Crystal Semiconductor Integrates QSound's 3D Audio Technology: Single-chip audio solution offers QXpander 3D technology from QSound Labs.AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 17, 1996--Crystal Semiconductor Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary Wholly Owned Subsidiary A subsidiary whose parent company owns 100% of its common stock. Notes: In other words, the parent company owns the company outright and there are no minority owners. of Cirrus Logic (company) Cirrus Logic - A manufacturer of integrated circuits including the Advanced RISC Machine and display interface processors and cards for use as Windows accelerators (requiring dedicated driver software). http://cirrus.com/. Inc. (NASDAQ NASDAQ in full National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations U.S. market for over-the-counter securities. Established in 1971 by the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD), NASDAQ is an automated quotation system that reports on :CRUS crus (krus) pl. cru´ra [L.] 1. leg (1). 2. a leglike part. crus ce´rebri ), announced today the industry's first single-chip audio subsystem incorporating QXpander 3D audio enhancement technology from QSound Labs Inc. Designated the CS4238, the new entry provides 3D immersive sound in a single-chip solution that is pin-compatible with Crystal's existing motherboard audio solutions (CS4232, CS4236 and CS4237) to enable seamless system upgrades. According to Crystal, the CS4238's comprehensive audio technology and minimal motherboard space requirements (2.4 square inches) pave the way for PC manufacturers to add the quality and excitement of advanced 3D audio to desktop and notebook PCs. The company noted that QXpander 3D audio technology uses spatial enhancement to create a sound field that is wider than the traditional stereo effect, dramatically increasing the realism and impact of PC sound. The CS4238 integrates both volume and spatial controls to adjust the 3D sound field outward from two stereo speakers, which makes it ideal for PCs where speakers are typically placed close together. This on-chip programmability combines with an unprecedented level of system integration and audio quality to make the CS4238 an optimal 3D audio solution for mainstream PCs. "Crystal and QSound have teamed to bring the excitement of 3D audio to everyone's PC -- whether it's a home computer or corporate multimedia system," said Brad Fluke, director of marketing for Crystal's Computer Products Division. "Our team effort and dedication to leading-edge technology have resulted in an industry first -- namely an affordable single-chip motherboard solution that brings QSound 3D audio quality to PCs." "Partnering with Crystal gives us an important avenue to meet growing demand for stereo enhancement technology," noted David Gallagher, president and 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. of QSound Labs. "Crystal's CS4238 adds to our wide range of high-quality audio solutions for the PC/multimedia industry." CS4238 Features In addition to integrated QSound 3D audio enhancement, the CS4238 features 10-channel symmetrical mixing, the industry's most comprehensive advanced power management (APM (Advanced Power Management) A programming interface (API) from Intel and Microsoft for battery-powered computers that lets programs communicate power requirements to slow down and speed up components. See ACPI. APM - Advanced Power Management ) support, sophisticated volume control, and comprehensive driver support. The device incorporates Crystal's industry-leading delta-sigma technology for true 16-bit, CD-quality audio, and includes the industry-standard Sony/Philips (S/PDIF (Sony/Philips Digital InterFace) A serial interface for transferring digital audio from CD and DVD players to amplifiers and TVs. S/PDIF is typically used to transmit PCM and Dolby Digital 5.1, but is not tied to any sampling rate or audio standard. ) interface for CD players, DAT (1) (Dynamic Address Translator) A hardware circuit that converts a virtual memory address into a real address. See also DAT file. (2) (Digital Audio Tape) A magnetic tape technology used for backing up data. players, and home stereo equipment with digital inputs. QSound Labs' Technology QSound Labs is a leading-edge audio technology company specializing in virtual sound localization and enhancement. It is currently marketing its technology to the PC/multimedia, home entertainment and consumer electronics industries while developing superior 3D enhancements for future generations of audio products. QXpander technology is a patented multidimensional sound localization technology that provides greatly expanded soundfields. QXpander creates an audio experience of depth, clarity, and realism through traditional home stereo and PC playback equipment. The technology uses stereo left and right information to widen the sound field while maintaining a center, or mono, component. Field width intensity is fully programmable. CS4238 Software Support The CS4238 is supported by a complete suite of drivers supporting the major operating systems including Windows 95, Windows 3.1x, OS/2, and Windows NT. Crystal also provides free end-user applications including a stereo audio station with CD player, output mixer panel, MIDI file and wave player, and a control applet for adjusting the QSound space and volume control. The CS4238 Windows 95 driver meets all requirements to carry the Windows 95 Plug-and-Play logo from Windows Hardware Quality Labs (body, standard) Windows Hardware Quality Labs - (WHQL) A Microsoft body that produces and supports the Microsoft Hardware Compatibility Test kit for current Microsoft operating systems. (WHQL (Windows Hardware Quality Labs) A Microsoft facility that provides testing services for hardware and drivers for compliance with its operating systems. WHQL administers various logos that compliant vendors may reprint on their packages. ). DirectSound support is integrated in the Windows 95 driver and provides the ability to play the new generation of high-performance Windows games written to the DirectSound standard API. Crystal's 3D Audio Solutions The CS4238 is the second member of Crystal's family of audio subsystems to feature 3D sound technology. The pin-compatible CS4237 integrates Sound Retrieval System The Sound Retrieval System (or SRS) is a patented psychoacoustic 3D audio processing technology originally invented by Arnold Klayman in the early 1980s. (The original SRS patents are US patents 4,866,774, 4,748,669, and 4,841,572, which expire in 2006 and 2008 depending on the (SRS SRS, SRS-A see slow-reacting substance. ) 3D sound technology licensed from SRS Labs, Inc. The QSound and SRS standards encompass the majority of the market requirements for 3D audio in consumer and business PC applications. Together, the CS4238 and CS4237 provide the industry with two powerful options for incorporating 3D sound into PCs, and their pin-compatibility with the CS4232 and CS4236 allows manufacturers to upgrade existing designs to include 3D audio with no redesign. Price and Availability The CS4238 is available in a 100-pin thin quad flat pack (TQFP See QFP. ) and sells for $34.70 in quantities of 10,000. Samples and production quantities are available now. Crystal Semiconductor Corporation Crystal Semiconductor Corporation, headquartered in Austin, designs, manufactures, and markets advanced analog and digital integrated circuits for applications in the multimedia, telecommunications, data communications, consumer audio, data conversion, and data acquisition markets. For more information regarding the CS4238 and other multimedia audio codec products, contact Eileen R. Carlson, Crystal Semiconductor Corporation, 4210 S. Industrial Dr., Austin 78744; Telephone 512/442-7555 or 800/888-5016; Fax 512/462-2723; WWW WWW or W3: see World Wide Web. (World Wide Web) The common host name for a Web server. The "www-dot" prefix on Web addresses is widely used to provide a recognizable way of identifying a Web site. http://www.crystal.com. -0- Note To Editors: Product photography available upon request. CONTACT: Crystal Semiconductor Corp. Jo-Dee Benson, 512/912-3823 (editorial) Eileen Carlson, 512/912-3022 (reader) |
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