Cirrus Logic Inc. introduced a new PCI audio controller (CS4280) that addresses the requirements of price-sensitive PC designs while providing a scalable architecture that supports industry standards and legacy applications. Expanding the company's industry-leading Crystalı brand of precision mixed-signal audio solutions, the CS4280 provides a high-quality PCI audio solution at the affordable price of an ISA device. Moreover, since the CS4280 offers a pin-compatible upgrade path to future products, PC manufacturers can offer a range of price and performance audio systems simply through their choice of Crystal audio devices. By providing an audio architecture that can span a range of requirements from the sub-$1000 to desktop PCs, the Crystal audio product family offers PC manufacturers increased economy, reliability and convenience for PC audio solutions.

Conforming to industry quality standards such as Microsoft's PC98, the CS4280 provides the basic features required in a PC audio subsystem, whether built into a PC motherboard or add-in card. When combined with the Cirrus Logic CS4297 codec, the two devices provide a fully compliant and affordable PCI audio solution that meets both PC98 and Intel's AC'97 requirements, and provides compatibility for legacy games. Furthermore, because the CS4280 is optimized to meet the PC98 requirements, it can streamline system testing in Microsoft's Windows Hardware Quality Labs (WHQL) certification program.

"With today's announcement, Cirrus Logic now offers OEMs a full range of PCI audio products that span the low- to high-end capabilities," said Art Swift, vice president and general manger of the PC Products Division. "When selecting audio solutions, customers now have a single point of contact for a full range of price/performance options to provide high-quality, competitively priced PC sound. Cirrus Logic's PCI audio family significantly lowers the OEM risk involved in creating PC products by providing an easy migration path for the future."

Industry-Leading PCI Audio Family

The CS4280 offers a pin-compatible upgrade path to its DSP-accelerated, PCI audio controller the CS4614, which harnesses Cirrus Logic's innovative and powerful 255 MIPs DSP engine to deliver a home theater-class audio experience to the desktop PC.

In addition to a scalable product line, Cirrus Logic's family of PCI audio controllers also provides a common suite of industry-leading driver support, providing exceptional interoperability and capability with today's PC hardware solutions.

By offering a seamless upgrade path and a suite of common drivers, Cirrus Logic allows PC manufacturers to easily change their audio system price and performance by populating the audio socket with either device.

CS4280 Features

CrystalClear Legacy Support (CCLS) -- The CS4280 delivers legacy support for both Windows DOS box and Real Mode applications through an advanced single-chip implementation. In addition, the CS4280 also supports industry standard PC/PCI and DDMA to provide OEMs and add-in card manufacturers several options to ensure legacy support.

Standards Compliance -- The CS4280 audio accelerator is the only affordable PC audio controller that is also fully compliant with Microsoft's PC97, PC98 and preliminary PC99 requirements. This streamlines certification tests for PC OEMs and add-in card manufacturers, specifically meeting the following standards:

There is little to say here that you can't read above. The part is way out there ahead of the pack and it is becoming more and more obvious that Cirrus is using the Crystal product experiences to full advantage as the specifications for the PC change into 1999. The Wintel preliminary document for PC 99 (System Design Guide version 0.70) spells it out quite clearly: "The convergence of consumer electronics and personal computing offers new revenues for participating manufacturers . . . These guidelines are designed to make sure that PCs and related consumer devices will be able to do everything the television, VCR, set-top box, and hi-fi system can do. These guidelines are defined in such a way as to add features while introducing PCs to these traditional areas without taking away any television features. In particular, this means that the PC must meet or exceed the video and audio quality of traditional consumer appliances." Cirrus are absolutely on top of this change from individual appliances to a centralized, PC-dominated, consumer market and look like they intend to stay there. Their ability to mix technologies will be of great tactical advantage to them.

The CS4280 samples in June with production in August 1998. It will be available in either a 100-MQFP or a 128-TQFP (for portable) and will be priced at $6.50 in 10,000-piece lots.