February 08, 2004

By: Yannick Allan
Website: http://www.1st-in-cell-phones.com

Single-chip device capable of generating up to 64 tones simultaneously

NEC Electronics Corporation and its subsidiaries in the United States and Europe, NEC Electronics America, Inc. and NEC Electronics (Europe) GmbH, today announced the availability of samples for a new single-chip LSI synthesizer (part number µPD9990) that implements surround sound technology and allows simultaneous generation of up to 64 tones. The new product enables cell phones to play rich voice and instrument sound waves using realistic stereo surround sound effects.

"In recent years, there has been an increased demand for cellular phones that produce effects beyond simple voice and text communication," said Yoshiyuki Idogawa, general manager of 1st Solutions Division, NEC Electronics Corporation. "Phones today offer advanced features such as downloadable ringing melodies, music playback and mobile gaming. These applications call for strong sound support, in some cases to play back more than 40 tones simultaneously. This is what our synthesizer product delivers."

The µPD9990 employs a double wavetable system that provides high-quality sound by selecting one of two wavetables based on the pitch of the tone played. Four independent musical instrument digital interface (MIDI) input ports with one control port allow the replay of up to four audio streams simultaneously. These features give cell phones equipped with the LSI synthesizer the ability to play background music, sound effects or human voices.

Also See: cell phones.

Author Notes:

Yannick Allan contributes and publishes news editorial to http://www.1st-in-cell-phones.com.  A cellular phone industry resource featuring articles, comparisons and reviews of cellular phone and service plans.