AppoTech Ltd. Selects Andes Technology Corporation N968A CPU For Its Next Generation Audio Codec

Andes N968A Superior Performance, Small Code Size, and Audio Extensions Contributed to Andes Being Chosen Over Rivals

Hsinchu, Taiwan. – July 06, 2017 – Andes Technology Corporation (TWSE: 6533), the leading Asia-based supplier of small, low-power, high performance 32/64-bit embedded CPU cores, today announced that Hong-Kong-based AppoTech Ltd., the 2016 China Ministry of Industry CSIP “Best Market Performance Product Award” winner, has selected Andes N968A for a next generation audio codec SoC. Andes N968A’s superior performance, compact code size resulting from the ability of the CPU to intermix both 32-bit and 16-bit instructions contributed to AppoTech’s choice of Andes over competitive alternatives. Also attractive to AppoTech was the N968A’s Audio extensions and data local memory feature that speeds memory accessed.

CEO and President of AppoTech Ltd., Chuck Cheng stated, “Andes has provided us with an efficient CPU core for our next generation SoC. AppoTech has targeted the rapidly growing China market and we need partners like Andes to help provide a technical edge in this highly competitive arena. To enhance our competitiveness, we needed to move away from discrete logic design of our codecs to one based on a programmable processor that could easily accommodate a variety of different audio coding algorithms. Andes CPU core provided us this flexibility, while giving us an advantage of high compute performance in a small die size.”

“We are very gratified that AppoTech selected Andes for its next SoC design,” said Andes President, Frankwell Jyh-Ming Lin. “Having AppoTech—a market leader in video, audio, telecommunications, home entertainment, car music systems, and other vertical markets—select Andes is a great vote for our leadership in high-performance low-power CPU IP technology. Our engineering team has worked hard to build efficient Audio acceleration functionality into the N968A that makes it ideal for performing efficient computations audio codecs demand.”

With the most versatile Audio instructions, the N968A can perform two parallel loads from two memory banks plus an independent multiply-shift-accumulate. The powerful Audio instructions allow designers to implement an audio codec platform in software to achieve great efficiency while providing flexibility unmatched by hardwired solutions. The compact and fast code generated by Andes open-source GNU toolchain, easy-to-use AndeSight™ IDE and RTOS support enable customers such as AppoTech to rapidly develop versatile applications with high quality for their final chip.

About AppoTech

AppoTech Ltd is a fabless IC company that designs high performance, high reliability and cost-effective system-on-chip (SoC) products. The company offers a complete solution from IC design to application development for applications including video, audio, telecommunications, consumer electronics and home appliances. It is based in the IC Development Center, No.6 Science Park West Avenue, Hong Kong Science Park, Sha Tin, Hong Kong.

After 15 years in the Silicon Valley at National Semiconductor and Sun Microsystems among others, founder and CEO Chuck Cheng formed the company in 2003 in Palo Alto California with ten employees and $1 Million of his own money. Attracted by the generous government incentives, such as subsidized rent in a new science and technology park, and strong intellectual-property laws, he moved the company to Hong Kong. There the company is a day trip from mainland China's Pearl River Delta, the world's factory for everything electronic.

The company has grown since its founding to become a major supplier of SoC solutions in rapidly growing markets such as consumer electronics. In November 2016, the latest generation of its SoC Bluetooth chip won China’s Ministry of Industry and the Ministry of Industry CSIP “Best Market Performance Product Award." In December 2015, the company and its CEO won the 2015 Hong Kong Award for Industry and Commerce (Science and Technology Achievement Award) at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center. The company’s ultimate goal is to become the world's leading integrated circuit design enterprise.

About Andes

Andes Technology Corporation was founded in Hsinchu Science Park, Taiwan in 2005 to develop innovative high-performance/low-power 32/64-bit processor cores and associated development environment to serve worldwide rapidly growing embedded system applications. The company delivers the best super low power CPU cores with integrated development environment and associated software and hardware solutions for efficient SoC design.

To meet the demanding requirements of today's electronic devices, Andes Technology delivers configurable software/hardware IP and scalable platforms to respond to customers’ needs for quality products and faster time-to-market. Andes Technology’s comprehensive CPU includes entry-level, mid-range, high-end, extensible and security families to address the full range of embedded electronics products, especially for connected, smart and green applications.

For more information about Andes Technology, please visit http://www.andestech.com/.