Posted by: D.inkie
In reply to: None Date:2/10/2003 8:00:36 PM
Post #of 30548
A Programmable Reference Design for Personal Music Players
By Mark Long -- e-inSITE, 2/10/2003
Motorola's Semiconductor Products Sector has announced a new programmable reference design for portable audio applications that is based on the company's SCF5249 audio controller. The ready-to-build reference design is available under a partnership agreement between Motorola and Nan Shan, China-based Arrow Optek.
"Our reference designs can help manufacturers get started today in developing the products consumers will be enthused to see at their favorite stores during the 2003 holiday season," said Motorola's Digital Audio, Radio and Telematics director of marketing John Hansen in a prepared statement.
The audio reference design, which is based on Motorola's ColdFire architecture, includes schematics, an applications note and source code for customizable modules. Combining the music decoding capability of a DSP with the file system management capabilities of a microcontroller, the single-chip reference design reportedly can boost battery life from approximately 30 hours to an anticipated battery life of nearly 40 hours in portable applications.
Motorola claims to have achieved the breakthrough in power performance through its development of highly optimized software code with the ability to dynamically change the core operating frequency depending upon the level of performance needed at any given moment. In personal music player applications, the SCF5249 offers support for a variety of decoder formats, including CD-ROM, Flash and hard drive. In addition, the reference design also supports the MP3, WMA (Windows Music Access) and AAC (Advanced Audio Coding) music formats.
The SCF5249's file management and music decoders operate from a single ColdFire 32-bit core that provides support for multiple decoder formats and multiple file formats. The deign also gives end-users the ability to "drag and drop" to place music on a disc without wasting disc space, claims the company. An integrated synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM) controller is also on tap for giving fast access to external memories. In addition, a flash media interface is available for use in portable product applications where audio files are stored on multimedia cards and compact flash cards.
The SCF5249 is available under a pricing structure that begins at under $10 each in 10K quantities. The Arrow Optek reference design is also available for immediate delivery.
