Freescale's i.MX21 Processor Selected for ''World's Smallest Windows CE.Net(TM) PDA Phone''.AUSTIN, Texas -- Size is an important design element, especially when you want to develop a harmonica-size mobile phone that delivers laptop-size functionality and performance for enterprise and entertainment applications. To achieve the critical balance between size and performance, Oswin Technology, an original design manufacturer in Singapore, chose Freescale Semiconductor's (NYSE NYSE See: New York Stock Exchange : FSL FSL - Formal Semantics Language. A language for compiler writing. ["A Formal Semantics for Computer Languages and its Application in a Compiler-Compiler", J.A. Feldman, CACM 9(1) (Jan 1966)]. [Sammet 1969, p. 641]. ) (NYSE: FSL.B) i.MX21 multimedia applications processor for its Zircon zircon Silicate mineral, zirconium silicate, ZrSiO4, the principal source of zirconium. Zircon is widespread as an accessory mineral in acid igneous rocks; it also occurs in metamorphic rocks and, fairly often, in detrital deposits. PDA phone A personal organizer (PDA) and cellphone combined in one device. See smartphone. . Oswin selected the i.MX21 processor after extensive evaluation of competing applications processors. Key selection criteria included: package size for what the company touts as "the world's smallest Windows CE (Windows Consumer Electronics) Microsoft's version of Windows for handheld devices and embedded systems that use x86, ARM, MIPS and SHx CPUs. Windows CE .NET superseded Windows CE 3.0. .Net PDA phone;" processor performance for superb video and graphics resolution and crisp visuals on the 2.2" LCD display; and extremely low power consumption to ensure long hours of performance regardless of the mix of applications running in parallel. "The i.MX21 applications processor proved to be a very exceptional processor on the Windows CE.Net OS," said Stuart Tan, general manager, Oswin Technology. "We were impressed with its hardware accelerated MPEG (Moving Pictures Experts Group) An ISO/ITU standard for compressing digital video. Pronounced "em-peg," it is the universal standard for digital terrestrial, cable and satellite TV, DVDs and digital video recorders (DVRs). 4 capabilities and strong multimedia framework. We chose Freescale because the i.MX21 met our requirements at the right price point, and because of the very competent and dedicated local technical support team," Tan remarked. Wrapped in a sleek black and silver candy bar package, the GSM tri-band Zircon PDA phone is an engineering accomplishment. The phone is complex in design, yet simple and intuitive to use, thanks to features like the touch-sensitive screen and the keyboard. The PDA phone is packed with applications for business users, including Microsoft Word A full-featured word processing program for Windows and the Macintosh from Microsoft. Included in the Microsoft application suite, it is a sophisticated program with rudimentary desktop publishing capabilities that has become the most widely used word processing application on the market. and Excel document editors, and communications applications like MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) An enhanced transmission service that enables graphics, video clips and sound files to be transmitted via cellphones. Developed as part of the 3GPP project, MMS phones are generally backward compatible with SMS and EMS. , SMS (1) (Storage Management System) Software used to routinely back up and archive files. See HSM. (2) (Systems Management Server) Systems management software from Microsoft that runs on Windows NT Server. , IM and email. For entertainment and fun, users can browse the Web, listen to MP3s on the Windows Media Player Digital jukebox software for Windows from Microsoft that plays a variety of audio, video and streaming formats including MP3, WMA, CD audio and MIDI. Starting with Version 6.2 in 1999, the Windows Media Rights Manager was added for securing copyrighted content. , play games or take pictures and instantly e-mail them. "The Zircon PDA phone is a testament to the Smart Speed(TM) technology performance of our i.MX21 multimedia applications processor," said Brandon Tolany, manager of multimedia operations for Freescale's Wireless and Mobile Systems Group. "Consumers are demanding high-end multimedia performance but do not want to sacrifice battery life. As a result, OEMs and ODMs like Oswin Technology choose the highly integrated i.MX21 processor because it drives rich video, audio and a host of business and entertainment applications at exceptionally low power." Zircon PDA Phone Features The key features and specifications for the Zircon PDA phone include:
-- Processor - Freescale i.MX21 Multimedia Applications Processor
-- Memory - 64 MB SDRAM (50 MB user accessible); 64 MB Flash
-- Display - 2.2-inch transflective TFT LCD, 18-bit color, 4 LED
backlight
-- Camera:
-- 1.3 megapixel
-- 240x320 to 960x1280 photo resolution in JPEG format
-- Supports MPEG 4 and H.263 format video recording, at up to
30 fps
-- Wireless communications - Tri-band GSM (900, 1800, 1900 MHz),
GPRS Class 10
-- Other I/O - USB and IrDA
-- Expansion Slot - SDIO-capable mini-Secure Digital slot
-- Dimensions - 110 x 48 x 22.25 mm (4.3 x 1.9 x 0.9 inches)
-- Weight - 116 g
Other software bundled with the Windows CE 4.2-based Zircon PDA phone includes Microsoft's Pocket Internet Explorer A version of Microsoft Internet Explorer for the Pocket PC operating system. , Windows Media Player, Image Viewer, MSN Messenger, TextMaker, PlanMaker and handwriting recognition. i.MX21 Processor The i.MX21 multimedia applications processor is a member of the widely used i.MX family and is designed for use in smartphones, wireless PDAs, mobile gaming consoles, video and audio media players, GPS systems and many other mobile wireless applications. i.MX processors feature an extensive suite of software including Microsoft(R) Windows(R) CE and PocketPC(R), Palm OS(R), Symbian OS(TM), Linux(R) OS and many leading RTOSes and reference designs to greatly accelerate the creation of next-generation mobile communication products. About Freescale Semiconductor Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. (NYSE:FSL) (NYSE:FSL.B) is a global leader in the design and manufacture of embedded semiconductors for the automotive, consumer, industrial, networking and wireless markets. Freescale became a publicly traded company publicly traded company A company whose shares of common stock are held by the public and are available for purchase by investors. The shares of publicly traded firms are bought and sold on the organized exchanges or in the over-the-counter market. in July 2004 after more than 50 years as part of Motorola, Inc. The company is based in Austin, Texas, and has design, research and development, manufacturing or sales operations in more than 30 countries. Freescale, a member of the S&P 500(R), is one of the world's largest semiconductor companies with 2004 sales of $5.7 billion (USD USD In currencies, this is the abbreviation for the U.S. Dollar. Notes: The currency market, also known as the Foreign Exchange market, is the largest financial market in the world, with a daily average volume of over US $1 trillion. ). www.freescale.com Reader Inquiry Response: Freescale Semiconductor P.O. Box 17927 Denver, CO 80217 USA Freescale(TM) and the Freescale logo are trademarks of Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. All other product or service names are the property of their respective owners. (C) Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. 2005. |
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