Chipidea Audio Codec IP Provides High Performance on Small Chip Area for Low Power Applications

Update: MIPS Technologies Acquires Chipidea (August 27, 2007)

Portable Multimedia Applications Benefit from High-Quality Sound and Broad Range of Features

LISBON, Portugal--November 15, 2006--Chipidea®, the world's leading provider of analog/mixed-signal silicon intellectual property, today announced the most complete portfolio of audio codec IP for mobile applications. The IP exhibits a unique blend of audio features, audio performance and risk-free integration for System-on-Chip (SoC) devices and multi-chip modules (McMs) targeting mobile audio, communications and multimedia systems. The low power consumption and range of features included by this line of IP offer the semiconductor industry unprecedented versatility and ease of integration.

The most compelling features of Chipidea's audio solutions are the low power consumption, and very low area for a complete stereo codec featuring microphone, line-in/out, headphone and speaker analog interfaces and high-fidelity audio performance up to 100dB in dynamic range. In addition, the codec IP is designed with sigma-delta technology, which has low sensitivity to interference and cross talk from power supplies and substrates.

Chipidea's audio family has two unique offerings: High-end, full-featured audio codec IP and optimized cost-performance audio codec IP. The high-end audio solutions offer both high-fidelity and full range of features including digital sound effects, jack detection, audio PLL, and more. The variety of features enables the integration of audio functions on McMs and SoCs that were previously only available from standalone ICs.

The optimized cost-performance audio codec IP enables high-fidelity audio quality with multiple analog interface capabilities, such as microphone, line-in/out, headphone and loudspeaker. The IP is very compact in area at around 2.7mm2 to help SoC designers keep their die sizes small and keep manufacturing costs low. It also offers very low power consumption of 12mW for 96dB DR in playback at 48 kHz.

"Manufacturers need to deliver a high-quality audio experience while assuring long playback times for battery-operated devices, under competitive pricing in the market," said Joao Risques, product line manager of Audio and Power Management Solutions for Chipidea. "Our optimized cost-performance audio codecs are affordable SoC-ready IP meaning they are optimized for low area and low power while still allowing designers to select precisely the features they need. In addition, Chipidea can offer to designers high-end, hi-fi audio codecs that are directly comparable with market IC products from leading IC vendors, a solution that to our knowledge has no match in any other IP vendor portfolio."

Chipidea's staff has worked closely with customers to develop the new features in the latest generation of IP and they can be adapted for a wide variety of applications, which helps reduce risk in the integration process.

A full range of feature, cost and performance options gives Chipidea's audio codec IP the flexibility to be configured for the specific needs of any Integrated Device Manufacturer (IDM), Application-Specific Integrated Circuit vendor, Application-Specific Standard Product vendor, fabless IC provider, IP provider or design center. Chipidea's audio codec IP is ideally designed for MP3 players and recorders, multi-format players and recorders (AAC, WMA and others), CD and MiniDisc players and recorders, DVD-R players and recorders, PDAs, mobile phones, smart phones and Portable Media Players (PMP).

Designers can achieve fast time-to-market with Chipidea's audio codec IP family as it is available in several foundry process technologies ranging from 0.18-micron down to 65 nanometers. Previous generations of Chipidea codecs have been widely adopted by the industry and the company has used this experience to develop this new codec IP.

The Chipidea CI7819pg is a high-end audio IP and the CI7825tl is an optimized cost-performance audio IP.

About Chipidea

Chipidea Microelectronica S.A. is the world's leading provider of analog/mixed-signal silicon intellectual property, according to market researcher Gartner Dataquest Inc. The company is a key supplier to system-on-chip designers targeting fast-growing market segments in wireless communications, digital media and consumer electronics. With the industry's most comprehensive portfolio of silicon-proven technology across a variety of product lines, Chipidea offers the widest breadth of intellectual property solutions for the world's multi-function integrated circuit industry. Chipidea works hand-in-hand with its customers to ensure that its unique analog/mixed-signal expertise results in silicon success. Based in Lisbon, Portugal, Chipidea employs 230 people in research, development and sales and marketing offices across Europe, Asia and North America. Information about Chipidea can be found at www.chipidea.com.