ARC International's SoC Platform Delivers Single-Chip Digital and Analog Audio to Mobile Consumers.Business Editors/High-Tech Writers SAN JOSE San Jose, city, United States San Jose (sănəzā`, săn hōzā`), city (1990 pop. 782,248), seat of Santa Clara co., W central Calif.; founded 1777, inc. 1850. , Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 9, 2002 austriamicrosystems selects ARCtangent(TM) architecture to reduce development costs, time-to-market and power usage for mobile MP3, AAC (Advanced Audio Coding) An audio compression technology that is part of the MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 standards. AAC, especially MPEG-4 AAC, provides greater compression and better sound quality than MP3, which also came out of the MPEG standard. and WMA (Windows Media Audio) An audio compression method from Microsoft. Known originally as MSAudio, this proprietary format competes with the MP3 and AAC methods. WMA encodes rapidly and is known to be especially effective at low bit rates. audio ARC International (LSE LSE - Language Sensitive Editor :ARK), a world leader in configurable System-on-Chip (SoC) platform technologies, has extended its 32-bit RISC/DSP ARCtangent microprocessor core architecture to the digital and analog audio market with the introduction of the single-chip austriamicrosystems AS3520 silicon sound card. Based in Graz, Austria, austriamicrosystems selected the industry-leading, fully synthesizable ARCtangent architecture for the development of a low-power, single-chip MCU/DSP core configured for high-performance mobile audio. Various audio features include digital music decoding (MP3 up to 320 kbps, 48-kHz; Advanced Audio Coding (audio) Advanced Audio Coding - (AAC) A successor to MP3, allowing lower bit rates and more stable quality. See MPEG-2 AAC Low Profile and MPEG-4 AAC Main Profile. up to 256 kbps and Windows Media Audio See Windows Media formats. ); audio-processing tasks such as equalizers and voice encoding (ADPCM (Adaptive Differential PCM) A widely used variation of PCM that codes the difference between sample points like differential PCM (DPCM), but can also dynamically switch the coding scale to compensate for variations in amplitude and frequency. ), and MIDI formatted ringtones. ARC's suite of microprocessor core development tools enabled a highly integrated single-chip design that resulted in 60 percent less PCB PCB: see polychlorinated biphenyl. PCB in full polychlorinated biphenyl Any of a class of highly stable organic compounds prepared by the reaction of chlorine with biphenyl, a two-ring compound. space and 30 percent less cost than equivalent audio semiconductor solutions while consuming less power. Internal low-power management features support external battery sources ranging from 1.0 to 5.5 volts, ensuring the longest battery-life for "on-the-go" mobile audio applications. "ARC International provided the most efficient and high-performance microprocessor architecture available to meet the stringent mixed-signal SoC requirements for our emerging Mobile Music Platform," said Alexander Harrer, general manager, Communications Business Unit, of austriamicrosystems. "In addition to the cost-saving and space-saving benefits to our designs, ARC reduced our development risks by providing all the vital tools in the engineering cycle, thus reducing our need for multiple intellectual property (IP) suppliers." "ARC International's SoC development platform complements austriamicrosystems design expertise in the area of standalone audio players, mobile phones, PDAs and digital cameras," stated Mike Gulett, president and chief executive of ARC International. "Our collaboration confirms ARC's commitment to provide innovation and leadership in the mobile consumer market by offering system developers the greatest ease and flexibility in developing highly differentiated products." The ARC International SoC development platform reduces time-to-market, development costs, the number of IP suppliers and overall risk by including the hardware and software components that designers need to build most of a system straight out of the box. In addition to the ARCtangent customizable processor and ARChitect(TM) configuration tool, the ARC product range includes configurable software-development tools, a real-time operating system (operating system) Real-Time Operating System - (RTOS) Any operating system where interrupts are guaranteed to be handled within a certain specified maximum time, thereby making it suitable for control of hardware in embedded systems and other time-critical applications. (RTOS (1) (RealTime Operating System) An operating system designed for use in a real time computer system. See real time system, embedded system, process control and OS-9. ), network-protocol stacks, USB USB in full Universal Serial Bus Type of serial bus that allows peripheral devices (disks, modems, printers, digitizers, data gloves, etc.) to be easily connected to a computer. and Ethernet peripherals, device drivers, and more. About ARC International ARC International is an industry-leading developer of embedded user-customizable, high-performance 32-bit RISC/DSP processor cores, with integrated development tools, peripherals, RTOS and software. These integrated products and solutions are a result of the acquisitions of MetaWare, VAutomation and Precise Software Technologies. ARC's integrated intellectual property solutions assist customers in rapidly developing next generation wireless, networking and consumer electronics products, reducing the number of IP suppliers, reducing time-to-market, reducing costs, and reducing the risk for System-on-Chip product development. Products based on ARC's technology include digital still cameras, set-top boxes, and network processors. ARC International employs more than 200 people in research and development, sales, and marketing offices across North America, Europe and Israel. Full details of the company's locations and other information are on the company's web site, www.ARC.com. ARC International is listed on the London Stock Exchange London Stock Exchange London marketplace for securities. It was formed in 1773 by a group of stockbrokers who had been doing business informally in local coffeehouses. as ARC International plc (LSE:ARK). About austriamicrosystems With headquarters near Graz, Austria, austriamicrosystems AG is a world leader in design, development and manufacturing of highly integrated mixed signal ICs. Operating worldwide from 14 locations around the globe with 890 employees, austriamicrosystems offers a broad range of customer solutions for the automotive, communication, industrial and healthcare markets. austriamicrosystems provides comprehensive development and manufacturing services for IC and system solutions, including: research and development, design, process development, wafer production, assembly and testing. In addition, austriamicrosystems offers a wide range of semiconductor processes such as HV-CMOS, BiCMOS, SiGe and CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) Pronounced "c-moss." The most widely used integrated circuit design. It is found in almost every electronic product from handheld devices to mainframes. in structural widths down to 0.35 um. For more information, email info@austriamicrosystems.com, or visit http://www.austriamicrosystems.com. Statements made in this press release that are not historical facts include forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ from those indicated by such forward-looking statements include, among others, market acceptance of the ARC technology; fluctuations in and unpredictability of the Company's quarterly results; general economic and business conditions; regulatory policies adopted by governmental authorities; assumptions regarding the Company's future business strategy; changes in technology; competition; ability to attract and retain qualified personnel; risks associated with the Company's international operations; and other uncertainties that are discussed in the "Investment Considerations" section of the Company's listing particulars dated 28 September 2000 filed with the United Kingdom Listing Authority and the Registrar of Companies The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. Please help [ improve the introduction] to meet Wikipedia's layout standards. You can discuss the issue on the talk page. in England and Wales England and Wales are both constituent countries of the United Kingdom, that together share a single legal system: English law. Legislatively, England and Wales are treated as a single unit (see State (law)) for the conflict of laws. . The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update any forward-looking statements as a result of developments occurring after the date such statement was first made. ARC, the ARC logo, ARCtangent and ARChitect are trademarks of ARC International. All other brands or product names are the property of their respective holders. |
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