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Freescale aims to cut e-readers' price with new chip
By siliconindia
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Wednesday, 03 March 2010, 00:28 IST
Austin: Chip maker Freescale Semiconductor is helping drive down the cost of next-generation e-readers with its i.MX508 applications processor, the first system-on-chip (SoC) to integrate advanced ARM Cortex-A8 technology together with the newest hardware-based display controller from E Ink. The company says that the new processor is designed to deliver the performance, energy efficiency and system cost savings necessary to help OEMs evolve and grow the dynamic e-reader product category.
The i.MX508 is notable for its support of next-generation e-reader panels, which are expected to feature larger dimensions, faster page turns and significantly better resolution. The processor supports panel resolutions up to 2048x1536 pixels at 106 hertz. Leveraging the ARM Cortex-A8 engine, the i.MX508 processor has the potential performance to quickly handle complex image manipulations and color processing. "Freescale ended 2009 with a strong market share lead in applications processors for eReaders, and now we are cementing our leadership in the e-reader space with the introduction of the i.MX508 device," said Bernd Lienhard, Vice President and General Manager of Freescale's Multimedia Applications Division.
Freescale says that by integrating the E Ink display controller, the i.MX508 reduces part counts and lowers costs associated with electronic paper display control functionality by as much as 50 percent compared to systems without an integrated controller. Freescale's i.MX508 processor also helps OEMs lower costs by integrating dual USB/PHY and cost-effective raw NAND memory. The i.MX508 is the latest addition to Freescale's product roadmap for the smart mobile devices category, which is a fast-growing market segment that feeds consumer demand for low-cost, small-form-factor, long-battery-life products.
