Multilevel ASICs boost audio recording applications

When integrating solid-state audio record and playback functionality into products, today's designers often resort to digital signal processors (DSPs). While DSP-based solutions provide one approach for compressing and storing audio information, they are typically too costly and consume too much space and power for most portable voice applications. This article describes an alternative approach to audio record and playback: using a fully integrated mixed-signal circuit with multilevel storage technology. For brevity, we refer to this type of device as a multilevel storage ASIC. This article explains a few of the pros and cons of designing with both the DSP-based and multilevel storage ASIC approaches. It also addresses how developers of cellular and cordless phones, voice pagers, tapeless pocket recorders, and many other products can effectively store and retrieve audio information without compromising sound quality, power consumption, or printed circuit board real estate.