I just stumbled upon the "mad" mp3 decoder that is written by Robert Leslie under the GPL. It so happens that it supports the empeg and even has a file called audio_empeg.c. The changes file notes :

* Moved the empeg-car audio output support into a separate module.

Will this be the primary mp3 decoder that replaces Xaudio is future versions? It certainly seems that this was its intention as a key feature is its use of pure integer computation.

I find it curious that Rob also hosts the empeg developer site, but makes no mention of this project on that site that I was able to find.

If this turns out to be true it may be helpful for everyone to put this through their own set of mp3s to head off any problems before v1.1.

Read more here :

http://www.mars.org/home/rob/proj/mpeg/

-Kit

No, the new MP3 decoder is licenced from ARM; as far as we're aware, this is the most efficient decoder for the ARM platform - it's been written by the best ARM hackers in the universe ;)

The current decoder in the empeg, Xaudio, is also integer. If it wasn't it simply wouldn't run, even on the StrongARM!

Hugo

Will this be the primary mp3 decoder that replaces Xaudio is future versions?

I wish.

While my decoder outperforms Xaudio under ARM, uses less memory, and provides much more accurate output, I've had no contact with the folks at empeg about this possibility. As Hugo mentions, they've already decided to go with the ARM decoder. (I have no idea how my decoder compares with ARM's atm, fwiw. I do know that I'm not finished with mine.)

You will find my decoder used as the basis for a number of other upcoming products, but this has nothing to do with Empeg Ltd or the empeg-car.

The reason you find support for the empeg-car in my decoder is, well, I own one or two of them and the audio interface on them is almost but not quite the same as the Open Sound System interface; so it deserved its own module.

Lastly, the reason you don't find mention of my decoder on the empeg developer site is... well, I guess two reasons: it has largely been a separate project, only peripherally related to the empeg, and I haven't been keeping the developer site as up-to-date lately as I should.

Cheers,
-v