| Power-sipping SoC revs to 700MHz |
Jan. 07, 2008
RMI Corporation says it is now shipping a 700MHz version of its Au1250 Media Processor. Previously clocked from 400MHz to 600MHz, the SoC (system-on-chip) now allows users to play DVD-quality video and still run other tasks, according to the company.
First shipped in production quantities last June, the Au1250 has been adopted in a variety of Windows CE 5.0-based devices, including the Nani, a combination phone/portable media player (PMP) from Sophia of Japan, the Q5W PMP from Cowon, and Clearview Technology's miPC, a PMP with optional Bluetooth keyboard. An on-chip media acceleration engine provides hardware-based D1 (up to 720 x 480) video processing, making it ideally suited for use in PMPs, according to RMI.
RMI originally touted the Au1250 as being able to play D1 video while using under 500mW. At 700MHz, it can perform the following operations simultaneously while still using under 700mW, according to the company:- Playing WMV9 video at 2 Mbps, D1 resolution with WMA audio, with IDE hard drive and display active
- Running Windows CE 5.0
- Keeping all on-chip peripherals active except the USB 2.0 ports
"Unlike competitive alternatives, RMI Alchemy's low power claims are based on full chip power in real world environments," the company claimed in a statement. "This level of power/performance is enabling technology for next generation multifunction portable media devices."
A block diagram of RMI's Au1250
The previous versions of the Au1250, ranging from 400MHz to 600MHz, remain in production, as do the earlier, pin- and software-compatible Au1200 and Au1210. The latter supports video decode up to Wide-CIF (480 x 288) resolution, making it useful for cost-sensitive devices where higher resolution is not required, according to RMI.
The Au1250 provides boot-from-NAND support, which eliminates the requirement for external NOR flash, according to RMI. Additionally, it is supported with a Windows CE 5.0 board support package (BSP) that is freely downloadable by registered customers.
Third-party adoption
According to RMI, the 700MHz version of the Au1250 has already been adopted for production by several device makers. Yukyung, which earlier adopted the Au1200 for its P2 NAVI and X2, will use the new part for its upcoming X5 and X70 mobile internet devices (MIDs), RMI says.
To be available in the first quarter of this year, the Windows CE 5.0-based X5 and X70 will offer 4.8 and seven inch displays, respectively, along with PMP functionality, GPS, and mobile TV reception. Also including 256MB of RAM and up to 60GB of hard disk storage, they'll play video for up to six hours on a single battery charge, RMI claims.
Also based on the 700MHz Au1250 and Windows CE 5.0 will be Geotel's Xroad MO1000. This combination PMP/mavigation device will offer a seven-inch touchscreen display and a 30GB hard drive, according to RMI's release. No availability information was provided for the MO1000, but Windowsfordevices.com will cover it and the above devices further when they are released.
Finally, Bsquare, which recently acquired distribution rights to embedded Windows ports of Adobe's Flash Lite software, has joined ARM in announcing that version 3.0 of Flash Lite has been ported to the Au1250. This will allow device manufacturers to offer Flash-based user interfaces and to make their products compatible with YouTube, Myspace, and other Flash-dependent Web sites, according to the companies.
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