devices."

Freescale's MXC chips integrate an ARM11 core and a DSP core (digital signal processor) on a postage-stamp-sized die that also contains a chunk of shared memory. Announced in 2003, the MXC architecture debuted in 2005 with the launch of the MXC275-30, based on an ARM1136 core and a Freescale StarCore SC140e DSP (digital signal processor) with VLIW (very long instruction word) instruction processing capabilities. The MXC275-30 went on to see use in Motorola's Linux-based MotoRokr Z6 (formerly MotoRizr Z6), pictured above. However, it never made it into any Windows-based phones known to WindowsForDevices.com.


MXC software architecture -- communications and application software are partitioned on separate processor cores
(Click to enlarge)

MXC architecture (Click to enlarge)

Freescale says the MXC architecture naturally segregates application processing from real-time modem control. This segregation is said to shield developers from the complexities of interacting with the modem during the development process. It is also said to let users continually update the application environment, while leaving the baseband environment unchanged and unaffected. Basebands change much less often than application stacks, Freescale points out.

The MXC275-30 module includes the following features:

• Processor -- 532MHz ARM1136JF-S applications processor with 208MHz StarCore SC140e DSP
  
• Modem -- EGPRS Class 12/GPRS Class 12; simultaneous voice and data; 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
  
• Transceiver -- direct conversion RF receiver and polar modulated direct digital conversion transmitter, including an analog front end solution and PA module
  
• Graphics/video -- supports CIF 30fps MPEG4/H.264 video
  
• Other features -- security; power reduction; power management with stereo DAC and touch-panel interface; PSAPI (platform services API), single-core modem software

Availability

Freescale is demonstrating the Windows Mobile version of MXC making live 3G calls this week at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona (Hall 8, Booth 8B91).

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