Embedded Processor Watch

Editor: Jim Turley
Sr. Editor: Tom Halfhill

In This Issue:

• New StrongARM Will Support SDRAM
• Sun's Jini: Science, Not Magic
• Industry Resources: MIPS Hosting Monday Night Party at the Forum
• Industry Resources: Spring Into DSPs in April
• New Embedded IC Announcements

Intel has announced a new integrated microprocessor and a companion chip to supplement the existing StrongARM-1100 and -1101. The new processor is the SA-1110 and its optional companion is the SA-1111. Like its predecessor, the SA-1110 adds a useful mix of peripherals to a modified version of the original StrongARM core first announced by Digital and ARM in 1995.

The SA-1110's most significant improvement is support for SDRAM. At core speeds of 206 MHz and 133 MHz, the SDRAM will run at 103 MHz or 66 MHz, respectively. Another improvement is the addition of two more chip- select outputs. The SA-1110 has six selects in all, including three with variable latencies. Intel says the variable-latency selects can tolerate delayed responses from other chips, which is useful when addressing busy devices (such as graphics coprocessors and Ethernet controllers) that may not always respond instantly to a select signal.

The new SA-1111 companion chip is identical to the existing SA-1101 but omits the integrated CRT controller in favor of buffers for PC Card (PCMCIA) and Compact Flash slots. This exchange is suitable for the requirements of small computing devices, which would find card slots more useful than a CRT interface. Intel says it will begin sampling both chips this summer and deliver them in 3Q99. Preliminary pricing for 10,000-unit quantities of the SA-1110 is $28 at 206 MHz and $24 at 133 MHz. The SA-1111 in the same quantities will cost $15. This pricing favors the faster grade of the SA-1110, which costs only 17% more while running at a 55% higher frequency. Although it also consumes twice as much power, 500 mW is still a small price to pay for 206 MHz, which should yield about 230 MIPS (Dhrystone 2.1) and over 50% more memory bandwidth. --T.H.

Sun's Jini: Science, Not Magic

As if "write once, run anywhere" weren't an ambitious enough target, Sun is now aiming for "write once, run everywhere." Sun's new Java-based Jini technology tries to make it easier to add hardware devices to a network. "Plug and work, not plug and play" is the new mantra.

Jini sounds wonderful but isn't a clear winner; it faces opposition from an alternative proposed by Microsoft: Universal Plug and Play (UPnP). Jini and UPnP take different but similar technical approaches to the same problems.

Sun says the ideal Jini device would have enough CPU performance, nonvolatile storage, and memory to support a JVM (Java virtual machine), the required class libraries, the new Jini classes, and whatever additional software (such as a user interface) the maker of the device deems necessary. Printers, scanners, disk drives, and most other embedded devices are rarely so well endowed. They must either learn to speak Java or use a proxy: another Java-capable node on the network acting on behalf of the new device.

Microsoft's approach dispenses with Sun's Java-centric Jini interfaces and RMI (remote method invocation), but requires the industry to define a protocol for every class of service. Microsoft estimates that adding UPnP to a device might require 90K of code, or about 65,000 gates on a chip.

The immediate goals of Jini and UPnP are certainly worthwhile. Although a device could support both (as well as other mechanisms, such as JetSend, Service Location Protocol, and Salutation), this ability would increase costs. Ultimately, Microsoft's control over the PC gives UPnP and undeniable advantage. UPnP also sits better with those who can't abide Java.

But neither technology will change things overnight. The original Plug and Play took years to make an impact, even though its scope is limited to the relatively controlled environment of a Windows PC. USB's gestation period has been similarly protracted. All connectivity solutions depend on the industrywide cooperation of hardware designers, software developers, and a critical mass of vendors. Jini and UPnP are only beginning to herd those cats. [The complete text of this article appears in Microprocessor Report, 3/29/99.] --T.H.

Industry Resources: MIPS Hosting Monday Night Party at the Forum

Start your Embedded Processor Forum off right! On Monday evening, May 3, MIPS Technologies will be hosting the Welcome Reception at the Fairmont Hotel in San Jose (Calif.). Food, drink, clever conversation, and cool MIPS-based products will be the order of the day. Games, gadgets, and gizmos will be there to play with, and coveted prizes will be given away. Come meet your fellow Embedded Processor Forum attendees.

The reception starts at 5:00 PM on Monday, immediately following Jeff Bier's full-day seminar on processors for DSP. All Forum or seminar attendees are invited to attend. For more information about the Forum, the seminars, or the reception, call 800.527.0288 or visit http://www.MDRonline.com/epf.

Industry Resources: Spring Into DSPs in April

Miller Freeman's DSP World Spring design conference makes its way to the Santa Clara (Calif.) convention center the week of April 26. As in previous iterations, the conference starts with optional full-day tutorials, giving way to a series of 90-minute sessions while the exhibit floor is open. This year's topics include DSP benchmarks, rapid prototyping, speech coding, DVD, intellectual property, digital TV, and cellular standards. Jeff Bier, Jennifer Eyre, and Ole Wolf of BDTI are among the presenters.

A full three-day pass costs $895; one- and two-day passes are considerably cheaper, and an exhibits-only ticket is free. To register, or for more information, contact MFI (Euless, Texas) at 817.255.8050 or visit www.dspworld.com.

New Embedded IC Announcements

MicroTuner2000 (MicroTune) Dual-conversion tuner on a chip that supports the reception of multiple digital broadband standards while maintaining analog standards. Price: $19.95/10,000; Samples: Now; Production: 2Q99; Call MicroTune at 972.673.1600.

TLV277x (TI) CMOS op amps consist of a single, dual, and quad devices with and without power shutdown; operates at 10.5V/uS slew rate with 5.1-MHz bandwidth. Price: $1.03/1,000; Production: Now; Call TI at 800.477.8924.

CS-51312 (Cherry Semiconductor) Asynchronous switching buck controller IC contains an on-chip 5-bit DAC, two Vcc pins and single or dual supply range of 8.4V-20V. Price: $1.58/10,000 Samples: Now; Call Cherry at 401.541.3648.

MCRF355 (Microchip) RFID tagging IC runs at 13.56 MHz, offers a "cloaking" feature, 154 bits user memory, contact-programmability, and an anticollision algorithm. Price: $0.35/10,000; Samples: Now; Call Microchip at 602.786.7286.

SR05 (Semtech) Newest member of RailClamp family of protection diode arrays comes in small SOT-143 package, with four surge-rated steering diodes for ESD. Price: $0.94/1,000; Production: Now; Call Semtech at 805.498.2111.

CS4912 (Crystal) Digital audio device includes 24-bit DSP, RAM, PLL, digital-audio transmitter port, and CD-quality DAC; in 44-lead PLCC package. Price: $7/100,000; Production: Now; Call Crystal at 512.912.3559.