Platform Technologies' AGOGO-XP Delivers Extraordinary PCI-Based PC Audio Performance with Revolutionary Design.MILPITAS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 10, 1996--Platform Technologies, a start-up formed to design and market platform-oriented multimedia solutions, is now sampling its first product, the AGOGO-XP PCI-based audio accelerator chip. The AGOGO-XP utilizes the high bandwidth of the 133 MB/second PCI bus to deliver exceptionally realistic sound while maintaining backwards-compatibility with DOS-based games and multimedia titles that were written to utilize the older, 5 MB/second ISA bus. Platform's DirectSound Acceleration technology supports 64 programmable Wavetable synthesis sound channels and 32 PCM (1) See phase change memory. (2) (Plug Compatible Manufacturer) An organization that makes a computer or electronic device that is compatible with an existing machine. voice-based sound streams, and can support voice-based sound and audio generated using Wavetable MIDI sound samples simultaneously. Platform's implementation uses the PC's main memory to store downloadable Wavetable sound fonts, dispensing with the need for local ROM storage that the previous generation of Wavetable PC audio solutions required. "We have created a product that takes advantage of a modern, multimedia-ready PC to generate the kind of audio performance people associate with high-end home theater and stereo systems," said Paul Tien, president of Platform Technologies. "We have also taken a modular, platform design approach in creating our solution by incorporating a multimedia PCI (1) (Payment Card Industry) See PCI DSS. (2) (Peripheral Component Interconnect) The most widely used I/O bus (peripheral bus). bridge, enabling another device such as a graphics accelerator to access the PCI bus through the AGOGO-XP." The PCI Advantage Utilization of the PCI bus improves data transfer rates by over twenty times that of older, ISA-based audio solutions, and it also provides the benefit of allowing the CPU CPU in full central processing unit Principal component of a digital computer, composed of a control unit, an instruction-decoding unit, and an arithmetic-logic unit. greater bus access to address other computational needs, improving system-level performance. For example, ISA-based audio occupies up to 20% of the 5 MB/second bus' bandwidth and blocks 20% of the CPU's capacity when used to generate 16-bit stereo audio at 44.1 KHz. The AGOGO-XP PCI implementation only requires 1% utilization of the higher performance, 133 MB/second PCI bus, and only occupies 1% of the CPU's capacity to accomplish the same task. SoundBlaster Compatible Platform Technologies' AGOGO-XP delivers groundbreaking PCI performance while also maintaining backwards-compatibility through hardware emulation for FM synthesis and the SoundBlaster standard to support older, DOS-based games. By preserving the ability to play existing titles while simultaneously providing developers with the ability to create the next generation of multimedia audio effects, Platform Technologies delivers the best possible value for users while providing a bridge to PCI-based audio performance for developers and hardware vendors. With the AGOGO-XP, system vendors can finally dispense with the ISA bus, which is only used to support the SoundBlaster standard in modern PCs. Wavetable and Effect Synthesis with Downloadable Samples The AGOGO-XP's Wave Processor provides high quality, 64-channel wavetable and effect sound synthesis cost-effectively by storing downloadable wavetable samples in a PC's system memory instead of using ROM. The synthesis process performs panning, tremolo tremolo (trem´  lō),n an irregular and exaggerated speech pattern that may be the symptom of an emotional disturbance or of various , vibrato vi·bra·to n. pl. vi·bra·tos A tremulous or pulsating effect produced in an instrumental or vocal tone by minute and rapid variations in pitch. , tone filtering as well as reverb, chorus, flange, and echo effects to capture all of the registers and subtleties of a symphonic performance or multimedia effect. DirectSound Acceleration The AGOGO-XP's DirectSound Acceleration supports hardware digital mixing of up to 32 wave streams with panning control and converts any sample rate frequency to 48 KHz for delivery to the codec. Since the AGOGO-XP supports simultaneous multiple audio streams occurring at different sample rates, it creates a rich, realistic playback environment for music and enables the implementation of complex sound effects. For example, the AGOGO-XP enables software developers to create sophisticated spatial and positional 3D audio effects that realistically simulate the perception of sound emitted by moving objects or from multiple sources positioned around the listener. The AGOGO-XP's dual-engine architecture can deliver MIDI audio and voice-based PCM audio streams simultaneously, providing support for interactive, Internet-based voice communication concurrently with a multimedia or game application. Multimedia PCI Bridge Platform Technologies' PCI 2.1 compliant bridge allows system and add-on board developers to use the chip as a platform for developing true multimedia accelerators. The bridge meets PCI loading constraints and will allow a developer to integrate the AGOGO-XP with a 3D graphics accelerator, MPEG (Moving Pictures Experts Group) An ISO/ITU standard for compressing digital video. Pronounced "em-peg," it is the universal standard for digital terrestrial, cable and satellite TV, DVDs and digital video recorders (DVRs). , DVD DVD: see digital versatile disc. DVD in full digital video disc or digital versatile disc Type of optical disc. The DVD represents the second generation of compact-disc (CD) technology. , video capture, video conferencing, ISDN ISDN in full Integrated Services Digital Network Digital telecommunications network that operates over standard copper telephone wires or other media. , v.34 Modem, FireWire, or USB USB in full Universal Serial Bus Type of serial bus that allows peripheral devices (disks, modems, printers, digitizers, data gloves, etc.) to be easily connected to a computer. device while only utilizing a single PCI bus slot. Hardware Interfaces The AGOGO-XP features a true, MPU-401 MIDI interface with FIFO (First In First Out) A storage method that retrieves the item stored for the longest time. Contrast with LIFO. See traffic engineering methods. FIFO - first-in first-out , a high performance gaming port, a general purpose I/O port, I2S (Inter-IC Sound) An internal digital audio interface for consumer electronics devices such as CD and DVD players, sound processors and digital TV (DTV). It is also used between a digital controller and an analog/digital codec similar to the AC Link and HD Audio Link digital audio port See S/PDIF and Toslink. and a communications interface port. The AGOGO-XP has a programmable audio codec interface and will support Platform Technologies' PT101 Audio Codec or other vendors' standard 16- or 20 bit codecs, and conforms to the Audio Codec `97 (AC97) multi-vendor standard. API Support and Software Compatibility Platform Technologies' AGOGO-XP's functionality is compliant with all major industry standards and specifications, including Microsoft's PC97, Windows 95 DirectSound, and Direct3DSound. Software compatibility has been maintained for all applications written for SoundBlaster Pro, Ad Lib, Windows Sound System A sound card from Microsoft for Windows PCs. The card was not widely used, but certain characteristics of the card are built into Sound Blaster and other sound cards for compatibility with the Windows 3.1 drivers that were created at that time. , DirectSound, and Microsoft Active X. Packaging, Pricing and Availability The AGOGO-XP is available in a 208 pin plastic quad flat package See PQFP. (PQFP (Plastic Quad Flat Package) Refers to many varieties of QFP chip packages, which are molded in plastic. See QFP. ) and is now sampling, with production quantities scheduled for the first quarter of 1997. The AGOGO-XP and PT101 codec chipset will be priced at $30 in quantities of 10,000. Platform Technologies Platform Technologies is a privately held company privately held company A firm whose shares are held within a relatively small circle of owners and are not traded publicly. that was incorporated in 1995 and maintains its headquarters in Milpitas, California. Platform's mission is the development and marketing of platform-oriented multimedia computing solutions. The company's strategy is to create a portfolio of modular, powerful core technologies that can be used to readily develop sophisticated end-user product offerings that will advance the state of computing. CONTACT: Platform Technologies Steve Wang, 408/934-9579, ext. 27 siwang@platformtech.com or Edelman Public Relations Worldwide John Satterfield/Stephen Berger, 415/968-4033 jsatter@sv.edelman.com sberger@sv.edelman.com |
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