Contributors: Bob Wheeler, Jag Bolaria, Joseph Byrne In This Issue
A Guide to Wireless Handset Processors is now available for immediate delivery. Are you up to speed on the processors found in wireless devices such as smartphones, 3D/multimedia phones, and PDA/media players? For more information, visit our web site. Qualcomm Samples First HSUPA Processor In March, Qualcomm produced first samples of its MSM7200 handset processor. Although this processor is similar in features to the earlier MSM7500, it is Qualcomm's first device to support HSUPA, a high-speed uplink extension to UMTS that was finalized only last year. In fact, Qualcomm is the first vendor to produce a standard HSUPA processor, just as it was the first with HSDPA. Like the MSM7500, the MSM7200 integrates a 400MHz ARM11 application processor, an industry-leading 3D engine that incorporates ATI technology, and other high-end multimedia functions. Whereas the MSM7500 targets CDMA, the new chip features a UMTS/EDGE baseband with HSDPA/HSUPA extensions. Qualcomm also began sampling a version of its MSM6800 processor built in 65nm technology by TSMC. This is the company's first 65nm handset processor. (The original MSM6800, which supports CDMA2000 and EV-DO Release A, sampled in 2Q05 in 130nm technology.) Later this year, the company plans to sample several other 65nm handset processors, in most cases based on existing designs, to take advantage of the lower power consumption of the new manufacturing technology. Qualcomm dominates the CDMA market but ranks third in UMTS. The highly integrated MSM7200 is well suited for leading-edge phones, which will require strong video and 3D performance to utilize the content available via HSDPA and HSUPA. By the time MSM7200 handsets debut in 2007, deployment of HSDPA and HSUPA will be growing, although still a niche. Qualcomm also offers lower-priced handset processors for UMTS, but the MSM7200 shows the company continues to innovate at the high end of the market. —Linley Complete
coverage of the MSM7200 and other Qualcomm processors appears
in our new report A
Guide to Wireless Handset Processors.
At CTIA last week, Broadcom announced the BCM2152 handset processor, a new member of its CellAirity family that combines an HSDPA baseband with an ARM11 processor and multimedia acceleration. Whereas Broadcom's initial 3G solution required two main chips—an EDGE processor and a separate UMTS baseband—the BCM2152 is a single-chip solution. The ARM11 is an upgrade over the ARM9 in Broadcom's previous device, the BCM2133, but at 208MHz it runs only 33% faster, enough to process the HSDPA baseband protocol stack with some headroom for applications. A new video engine supports 30fps MPEG4 encode or decode at CIF resolution. The HSDPA baseband supports up to Category 8 (7.2Mbps), the fastest level available today. The BCM2152 also supports UMTS with backward compatibility to GSM/EDGE networks. Although it has little market share today, Broadcom is making a strong push to become a major player in handset processors. With its faster CPU, video engine, and integrated 3G baseband, the BCM2152 addresses several shortcomings of the older BCM2133. These improvements, however, merely put the new chip at the same level as HSDPA processors from Qualcomm, Infineon, and others. Although the BCM2152 is a big step forward for Broadcom, to improve its market position, the company must leap ahead of its competitors. —Linley Additional coverage of Broadcom's CellAirity processors appears in our new report A Guide to Wireless Handset Processors.
Measuring the performance of multimedia processors is difficult, and coming up with a consistent set of measurements for several processors has been impossible. Attempting to solve this problem, DSP analyst firm BDTI has put together a benchmark that measures video encode and decode performance. This benchmark can be run on general-purpose CPUs, DSP chips, handset processors, video processors, and other specialized chips. Instead of using a complete video codec, the BDTI Video Encoder and Decoder Benchmarks include only the key elements of any video codec, such as variable-length decoding (VLD), discrete cosine transforms (DCT), and motion compensation. By keeping the benchmark simple, the time required to port and optimize for a specific architecture is reduced. Results can be measured for either QVGA resolution, suitable for most handheld devices, or full D1 (SDTV) resolution, which is appropriate for home applications. Philips is the first vendor to release results for this benchmark, reporting simulated results for the new PNX4103. The tests show that the Philips chip can decode video at D1 resolution at 30fps with more than 15% headroom on the CPU. Video encoding requires about 50% of the CPU for QVGA 30fps; the chip was not able to encode video at D1 resolution. This type of testing can validate (or invalidate) vendors' performance claims, making it a valuable tool for potential customers. —Linley For more information and the newest benchmark results, access BDTI's web site at http://www.bdti.com/bdtimark/benchmarks.htm
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