Faraday Launches Portable MP3/WMA Audio SoC Design Platform - FIE7005

Faraday's FIE7005 Audio Platform Solution Offers Power Optimized System and Highly Integrated Architecture for Portable MP3/WMA Player Consumer Electronics

SUNNYVALE, California, and HSINCHU, Taiwan – October 31, 2005 -- Faraday Technology Corporation (TAIEX: 3035) formally launches FIE7 series portable MP3/WMA audio SoC platform solution, among which the FIE7005 platform is the first of this series that specifically targeting the flash-based MP3 audio market.

The FIE7005 audio platform adopts the embedded 1T8051 and Audio DSP dual processors to decode a variety of compressed audio formats. FIE7005 has integrated with many silicon proven IP blocks including USB2.0, ADDA , DC-DC, REG, Battery detector, etc. The highly integrated FIE7005 audio platform delivers a cost-efficient audio solution specific targeting for the booming portable audio market.

The FIE7005 is a 90dB high audio quality platform with supports for major audio codec including ADPCM codec, MP3 decode (CBR/VBR) and WMA decode. User-friendly SDK enables customers to accomplish production differentiation easily and meet the tight demands of time-to-market efficiently and effectively.

In addition, by Faraday's proprietary low power technology, the FIE7005 audio platform supports a power optimization system for portable audio player. Even taking power consumption of LCD display and headphone into account, FIE7005 could play MP3 or WMA continuously for more than 20 hours on a single battery. With extra functions such as FM radio and audio recorder, the FIE7005 is no doubt the most power-efficient, cost-effective, and comprehensive SoC environment available for the portable audio player market.

According to the forecast by iSupply, the MP3 related consumer electronics are predicted to have a compounded growth of 28.9% between 2004 and 2009. 2005 alone accounts to 56.3 million units of both flash-based and HD-based MP3 players - a 56% growth from 2004. The HD-based player is especially popular at 28% in 2005 and is predicted to pass the 30% mark in 2006.

“In response to the increase popularity of MP3, we have also begun working on the multimedia platform that caters to the portable HDD devices. We are scheduled to launch our proprietary FA510-based FIE7010 Audio Platform with a wide range of algorithm supports for MP3 encoder/decoder, WMA v9 decoder, AAC decoder, DRM10, etc, which can easily support a plethora of iPod-like HD MP3 players”, said associated vice president of Multimedia Business Unit at Faraday.

Furthermore, Faraday is currently working on a 0.13µm FIE7020 Audio Solution that adopts Faraday's existing CPU technology, and is able to satisfy the low power and quality requirements in the high-end portal music device market of the future. The FIE7020 Audio Solution is scheduled to launch in the 2 nd quarter of 2006.

To know the detailed product information, please get to:
http://www.faraday-tech.com/embeddedCPU/html/7005.htm

About Faraday Technology Corporation

Faraday Technology Corporation is a leading silicon IP and fabless ASIC vendor. The company's broad IP portfolio includes 32-bit RISC CPUs, DSPs, MPEG4, H.264, PHYs/Controllers for USB 2.0, 10/100 Ethernet, Serial ATA, PCI Express, Cell Library and Memory Compiler. With more than 500 employees and 2004 revenue of US$159 million, Faraday is one of the largest fabless ASIC companies in the Asia-Pacific region, and it also has a significant presence in other world-wide markets. Headquartered in Taiwan, Faraday has service and support offices around the world, including the U.S. , Japan , Europe, and China . For more information, please visit: http://www.faraday-tech.com