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austriamicrosystems Leaps Ahead in Portable Multimedia with New Chip Solution Enabling DVD Quality Video and High Definition Audio at Industry's Lowest Power Consumption
UNTERPREMSTAETTEN, Austria --(Business Wire)-- austriamicrosystems (SWX:AMS), a leading global designer and manufacturer of high performance analog ICs for communications, industrial, medical and automotive applications, announces an additional member of its new family of media player ICs aimed at bridging the gap between a multimedia player audio/video experience and home entertainment devices.
austriamicrosystems' AS3536 is an innovative multimedia player system whose core is based on newly developed audio and video engines with post-processors acting as co-processors to an ARM unit capable of 400 MHz. The IC also includes system level power management, a high quality audio codec and battery charging. The claimed power consumption is at system level inclusive of power conversion losses, access to NAND Flash, DRAM memories and audio played to headphones with running application software. A lower cost derivative, AS3535, plays audio/video at up to WQVGA resolution with a system power of 60mW, a level that most of today's audio players require for music files only.
For portable devices, it is essential to minimize power consumption in stand-by. The fully static design and low leakage technology of AS3536 allow for only 1.4mW preserving context or 4mW while refreshing the display from the on-chip 512Kbytes buffer (with screen backlight off).
The fully hardwired audio engine executes the decompression and playback of most popular compressed audio formats, like MP3, WMA and AAC, for the least amount of power consumption with zero CPU load. The audio post-processor implements an Asynchronous Sample Rate Converter with near transparent quality, a multi-channel mixer with limiting function and 10 band graphics equalizer, and supports 192 KHz sample rates at 24 bits dynamic range for high definition audio processing. Three sets of I2S outputs can independently control stereo speakers, subwoofer and headphone or line outputs and may also be utilized as multi-channel audio outputs. The AS3536 audio subsystem includes a stereo PDM digital microphone input completing all audio requirements for new generation multimedia players.
The fully hardware implemented video engine can decompress and play H.264/AVC, MPEG4, H.263, WMV9/VC-1 and Sorenson Spark video with higher than DVD resolution (D1 video). JPEG pictures are decompressed at 16Mpixels/sec. WMV9 is supported to Main Profile at High Level so that storing DVD movies requires less than 1/6th of their original file sizes at equivalent quality. The video post-processor includes features like up/down video scaling, rotation, cropping, split screens, picture in picture and alpha blending for enhanced GUI effects. The unique capability to play Sorenson Spark video allows to play content at very low power from websites such as YouTube and Google Video.
The AS3536 directly interfaces to the latest generation removable and embedded flash memory types with 4/8/16-bit hardware ECC, and removable card formats like SD2.0, MMC+, CE-ATA, MS PRO and CF. The AS3536 is complemented by a comprehensive mature software suite backed by three generations of products delivered in the multimedia player market. The SDK has passed the stringent Certified for Windows Vista test criteria.
Roberto Simmarano, Senior Marketing Director Business Unit Communications at austriamicrosystems, commented, "With austriamicrosystems' AS3536, portable multimedia players and mobile TV receivers can now reproduce standard definition video content without compromising battery consumption. Listening to music, the AS3536 offers the same experience as high quality home A/V devices due to its high definition audio capabilities, yet with an exceptional threefold increase in playtime compared to current generation devices."
AS3536 is available now in a CTBGA 244 package, 10x10mm with 0.5mm ball pitch. The lower cost derivative AS3535 supports video of up to WQVGA resolution and a CPU clock rate of 266MHz. For both devices evaluation boards and reference kits are available. Further information is available online at www.austriamicrosystems.com/Mobile-Entertainment-Players/AS3536.
austriamicrosystems will showcase AS3536 at Electronica Hall A5 Booth 107
About austriamicrosystems
austriamicrosystems is a leading designer and manufacturer of high performance analog ICs, combining more than 25 years of analog design capabilities and system know-how with its own state-of-the-art manufacturing and test facilities. austriamicrosystems leverages its expertise in low power and high accuracy to provide industry-leading customized and standard analog products. Operating worldwide with more than 1,000 employees, austriamicrosystems focuses on the areas of power management, sensors & sensor interfaces portable audio and car acces, in its markets Communications, Industry & Medical and Automotive, complemented by its Full Service Foundry activities. austriamicrosystems is listed on the SWX Swiss Exchange in Zurich (ticker symbol: AMS).
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