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STMicroelectronics launches MP3 Decoder with ADPCM Voice Recording Option |
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 February 21, 2000 - STMicroelectronics has announced a new MPEG Layer 3 Audio Decoder chip that also includes an embedded ADPCM (Adaptive Differential Pulse Code Modulation) codec to allow voice recording and playback. Designed primarily for enhanced mobile phones, this decoder chip adds both MP3 audio playback and also voice recording/playback capabilities with extremely low power consumption and minimal design effort. Moreover, the compressed voice is stored in the same Flash memory used for the MP3 music files.Called STA015, the new chip is based on the same dedicated Digital Signal Processor (DSP) platform as the company's STA013 MP3 decoder. The VLIW (Very Long Instruction Word) DSP core of this platform is specially optimized for audio applications and achieves the lowest power consumption on the market - typically 85mW at 2.4V - thereby extending the play time of battery powered mobile players. MP3 decoder chips, such as the STA015 and STA013, can be used to add MP3 player capability to existing consumer products like mobile phones, part of a new trend to transform the phone into a convergence product combining basic phone service with other capabilities. MP3 decoder chips also enable a new class of consumer product, the personal stereo with no moving parts. Called 'mechaless' - a contraction of 'mechanism-less' - these players store music in compressed digital format in Flash memory chips. Music can be downloaded into the player from a personal computer or a dedicated download unit, so the same Flash memory is used all the time. Portable MP3 players are attractive to consumers because they are completely immune to shocks and vibration. From the makers point of view, they are easy to manufacture because they have no mechanical parts, which makes them particularly attractive to companies that are new to the market. Soon to be available in production quantities, the STA015 MP3docTM (MP3 Decoder-On-a-Chip) MPEG Layer 3 Audio Decoder integrated circuit decodes Layer 3 compressed elementary streams as specified in the ISO MPEG1 and MPEG2 standards. It also decodes streams encoded using low sampling rates as specified by MPEG2.5. Serial interfaces are used for both input and output, allowing the circuit to be housed in a compact SO28 small outline package. Versions are also offered in TQFP44 and LBGA packages, which have additional parallel and serial interfaces to simplify connection to a microprocessor. The output interface is software programmable for adapting to the most common digital-to-analog architectures. The ADPCM codec is compliant with the G.726 standard and offers a higher sound quality than the DVI audio playback supported by versions of the STA013. About MPEG Layer 3 Audio (MP3) Developed by the Fraunhofer Institute and Thomson Multimedia, the MPEG Layer 3 (MP3) audio compression standard allows digital music files to be compressed by a factor of 10 without compromising quality. For example, a typical song of about five minutes will occupy about 50Mbytes on a standard compact disk, but this can be reduced to just 5Mbytes if MP3 compression is used. MP3 has become the 'de facto' standard for the distribution of music through Internet and is commonly used to play music on personal computers. In 1998 the first dedicated MP3 file players became available. Most of these players are portable personal stereos, though some are designed for fixed installation in vehicles. About STMicroelectronics STMicroelectronics (formerly SGS-THOMSON Microelectronics) is a global independent semiconductor company, whose shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange, on the ParisBourse and on the Milan Stock Exchange. The Company designs, develops, manufactures and markets a broad range of semiconductor integrated circuits (ICs) and discrete devices used in a wide variety of microelectronic applications, including telecommunications systems, computer systems, consumer products, automotive products and industrial automation and control systems. In 1999, the Company's net revenues were $5.056 billion and net earnings were $547 million. Further information on ST can be found at www.st.com. |
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