*****For immediate use June 1^st, 1999

NEC Announces Low-power Consumption Digital Signal Processors with Large Capacity Memory for Portable Equipment

[µPD77113] and [µPD77114]

NEC Corporation (NEC) (NASDAQ: NIPNY) (FTSE: 6701q.l) is set to commercialize a new line of low-power consumption 16-bit high-speed digital signal processors (DSPs) aimed at use in digital portable phones, with the largest memory capacity for such devices and power consumption of only 0.5 milliamps per megahertz (mA/MHz).

The products, the µPD77113 and µPD77114, offer full software compatibility with the NEC µPD77016 family of 16-bit DSPs, and provide clock frequencies of up to 75MHz.

Key to portable systems manufacturers is the ability to implement additional functions with a minimum number of semiconductor devices and with lower power consumption. As a result, DSPs are expected to support several applications. Portable telephones for example would normally require two DSPs: one to support speech recognition and another to provide for voice CODEC.

With the world's largest memory capacity in such a low-power consumption DSP, the new µPD77113 and µPD77114 devices provide support for multiple applications on a single chip, such as large-vocabulary speech recognition and different types of voice and video CODECs, while drawing no more power than conventional products.

Each device incorporates a total of 398 Kbytes (approx. 3.2 Mbits) of RAM and ROM as instruction and data memory. Mask ROM capacity is 48 Kwords (32 bits per word) for instructions and 64 Kwords (16 bits per word) for data, while RAM capacity is 3.5 Kwords for instructions and 32 Kwords for data. The instruction ROM can also be modified to reduce the risk of program error.

Key also to performance is a low-power consumption of 0.5mA/MHz, achieved using a 0.25-micron process and optimizing circuit design with respect to current consumption. For example, PSI CELP^*1, a voice encoding method for digital portable phones, can be executed while consuming only 35 mW (at 2.5 V).

Program Compatibility

The new products follow NEC's previous release of the µPD77016 family of 16-bit high-speed fixed-point DSPs and mass-production of the µPD77111 family from last year. The new devices are architecture- and software-compatible with the µPD77016 family, and the easy-to-use Windows^® 95^*2Note-based development tools for the µPD77016 can also be used to develop applications for the new product.

The NA77113 core library for the µPD77113 and µPD77114, will be released simultaneously with the products for use with NEC's ASIC the CB-C10. The DSP core included in the library has the same memory configuration and same peripheral circuits as the standard products (µPD77113 and µPD77114), and eases conversion of sets configured with a standard product to system on a chip (SOC) format.

Availability

With its middleware for signal processing (voice CODEC, acoustic echo canceller, speech recognition, and video CODEC) and NEC's real-time OS for DSPs facilitating task management for both the middleware and user applications, the new DSPs provide an optimized solution for the advanced needs of the portable systems market.

Sampling begins from July, with volume production from September 1999 at a rate of 300,000 units per month. The product is available in both a 100-pin TQFP (µPD77114), or an 80-pin FBGA (µPD77113) highly suitable for applications such as portable phones, where great emphasis is placed on miniaturization.

About NEC Corporation

NEC Corporation (NASDAQ: NIPNY) (FTSE: 6701q.l) pioneered the concept of C&C, the integration of Computers and Communications, and is the only company in the world to be counted among top ranking corporations spanning the wide range of fields essential for this vision of multimedia: computers, communications and electron devices. Employing in excess of 150,000 people around the world, NEC saw net sales in fiscal year 1998-99 amount to 4,759 billion yen (approx. US$40 billion). For further information, visit the NEC home page at: http://www.nec-global.com

For Main Specifications of the µPD77113 and µPD77114, please see the attached sheet.

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Notes:

*1:	PSI CELP - Pitch Synchronous Innovation Code Excited Linear Predictive is the standard voice CODEC for Japanese digital cellular phone (PDC:Personal Digital Cellular)
*2:	Windows® 95 refers to the Microsoft® Windows® 95 operating system. Microsoft and Windows are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or for other countries.

Media Contact:-
Aston Bridgman
NEC Corporation
TEL:     +81-3-3798-6511
FAX:     +81-3-3457-7249
E-mail: Aston_Bridgman@HO-PRD.ccgw.nec.co.jp

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