Apple drops PortalPlayer from future iPod plans?

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  • Reply 21 of 26
    blablablabla Posts: 185member
    Wild speculation: Could it be that Apple is switching to the new AVR32 DSP controller? http://www.atmel.com/products/AVR32/



    http://www.atmel.com/dyn/products/vi...&family_id=682



    "For example, streaming a 320x240 MPEG movie over the AP7000's on-chip Ethernet MAC at 100 Mbit/s and decoding it at 30 frames per second requires a CPU clock of only 120 MHz and system bus clock of only 60 MHz. The processor can also simultaneously run a full Linux® operating system and drive a QVGA TFT LCD with these clock frequencies. Total power consumption for this application is only 250 mW when using an AP7000-family processor."







    "or example, running at just 100 MHz, the AVR32 core can do all the processing required to decode quarter-VGA MPEG4 movies ? the same format used with various hand-held video players including the iPod® ?"







    Consider this: Atmel is VERY late in the 32mbit MCU/DSP game. They have also a competing ARM-product line. Why did they bother designing this exotic chip, if they didnt have some more or less guaranteed big design wins?



  • Reply 22 of 26
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by blabla

    Wild speculation: Could it be that Apple is switching to the new AVR32 DSP controller? http://www.atmel.com/products/AVR32/



    http://www.atmel.com/dyn/products/vi...&family_id=682



    "For example, streaming a 320x240 MPEG movie over the AP7000's on-chip Ethernet MAC at 100 Mbit/s and decoding it at 30 frames per second requires a CPU clock of only 120 MHz and system bus clock of only 60 MHz. The processor can also simultaneously run a full Linux® operating system and drive a QVGA TFT LCD with these clock frequencies. Total power consumption for this application is only 250 mW when using an AP7000-family processor."







    "or example, running at just 100 MHz, the AVR32 core can do all the processing required to decode quarter-VGA MPEG4 movies ? the same format used with various hand-held video players including the iPod® ?"







    Consider this: Atmel is VERY late in the 32mbit MCU/DSP game. They have also a competing ARM-product line. Why did they bother designing this exotic chip, if they didnt have some more or less guaranteed big design wins?




    The question here is whether Apple is going to go with a higher rez screen. If not, what advantages do these chip offer?
  • Reply 23 of 26
    chuckerchucker Posts: 5,089member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by blabla

    "For example, streaming a 320x240 MPEG movie



    That sounds like MPEG-1. Yawn.
  • Reply 24 of 26
    blablablabla Posts: 185member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by melgross

    The question here is whether Apple is going to go with a higher rez screen. If not, what advantages do these chip offer?



    On board stereo DAC, 2048x2048 LCD controller, java hardware acceleration , vector processing unit, low-power requirement . All interesting and relevant for a mobile phone, PDA or MP3-player.



    And yes, its mgpeg-4:

    http://www.eetimes.com/news/latest/s...leID=177104389

    "The team claims the AVR32 achieves 35 percent more throughput per instruction cycle than an ARM11 core when used to run such target algorithms as sum of absolute differences and inverse discrete cosine transforms. That translates into the ability to decode quarter-VGA MPEG-4 video at 30 frames/second with a clock frequency of 100 MHz, compared with the 150 to 175 MHz required by the ARM11."
  • Reply 25 of 26
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by blabla

    On board stereo DAC, 2048x2048 LCD controller, java hardware acceleration , vector processing unit, low-power requirement . All interesting and relevant for a mobile phone, PDA or MP3-player.



    And yes, its mgpeg-4:

    http://www.eetimes.com/news/latest/s...leID=177104389

    "The team claims the AVR32 achieves 35 percent more throughput per instruction cycle than an ARM11 core when used to run such target algorithms as sum of absolute differences and inverse discrete cosine transforms. That translates into the ability to decode quarter-VGA MPEG-4 video at 30 frames/second with a clock frequency of 100 MHz, compared with the 150 to 175 MHz required by the ARM11."




    It sounds good, but there are other chips that sound just as good.



    The specs are not all the same though.



    Does this chip really need 2048 x 2048? And, what are they giving up that Apple might prefer because of it?
  • Reply 26 of 26
    ghstmarsghstmars Posts: 140member
    i found the article! that states what chip apple is going to use on the next generation hdpod!!

    http://www.siliconvalleywatcher.com/...convalleyw.php

    i know its a yr old but it looks like this is what we are looking for.
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