Sunnyvale, CA-based Embedded Standard Products (ESPs) provider QuickLogic Corporation announced today a partnership with semiconductor manufacturer Renesas Technology Corp., in order to develop an 802.11b/g IP phone reference platform targeted specifically at the WiFi market. The companies say that the reference platform is designed around Renesas' SH7720 32-bit RISC processor and QuickLogic's low-power programmable PCI bridge solution.
"This reference platform provides a proven solution and reduces the risk designers have in adding 802.11b/g capability to their systems," stated Kevin Yee, QuickLogic's director of Business Development. "OEMs and ODMs can use the platform to shorten their product cycles for a variety of applications, including VoIP phones, wireless POS, and WiFi-enabled handhelds and PDAs."
The RTS7720IPP-DS3 reference platform gives wireless WiFi-enabled Voice-over-IP (VoIP) equipment designers a chance to develop higher-quality and feature-rich phones for their customers. By supplying a seamless bridge between the Renesas SuperH suite of 32-bit RISC processors and miniPCI-based WiFi modules, QuickLogic has made it easier for ODMs (Original Design Manufacturers) and OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) developing mobile products for Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and Voice over Wireless LAN (VoWLAN) to adopt mainstream 802.11b/g technology.
"QuickLogic's low-power processor-to-miniPCI bridge capability is a perfect match to Renesas' SH7720 processor for the expanding IP and smart phone market," said Tsutomu Tsuboi, senior manager, network project at Renesas Technology Corp. "Using our wireless IP phone reference platform, system designers can integrate the latest Wi-Fi capability into their products with much less effort, greatly reducing their development time."
According to both companies, the reference platforms integrate all the essential elements for a VoWLAN phone, from the keypad and display to the voice codecs and WiFi module. Designed for faster development and software integration, the reference platform provides all the hardware required to build and deploy a WiFi-enabled phone. The platform runs on a Linux operating system and can operate using 802.11b or 802.11b/g chipsets.
The SH7720 is a recent addition to Renesas Technology's Microcomputer SuperH suite of 32-bit RISC processors. Along with a 133 MHz (173 MIPS) SH3-DSP core, the processor includes 32 Kbytes of cache memory, a color LCD controller, SSL (Secure Socket Layer) hardware accelerator, USB 1.1 interface, and I2C and PCMCIA interfaces. Target applications for the SH7720 include IT and mobile devices such as IP phones, fax terminals, smart phones, and printers.
For OEM's developing WiFi communications solutions, QuickLogic's programmable bridge provides lower power consumption, better performance and customization options. Implemented in a member of QuickLogic's QuickPCI suite of Programmable PCI ESPs, the bridge uses the company's uWatt programmable logic technology to achieve performance, flexibility and minimal power consumption, making the device a good choice for battery-powered and handheld systems. The bridge seamlessly connects Renesas' SH processor to any number of readily available 802.11a/b/g WiFi modules.
QuickLogic Corporation
www.quicklogic.com
Johanne Torres is contributing editor for TMCnet.com and Internet Telephony magazine. Previously, she was
assistant editor for EContent magazine in Connecticut. She
can be reached by e-mail at [email protected]. |
|