<A> Motorola Chip Will Set New Level of Price/Performance for Industry's Digital Audio Products
AUSTIN, Texas--
New DSP Chip Handles All Major Audio Decoding Standards
While Leaving Room For Additional Functions
Consumers will soon have audio performance as never before, thanks to a new audio DSP chip from Motorola. The chip, a DSP56362, will set a new level of price/performance for the industry's digital audio products.
With speeds up to 100 MIPS, the DSP56362 provides the capability to handle all the major multichannel audio decoding standards (Dolby Digital, DTS and MPEG2) in a single device, as well as other audio processing requirements such as subwoofer management, soundfield effects, 3-D virtual surrounds, equalization, Lucasfilm THX Cinema processing, and Pacific Microsonics HDCD.
The DSP56362 is the first product capable of supporting this level of functionality which is required for next generation DVD, digital TV, A/V receiver and automotive audio products.
The ability to handle all major audio decompression standards is important, because multimedia standards and products are evolving very quickly. Both consumers and manufacturers desire products that support all the primary standards insuring that consumers can play various media content.
These audio standards require both 24-bit precision and leading- edge DSP performance provided for the first time by DSP56362. In addition to supporting the decoding standards, which require 40-50 MIPS, manufacturers can use the remaining 50+ MIPS to differentiate their products with unique audio functions.
By providing this level of functionality and flexibility in a cost-effective single chip solution, Motorola introduces a new price/performance standard for the industry.
Carlos Genardini, senior vice president and general manager, Motorola Consumer Systems Group, stated: "Motorola is excited to bring to market a solution that will enable mass market consumers to get greater enjoyment from their audio products, at a lower cost-to-performance ratio.
"This solution will enable the next generation of audio technology to be delivered to the mass market."
The new Motorola chip is endorsed by such digital audio technology leaders as Dolby Laboratories, DTS, Lucasfilm THX, Pacific Microsonics, TMH Corp. and Waves.
The estimated price for the DSP56362 is under $20 in quantities of 10,000 units with volume production in 3Q98. A comprehensive set of development tools is available for the DSP56362. Free DSP56300 assembler and simulator tools are downloadable from Motorola's Web site.
Additional C compilers and debugging software tools are available from third parties. Two hardware development systems will be offered. A DSP56362 Audio Design Development System is available today from Momentum Data Systems, and Motorola will offer a low-cost DSP56362EVM reference design/evaluation system in 2Q98.
Motorola's 24-bit architectures have been a de facto standard used by professional and broadcast audio engineers for more than a decade.
Virtually every major movie and compact disc soundtrack was edited and mastered on equipment using Motorola's 24-bit DSP due to its unmatched quality, performance and flexibility. Additionally, new professional cinema products by Dolby and DTS utilize Motorola's 24-bit DSP56300 products.
In 1992 Motorola introduced the DSP56004, the first Symphony audio DSP, specifically targeting consumer audio products. This family has been increased to six products over subsequent years. Today this product family is in use by most major consumer audio manufacturers worldwide in applications such as audio/video receivers, DVD-video, automotive audio and digital television.
The DSP56362 is the first Symphony audio DSP to utilize the DSP56300 core. The DSP56300 retains software compatibility with the previous DSP56000 audio core, but with dramatically higher performance.
The DSP56300 family was introduced in 1995 with general purpose and customized solutions shipping in volume today for digital cellular subscriber, modem, wireless and wireline infrastructure applications.
With 1996 worldwide sales of $7.9 billion, Motorola's Semiconductor Products Sector is committed to enabling its customers' success by providing systems solutions, processes and services to anticipate and respond to changing technologies and market dynamics.
As the largest U.S.-based, broad-line semiconductor supplier, the Sector delivers global resources, product design and development expertise and the highest-quality technology solutions to its customers. Motorola semiconductors power automobiles, communications and computing systems, and millions of other consumer products.
In the global marketplace, Motorola also is one of the leading providers of wireless communications, advanced electronic systems, components and services. Major equipment businesses include cellular telephone, two-way radio, paging and data communications, personal communications, automotive, defense and space electronics, and computers. Corporate sales in 1997 were $28 billion.
Joint News Releases and/or Quote Sheet Endorsements:
Dolby Laboratories
"Dolby Laboratories utilizes Motorola's DSP56300 Family DSPs in their professional product line. We are pleased that now Motorola will offer this class of performance for consumer applications," stated Roger Dressler, director, technology strategy, Dolby Laboratories.
"In addition to a performance leading product for A/V Receivers and DVD-Video decoding, Dolby is cooperating with Motorola on the industry's first consumer Dolby Digital encoder for DVD-recordable markets."
DTS
"DTS has maintained a close relationship with Motorola during the first consumer implementation of DTS Digital Surround on the DSP56009. The new DSP56362 will considerably improve the market acceptance of DTS by eliminating the requirement and cost for an additional dedicated DSP.
"The timing of this introduction coincides perfectly with the dramatic increases in market availability for DTS-encoded software targeted for mid-1998," stated David Delgrosso, director of marketing, DTS.
Lucasfilm
"With Motorola's simultaneous support of multi-channel decoding and THX post processing, our licensees can reduce the cost and greatly simpilify the design process for their THX certified products.
The amount of dedicated research and product development that manufacturers normally need to invest in these areas is now reduced significantly,"
stated Stephen Shenefield, director of licensing and product development, Home THX Program, Lucasfilm Ltd.
Pacific Microsonics
"Interest in Pacific Microsonics' HDCD technology continues to grow and the DSP56362 provides a cost-effective software solution for HDCD decoding in DVD, A/V receivers, and automotive audio products. The DSP56362's 24-bit architecture and versatility make it the ideal choice for HDCD applications," stated Bennet Goldberg, president, Pacific Microsonics.
TMH Corporation
TMH Corp. president and audio industry leader Tomlinson Holman said, "With horsepower left to spare after decoding of the basic multichannel carrier, the DSP56362 is a platform for the next big steps in audio processing and quality.
This chip allows innovative companies to engineer features and performance never before possible. In an address to ICSPAT, we suggested sophisticated equalization for room effects, correct loudness control to compensate for human hearing over a wide range of levels, and other improvement which Motorola's DSPs make practical."
Waves
"Waves is a recognized technology leader in professional audio editing technology over the past decade. All of our systems are based on Motorola's 24-bit DSP architecture, and the DSP56362 provides an ideal platform to bring Waves' latest algorithm technology such as MaxxBass and TrueVerb to low-cost consumer applications," stated Gilad Keren, president and chief executive officer of Waves.
Further information can be obtained at the following Web sites:
-- dspaudio.motorola.com
-- mot.com
-- dolby.com
-- dtstech.com
-- thx.com
-- hdcd.com
-- tmhlabs.com
-- waves.com
NOTE: THX is a registered trademark of Lucasfilm Ltd. |
