Multi level storage for analogue audio

Electronics Times, July 17, 2000

DT Electronics offers the OKI ML2500 which uses the latest multi-level storage technology to enable on-chip storage of uncompressed analogue audio.

By charging flash cells to levels equivalent to the analogue signal amplitude using 256 discrete levels, an eight-fold increase in storage compared to digital sampling is achieved. The technique also eliminates the noise and distortion introduced by encoding and decoding in systems that use intermediate digital processing, while still retaining record and playback times of up to 256s using 1Mbyte of on-chip flash memory.

Designed for use in portable terminals, the ML2500 is a 3V chip that needs no backup. It retains data for 10 years minimum, and is capable of 10,000 programme/erase cycles. It operates from an internal oscillator at 8.192MHz or can use an external reference between 4 and 8.192MHz. An integral SPI interface provides connectivity to an external microcontroller.

Sampling frequencies are selectable at 4, 5.3, 6.4 or 8kHz, and up to 320 phrases can be recorded. Phase control features user-definable start/stop addresses and a low pass filter provides -40dB/octave attenuation to minimise noise.

DT Electronics
Tel: 024 7643 7400
Fax: 024 7643 7401
Enquiry Number 512