NEC Develops High-Performance DSP Core for Mobile-Device Applications

TOKYO, May 27, 2002 - NEC Corporation (NEC) (NASDAQ: NIPNY) (FTSE: 6701q.1), today announced the development of the SPXK5, a new digital signal processing (DSP) core with architecture optimized for efficient MPEG4 codec processing of audio and video signals in mobile-device multimedia applications such as cellular phones, PDAs, and digital video cameras. Sample shipments are scheduled to start in the second half of fiscal 2002.
 

With the SPXK5, NEC is using a new platform where the basic core is the SPXK5SC (Super Core), a DSP core that features high expandability due to on-chip cache and local memories and the incorporation of the external bus interface as the system bus. Sample shipments of the DSP core are scheduled to start at the completion of development in the second half of fiscal 2002. Development of products using a 0.095 um process is also underway, and is planned for completion in fiscal 2003.

NEC plans to release the existing MPEG4 video codec, MP3, AAC, WMA audio codec, AMR, G.729, and G.726 speech codec development middleware optimized for the SPXK5 architecture. In addition, because the SPXK5 has source level compatibility with NEC's existing DSP products, practical application with NEC's accumulated software property is straightforward. Furthermore, user-friendliness has been improved through use of a C compiler and specialized DSP operating system.

Mobile devices such as cellular phones and PDAs are now appearing on the market with audio, video, and other compression/decompression functions integrated into their functional lineup. MPEG4 is also becoming widely used as a high-compression video format for the memory cards in today's digital video and digital still cameras. As network-to-mobile connections speed up, applications that can record and playback high-compression video and audio data on mobile devices will be essential.
Recognizing that an even more advanced audio/video solution will be required to support the anticipated increase in application speeds in and after 2004, NEC has now followed up the release of its initial high-performance multimedia DSP, the uPD77214, with the new SPXK5 DSP core. The SPXK5 offers both the advanced processing and low power consumption features vital for mobile devices, and has been incorporated into a new platform to enable speedy development of products using this DSP core.
By offering a range of system LSI solutions using the new SPXK5, NEC will be able to satisfy customers' mobile application needs both now and in the future.

Refer to attachment 1 for the major specifications of the new product and attachment 2 for the DSP core product roadmap.

About NEC Corporation
NEC Corporation (NASDAQ: NIPNY) (FTSE: 6701q.1) is one of the world's leading providers of Internet, broadband network and enterprise business solutions dedicated to meeting the specialized needs of its diverse and global base of customers. Ranked as one of the world's top patent-producing companies, NEC delivers tailored solutions in the key fields of computer, networking and electron devices, through its three market-focused, in-house companies: NEC Solutions, NEC Networks and NEC Electron Devices. NEC Corporation employs more than 140,000 people worldwide and had net sales of approximately $39 billion in the fiscal year ended March 2002. For additional information, please visit the NEC home page at: http://www.nec.com.

 

(Note 1)	4-way parallel VLIW architecture: Architecture in which multiple instructions (such as operation, load, store, and branch instructions) are stored in a single instruction word and executed simultaneously. In the SPXK5, up to 4 instructions can be described in parallel.
(Note 2)	Dual MAC (Multiply Accumulator) architecture: Architecture that features two multiply-accumulators. The efficiency of digital signal processing algorithms can be increased because two multiply-accumulate operations can be executed simultaneously.

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