Cirrus Logic ARM CPU Aimed At Portable MP3

By Bernard Cole
iApplianceWeb
(03/27/02, 01:20:06 AM EDT)

AUSTIN, Texas - Continuing its single-minded aggressive focus on developing small footprint consumer and embedded iAppliance chip designs, Cirrus Logic Inc. has developed one of the fastest implementations of Advanced RISC Machine Ltd.'s ARM-7 achitecture.

Designated the EP7312-90, the new ARM processor is targeted specifically at portable portable and set-top digital audio devices, car audio jukebox systems that can record MP3 content while playing.

The new low-power EP7312-90 runs at clock speeds up to 90 MHz, allowing for real-time MP3 encoding, as well as decoding for all major digital music standards. In addition to encoding MP3, the EP7312-90 also supports WMA, MP3, and AAC playback. In addition, a digital audio interface (DAI) provides a glueless connection to today's most popular DACs and ADCs, enabling scalable audio performance and price points.

The EP7312-90 includes Cirrus Logic's patent-pending MaverickKeytechnology, which provides consumer iAppliance manufacturers with on-chip security utilizing specific hardware IDs, such as those assigned for DRM or other authentication mechanisms.

Available immediately, the EP7312-90 is priced at $12.25 in 50K unit quantities and is offered in three different packages: 208 LQFP, 256 PBGA, and 204 TFBGA. All packages are available in commercial and industrial temperature ranges. For more information go to http://www.cirrus.com.