Use of the
Dialog Semiconductor SoC will reduce the time to develop PDAs, media players, and personal navigators, and result in mobile devices that are smaller, cost less, and provide longer battery life, Bsquare says.
Dialog DA9034 PMIC SoC block diagram
(Click to enlarge)Monahans, a third-generation spin of Intel's ARM-based XScale architecture optimized for low-power wireless devices, was first discussed publicly by Intel at a keynote at the Intel Developers Forum (IDF) in August of 2005. It incorporates MMX II instructions, along with power-saving technology that can "shut down the microprocessor power consumption...in the output phase of audio or video," according to Intel Executive Vice President Sean Maloney. Intel plans to deliver a wide range of performance, power, and integration levels, with some models clocked as high as 1.2GHz, while using significantly less power than previous XScale chips to render downloaded and broadcast video.
Bsquare's Monahans reference design is a hardware development platform that supports Windows CE 5.0 or Windows CE 6.0. The platform supports a wide variety of peripheral chips, multiple expansion slots, a high-resolution display, and various connectivity and storage options, along with "production-quality software" including power management software and audio drivers for the Dialog DA9034 SoC, according to Bsquare.
Udo Kratz, GM of Dialog's Audio and Power Management Business Unit, stated, "Dialog has traditionally sold its chips into the handset market where both device space and battery life are at a premium. When we made the decision to also target the general embedded market, we sought Bsquare as a partner because of their leadership in Windows CE and their expertise and experience in Windows CE power management software and system level drivers."
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