Freescale debuts flexible, cost-effective multicore audio DSPs

Symphony™ DSP56724 and DSP56725 devices provide outstanding performance for cost-sensitive markets  

AUSTIN, Texas – August 25, 2008 – To help device manufacturers meet demand for high performance in cost-sensitive audio applications, Freescale Semiconductor introduces the Symphony™ multicore DSP56724 and DSP56725 processors – the latest additions to the Symphony DSP5672x product family. The high performance digital signal processors (DSPs) are packed with peripheral support required for today’s designs and are ideal for automotive, consumer and professional audio applications where low cost and high performance are critical.

The Symphony DSP56724 and DSP56725 DSPs provide impressive performance via two DSP cores delivering up to 250MHz per core and featuring 112K x 24-bit words of integrated memory. Retaining pin and peripheral compatibility between the Symphony multicore DSP56720/721 DSPs, the advanced Symphony DSP56724/725 products allow OEMs to expand their product lines across various market tiers.  Scalability among the products gives designers flexibility to choose DSPs at the right price and performance mix for their systems with an easy migration path.

The Symphony multicore DSP56724 includes an external memory controller to allow expanding memory off-chip or to interface to external parallel peripherals. The Symphony multicore DSP56725 eliminates the external memory controller to provide a smaller package option for systems that do not require off-chip memory.  Both devices integrate an S/PDIF transceiver and a 10-channel asynchronous sample rate converter (ASRC) to reduce component cost and board space.

Code compatible with Freescale’s existing Symphony audio DSP solutions, the Symphony multicore DSP56724 and DSP56725 devices enable customers who design with a platform approach to transfer quickly and easily to different performance solutions through re-use of existing code.

The Symphony multicore DSP56724 is shipping now in volume at a suggested distributor resale price in 10K quantities of $6.39 USD in a 144-pin LQFP package. The Symphony multicore DSP56725 is available in an 80-pin LQFP package in 10K volume quantities at a suggested resale price of $5.97 USD.  For more information including documentation, tools support and orderable part numbers, please see the product pages at www.freescale.com/symphony

 About Freescale Semiconductor

Freescale Semiconductor is a global leader in the design and manufacture of embedded semiconductors for the automotive, consumer, industrial, networking and wireless markets. The privately held company is based in Austin, Texas, and has design, research and development, manufacturing or sales operations in more than 30 countries. Freescale is one of the world's largest semiconductor companies with 2007 sales of $5.7 billion (USD). www.freescale.com