BridgeCo Doubles Bandwidth on Leading FireWire/1394 Audio Platform; New DM1500E Audio Processor is First to Demonstrate 800Mbit/s 1394b Data Rate Capability.ANAHEIM, Calif. -- BridgeCo (www.bridgeco.net), a leading provider of entertainment networking solutions, doubled the bandwidth of its industry leading BeBoB FireWire(TM) audio interface platform by demonstrating 800Mbit/second capability at the NAMM show this week. BridgeCo's BeBoB platform, which now includes BridgeCo's new DM1500E processor IC, is the world's first FireWire audio IC platform to support 1394b (S800), doubling the bandwidth capacity over older, 400Mbit/second 1394a systems. "The BeBoB platform has become market share leader in FireWire audio interface systems through a relentless drumbeat of innovations," explained BridgeCo CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. Mark McEachen. "Many leading computer manufacturers are adopting 1394b (S800) in 2006, and FireWire audio interface systems will increasingly require 800Mbit capability to keep pace. Now BridgeCo is advancing our record of innovation by upping the beat to 800Mbit with the DM1500E, even as our competitors struggle to master 400Mbit on their ICs." FireWire audio interfaces and breakout boxes, the primary application for the BeBoB platform, enable musicians to combine signals from multiple instruments, microphones, sample clips and other audio sources, and transfer them to a computer using a single FireWire (IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, New York, www.ieee.org) A membership organization that includes engineers, scientists and students in electronics and allied fields. 1394) serial interface. Once audio tracks are recorded and stored on a computer, they can be edited, arranged and played-back to complete a total musical or audio experience. By supporting 1394b (S800) data rates, systems built on the BeBoB platform can combine signals from more audio sources with minimal additional cost. World's Most Popular 1394 Audio Interface Platform BridgeCo's software and processor platforms have achieved widespread adoption in the FireWire/1394 audio interface market. A comprehensive software, driver and hardware solution for Mac, Windows and Linux-based configurations, BridgeCo's platforms are designed for easy customization and rapid deployment. BridgeCo's BeBoB platform has been has been designed into more than 29 audio products offered by more than a dozen manufacturers. With more than 85% of all FireWire audio interface units ever shipped to consumers based on the platform, BeBoB has proven its popularity in the marketplace. The company's platform can be found in audio interface systems and musical instruments targeted at professional musicians, as well as systems for the consumer audio market. Products built on BridgeCo's BeBoB platform have won numerous awards from leading audio magazines worldwide. New AUDIO5 Reference Design Speeds Products to Consumer Market Specifically to address the needs of the cost-sensitive consumer market, BridgeCo is also releasing its new AUDIO5 reference design at NAMM NAMM International Music Products Association NAMM National Association of Music Merchants NAMM National Association of Music Manufacturers NAMM National Association of Mirror Manufacturers . A complete turn-key reference design, the FCC (1) (Federal Communications Commission, Washington, DC, www.fcc.gov) The U.S. government agency that regulates interstate and international communications including wire, cable, radio, TV and satellite. The FCC was created under the U.S. pre-tested AUDIO5 provides six channels of audio input, six channels of audio output, 1394 and MIDI interfaces. The board design incorporates BridgeCo's cost-effective DM1100 processor, 1394 PHY See physical layer and physical. , 64Mbit of SDRAM (Synchronous DRAM) A type of dynamic RAM (DRAM) memory chip that has been widely used since the late 1990s. SDRAM chips eliminated wait states by dividing the chip into two cell blocks and interleaving data between them. , 64Mbit of Flash memory, four channel D/A D/A See: Documents Against Acceptance , four channel A/D A/D See advance-decline line (A/D). , and BridgeCo's BeBoB firmware. The AUDIO5 is a fully functional and rigorously tested entry-level consumer FireWire audio interface system ready for OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) The rebranding of equipment and selling it. The term initially referred to the company that made the products (the "original" manufacturer), but eventually became widely used to refer to the organization that buys the products and or ODM (Original Design Manufacturer) A contract manufacturer that uses its own designs and intellectual property (IP). See contract manufacturer. manufacture. Based on the bill-of-materials, BridgeCo believes that consumer systems built on the AUDIO5 reference design will retail for less than US$129. The BeBoB Platform The BeBoB platform, which forms the technological core of the AUDIO5 and other BridgeCo reference designs and evaluation systems, combines BridgeCo's proprietary dual-core, ARM-based and DSP-enhanced DM1500E or DM1100 processor and all of the required software to build a complete FireWire audio interface product. The BeBoB platform includes 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. ) and a comprehensive application software stack that allows BridgeCo's OEM customers to significantly accelerate their time-to-market. The BridgeCo platform interfaces directly to 1394 PHY chips, supporting 1394a at S400 data rates, and 1394b at S800 data rates. The platform also incorporates multiple digital and analog inputs and outputs that connect to microphones, loudspeakers, musical instruments and MIDI devices. BridgeCo provides driver support for computers running Mac OS X, Windows XP and Linux operating systems. BeBoB includes full ADAT/SMUX support, GSIF GSIF Global Science & Innovation Forum GSIF Ground Station Interface Facility (EOS ground station high rate processing facility) GSIF Giga-Sampler-Inter-Face (TASCAM) GSIF Giga Sampler Interchange Format support, 1394a/b capability and a Linux 1394 audio driver (FreeBoB). The addition of Windows 64-bit support also insures that products built on the BeBoB platform will be fully compatible with 64-bit audio tools when they become available. By eliminating the need for multiple chips and expensive general purpose DSP (1) (Digital Signal Processor) A special-purpose CPU used for digital signal processing applications (see definition #2 below). It provides ultra-fast instruction sequences, such as shift and add, and multiply and add, which are commonly used in math-intensive devices, the DM1100 and DM1500E processors enable OEMs to significantly reduce the retail price of their products. And by integrating powerful DSP capabilities, the BeBoB solution offers low-latency mixing, which allows users to record new tracks while simultaneously playing back previously recorded ones. IC Availability & Pricing BridgeCo BeBoB software and DM1100 or DM1500E ICs are priced as bundled platforms that incorporate both the processor IC and BeBoB firmware stack. The new BeBoB/DM1500E combined firmware/processor platform will be available in 1Q06 for US$29 in 1Kunit volumes, to sub-US$20 in high volume, depending on included firmware modules. The BeBoB/DM1100 combined firmware/processor platform is currently available for US$15 in 1K unit volumes, to sub-US$10 in high volume, depending on included firmware modules. Please visit www.bridgeco.net for additional product information. About BridgeCo BridgeCo, a digital entertainment networking pioneer, offers the world's most comprehensive, cost-effective and highly integrated processor and software platforms for connecting Internet media sources, computers and consumer electronics throughout the home. BridgeCo platforms are used in a wide range of innovative and legacy products produced by the multi-billion dollar global consumer electronics industry, including digital media players, audio/video adapters, DVD players, musical instruments and breakout boxes. Underlying all BridgeCo solutions are proprietary, integrated semiconductor and software technologies that network computers and consumer devices via widely-used networking and signal processing standards and protocols, including IEEE 802.11/Wi-Fi, IEEE 1394 and UPnP. BridgeCo products are designed to be interoperable with a wide variety of consumer devices: they are DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) A coalition of computer and consumer electronics companies that was formed to ensure interoperability in home networks. Certified and compliant with Intel(R) Networked Media Product Requirements (NMPR NMPR Networked Media Product Requirements (Intel) ). BridgeCo is an ISO (1) See ISO speed. (2) (International Organization for Standardization, Geneva, Switzerland, www.iso.ch) An organization that sets international standards, founded in 1946. The U.S. member body is ANSI. 9001-certified company with Headquarters in California, USA and with Operations in Zurich, Switzerland. Its key investors include Benchmark Capital, Cipio Partners (formerly Infineon Ventures), Earlybird, Fidelity Ventures, Intel Capital and Wellington Partners. For more information, please visit www.bridgeco.net. 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