SAN JOSE, Calif., July 24, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aimed at the fast-growing market for wireless music, GainSpan® Corporation, a leader in low-power Wi-Fi for the Internet of Things (IOT), has rolled out the Music Application Development Kit (ADK) for streaming high-quality music over Wi-Fi.
As home connectivity increases, consumers are seeking wireless solutions exceeding basic music streaming capabilities offered via Bluetooth. Driving this trend are network streaming protocols such as DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) and Apple AirPlay that allow streaming of music not only from mobile devices, but also from networked devices in the home such as PCs, TVs, set-top boxes (STB) and Network Attached Storage (NAS). Growing adoption of music streaming services such as Pandora, Spotify, and Google Music are driving requirements for direct Internet connectivity in wireless music products. Consumers are also demanding high fidelity music (24-bit audio and lossless codecs) and the ability to place wireless speakers anywhere. Wi-Fi, with its longer range and higher throughput than Bluetooth, can satisfy all these demands and can also offer multi-room, multi-speaker capabilities.
GainSpan's Music ADK is a complete hardware and software reference design that allows OEMs and ODMs to design for the new requirements in wireless music streaming. Based on the GS2011MIZ Wi-Fi module, the first release of the Music ADK supports network streaming protocols allowing media management, discovery of content and control, based on UPnP. Using standard apps such as Bubble UPnP or similar DLNA apps on Play Store or AppStore, the Music ADK enables streaming from a networked device to a wireless speaker.
The reference design also leverages the GS2000's high data rates to deliver high definition audio (24-bit audio, up to 192 KHz sampling rate) and lossless codecs such as FLAC and multi-channel codecs such as Dolby5.1. A proven audio DSP from a leading vendor supports major codecs (MP3, AAC-LC, ALAC, FLAC, Dolby, and DTS) and also supports advanced post-processing/pre-processing functions such as surround sound, enhanced bass, and compressed music restoration.
The hardware platform includes a variety of interfaces such as SPI, I2S, and flexible connectivity to 24-bit DAC and amplifier, allowing for connectivity to various audio DSPs. It also offers a robust roadmap for integration of new features such as multi-zone speakers and cloud connectivity.
"The demand for Wi-Fi based speakers has increased significantly due to Wi-Fi's longer range, high throughput and multi-room capabilities," said Bernard Aboussouan, vice president of marketing, GainSpan. "We've developed a high quality audio reference solution that enables customers to quickly develop music streaming products such as Wi-Fi speakers, sound bars and headsets in reduced time. It will enable exciting new use cases for wireless speakers and multichannel home audio applications."
Availability
Please contact GainSpan sales or GainSpan authorized distributors for availability and pricing. Other GainSpan GS2000 ADKs currently available include Audio, HD and Full HD Video and Smartplug.
About GainSpan Corporation
GainSpan, a spinoff of Intel Corporation, is an innovator and leader in semiconductor solutions for wireless connectivity for the rapidly emerging Internet of Things. GainSpan solutions let customers easily create connected products for the Connected Home, Smart Energy, healthcare/fitness, control/monitoring in industrial, commercial and residential markets and high-speed audio, video and security applications. www.gainspan.com.
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