Cirrus Logic Targets MP3 Internet Audio Players With Ultra Low-Power System-On-Chip Solution.

DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 7, 1999--

New Digital Audio Player-on-a-Chip Allows OEMs to Differentiate

Designs; First Multi-standard AudioChip to Support MP3 and Microsoft

Audio Standards

Combining its industry-leading digital audio technology with its expertise in developing ARM-core based system-on-chip (SOC) solutions, Cirrus Logic Inc. (Nasdaq: CRUS) today introduced a new SOC (the EP7209) designed specifically for personal digital audio players and Internet audio playback.

The new multi-standard digital audio solution is the first chip on the market to support both the popular MP3 standard, as well as other rapidly emerging Internet compression audio standards such as Microsoft Audio. In addition, by leveraging Cirrus Logic's expertise in low-power design, the new chip provides the processing power to handle both Internet audio as well as value-added features, giving system designers the freedom to differentiate their designs.

Integrating the functions of multiple chips, the EP7209 delivers superior audio performance in an ultra low-power SOC package. As an off-the-shelf ASSP (application specific standard product), the EP7209 enables OEMs to minimize manufacturing costs and shorten time-to-market for new Internet audio devices. Since Cirrus Logic also provides Crystal DACs (digital-to-analog converters), they are among the few vendors able to offer a total system solution for digital audio players, providing a two-chip solution for key system functions.

The initial target for the EP7209 is the burgeoning MP3 digital audio player market. Thanks to its programmable ARM processor core, the EP7209 can also easily accommodate new digital audio standards as the Internet audio player market evolves. According to Cirrus Logic, the first MP3 players using its SOC solution should reach stores well before Christmas.

The current market for digital audio players, which enable consumers to download music directly from the Internet into flash ROM and then play it back, is estimated to reach as many as one million units in 1999. With Cirrus Logic's new chip, manufacturers will be able to quickly design new digital audio players at greatly reduced manufacturing costs.

"Our new MP3 SOC highlights our ASSP strategy, which allows us to stay ahead of the curve in rapidly evolving markets for a variety of information appliances," said Matthew Perry, vice president and general manager for Cirrus Logic's Embedded Processor Division. "Given our leadership in both audio processing and ARM-based chip designs, we were well positioned to quickly bring a leading edge Internet audio solution to market."

Ultra Low-Power Design

The EP7209's chip structure uses power-saving techniques that can prolong battery life by as much as 50 percent as compared to alternative multi-chip solutions - a real advantage for battery-operated information appliances. While the EP7209 is the first in a series of ASSPs for vertical markets, it draws upon Cirrus Logic's experience in producing ARM-processor-based systems, and ultra low-power design. With three generations of SOC solutions for portable handheld devices, Cirrus Logic has mastered design techniques that extend the inherent power efficiency of the ARM architecture.

Impressive Performance with MIPS to Spare

The EP7209 operates at 74MHz - fast enough to equal the performance of a 100-MHz Intel Pentium-based PC - with extremely low power consumption of less than 170 milliwatts at 2.5 volts. Its ARM core provides the processing throughput of a full-fledged digital signal processor (DSP); thus, Internet audio processing only requires half the chip's available processing power. This leaves up to 25 MIPS for digital audio player manufacturers to apply to other functions that will distinguish their products and win customers in what promises to be a highly competitive environment.

Since the EP7209 uses the ARM720TDMI logic core, it also takes advantage of the ARM Thumb instruction set that shrinks the most frequently used instructions from 32 bits to 16 bits, thus enabling denser codes and faster system performance. By fully harnessing and extending the power of the ARM architecture, the EP7209 has plenty of processing power to handle the core system operation, digital audio processing and additional functions.

Flexible Architecture

The new EP7209 features a programmable architecture that enables design engineers to differentiate their products with value-added features, while enjoying the cost savings and time-to-market advantages of re-usable intellectual property (IP). For example, the chip can quickly be modified to support other audio compression standards as they emerge, or to implement customer-specific features, without creating new silicon.

Rich Audio Feature Set

Reflecting Cirrus Logic's leadership in digital audio, the EP7211 incorporates a number of important features directly related to sound quality, including digital bass, treble and volume controls, low power playback modes, and capabilities for a graphic equalizer, spectrum analyzer display and graphic level meter. Unlike competitors, the chip can also process audio output, enabling common musical effects such as reverb.

Other features include support for a large (4 Kbyte) LCD for display, a parallel download interface and optional irDA support for digital file transfers - features that will enhance design for personal digital audio players and other information appliance devices.

System-on-Chip Expertise

The EP7209 adds to Cirrus Logic's growing portfolio of system-on-chip solutions that combine proprietary IP with an ARM logic core. Another example is Cirrus Logic's ARM-based 7110, which was used in the ultra low-power handheld computer, the Psion Series 5. In addition to several generations of portable handheld devices, Cirrus Logic has also pioneered the use of ARM processor for mass storage devices with its 3Ci system-on-chip for hard disk drive electronics. Winner of the EDN 1998 "Innovation of the Year" award, 3Ci aims to revolutionize disk drive electronics with a single-chip, ARM-based system.

Packaging, Price and Availability

The EP7209 is sampling now, and is available in a 208-pin LQFP and 256-bal BGA package. The listed unit price for the EP7209 is US $11.95 for the LQFP and $14.95 for BGA in quantities of 100,000 per year.

About Cirrus Logic Inc.

Cirrus Logic is a premier supplier of high-performance analog circuits and advanced mixed-signal chip solutions. The company's products, sold under its own name and the Crystal product brand, enable system-level applications in mass storage, audio and precision data conversion. Additional information about Cirrus Logic is available at www.cirrus.com.

Note to editors: Cirrus Logic is a registered trademark of Cirrus Logic Inc. All other product names noted herein may be trademarks of their respective holders.