Anadigm Delivers Flexible Subwoofer Solution with New SonicMaster Programmable Analog ICs.SAN FRANCISCO San Francisco (săn frănsĭs`kō), city (1990 pop. 723,959), coextensive with San Francisco co., W Calif., on the tip of a peninsula between the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay, which are connected by the strait known as the Golden -- In a move to offer application-specific versions of its programmable analog ICs for high-volume markets, Anadigm(R) today launched two new field-programmable analog arrays (FPAAs) designed to support high-performance subwoofer A speaker that reproduces the lower end of the audio spectrum. A subwoofer system may include a crossover circuit which switches frequencies at approximately 100Hz and under to the subwoofer, while passing the rest of the signal to the main speakers. speakers, which are used in audio systems to reproduce the lower bass frequencies with maximum power and fidelity. Anadigm(R) made the announcement at the AES Convention at San Francisco's Moscone Center The Moscone Center is San Francisco, California's largest convention and exhibition complex. The complex consists of two main underground halls underneath Yerba Buena Gardens, Moscone North and Moscone South, as well the three-level Moscone West exhibition hall across 4th Street. , where the company is exhibiting in booth #1636 today through Oct. 31. As the first two members of the SonicMaster(TM) series of audio-specific FPAA FPAA Field-Programmable Analog Array FPAA Florida Prosecuting Attorneys Association FPAA Fairmount Park Art Association (Philadelphia, PA) FPAA Fresh Produce Association of the Americas FPAA Fire Protection Association of Australia products, the new AN227E04 and AN127E04 support all the functions required by active subwoofers, including the incoming subsonic sub·son·ic adj. 1. Of less than audible frequency. 2. Having a speed less than that of sound in a designated medium. subsonic Adjective filter, audio compressor, Linkwitz transform equalizer and low-pass filter A filter that blocks high frequencies and allows lower frequencies to pass through. Such filters are used in devices such as POTS splitters that direct phone and DSL signals to different lines. Contrast with high-pass filter. . Typically these functions are designed with discrete components that cannot be tuned or modified once in place. By contrast, the FPAA implementation puts the subwoofer circuit under software control while maintaining an analog signal An analog or analogue signal is any time continuous signal where some time varying feature of the signal is a representation of some other time varying quantity. It differs from a digital signal in that small fluctuations in the signal are meaningful. path from front to back. As a result, manufacturers can tune the circuitry during the manufacturing process to suit the acoustics acoustics (ək  `stĭks) [Gr.,=the facts about hearing], the science of sound, including its production, propagation, and effects. of various speaker enclosures or provide controls that allow the end user to tune the subwoofer to match personal preferences and the space in which it is being used. This solution also maintains the analog integrity and pure audio characteristics of the original sound source. Anadigm(R) makes designing with the AN227E04 and AN127E04 extraordinarily easy by providing a starter kit including AnadigmDesigner(R)2 CAD files in which the subwoofer circuit has already been completed. Designers can set the parameters of the Configurable Analog Modules (CAMs) making up the circuit to provide precise control over the sound parameters of their products or can adjust these directly in the C-code automatically generated by AnadigmDesigner(R)2 to simplify interface with the system microprocessor. The AN227E04 is dynamically reconfigurable, allowing modifications to circuit parameters while in operation. The device can therefore adapt in real-time to changes in the environment where the subwoofer speaker is used. With this feature, designers could potentially offer end users the ability to alter frequency and roll-off characteristics in their homes for optimal sound quality, or even implement a self-tuning function that would perform this step automatically. Anadigm(R)'s FPAA solutions reduce the design cycle from weeks or months to a matter of days, while allowing a single circuit board implementation to be customized during manufacturing to serve multiple products with different feature sets, thus reducing the range of components that needs to be sourced by OEMs. "These new SonicMaster(TM) FPAAs answer the demand of the audio community for real-time, reprogrammable signal processing See DSP. under software control while eliminating latency issues and the need to convert signals to and from the digital domain," said Nathan John, vice president of worldwide marketing at Anadigm(R). "For the first time, the most advanced design ideas for subwoofers can be implemented quickly, with full control over phasing and perfect repeatability. With SonicMaster(TM) FPAAs, we're giving audio engineers a subwoofers solution with the greatest flexibility and highest audio quality available today." The new SonicMaster(TM) FPAAs provide accuracy and control of the filter characteristics to a very high tolerance. This precision and reliability over standard analog components is due to better than 0.1% component matching within the IC with no drift over temperature. Samples and production quantities of the new SonicMaster(TM) FPAAs are available now. Pricing for U.S. delivery in 10,000-piece quantities is $3.15 for the AN127E04 and $3.85 for the AN227E04. About Anadigm(R) Anadigm(R) brings platform-based design to the analog world with pre-qualified software and hardware components that allow complex analog circuits to be implemented in an analog equivalent to the FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) A type of gate array that is programmed in the field rather than in a semiconductor fab. Containing up to hundreds of thousands of gates, there are a variety of FPGA architectures on the market. . Designed to implement signal conditioning Imagine feeding the output of a temperature sensor, which is in millivolts, to an Analog-to-digital converter to be processed. Is it possible for the Analog-to-Digital converter to process such a minute voltage amplitude? The answer is probably no. , filtering, data acquisition, closed-loop control, and other analog functions in a wide range of embedded systems Embedded systems Computer systems that cannot be programmed by the user because they are preprogrammed for a specific task and are buried within the equipment they serve. , Anadigm(R) FPAAs are the first programmable analog ICs that can adapt on the fly to perform multiple functions, adjust to different environmental conditions or compensate for aging equipment. Founded in January 2000 as a venture-backed technology spinoff from Motorola, Anadigm(R) maintains U.S. headquarters in Tempe, Ariz., and European headquarters in Crewe, United Kingdom. For further information, visit Anadigm(R) on the Web at www.anadigm.com. SonicMaster(TM) is a trademark and Anadigm(R) and AnadigmDesigner(R)2 are registered trademarks of Anadigm(R). All other trademarks appearing herein are the property of their respective owners. |
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