Zarlink announces that it is demonstrating its latest hands-free voice processing products with 5V Technologies at COMPUTEX TAIPEI 2007.

The Zarlink and 5V Technologies solution combines their respective voice enhancement and IP phone expertise to allow equipment manufacturers to rapidly evaluate and develop cost-effective IP phones sets supporting high-quality speakerphone capability. The solution integrates Zarlink's high-performance acoustic echo canceller technology and 5VT's cost-effective ARM9-based VoIP SOC (5VT13XX Series). This solution is available as a reference design for qualified customers.

Zarlink's ZL 38004 voice processing platform helps solve quality concerns that have plagued voice-over-IP equipment. The platform is based on the same technologies currently deployed in telecom applications, where voice quality is an absolute requirement. This proven expertise allows hands-free and IP-based communication equipment manufacturers to ensure reliable voice performance.

The fully featured ZL38004 platform combines Zarlink's voice processor engine with dual channel wideband, CD quality codecs, on-chip memory and ZLS38502 firmware for speakerphones. ZLS38502 firmware incorporates unique noise reduction and echo cancellation techniques to allow equipment designers to overcome distortion, echo and double-talk issues that plague speakerphones.

"The combination of Zarlink's ZL38004 platform and the 5VT SOC device provides manufacturers with a ready-made solution that improves voice quality in VoIP phones," said Andrew Faulkner, director of Zarlink's Voice Processing product line. "Many of our target applications, particularly IP-phones, use ARM-based SOCs for packetization, VoIP SIP Stack implementation and to provide feature phone functionality. Unfortunately this often leaves too few MIPs for true full-duplex, high-performance acoustic echo cancellation. Combining 5VT's SOC solution with the Zarlink ZL38004 platform allows customers more easily design enriched feature phone sets with high-quality voice performance."

"Customers will benefit from 5VT and Zarlink's collective expertise - a proven and cost-effective VoIP SOC along with high-quality acoustic echo cancellation usually associated with higher-end, expensive VoIP phone sets - offered as a near-turnkey solution with direct support from both companies," said Jackson Chang, CEO, 5V Technologies Ltd.

Using the powerful 300MHz ARM9 processor with integrated peripherals specialized for CPE applications, 5VT has been recognized to be a ubiquitous chip supplier for applications including IP phones, VoIP ATAs, VoIP gateways, VoIP WLAN gateways, 802.11n WiFi AP routers and other IADs (integrated access devices). In production for over a year, the 5VT1310, 5VT1312 and 5VT1314 devices have enabled many cost-effective designs while maintaining reliable performance. Each device is tailored and packaged for a specific purpose.