Intel Corp will release Audio/Modem Riser (AMR) and Mobile Daughter Card (MDC) specs at the Intel developers conference in Palm Springs later this month. The AMR card (for desktop systems) and MDC (for mobile computing) will integrate audio and modem functions while isolating the analog input/output functions from the PC’s main circuit board. According to an Intel spokesperson, this will reduce baseline implementation costs for OEM manufacturers by between five and seven dollars. IT should also make certification processes easier, by removing the portion of the modem that must be certified by FCC and international telcos. The motherboard can be taken out of that loop so that any delays in the modem certification will not impact on a motherboard design cycle. A number of PC OEMs and hardware vendors, such as 3Com Corp, Dell Computer Corp, Diamond Multimedia Inc and Rockwell Semiconductor Systems, collaborated on the specs, or will be announcing related products in the next few weeks.
