Edge platform intgrates mobile multimedia chipset: News from Agere Systems

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Agere Systems has designed a reference platform for multimedia mobile phones based on GPRS/Edge technology that is capable of reducing handset time to market by up to three months. Agere's Edge reference platform uses advanced silicon and a proven software architecture as a basis for new features from such leading suppliers as CSR, Coding Technologies, Esmertec, Hantro, Qualphone and Sonic Network, enabling handset manufacturers to quickly address growing demand for multimedia phones supporting new applications and data transmission speeds that are up to three times faster than today's GPRS models. Agere will demonstrate the platform between 26th and 30th October 2004 at the PT Expo Comm China tradeshow in Beijing.

At the centre of Agere's Edge reference platform is the Sceptre HPE chipset, which is the industry's fastest and smallest Class 12 capable Edge chipset available.

Including power management, the solution's overall footprint of 164mm2 is up to 20% smaller than competing solutions.

Equipped with an ARM946E-S embedded core, Sceptre HPE is able to provide the performance required for rich multimedia without needing an additional multimedia coprocessor.

Along with the chipset, Agere is providing a broad range of pre-integrated and tested third-party applications so that handset makers can easily deliver advanced features that consumers are expecting such as MP3 music and MPEG-4 video playback.

Agere is also able to provide licensing for all of the software which simplifies and reduces the development process since separate contracts with each supplier are no longer generally required.

"The mobile phone market is changing at red-hot speeds and handset makers are turning to chipset suppliers that can quickly deliver more complete and customised solutions", said Luc Seraphin, Vice President of Agere's Mobility division.

"Agere's platform addresses the toughest challenge mobile handset manufacturers are facing today by enabling them to design Edge-capable handsets for multiple markets that support an ever-growing array of multimedia applications and services while maintaining the fundamental requirements for size and power consumption".

Industry analyst firm Gartner estimates that Edge-enabled phones will account for 17.2% of GSM handset shipments worldwide by the end of 2006.

Reference platforms are an extension of the reference design concept, a well-established practice in mobile handset design that traditionally involves a silicon vendor supplying chipsets and some related firmware.

Typically, this model leaves handset makers to tackle various other challenges such as the addition of new features and network interoperability verification.

By comparison, Agere's reference platforms are more comprehensive, offering a flexible user interface environment, a full portfolio of proven applications, validated hardware peripheral support and PC tools for the required testing and customisation.

As a result, a handset maker can rapidly accelerate time to market and volume production whether they are an established handset vendor looking to quickly extend their product portfolio or a new entrant who is unfamiliar with the technology and the network testing requirements.

Agere's GPRS/Edge reference platform is based on the solid foundation the company built as a leading supplier of GPRS solutions and is further strengthened by its relationships with leading applications providers.

Within the platform, Agere offers advanced features and connectivity options for new mobile phones including MPEG-4 video delivering up to 20 frames-per-second playback, MP3 music and aacPlus ring tones, EAS 40-note polyphonic sound in software, IP multimedia subsystem (IMS), push-to-talk, on-chip USB, Bluetooth and infra-red (IrDA) connectivity, Java, removable secure digital (SD) and multimedia memory cards (MMC).

Using four uplink and two downlink network timeslots, Agere's GPRS/Edge solution enables download speeds of more than 200Kbit/s and upload speeds exceeding 100Kbit/s, roughly three times the datarate of real-world GPRS mobile service.

The solution is capable of Class 12 Edge operation when a network is deployed.

Agere is currently sampling production-ready Edge reference platforms to multiple customers who are developing handset models using the solution.

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