Cirrus Logic, Intel, and Microsoft Announce Latest Reference Design to Enable “Cool, Quiet, and High Performance” PCs
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Insights
The collaboration between Cirrus Logic, Intel and Microsoft to create a new PC reference design featuring Cirrus Logic's audio and power technologies, in conjunction with Intel's Lunar Lake processor, represents a strategic move to enhance the user experience in the laptop market. The integration of high-efficiency power converters and SmartHIFI™ codecs with Intel's processors could set a new industry standard for performance and efficiency.
From a market perspective, this collaboration is likely to bolster Cirrus Logic's market position by aligning with industry giants, potentially leading to an increase in market share and stronger bargaining power with suppliers and customers. The focus on reducing heat generation and extending battery life addresses two critical consumer pain points in the laptop market, which could translate into higher demand for devices leveraging this technology.
The announcement may also signal a broader industry trend towards more energy-efficient and high-fidelity audio solutions, which could spur innovation and competition among other players in the PC component space, potentially affecting stock valuations across the sector.
The announcement of Cirrus Logic's collaboration with Intel and Microsoft could have an immediate positive impact on Cirrus Logic's stock, as investors may perceive this as a growth opportunity through expanded product offerings and potential market penetration. The inclusion of Cirrus Logic's power conversion products alongside its audio components in the collaboration suggests a diversification of revenue streams for the company, which may be well-received by the market.
Investors will be closely monitoring the adoption rate of the new reference design and any subsequent financial disclosures from Cirrus Logic to gauge the material impact on the company's financial performance. Should the technology be rapidly integrated into upcoming laptop models, it could result in increased revenue projections for Cirrus Logic, potentially leading to a re-evaluation of the company's stock by analysts.
The technical advancements in Cirrus Logic's new reference design, such as the high-efficiency power converter and SmartHIFI™ codec, are significant in the context of ongoing efforts to improve laptop performance and user experience. The reduction in power consumption by 50% compared to legacy HD-A Codecs is a substantial improvement that could set a new benchmark for audio processing efficiency in laptops.
Additionally, the mention of security features aimed at protecting sensitive microphone and speaker data is timely, given the increasing concerns around data privacy and cybersecurity. The enablement of spatial audio also aligns with current trends in providing immersive experiences for consumers, which could drive OEMs to adopt this reference design to remain competitive.
Understanding the technical specifications and benefits of the new SoundWire® interface and Microsoft’s ACX framework will be crucial for stakeholders to appreciate the potential impact on the laptop market and Cirrus Logic's role in driving these innovations.
The new platform offers reduced heat generation, immersive audio, and a scalable design
The reference design features the Cirrus Logic CP9314 high-efficiency power converter, low-power CS42L43 SmartHIFI™ codec, and CS35L56 smart amplifiers. The Cirrus Logic CP9314 high-efficiency power converter, based on switched capacitor technology, helps generate less heat, extend battery life, and enable smaller, thinner industrial designs with reduced fan noise. Additionally, the amplifiers deliver powerful and clear speaker audio, while the codec enables transparent headset audio, reducing power consumption by
For over three decades Cirrus Logic has been enabling professional grade audio performance in battery powered environments such as portable music players, smartphones, headsets, virtual reality, and more. The low-power CS42L43 SmartHIFI™ codec continues that tradition by offering the highest available audio performance with the longest battery life along with smart features specifically designed to reduce the overall size and cost of the audio system and make the life of the PC OEM easier.
“Cirrus Logic is delivering value to the PC market with immersive audio and high-efficiency power conversion solutions,” said Carl Alberty, vice president of Cirrus Logic’s Mixed-Signal Products group. “Until now, our collaborations with Intel and Microsoft have only included our audio components, but now our power conversion products are expanding the offering. We are excited to help our customers build laptops that elevate the laptop experience for consumers with fantastic sound and sleek, quiet, and power efficient designs.”
"Intel is committed to accelerating every aspect of the PC experience," said Ken McKee, general manager of Client Customer Engineering and vice president of the Client Computer Group for Intel. "Companies like Cirrus Logic help us make this vision a reality by enabling innovation at scale. This collaboration enhances the PC experience, delivering more advantages to both the industry as a whole and individual consumers."
Next-Level Audio
Historically, Cirrus Logic has shipped more than five billion amplifiers in five of the top 10 smartphone manufacturers and four of the top 5 PC OEMs. Spanning several decades, Cirrus Logic’s flagship expertise has contributed to a variety of audio applications across the pro audio, PC, and smartphone markets.
The new reference design will expand Cirrus Logic's best-in-class audio experience to more PCs. These performance and fidelity benefits extend to both headset and speaker mode, enabling louder and deeper bass, clearer voice, lower distortion, and more. Cirrus Logic’s proprietary rattle limiter algorithm reduces noise and vibration due to rattling mechanical components, enabling a quieter, higher-fidelity user experience.
The audio design—which helps the industry transition to the new SoundWire® interface and Microsoft’s ACX framework, is scalable across different processors, speakers, and notebook designs, making it easy for OEMs to implement high-performance audio subsystems that easily scale in channel count and features. The design also has built-in security features designed to minimize unauthorized access to sensitive microphone/speaker data, and the enablement of next-generation features like spatial audio, which enables a more realistic and engaging audio experience.
Longer Battery Life
The benefits of Cirrus Logic power and audio technology extend to the device battery, with this new reference design permitting substantially longer battery life. The PC-optimized solution enables designs with lower cost and less waste due to lower power consumption, reduced board space, and fewer components. The end-result is that these long-lasting batteries will be matched by smaller, thinner notebooks.
Cirrus Logic Inc.
Cirrus Logic is a leader in low-power, high-precision mixed-signal processing solutions that create innovative user experiences for the world’s top mobile and consumer applications. With headquarters in
Cirrus Logic, Cirrus and the Cirrus Logic logo are registered trademarks of Cirrus Logic, Inc. SoundWire is a registered trademark of MIPI Alliance, Inc. All other company or product names noted herein may be trademarks of their respective holders.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240205416873/en/
Derrick Shannon
Touchdown PR for Cirrus Logic Inc.
(512) 599-4015
cirruslogic@touchdownpr.com
Source: Cirrus Logic
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