BridgeCo Unveils Next-Generation BeBoB 4.0 at AES.World's Most Popular FireWire[TM] Audio Processor and Firmware Platform Adds New Digital Interface Capabilities 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 -- BridgeCo Inc. (www.bridgeco.com), a leading provider of entertainment networking solutions, released its fourth-generation FireWire[TM] audio interface processor and firmware platform at the annual AES conference this week. BeBoB 4.0 has been upgraded to permit plug-and-play use of multiple synchronized digital audio inputs See S/PDIF and Toslink. , enabling musicians and other content creators to easily interface with the latest digital microphones, digital musical instruments and other digital audio sources. "Since we first introduced version 1.0 in early 2003, the BeBoB platform has become a de facto standard Hardware or software that is widely used, but not endorsed by a standards organization. Contrast with de jure standard. de facto standard - A widespread consensus on a particular product or protocol which has not been ratified by any official standards body, such as ISO, throughout the musical world. It has been embraced by audio designers and consumers in unprecedented numbers," said 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. Gene Sheridan. "As users increasingly migrate from traditional analog inputs to digital input devices, BridgeCo naturally adapted our BeBoB platform to support this trend." The new BeBoB 4.0 firmware supports synchronized digital inputs using SPDIF See S/PDIF. and ADAT (Alesis Digital Audio Tape) A digital audio recording technology from Alesis, LLC, Cumberland, RI (www.alesis.com). In 1992, Alesis introduced the first 8-track digital tape recording system. interfaces, including automatic signal and sample rate detection for SPDIF inputs and automatic signal detection for ADAT inputs. This eliminates the need for sample rate conversion and quality loss when using multiple synchronized digital audio sources. BeBoB 4.0 software is compatible with BridgeCo's DM1100E processor, which supports 12 channels of digital input, and with BridgeCo's DM1500E processor, which supports up to 128 channels of simultaneous, synchronized digital input. Both processors support 800 mb/s (1394b S800) data rate transfers over FireWire to a host computer. World's Most Popular 1394 Audio Interface Platform The primary application for the BeBoB platform -- FireWire audio interfaces and breakout boxes -- 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 create a complete musical or audio experience. The vast majority of all FireWire audio interfaces ever sold in professional and semi-professional audio equipment use BridgeCo's BeBoB platform. More than 50 products from more than fifteen vendors now use the BeBoB platform as the basis for breakout boxes, musical instruments and audio interfaces. Products built on the BeBoB platform have won numerous awards from leading audio magazines worldwide. The BeBoB platform can be found in audio interface systems and musical instruments targeted at professional musicians, as well as systems for the consumer audio market. The BeBoB Platform The BeBoB platform combines BridgeCo's proprietary dual-core, ARM-based and DSP-enhanced DM1500E or DM1100E 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 (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 customers to significantly accelerate their time-to-market. The BridgeCo platform interfaces directly to 1394 PHY See physical layer and physical. 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). 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 DM1100E 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. Availability & Pricing The BridgeCo BeBoB 4.0 software stack and DM1100E or DM1500E ICs are currently available and priced as bundled platforms that incorporate both the processor IC and BeBoB firmware. The BeBoB/DM1500E combined firmware/processor platform is priced at US$29 in 1K unit volumes to sub-US$20 in high volume, depending on included firmware modules. The BeBoB/DM1100E combined firmware/processor platform is priced at US$15 in 1K unit volumes to sub-US$10 in high volume, depending on included firmware modules. Please visit http://www.bridgeco.com 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 adapters, AVRs, musical instruments and breakout boxes. Its silicon and middleware platforms were among the first anywhere to be DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) A coalition of computer and consumer electronics companies that was formed to ensure interoperability in home networks. [TM] CERTIFIED, and its solutions are used by leading consumer electronics manufacturers worldwide. Using BridgeCo's processor and bundled software, OEMs can offer stand-alone media network products, or embed networking capabilities directly into consumer products, at competitive retail price points. The company also offers market-leading solutions for FireWire[TM] audio interface systems used by musicians and other content creators. 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 and ISO 14001 certified company with headquarters in Los Angeles, California and operations in Zurich, Switzerland. Its key investors include Advent Venture Partners, Benchmark Capital, Cipio Partners (formerly Infineon Ventures), Earlybird Venture Capital, Fidelity Ventures, Intel Capital and Wellington Partners. All trademarks and service marks are the properties of their respective owners. |
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