TTPCom launches software MIDI solution

Reduces costs and speeds time to market for polyphonic sound in handsets

August 5, 2003 - TTPCom Ltd (LSE:TTC), the world’s leading independent supplier of digital wireless technology, today announces the availability of a software-based MIDI solution for mobile devices requiring advanced ‘polyphonic’ sound capabilities. This software solution eliminates the need for separate MIDI hardware, therefore saving approximately £2 from the Bill of Materials (BoM), reducing manufacturing and inventory costs and saving valuable space on the phone’s printed circuit board (PCB). The MIDI software, which is part of TTPCom’s comprehensive multimedia roadmap, is fully integrated with the company’s protocol stack and AJAR applications platform, enabling TTPCom’s customers to achieve a fast time to market for this technology.

Many new phone designs include MIDI sound as an essential ‘must have’ to enhance the user experience. In addition to polyphonic ringtones, the Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) enables MIDI music clips to be sent as attachments to messages. Licensees of TTPCom’s MIDI software also gain access to an open applications programming interface (API) which allows developers to customise the phone’s games and MMI (Man Machine Interface), by linking imaginative, high quality sounds with key presses or gaming activities.

“MIDI is becoming a standard feature in many of today’s phone designs and TTPCom’s software based solution enables terminal manufacturers to quickly develop customised solutions that meet user’s expectations,” said Nick Dillon, TTPCom’s MIDI Programme Manager. “Manufacturers using a hardware approach to MIDI functionality normally have to redesign their PCB layout each time the MIDI synthesis engine is updated and this has a huge impact on time to market. A software based solution reduces development time and removes reliance on the supply of MIDI chips, with its associated costs.”

TTPCom’s MIDI Software specification:

• 40-note polyphonic sound
• SMF (General MIDI compliant) and SMAF file formats supported
• audio output is stereo or mono PCM at 8 or 16 kHz (configurable)
• 128 instruments, 47 drum sets, 32 sound effects
• requires <16 kB MCU RAM