Cirrus Logic used the occasion of the Embedded Processor Forum (San Jose, CA) to unveil the first public details of a new family of very high integration system-on-chip (SOC) devices. The first SOC in the new Maverick family is the EP9312 — a one-chip computer meant to enable cost-effective home audio jukeboxes and servers. Time will tell, but this speck of silicon with 5.7 million internal transistors, slated for Q4 '00 sampling, seems to be a strong candidate for “most integrated SOC, 2000” — and what's more, it's intended to play embedded Linux!

Though it could certainly be used in thousands of embedded system and appliance applications, Cirrus developed the EP9312 primarily for next generation Internet audio appliances. Matt Perry, VP and General manager of the Embedded Processors Division, offers this vision of these future feature-rich Internet audio systems: “they will be able to convert current CD music collections to digital files (a process known as “ripping”) and store the music using a builtin hard drive. Music might be securely purchased and/or downloaded free from the Internet without a personal computer. Internet radio can be played or stored. Songs can be catalogued, arranged and replayed to different rooms using existing stereo system components or home networking systems. Music files can be transferred to portable Internet audio devices.”

The list goes on and on . . .

The super-integrated EP9312 packs a dazzling set of functionality on a single die. Its general purpose embedded computer subsystem functions include: 200 MHz ARM920T CPU, MMU, cache, 1/10/100 Mbit Ethernet, three 16550 UARTs, IrDA, 3-port USB (host), dual IDE drive interface, touch interface, and color/mono LCD display controller. In addition, a highly flexible memory interface provides compatibility with SDRAM, SRAM, Flash, and ROM, as well as PCMCIA based memory cards. CompactFlash should also be usable, via the EIDE interface.

Not willing to stop at that impressive list functions, however, Cirrus also included a cadre of specialized functions to enable and cost reduce audio-oriented applications: a unique “MaverickCrunch” math coprocessor, designed to optimize audio compression algorithms; “MaverickLock” military-level security logic and associated firmware (encrypted), which can be used to implement on-chip serialization IDs, digital rights protection, private keys, and passwords; and dual I²S 24-bit audio SPI interfaces.

Embedded Linux Support

Cirrus intends to support the EP9312 with a Royal Linux embedded Linux distribution for the Maverick family, currently being developed by ISDCorp. All Maverick family Linux software will be open source and available for download on a special Maverick website, at www.MaverickInside.com.

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