CSR presents handset makers with “revolutionary audio processing technology

CSR has launched MusiCore1, said to be the world's first fully featured single-chip stereo audio processor+Bluetooth for mobile phones. CSR's MusiCore1 technology presents handset makers with the first practical audio processor architecture for phone designs, saving the cost, space and power of adding a separate audio processor. MusiCore1 features state of the art audio enhancement technologies for MP3 audio and superior voice clarity. Handset makers using CSR's MusiCore1 can, for the first time, have stereo audio along with fully featured Bluetooth on a single chip; MusiCore1 saves 75 percent of the cost of an audio processor, over 36mm2 of space and enables 100 hours of music playback.

CSR's MusiCore1 overcomes the limitations of a phone CPU to handle both audio and voice processing, significantly reducing the higher bill of materials (BoM) and design restrictions of using both Bluetooth and audio processor chips. Mobile phone CPUs are not appropriate for supporting music decoding or playback (MP3 files for example) - this isn't what a CPU is designed for, and the result is, the CPU consumes too much power trying.

Using a separate audio processing chip for this function costs over $4 and takes up in excess of 36mm2, which isn't acceptable to handset makers who need to keep the bill of materials down and need to ensure the final handset design remains attractive for end users.

MusiCore1 supports decoding of all mainstream music file formats including MP3, AAC, AAC+, WMA and SBC. The efficiency of CSR's mature DSP architecture means processing audio files is effortless: 5.25mW for an MP3 file, compared to the 80mW consumed by a phone's CPU for the same decoding. This efficiency contributes to MusiCore1's ability to provide a phone with 100 hours of music playback. The CPU can remain asleep when MusiCore1 is handling music files.

Feature phone or high-end music phone designers can use MusiCore1 to embed both high quality stereo audio, plus low latency Bluetooth, with power, cost and PCB-space savings plus voice enhancement features. At the same time, designers of ultra low cost phones now have the option to differentiate handsets by embedding Bluetooth and audio processing without sacrificing cost, features or quality.

The Bluetooth element of MusiCore1 includes CSR's market leading BlueCore technology including support for v2.1 + EDR Bluetooth, and CSR's FastStream low latency (40ms) Bluetooth technology that ensures there are no lip synch / time delay issues when a phone is used for gaming or watching videos and is connected to Bluetooth headphones. Competing Bluetooth solutions have a latency of up to 200ms, which restricts their application for gaming, video or mobile TV.

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