Cirrus Logic's New Maverick Microprocessor Brings Full-Featured Internet Audio Players Below $100 Retail While Doubling Run Time.

Business Editors & High-Tech Writers

AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 26, 2001

Worldwide Internet audio leader, Cirrus Logic Inc.(R) (Nasdaq:CRUS), today unveiled a new processor for portable Internet audio players, the Maverick(R) EP7409, designed to bring the price of flash-based players below $100 retail, while doubling the length of time portable players can play music on a set of batteries.

For the first time, the new Maverick processor will offer the market robust features for 64 MB players, including support for multiple audio standards -- MP3, WMA and ACC -- and MaverickKey security technology for a sub $100 consumer price point.

"The innovative Maverick EP7409 addresses the top two concerns of consumers: player cost and length of run time," according to Mike Paxton, senior analyst with Cahners In-Stat Group. "By creating a chip that brings the retail cost of full-featured Internet audio players below $100, Cirrus gives manufacturers the opportunity to hit a coveted sweet spot in consumer electronics. Furthermore, the new Maverick processor will please portable electronics owners by doubling the length of time players can run on a single battery charge."

The key to the Maverick processor's capability to bring flash-based Internet audio players to market under $100 is its high degree of integration. The Maverick processor's sophisticated integration dramatically reduces the number of parts required to build a player, thereby reducing the system cost.

For example, in 64MByte Internet audio players, the first-generation Bill of Materials (BOM) was $130 compared to a $69 BOM using the Maverick EP7409 in the third generation of the same player. The cost savings are due to a reduction in the cost of flash memory and the ultra integration of the Maverick EP7409 processor.

The integration in the new Maverick processor includes:

-- Cirrus Logic's TrueDigital(tm) Class D headphone amplifier

-- ARM7 CPU and

-- 24-bit Audio DSP

-- MaverickKey security technology

-- 104K bytes of SRAM

-- and 60K bytes of ROM

The new Internet audio processor was also engineered to double the amount of time portable players can play music up to 20 hours. This Maverick processor goes beyond reducing the chip's power consumption, to minimizing the overall system power consumption.

For example, in one of the top-selling Internet audio players, it cuts the power requirement in half, from 360 milliwatts for a first-generation player to 170 milliwatts for the third generation of the same player.

The TrueDigital Class D headphone amplifier is 90% efficient versus linear amplifiers that are only 40% to 50% efficient. By minimizing the system power consumption, the EP7409 processor makes portable Internet audio players run longer, giving consumers more time to listen to digital music. This is good news for manufacturers that have seen players with longer playing capabilities surge in popularity.

Pricing and Availability

The EP7409 Internet audio microprocessor will be sampling in Q3 and is expected to ramp production in Q4. The new Maverick processor is priced at $15.85 for a 128-pin QFP or $16.35 for a 12mm 144-pin BGA in quantities of 10,000 through distributors.

About MaverickKey

Cirrus Logic's patent-pending MaverickKey(tm) technology provides consumer Internet product manufacturers with on-chip security capability utilizing specific hardware IDs, such as those assigned for Secure Digital Music Initiative (SDMI) or any other authentication mechanism.

Its innovative technology allows programming both a permanent specific 32-bit ID and a 128-bit permanent random ID through the use of laser probe technology. Having these unique IDs on-chip provides more robust security than typical systems where these IDs would be outside the chip.

In addition, the patent-pending MaverickKey technology allows the most sensitive part of security firmware to be executed on-chip. This increases the robustness of any security technologies a customer chooses to employ. Thus MaverickKey technology allows secrets to remain secret.

About Maverick Processors

Industry analysts recently reported that the Maverick-embedded processor from Cirrus Logic is the leading processor in the world for Internet Audio applications. While many identify Maverick processors with portable Internet audio players, they also run CD/MP3 combination players, home audio receivers, automotive audio, Web browsing NetTV devices, eBooks, PDAs, cell phones and a variety of Web appliances.

Maverick processors provide designers with the following advantages:

-- High performance, easy-to-program 32-bit ARM cores to

accelerate time-to-market

-- Multiple codec support: MP3, WMA and AAC

-- MaverickKey(tm) and MaverickLock(tm) hardware security to

protect digital content

-- Operating system support including Linux, WinCE, Palm OS and

VxWorks

For complete technical information on Cirrus Logic's Maverick processor, visit www.BEaMAVERICK.com.

About Cirrus Logic

Cirrus Logic is the premiere supplier of high-performance analog and DSP chip solutions for consumer entertainment electronics that allow people to see, hear, connect and enjoy digital entertainment. Building on its global market share leadership in audio integrated circuits and its rich mixed-signal patent portfolio, the company targets mainstream audio, video and Internet entertainment applications in the consumer entertainment market. Cirrus Logic operates from headquarters in Austin, Texas, and major sites located in Fremont, Calif., and Broomfield, Colo., as well as offices in Europe, Japan and Asia. More information about Cirrus Logic is available at www.cirrus.com.

Safe Harbor Provision

Except for historical information contained herein, the matters set forth in this news release are forward-looking statements that are dependent on certain risks and uncertainties including such factors, among others, as overall conditions in the semiconductor market; the rate of consumer electronics market adoption of new products; customer cancellations of orders, or the failure to place orders consistent with forecasts, hardware or software deficiencies, delays in customer qualification of key new products; final determination of appropriate inventory write-downs based on the outlook at the end of each quarter, and the risk factors listed in the company's Form 10-K for the year ended March 25, 2000, and in other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The foregoing information concerning Cirrus Logic's business outlook represents our outlook as of the date of this news release, and Cirrus Logic undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new developments or otherwise.

Cirrus Logic and Maverick are registered trademarks of Cirrus Logic Inc.