DSP-based audio design uses 5Gbyte disk drive

A new reference design aims to help portable digital audio manufacturers add functionality and reduce retail prices.

A new reference design aims to help portable digital audio manufacturers add functionality and reduce retail prices.

The latest in a series of portable entertainment reference designs, the new production-ready design provides a complete hardware and software solution based on a 1in hard disk drive (HDD) with a capacity of 5Gbyte, that supports not only music but JPEG and MPEG-4 as well, enabling consumers to carry all of their digital music and photos with them wherever they go at a price they can afford.

Built around one of TI's advanced digital audio digital signal processors (DSP) and analogue technology, the turnkey design enables accelerated development of portable audio jukeboxes under $250 retail that can operate for 15 hours on a single battery charge.

The design enables manufacturers to combine audio and imaging on a colour LCD screen, as well as offers QCIF resolution video playback, all in a form factor that is small enough and light enough to fit in a shirt pocket.

In addition, the programmable platform enables OEMs to accommodate changing multimedia standards in software without requiring product redesign.

"The portable jukebox compressed audio player market has been reinvigorated by 1in HDDs", said Susan Kevorkian, Senior Analyst with IDC's Consumer Markets group.

"Now, device manufacturers can offer exceptionally portable form factors, with 5Gbyte storage capacity, digital photo support and colour displays - a winning combination for many music consumers".

According to IDC's most recent compressed audio player market forecast entitled "Worldwide compressed audio player 2004-2008 forecast: MP3 reaches far and wide" (IDC 31811, August 2004), portable jukeboxes will have a 57% worldwide compound annual growth rate during the forecast period.

The power-efficient, high performance DSP supports real-time processing of audio files and DRM technology simultaneously, while providing enough headroom for OEMs to differentiate their products with enhanced functionality.

The new reference design also includes TI analogue and power management technology and offers broad support for a variety of features and functionality, including: complete driver and API code to support a Seagate 1in 5Gbyte drive; MPEG-4 playback; JPEG decoding with simultaneous audio decode for "music slideshows"; USB 2.0 device support, enabling easy connection to computers, and USB host support, enabling file sharing and image transfers directly between portable products; high-quality time-scale modification (TSM) algorithm, enabling the playback of recorded sound at up to twice the speed, or slowing playback down to half the speed while maintaining normal pitch; colour LCD and extensive multilanguage support with customisable user interfaces; support for Microsoft's Digital Rights Management (DRM) technology; power optimised for long MP3 playback time - up to 15h on a single charge of the built-in lithium-ion battery; a flexible DSP solution, allowing OEMs to add postprocessing or converge other new types of functionality into portable digital audio players; integrated FM tuner with auto scan; highly optimised audio track and database caching to ease user content management and navigation; and all major digital audio algorithms, including Windows Media Audio (WMA) encode and decode, MP3 and voice recording, as well as a built-in FM receiver.

"Today's portable entertainment devices must fit the consumer's lifestyle, as well as protect the needs of content owners", says Chris Schairbaum, Worldwide Manager of TI's Portable Audio and Infotainment business.

"By supporting USB host, image and video decode, and DRM technology, TI offers manufacturers the essential tools they need to accommodate the changing digital entertainment market".

TI's new portable audio player reference design and complete manufacturing kit are available today from TI and third party partners.

MPEG-4, WMA encode, DRM and USB host support will be available in the first quarter of 2005.

Local customisation support is available worldwide from regional TI design partners.

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