April 17, 2012 – CEVA (NASDAQ: CEVA, CLOSED: CVA), a leading licensing company for Silicon Intellectual Property (SIP) platform solutions and DSP cores, today unveiled CEVA TeakLite-4, a powerful low-power 32-bit DSP architecture framework for advanced audio and voice applications.

CEVA TeakLite-4 is custom-designed to meet the complex voice preprocessing requirements, audio postprocessing algorithms, and multi-channel audio codecs needed for the recently increasing number of smartphones, mobile computing devices, and digital home devices.

Built upon the proven performance of the diverse CEVA TeakLite product family, the CEVA TeakLite-4 features innovative smart power management technology and user-centric scalability. Consequently, it enables a highly flexible architecture and can be utilized in various fields, including designs sensitive to power consumption and die area.

As proof of this, CEVA TeakLite-4 can reduce die area by up to 25% and save up to 30% of power compared to the previous generation CEVA-TeakLite-III DSP for MP3 decoding capable of Dolby Mobile 3+ post-processing.

Increase in audio and speech complexity
The 32-bit CEVA TeakLite-4 DSP architecture directly addresses the challenges the semiconductor industry has recently faced in order to realize high-quality audio and voice performance in all kinds of devices.

For example, to deliver clearer speech even in noisy environments, computationally intensive algorithms are required to utilize advanced preprocessing techniques to reduce ambient noise and improve speech clarity.

Similarly, the transition to wideband voice codecs for VoLTE and VoIP applications requires significantly more DSP performance than the narrowband voice codecs currently in use. Furthermore, for mobile and home entertainment devices, audio post-processing functions provide an enhanced user experience, such as virtual surround sound, speaker calibration, and bass extension effects. Processing that delivers this level of performance is far more complex than can be achieved with the currently utilized 16-bit and 24-bit DSPs. Consequently, 32-bit audio processing has recently gained prominence.

“With the CEVA TeakLite-4 architecture, we have improved the power efficiency and performance of the new architecture based on the vast knowledge and experience gained over the past five years from our first-generation 32-bit audio processors,” said Eran Briman, Vice President of Marketing at CEVA. “As a result, the CEVA TeakLite-4 architecture is able to address the specific requirements of advanced audio and voice that enable SoCs through a common instruction set architecture, an ecosystem including software partners, and a selection of scalable and flexible DSPs that share various development tool sets.”

He stated, “In addition, our second-generation smart power management technology, PSU 2.0, enables low power consumption for each respective application through the CEVA TeakLite-4 architecture.”

The CEVA TeakLite-4 architecture is available in a series of four compatible DSP cores and offers a range of alternatives for specific application costs and performance to meet the requirements of designers.

The CEVA-TL410 and CEVA-TL411 DSPs provide single and dual 32 x 32-bit multipliers, respectively, for voice and audio codecs and hubs, while the CEVA-TL420 and CEVA-TL421 DSPs additionally provide a complete cache memory subsystem and AXI system interface for application processors and home audio SoCs. Thanks to a variable 10-stage pipeline, the CEVA TeakLite-4 architecture enables area optimization of less than 100,000 gates and delivers ultra-low power consumption performance and operating performance of up to 1.5 GHz using a 28 nm process for high-end SoCs.

All CEVA TeakLite-4 DSPs support CEVA's 2nd Generation Power Scaling Unit (PSU 2.0), which dynamically supports clock and voltage scaling within processor, memory, bus, and system resources within a fine range.

"To remain competitive, OEMs must continuously improve the user experience for voice and audio in handsets, consumer electronics, and automotive applications," said Linley Gwennap, Senior Analyst at Linley Group. "All multimedia devices, from future smartphones to smart TVs and car entertainment, are expected to provide high-quality audio capabilities and noise-free voice in any environment."

"In addition, [CEVA] TeakLite-4 addresses a variety of applications using a single architecture that is energy-efficient and possesses state-of-the-art audio and voice processing capabilities," [he/she] added. "For example, the architecture supports up to four 32-bit and 16-bit MACs with a data memory bandwidth of up to 128 bits. This is a greater range than any audio solution currently in use and provides a wide range of options to meet customer needs."

Following the industry-proven CEVA-TeakLite-III DSP, CEVA-TeakLite-4 is a second-generation 32-bit DSP and, overall, a fourth-generation DSP that shares the entire foundation of the CEVA-TeakLite DSP architecture. CEVA-TeakLite has recorded over 2 billion chip shipments and is recognized as the most successful licensed DSP family in the history of the semiconductor industry, with over 100 licensees, 25 ecosystem partners, and over 100 audio and voice codecs available.

CEVA-TeakLite-4 is compatible with all previous generations of the CEVA-TeakLite product family, enabling the entire family of voice and audio codecs optimized for CEVA-TeakLite to run more efficiently. By leveraging the benefits of an integrated development environment consisting of code-compatible cores—optimized libraries and toolchains—customers can significantly reduce development costs while increasing the return on software investment for future products.

Streamlined software development
CEVA TeakLite-4 DSPs support CEVA-Toolbox™, a software development environment that enables C-level development of all architectures. The integrated simulator provides accurate and efficient verification for all systems, including memory subsystems.

In addition, CEVA-Toolbox includes libraries, a graphical debugger, and the CEVA Application Optimizer, a fully optimized toolchain. The Application Optimizer enables automatic and manual optimization of C source code. For more detailed information, please visit www.ceva-dsp.com/CEVA-TeakLite-4.html .

Availability
The first product family of CEVA TeakLite-4 DSPs will be generally available after licensing in the second and third quarters of this year. For more information, please contact sales@ceva-dsp.com .