Sound Vision CLARITY 4 ASIC Platform Improves Time-To-Market For OEMs.

High Tech & Business Editors

WAYLAND, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 18, 2001

Sound Vision Inc., a leading developer of highly integrated software and silicon solutions for imaging and audio signal-processing products, today announced the CLARITY 4 ASIC platform - offering OEMs faster time-to-market; advanced design flexibility; and the opportunity to leverage Sound Vision expertise from previous CLARITY-based designs.

Sound Vision's CLARITY 4 is a family of ASICs designed for OEMs that require a proven imaging solution. OEMs using CLARITY 4 can leverage the production architecture of CLARITY 2, dramatically reduce the risk of missing market opportunities and gain the benefit of a 50% performance improvement. In addition, CLARITY 4 achieves significant flexibility with an embedded ARM7(TM) core-based processor, adapting to different sensors, providing unique user interfaces and enabling potential new functionality such as MP3 playback, bar code reading or voice recognition and synthesis.

"Time-to-market is the most important concern of our customers today," said Bob Caspe, Sound Vision Chairman. "Product cycles are getting shorter and customers are looking to us for solutions that can get them to market within weeks, rather than months. Along with our recent improvements in software performance and reliability, CLARITY 4 provides OEMs and brands with the ideal platform to deliver innovative and exciting signal processing products."

Sound Vision is working on several production-ready designs based on CLARITY 4, the first of which is expected to be available in mid-July. For products originally based on the CLARITY 2 ASIC, such as the Sound Vision V1 and the M1 digital cameras, a minor design modification is anticipated to integrate the benefits of CLARITY 4.

Sound Vision's production-ready designs for digital cameras and other cutting-edge Consumer Electronics devices are all based on the CLARITY family signal-processing ASIC. A complete Sound Vision production-ready design includes a functional prototype camera/device and build kit; firmware and host software in object code; microcontroller code; technical user manual, schematics, net list and bill of materials; and detailed manufacturing instructions and support. This complete package enables manufacturers to realize a finished product sooner and at more affordable cost to them and consumers.

"Leading-edge chip designers, like Sound Vision, are proving to be successful in today's fast-changing and competitive marketplace," said Bruce Beckloff, Segment manager in Digital Imaging at ARM. "Sound Vision provides their customers with new functionality and innovative product designs with faster time-to-market and reduced development efforts. By using an ARM(R) core-based processor, they have added flexibility due to chip integration and an extensive selection of firmware, host software and production-ready designs."

CLARITY 4 contains a 72 MHz ARM7 core-based processor and is available in four packages including: Version 4.1, 160-pin PQFP (or BGA) package, up to 2 MB NVRAM, up to 10 bit sensor data bits, and 24 general purpose I/O pins; and Version 4.2, 208-pin PQFP (or BGA) package, up to 8 MB NVRAM, up to 12 bit sensor data bits, 46 general purpose I/O pins and supports a color LCD display. Sample units for PQFP packages are availability from Sound Vision immediately.

Sound Vision, Inc. is a leading developer of highly integrated software and silicon solutions enabling digital imaging and audio signal processing to be incorporated into a variety of products such as digital cameras, toys, wireless communications devices and other consumer and business products. Sound Vision's depth of image processing experience and its virtual company business model provide fully-functional production ready designs to product designers and OEMs enabling them to rapidly bring entire families of imaging and audio products to market at reduced cost. Information about Sound Vision can be found at http://www.soundvisioninc.com

ARM is a registered trademark of ARM Limited. ARM7 is a trademark of ARM Limited. All other brands or product names are the property of their respective holders. "ARM" is used to represent ARM Holdings plc (LSE: ARM and Nasdaq: ARMHY); its operating company ARM Limited; and the regional subsidiaries ARM, INC.; ARM KK; ARM Korea Ltd.; ARM Taiwan.