Designed for customers demanding high performance in low power designs, the manufacturing ready reference design kit allows for rapid evaluation and adoption of Transmeta’s technologies for a diverse range of industrial and computing products including embedded systems, automotive applications, quiet media centres, high performance consumer electronic devices and more.

‘With Transmeta’s increased focus on intellectual property licensing, this platform is an attractive vehicle for potential licensees to evaluate Transmeta’s processor technology’, said Arthur L Swift, Senior Vice President of Marketing at Transmeta.

‘The high level of integration of this complete system design showcases the ability to integrate our efficient technology into next generation applications requiring x86 compatibility in high performance compact designs’.

The reference design kit includes an Efficeon TM8820 in a 21 x 21mm package.

The TM8820 supports Transmeta’s powerful AntiVirusNX Technology, which works in conjunction with Microsoft’s Windows XP Service Pack 2 and offers enhanced security and safer computing by detecting and disabling common forms of computer viruses and worms.

Additionally, the included Efficeon processor features lead-free packaging developed in accordance with industry wide initiatives such as the Restriction of hazardous substances (RoHS) and Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directives and is aligned with Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association (JEITA) to remove lead and other hazardous materials from product packaging.

The Efficeon Processor Technology Evaluation Platform and Reference Design Kit will be available to customers in Q1 2005.

Texas Instruments has released its latest audio processor and a beta version of its upcoming production-ready reference design for portable audio applications.
Texas Instruments has released its latest audio processor and a beta version of its upcoming production-ready reference design for portable audio applications, including MP3 players, portable audio jukeboxes and handheld gaming devices. TI’s new audio reference design delivers industry leading battery life for an audio player with its feature set, enabling up to 24 hours of continuous play on a single charge of the built-in lithium-ion battery. The reference design will help manufacturers efficiently manage cost and development time, allowing for more bandwidth to incorporate new features, such as DJ effects, time scale modification, instant-on boot time, rich user interfaces, gaming and MPEG-4 video playback, and still should allow products to be brought to market within as few as three months.

‘Manufacturers prefer a reference design model, expecting more and more from technology partners to help them get a competitive edge in the market’, said Cindy McCurley, Senior Analyst at In-Stat/MDR.

‘Traditional audio players are evolving to add more features and functionality’.

‘To this end, TI’s new technology and reference design can help OEMs successfully differentiate their portable product offerings from entrenched devices’.

With a high level of integration, including a headphone amplifier and stereo DAC, the new dual-core, digital signal processor (DSP)-based TMS320DA295 digital audio processor offers superior performance and value.

Flexible power and clocking schemes increase power efficiency, and with the industry’s leading standby power, the DA295 reference design is unmatched in audio playback battery life for players of comparable feature sets.

In addition, the DA295 audio processor can be extended to support more than two days of audio playback on a single AA battery for a Flash-based audio player.

With the performance of a dual-core architecture, the reference design offers optimised implementations of all widely used audio codecs (MP3, AAC, WMA and others) both decode and encode, line-in encoding and the latest digital rights management (DRM) technologies.

For data interconnect, it uses USB 2.0 high speed On-The-Go, enabling peer-to-peer connectivity between the portable audio player and another device, such as a digital camera.

The DA295 reference design also includes a dedicated hard disk drive (HDD) controller for the embedded HDD, colour LCD and NTSC interfaces, FM tuner, headphone amplifier, stereo DAC, rechargeable battery-based subsystem and support for Flash-based storage.

Backed by TI’s industry-leading Code Composer Studio development environment, developers are able to differentiate players from competing devices with advanced application features, such as user interfaces, flexible codec support and video and imaging capabilities.

TI also has extended the Code Composer Studio platform with a simulator and emulation system designed specifically for use with this new audio technology, enabling fully software-based application development on a PC.

Being a programmable platform, the reference design can also evolve to address emerging standards.

For instance, due to TI’s upgradeable software, manufacturers will be able to add options in the second half of 2005, such as 2D gaming, personal information management capabilities and other digital audio enhancements to the standard reference design code build.

‘By combining our process technology leadership and system development expertise focused on portable audio applications, we are able to provide excellent power efficiency and the advanced features manufacturers need to differentiate their products’, said Chris Schairbaum, Manager of Portable Audio and Infotainment at TI.

‘We listen to our customers and consumers and understand their needs’.

‘Our new suite of development tools demonstrates our commitment to bringing our customers to market faster with a lower bill of materials’.

The beta version of the DA295 reference design, which can be used by manufacturers as a development platform, is expected to be available in Q1 2005 and is scheduled to be quickly followed by the production-ready, turnkey reference design in Q2 2005.

Pricing for the DA295 reference design starts at $20,000 and is available from select TI regional third party providers.

The IRISMPS4 is a reference design for flyback topology AC/DC power supply circuits commonly found in DVD/CD players, set-top boxes and an array of consumer electronics.
The IRISMPS4 is a reference design for flyback topology AC/DC power supply circuits commonly found in DVD/CD players, set-top boxes and an array of consumer electronics. Using IR’s IRIS4009 AC/DC integrated switcher as the main switch and control device, the IRISMPS4 reference design features a universal AC line input and 12V, 1A full load DC output. A dropping resistor from the DC bus initiates startup current for the IRIS4009.

Once the circuit is started, the Vcc power for the IRIS4009 comes from the bias winding of the main transformer.

The primary current control circuit consists of a current sensing resistor, which feeds a voltage proportional to the transformer primary current into the feedback (FB) pin of the IRIS4009.

The secondary voltage control loop uses an LM431 precision shunt regulator as the reference and an optocoupler to feedback the information to the IRIS4009 control circuit.

The IRIS4009 combines a control IC and a low-loss, rugged HEXFET power MOSFET in a single five-pin package for AC/DC power supplies up to 30W.

It can handle over 60% more power than leading competing devices classified at the same power level as a result of application-specific silicon and package technologies.

Compared with a discrete solution, the IRIS4009 cuts part count and board space by 25%, thus simplifying design.

The IRIS4009 is ideal for universal and single-input AC/DC power supplies and adapters for consumer electronics and, also, can be used as a housekeeping/standby supply in larger AC/DC power supplies or motor drives, up to 30W open frame, or 15W closed frame.

Nvidia’s WMP wireless media processors are now available pre-integrated on the TTPCom Ajar applications platform.
Nvidia’s WMP wireless media processors are now available pre-integrated on the TTPCom Ajar applications platform. The first devices will be based on the Analog Devices SoftFone chipset, the Nvidia GoForce 4000 WMP and TTPCom’s Ajar. This powerful combination of technologies will result in low power, accelerated applications in a cost-effective implementation that will bring high-end multimedia and graphics functionality to mass market handsets.

Nvidia has recently developed a series of chips that bring PC quality, interactive multimedia and graphics to mobile handsets.

The technology enables innovative design techniques, both inside the chips and at the system level, which will result in high performance and long battery life for features such as MPEG 4, 2D and 3D graphics, MP3 and audio.

When combined with TTPCom’s Ajar platform, the Nvidia GoForce 4000 boosts all of the pre-integrated applications and user interface graphics, enabling mobile device manufacturers to deliver advanced multimedia capabilities such as high resolution video recording and playback or 3D arcade quality gaming features.

Gaël Rosset, Ajar architect at TTPCom comments: ‘The pre-integrated applications on Ajar enhanced by the Nvidia GoForce 4000 WMP presents a powerful proposition for the market’.

‘As we move towards 3G, mobile phones are expected to increasingly be used as personal media centres, taking the position of the PC for the storage and sharing of music, videos games and music’.

‘Our cost-effective solution will help bring even the most advanced multimedia solutions to the mass market’.

‘Thanks to the combination of our technologies, we’ll soon see mobile handsets that allow users to play games using a TV screen or play videos with minimal power consumption’, added Glenn Schuster, General Manager, Wireless Media Processors, Nvidia Corp.

‘Using our media processor to accelerate the applications in Ajar results in a better method of delivering high performance multimedia’.

‘Unlike alternative solutions that rely on software, this implementation is both cost-effective and low power and therefore well suited for a wide cross-section of mobile devices’.

picoChip has signed its tenth commercial OEM reference design licensee.
picoChip has signed its tenth commercial OEM reference design licensee. The company’s ten design wins are in production or development with key strategic players, including tier one manufacturers, and cover both WiMAX and WCDMA technologies (with some companies implementing both). picoChip with its combination of complete reference designs and cost-effective processor is fast becoming the industry standard for next-generation wireless infrastructure.

Peter Claydon, cofounder and CEO at picoChip, commented: ‘Our design wins are impressive’.

‘We are taking global market share with customers that include tier one TEMs (telecomms equipment manufacturers), established major suppliers in the WiMAX/BWA space and key industry opinion-leaders’.

‘The market is shifting to an increased use of outsourcing and reference designs, and our 802.16 solution is now the most widely used architecture in the WiMAX industry’.

‘This firmly positions picoChip as the supplier of choice for next-generation wireless infrastructure’.

Will Strauss, Principal Analyst at Forward Concepts, Tempe, Arizona, USA, remarked: ‘Last year I said ‘If everything they say is true, they have a formidable product”.

‘With the commercial successes that picoChip is demonstrating, it is clear that it was true, and the PC102 genuinely is a formidable product’.

‘Some major players in the DSP space ought to be very concerned that picoChip is earning design wins and market share’.

picoChip provides the most complete basestation solution to the industry with a 802.16d PHY solution that is designated to be conformant and associated MAC from system partners, ensuring systems will pass through certification early in the first phase.

The WiMAX solution is available today for 802.16d mode and is seamlessly upgradeable to WiBRO and 16e, with no hardware change.

The company solves the key challenges of cost, development time and flexibility for next generation wireless systems.

The PC102 processor delivers world-beating price/performance and has achieved design wins with numerous major companies.

Uniquely, the company also delivers complete, standard-compliant reference designs for UMTS and WiMAX (16d upgradeable to 16e for mobility).