MP3 at Signalogic
Overview
Signalogic is developing a bit-exact, real-time MP3 implementation for
Texas Instruments C54xx DSP processors, based on the
Fraunhofer MP3 "standard" .wav and .mp3 files published on the FhG website.
To achieve this objective, research is progressing on several fronts:
• building various Win9x and WinNT MP3 codecs, including
Visual C/C++ and MATLAB versions, for research purposes, including simulation, analysis,
and test suite
• comparing and measuring performance, signal quality, and
configuration features of several "source code basis", including Fraunhofer,
LAME, and others
• carefully building and testing C54xx (DSP) C/asm
multichannel, real-time version
An MP3 team has been assembled at Signalogic combined of
experienced DSP software/hardware engineers and talented graduate/undergraduate EE and CS
students from local Universities including Univ. of Texas at Arlington (UTA) and Univ. of
Texas at Dallas (UTD). At UTA, Signalogic's involvement in MP3 work extends further to
include research contracts with Dr. Kamisetty R. Rao, a long-time image compression expert.
What is MP3?
MP3 is a method of compressing music and other "high fidelity" audio to allow
fast and efficient transmission over the Internet and telecommunication systems (e.g. the
phone system). As quality of speech transmission for cell phones and Internet phones
continues to improve, so will the demand for similar improvements in audio and music.
Examples include entertainment broadcast via the Internet, business meetings, education
purposes, video conferencing, and more. Post-compression bit rates as low as 128 kbps make
the MP3 algorithm suitable for a wide range of telecom applications, including Internet
infrastructure.
As you probably know, MP3, or similar, technology is causing a stir in the music
industry. This technology is behind websites such as
Napster,
Real Networks, Broadcast.com,
and more. Now it is mostly a way to get music from one PC to another, and from the
Internet to portable "MP3 players", but soon
enough it will become an integrated part of the phone system and other telecom systems.
Why is Signalogic Involved?
Signalogic is involved in MP3 because the telecom and Internet equipment industry will require
systems that perform MP3 compression on a massive number of audio channels simultaneously,
in real-time. This will require Digital Signal Processing (DSP), and Signalogic is a DSP
company. Massive integration of DSP devices such as the Texas Instruments C54xx and C62xx
series into Internet and telecom equipment is exactly what is happening now with voice,
and in which Signalogic is also involved. The trend will continue.
As you can tell from this website, Signalogic is an expert DSP company -- anything
DSP-related, Signalogic can and does do it. MP3 is thus a natural direction for the
company, combining the three (3) market areas which have fueled the company's explosive
growth since 1997: DSP, Internet infrastructure, and software. Click here for
information about a wide variety of DSP applications and a basic
explanation of DSP.
Signalogic's MP3 focus is currently research and academic based. A deep understanding
of the MP3 algorithm and its many variations is required to be successful. One problem
that we have is determining which of the many "Fraunhofer derivatives" is
suitable for use and which ones are pretenders. This is a frustrating exercise not helped
at all by the original inventors of the MP3 algorithm or the current patent holder in the
U.S. and parts of Europe, Fraunhofer.
For example, the source code provided on the Fraunhofer website does not match the
actual "executable version" of encoders and decoders they sell. Indeed many
websites claim that Fraunhofer deliberately cripples the published source code so
competitors cannot make encoders and decoders with the same performance and quality.
Obviously, without a thorough and profound understanding of the source code and what it is
doing, it would be impossible to pinpoint and fix possible Fraunhofer "code
mines" and make a reliable, robust product suitable for use in real-world
applications.
Signalogic MP3 Team
Below is the current Signalogic MP3 technical and marketing team. Click on their names
to send e-mail regarding MP3 research, development, and website presentation:
Team Member
|
Status
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Background
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Area of Responsibility
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Jeff Brower
|
full-time engineer and supervisor
|
BS EE and Mathematics, Univ. of Texas at Arlington
|
team leader |
MP3 Wesbsites
Some informative and interesting MP3 websites are listed below:
MPEG Pointers and Resources
General Information, Includes Several Commercially
Available Encoders and Players
Fraunhofer Institut für Integrierte Schaltungen
(Fraunhofer IIS-A)
LAME
Moving Pictures Expert Group (MPEG)
International Standards Organization (ISO)
Universistät Hannover,
Institut für Theoretische Nachrichtentechnik und Informationsverarbeitung
More MP3 Links...
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