Processor-success plan centers on price

If you ignore the price tags, comparing the features of Oki Semiconductor's ML-67Q5200 with audio-tailored processor alternatives from companies such as Cirrus Logic and Texas Instruments might leave you unimpressed with Oki's offering. After all, the ML67Q5200 supports only decoding MP3-formatted audio at bit rates of 64, 96, and 128 kbps and at a sampling rate of 44.1 kHz. WMA (Windows Media Audio) support is more extensive: 64-, 96-, 128-, 160-, and 192-kbps bit rates and 32-, 44.1-, and 48-kHz sample rates. However, the device lacks variable-bit-rate-decoding support for either MP3 or WMA and decoding support for other formats, such as AAC and RealAudio. The only real-time audio-encoding format the chip currently comprehends is voice-tailored, 4-bit ADPCM2.

Oki believes, though, that the ML67Q5200's embrace of the most popular bit-rate and sampling-rate combinations of today's two most common lossy-compressed-audio formats, along with the chip's less-than-$10 (100,000) price for the ROMless variant, will still guarantee its success. And, because the audio processing runs on a software-controlled DSP, not on codec-customized hardware, the chip's format flexibility may expand in the future. The ML67Q5200 includes both a 30-MHz, 32-bit ARM7TDMI CPU core and a 60-MHz, 16-bit DSP Group-developed Teak DSP core, along with 32 kbytes of embedded, 32-bit SRAM. Integrated DRAM, USB 2.0, and four-channel DMA controllers, along with support for as many as three external interrupts and as many as 72 general-purpose I/O lines, simplify the chip's interface to external peripherals.

With the goal of minimizing overall system parts count, the chip also integrates a PLL; five 16-bit timers—one for the system, one for pulse-width modulation and three for general-purpose use—two 16-bit watchdog timers; one UART; two I²C serial-I/O modules; one serial audio-interface receiver; one serial audio transceiver; and a four-channel, 10-bit ADC. Oki is now shipping sample quantities of the ML67Q5200, which is available both with and without 256 kbytes of onboard flash memory. (The ARM Thumb 16-bit instruction-set support maximizes code density.) It operates across a –30 to +70°C temperature range and is available in 144-pin, low-profile, fine-pitch-BGA packages. It is scheduled to enter volume production by the end of June.

Oki Semiconductor, 1-408-720-1900, www.okisemi.com.