Press Release
F O R I M M E D I A T E R E L E A S E
01-Mar-99
Tanis MacSween
Marketing Communications Manager
604-421-5422
Tanis_MacSween@SpectrumSignal.com
SPECTRUM SIGNAL PROCESSING ANNOUNCES DEVELOPMENT OF NEW SYSTEM-LEVEL
PRODUCTIVITY TOOL FOR MULTI-DSP APPLICATIONS
New Development Tool Provides System-Level Exposure, Decreases
Time-to-Market & Compliments Texas Instruments' and Analog Devices¹
Software Environments
Burnaby, B.C., Canada - March 1, 1999 -- Spectrum Signal Processing Inc.
(NASDAQ NMS: SSPIF / TSE: SSY), the industry leader in high-performance DSP systems, announced today plans to develop a productivity enhancement tool which will allow developers to quickly optimize and debug multiprocessor DSP applications at the system-level, thereby decreasing time-to-market. Designed to be compliant with Texas Instruments' Code Composer Studio and AnalogDevices¹ VisualDSP, the software will also work seamlessly with Spectrum's DSP hardware in parallel processing environments. This system-level software will make Spectrum's DSP
systems even easier to use, and significantly shorten product
development time. Spectrum intends to utilize its in-house software engineering team and strategic alliances to provide scaleable software product offerings that grant multiple entry points to address the performance versus complexity tradeoffs. This modular software environment will allow customers to pick and choose the level of Spectrum-supplied software in their system, thus giving developers the tools and information they need to make design decisions without any limitations. In addition, by providing a development environment which has a system-level tool that a developer can use at every stage in the development cycle, customers will be able to develop and deploy their product faster.
"With the development of our new system-level productivity enhancement
tool, Spectrum has further demonstrated its commitment to providing our customers with DSP system solutions that accelerate their product
development cycle and are easy to use," said Phil Radtke, Spectrum's
Software Marketing manager.
"Now, in conjunction with our hardware, application developers can use
our system-level software tool which is highly optimized, and works
seamlessly with our DSP hardware. Plus, they can be confident that as
our hardware evolves, so will our software, thereby eliminating future
migration difficulties and ensuring they retain their software
investment," Radtke added.
For TI-based parallel DSP systems, Spectrum's software will feature Code Composer Studio plug-ins, support DSP/BIOS and RTDX and have a
TI-compliant framework ensuring DSP software interoperability and reuse. In addition, the software's system-level features will add value to code development tools, such as Code Composer Studio, by enabling developers to address system-level optimizations, software bottlenecks and timing issues between code modules or DSPs.
Spectrum will also leverage ADI¹s VisualDSP foundation when designing
its system-level productivity enhancement tool for ADI-based
multiprocessor applications. This system-level tool will cater to
ADI-based systems by incorporating open API standards which will
integrate into VisualDSP.
Spectrum's new software, coupled with its existing DSP hardware, is
designed to help developers become more comfortable and proficient with the Spectrum development environment faster than previously possible. This new DSP system software tool, according to Radtke, will result in the easiest to use and fastest to deploy multiprocessor hardware products in the DSP systems industry.
Spectrum Signal Processing is the world's leading supplier of DSP system solutions. The company offers DSP software, off-the-shelf hardware, custom ASIC design and complete custom systems.
Customers such as Nortel, NEC, Daewoo Telecom, Siemens Medical Systems, the US Dept. of Defense and Lockheed Martin benefit from Spectrum's innovative, programmable DSP products, by gaining competitive advantages such as faster time to market and low-cost feature set upgradeability. Spectrum Signal Processing is publicly traded on NASDAQ NMS under the symbol SSPIF and on the TSE under the symbol SSY. The company is ISO9001 quality certified, and can be found on the web at
www.spectrumsignal.com, and is located at #100 - 8525 Baxter Place,
Burnaby, B.C., Canada. (604) 421-5422; fax (604) 421-1764.
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More buying from ADI as they and Intel get ready to take on TI. ADI has the money and backing now of Intel to bring in house all the s/w tooling, compilers, etc that they will need to meet the next
generation of DSP core applications potential.
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Edinburgh Portable Compilers Acquired by Analog Devices
BELLEVUE, Wash., Feb. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Corum Group announced today the sale of its client, Edinburgh Portable Compilers, Ltd. of Edinburgh, Scotland, to Analog Devices, Inc. of Norwood, MA (NYSE: ADI). EPC will remain in Scotland operating as a wholly owned subsidiary of ADI.
According to Miro Parizek, Corum's European Director, "matching up EPC with ADI enabled the EPC shareholders to find the optimal partner to leverage EPC's technical expertise in software compilers for high performance, embedded applications. EPC greatly enhances ADI's portfolio by integrating the company's DSP architecture and IC design core competencies with EPC's development tools core competencies, providing Analog the resources to bring ADI DSP-based products to market even faster."
Edinburgh Portable Compilers, established in 1984, is a privately held company located in Edinburgh, Scotland. The company develops high performance C/C++ and Fortran language compilers for advanced microprocessor architectures. Recognized as a center of excellence for compiler technology, EPC is committed to developing compilers and related tools for Intel's forthcoming Merced(TM) processor, in addition to supporting EPC's current products for IA-32, PowerPC(R), ADI's SHARC(R) and other architectures. EPC has over 300 staff-years experience developing compilers. Compilers are becoming increasingly popular with DSP designers. EPC's technology will be critical to simplifying the design challenge for users of ADI's most advanced DSP architectures, including the recently announced TigerSHARC(TM) architecture.
With fiscal 1998 sales of $1.23 billion, Analog Devices is a leading manufacturer of precision high performance integrated circuits used in analog and digital signal processing, offering products in analog, mixed-signal, and digital signal processing. Analog Devices designs, manufactures, and markets a broad line of high-performance linear, mixed-signal and digital integrated circuits (ICs) that address a wide range of real-world signal processing applications. Headquartered in Norwood, Massachusetts, the company employs approximately 7,100 people worldwide and has manufacturing facilities in Massachusetts, California, North Carolina, Ireland, the Philippines and Taiwan.
Based in Bellevue, Washington, Corum Group is the world leader in assisting software companies in mergers and alliances (www.corumgroup.com). Corum has worked with hundreds of software firms, from mainframe applications to multimedia game technology throughout North and South America, Europe and Asia. Many are market or technology leaders who have been guided through a sale or alliance with a wide range of organizations. Partners for Corum clients have included Microsoft, XEROX, Intel, Symantec, PageNet, Fiserv, 3COM, Texaco, Emulex, Phoenix Technologies, Control Data, Sierra On-Line, MathSoft, EDS, Quarterdeck, Fujitsu, Logica and Attachmate as well as numerous other foreign and domestic firms. To assist its clients, Corum has built the largest, most active database of software-related companies in the world (over 57,000) and the industry's most detailed valuation methodologies.
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The relationship between ADI and Motorola Intel
Analog Devices and Motorola Announce Modem Riser and Daughter Card Solutions
PALM SPRINGS, Calif., Feb. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Analog Devices, Inc. (ADI) and Motorola Corp. today, at the Intel Developer Forum, announced 'a Mobile Daughter Card (MDC) solution validated for use with the new 440MX mobile Intel'(R) chip set along with an Audio/Modem Riser (AMR) product for the forthcoming desktop core logic chips supporting AC '97 soft technology links. Utilizing these new soft technology products decreases modem bill of material (BOM) costs by as much as 50%. ADI's new wwwMAX(TM) chip set and Motorola's SM56 software support Intel's AC '97 v2.1, AMR v1.01 and MDC v1.0 specifications.
"Analog Devices and Motorola have played key, enabling roles in our Mobile Daughter Card program for mobile platforms in 1999," said Terran Reneau, Program Manager, Platform Marketing, Intel Corporation. "The low-cost software audio/modem solutions coupled with the low-cost and small form factor mobile daughter card and AC '97 provide the optimal solution for value and mini-notebook platforms." The desktop AMR or MDC modem can ship in the form of an audio/modem combo card or split-partitioned with audio integrated as a motherboard feature.
In a related announcement, ADI disclosed the industry's first integrated audio solution validated for use with Intel(R) 440MX mobile and forthcoming desktop chip sets. Dubbed SoundMAX(TM), this solution has been widely adopted by PC OEMs and motherboard manufacturers for 1999 production. Motorola's SM56 soft modem drivers have been fully tested and validated for interoperability with ADI's SoundMAX soft audio drivers.
By collaborating, Analog Devices and Motorola jointly developed modem solutions that address the need to reduce BOM costs for OEMs, while simultaneously taking advantage of the performance of today's Intel(R) Pentium(R) II and Celeron(TM) processors.
Pat Casey, VP Sales and Marketing at Motorola ISG, commented, "We're excited about the commercial prospects for delivering Motorola's V.90 modem technology running on Analog Devices' modem CODECs. Our engineers have worked closely with Analog Devices and Intel to ensure complete interoperability with SoundMAX audio-enabled motherboards and SM56 modem riser and mobile daughter cards."
John Croteau, Product Line Director for ADI, stated, "Motorola is a powerful partner for our MC'97 CODECs and silicon DAA products. With more than 30 years leading the industry with high-speed modem technology, Motorola has emerged as the clear leader in soft modem technology. Motorola's SM56 solutions are recognized as the highest quality and most robust in the PC market today."
As PC host processors have become increasingly powerful, it has become practical to move much of the processing tasks to the host with only minimal loading. Such processor loading, typically less than 15%, is nearly undetectable to the user even when concurrently running compute-intensive applications such as gaming and multimedia. As future processors continue to increase in performance, modem loading will become virtually unnoticeable.
NSTL (National Software Testing Laboratories) recently completed testing of two soft modems and one controller-less modem. The report stated, "The Motorola SM56 presents a trivial incremental load on the CPU when compared to the DSP-based Lucent modem. As a result, soft modems only minimally impact other tasks, including CPU-intense gaming and multimedia applications."
About Motorola
Using its patents essential in modem technology, Motorola's Software Products Division (SPD) develops software-based modems, which are pre- installed in today's cutting-edge personal computers. By combining software and processing power, soft modems are able to deliver low-cost modem connectivity for desktop and notebook PCs. By partnering with "best in class" audio and silicon vendors, Motorola designs soft modems for PC manufacturers to address issues of cost, quality and upgradeability.
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Analog Devices Announces Audio & Modem CODECs for 1999 Intel Architecture PCs
PALM SPRINGS, Calif., Feb. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Analog Devices, Inc.
(NYSE: ADI) today, at the Intel Developer Forum, announced audio and modem CODECs(A) validated for use with the Intel(R) 440MX mobile and forthcoming desktop core logic chip sets. The new solutions optimally partition audio and modem signal processing functions between analog, digital and Pentium(R) software. This results in a bill of material (BOM) cost reduction of 50% compared to PCI controller-based solutions. ADI worked in conjunction with Intel to validate a new AC-link serial port dedicated to audio and modem CODECs on mainstream core logic chip sets for 1999.
The analog-intensive CODEC functions consist of 16-bit digital-to-analog (D/A) and analog-to-digital (A/D) converters with variable sample rate conversion, high-precision signal conditioning and sophisticated power management features. The audio version includes dual D/A and A/D converters for stereo operation, plus advanced mixing, gain, attenuate and mute circuitry. The modem CODEC adds 3-volt operation and advanced power management for "wake-up on ring" capability. Companion linear devices include a stereo
headphone amplifier with optional 1.5-W monaural power output and a solid- state DAA line interface that's software-programmable for international modem operation.
"Soft technology enablers such as Analog Devices' AC '97 v2.1 audio and modem CODEC solutions are key ingredients of Intel's Value PC initiative in 1999," said Terran Reneau, Marketing Program Manager for Intel's Value Mobile Systems. "The CODECs provide for compatibility and interoperability between Analog's CODECs and new, upcoming Intel chip sets for MDC- and AMR- enabled motherboards."
"These CODECs represent three years of collaboration between Analog
Devices and Intel Corporation," said John Croteau, Product Line Director at ADI. "We developed two separate iterations of the AC '97 spec to re-partition the PC audio and modem subsystems in order to optimize motherboard size, cost and power consumption. OEMs get leadership audio and modem features in 1999 at half the cost of PCI alternatives."
Facilitating the move away from ISA and PCI legacy devices, Microsoft has integrated wavetable synthesis and MS-DOS legacy emulation into Windows(R) 98 and Windows(R) 2000. Working in conjunction with 3Com Corporation, ADI is delivering similar features and compatibility in its Windows 95 device driver. End users get virtual mode MS-DOS legacy compatibility with the installed base of applications written for Sound Blaster(TM) and General MIDI.
ADI's CODECs and companion amplifiers will ship under the SoundMAX(TM)
brand and will include device drivers for Windows 2000, 98, 95 and NT 4.0 that are pre-qualified by Microsoft's Windows Hardware Quality Lab (WHQL), which is a prerequisite for "Designed for Windows" logo certification. Software interoperability with companion V.90 modems is also guaranteed. In a related announcement, 3Com Corporation announced work on a number of software and hardware products that complement and enhance the SoundMAX solution for consumer PCs. Software upgrades include Pentium(R) and Celeron(TM) processor-
based, 128-voice wavetable and 3D positioning features. 3Com's PCI
accelerator upgrades add DSP hardware that off-loads the Pentium processor, thereby accelerating video/graphics frame rates in 3D gaming and advanced music applications.
"By working with industry leaders to first design, then implement balanced signal processing architectures, ADI is ahead of the curve in supplying commercially viable audio and modem solutions in 1999," stated Will Strauss, President of Forward Concepts. "ADI has done its homework and developed products that suit the latest incarnation of the ever-evolving PC architecture."
To implement the companion modem function, ADI's wwwMAX(TM) chip set
includes a CODEC and silicon DAA (data access arrangement) device and features guaranteed interoperability with Intel core logic chip sets and SoundMAX- enabled motherboards. The CODEC and DAA chip set can ship in the form of Audio/Modem Riser (AMR) cards for desktop PCs or Mobile Daughter Cards (MDC) for notebook or handheld platforms.
In a related announcement, Motorola announced the first wwwMAX-based
mobile daughter card and desktop modem riser card solutions. Motorola's V.90 solutions conform to Intel's AC '97 v2.1, AMR v1.01 and MDC v1.0 specifications and utilize Pentium(R) II and Celeron(TM) processor resources to implement both the controller and datapump functions in software. Motorola supplies WHQL-certified V.90 modem drivers and provides manufacturers technical support for worldwide homologation through the FCC and various PTT approvals.
"Analog Devices has turned technology realities into opportunity by
pursuing an audio and modem strategy with Intel, 3Com and Motorola," said Kathleen Maher, Editor-in-Chief of the Peddie Report. "These four industry leaders have partitioned the key analog, digital, and software components of the PC audio and modem subsystems to create the highest performance solution at the lowest cost. ADI is concentrating on its core competency, the analog- intensive converter, amplifier and DAA elements and, as a result, its products will be widely used in business class computers worldwide."
SoundMAX and wwwMAX CODECs come in 48- and 24-pin TQFP packages,
respectively, and are currently ramping into production in time for the 1999 back-to-school and holiday PC production cycles. The industry's leading PC OEMs, as well as motherboard and adapter card manufacturers, are currentlydesigning them into a wide variety of commercial and consumer desktop and notebook PCs. PC OEMs should qualify and specify motherboards, AMR and MDC cards based on SoundMAX and wwwMAX solutions.
Glossary of Terms:
AMR Audio/Modem Riser (card)
CODEC Coder/decoder
DAA Data Access Arrangement
HSP Host Signal Processing
Homologation Testing and certification by FCC for interfacing to
MDC Mobile Daughter Card
MIDI Musical Instrument Digital Interface
PTT Postal, Telephone & Telegraph
WHQL Windows Hardware Quality Lab
READERS SHOULD CONTACT: Analog Devices, Inc., Ray Stata Technology
Center, 804 Woburn Street, Wilmington, MA 01887, Tel: 1-800-ANALOGD
(1-800-262-5643), Fax: 781-937-1021.
SOURCE Analog Devices, Inc.
CO: Analog Devices, Inc.
ST: California, Massachusetts
IN: CPR MLM
SU: PDT
02/24/99 12:01 EST prnewswire.com
My take on the above is that Spectrums value for multi-procesor board
environments continues to be refined by Spectrums software group. Further the fact that ADI and Mot have announced the above bodes well for the 3G solution from ADI which Spectrums smart antenna and board level system operating system are an integral part of.
Norden |
