ARC International Introduces ARCsound: Licensable Digital Audio Subsystem
SAN JOSE, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Sept. 27, 2004—
ARC International (LSE:ARK), the world leader in
configurable CPU/DSP processor cores and application platforms, today
announced the availability of the ARCsound(TM) audio subsystem, a
preconfigured, licensable audio platform for use in high volume SOC
designs. The ARCsound subsystem includes state-of-the-art audio codec
software, a pre-configured ARC processor with custom audio extensions
and a full suite of hardware and software development tools.
The ARCsound subsystem is designed to meet the demanding price and
performance requirements of high volume, cost-sensitive audio
applications. ARCsound requires only 75,000 gates in a typical
configuration. This is up to 30% smaller than comparable CPU cores,
making ARCsound one of the smallest audio solutions available. In
addition to reduced die size, ARCsound also operates at a lower clock
speed when compared to other solutions, resulting in lower power
requirements. ARCsound consumes up to 55% less system power, which
results in longer battery life for portable devices.
"ARC's configurable cores are an excellent foundation for
application-specific subsystems," said Derek Meyer, ARC VP Marketing.
"With ARCsound, we've leveraged this configurability and combined it
with optimized audio codec software to deliver a small, power
efficient audio subsystem. The result is lower overall silicon cost,
better power efficiency and faster development time -- all critical
items for tomorrow's digital media product developers."
A critical factor in reducing the overall system size and power is
the ARCsound subsystem's DSP-style memory architecture. Both the
instruction and data memory organization have been tuned to handle the
bandwidth requirements of typical audio signal processing functions.
However, ARC's configurable memory approach also allows for adjusting
memory sizes to easily incorporate additional tasks. ARCsound further
reduces SOC cost through its best-in-class program and table size.
Codec Support
The ARCsound subsystem's optimized audio software suite supports:
-- MPEG 1,2 Layer I, II, III (MP3) Decode
-- MPEG 1,2 Layer I, II, III (MP3) Encode
-- MPEG-2/4 AAC LC Decode
-- MPEG-2/4 AAC LC Encode
-- WMA 9.0 Decode
-- Dolby(TM) Digital AC-3 Decode
-- Dolby(TM) Digital AC-3 Consumer Encode
High Quality Audio
While low silicon cost is a key requirement for high volume
applications, the ARCsound subsystem doesn't sacrifice audio quality.
ARCsound uses a 32-bit datapath and 32-bit arithmetic processing to
better preserve audio fidelity compared to 16-bit implementations. In
order to ensure audio quality is maintained after integrating the
subsystem into an SOC, ARCsound has undergone intensive verification
at both the hardware and software level. Furthermore, an ARCsound
sample implementation is also available and provides an example of
integrating the ARCsound subsystem with ARC's MQX(TM) RTOS and ARC
peripherals.
For more technical information including a list of deliverables
and competitive performance data, visit www.arc.com/arcsound.
Pricing and Availability
The ARCsound subsystem is available today. For information about
licensing, contact ARC at +1-408-437-3400.
About ARC
ARC International is the world leader in low-power,
high-performance 32-bit RISC CPU/DSP configurable processor cores,
real-time operating systems and development tools for embedded system
design. ARC's configurable and extendible cores assist customers in
the development of next generation digital media, consumer and
communications devices, resulting in lower cost, higher performance
System-on-Chip products.
ARC International maintains a worldwide presence with corporate
offices in San Jose, California, USA, and Elstree, UK. The Company has
research and development offices located in England and the United
States. For more information, please visit the ARC website at:
www.ARC.com. ARC International is listed on the London Stock Exchange
as ARC International plc (LSE:ARK).
This press release may include "forward-looking statements" that
involve risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause actual
results to differ are discussed in the 'Investment Considerations'
section of the Company's web site as well as the listing particulars,
dated 28 September 2000, filed with the United Kingdom Listing
Authority and the Registrar of Companies in England and Wales. The
Company disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking
statements.
ARC, the ARC logo, ARCtangent, ARCangel, ARChitect, ARCform,
ARCsound, MQX and MetaWare are trademarks of ARC International. All
other brands or product names are the property of their respective
holders.
Contact:
ARC International
Jessica Hoff, 831-466-4976 or 831-466-4977
jessica.hoff@arc.com
or
Cain Communications
Hillary Cain, 831-439-2071
hcain@caincom.com
