New multi-core OMAP™ 4 applications platform from Texas Instruments ushers in a new era of mobile computing performance

Future-proof, high-performance, low-power platform makes the vision of the mobile tomorrow a reality

Bangalore (March 13, 2009) - Helping Smartphone and Mobile Internet Device (MID) manufacturers shape the future of the mobile market with innovative devices, Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) announced at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, the new OMAP™ 4 mobile applications platform. The OMAP 4 platform delivers new, stunning, multimedia-rich user experiences such as 1080p video record and playback, 20 megapixel (MP) imaging and approximately a week of audio play time. The new platform provides significant improvements in performance and play time compared to today’s most popular Smartphones, with 10x faster Web page loading times, more than 7x higher computing performance, 6x higher video resolution, 10x better graphics performance and 6x longer audio play time. (For more information, visit: www.ti.com/omap4_product _info).

At the heart of the OMAP 4 platform is a powerful system-on-chip that includes the perfect balance of power efficiency and high performance. The OMAP 4 processor balances processing across four main engines: a programmable multimedia engine based on TI’s C64x DSP and power-efficient, multi-format hardware accelerators; general-purpose processing based on the dual-core ARM® Cortex™-A9 MPCore™ supporting symmetric multiprocessing (SMP) and capable of speeds of more than 1GHz per core; a high-performance programmable graphics engine; and an Image Signal Processor (ISP) for unparalleled video and imaging performance. The OMAP 4 platform also includes a comprehensive software suite, power management technology and other supporting components, providing the foundation necessary to create devices with mobile computing performance at low power.

“For the past decade, TI has focused on providing an optimal balance of high performance and low power consumption in our OMAP product line to address our customers’ needs to quickly and easily address new market trends,” said Greg Delagi, senior vice president and head of TI's Wireless Business Unit. “The OMAP 4 platform will enable a new class of mobile devices that will redefine the boundaries of Smartphones and MIDs.”

The OMAP 4 platform, built in 45-nanometer (nm) process technology, enables mobile device manufacturers to address the expected applications of tomorrow’s handsets, while also providing headroom and programmability to support applications that have yet to be imagined. The new platform will support popular leading mobile operating systems and is validated for real-world use cases, taking into account the many elements of the mobile consumer’s experience to simplify application creation and help handset manufacturers get to market quickly.

OMAP 4 platform highlights:

• Mobile computing performance and advanced multimedia, with extra headroom and flexibility needed to address next-generation applications. The powerful combination of programmability and multi-core performance provides flexibility to support new and emerging applications and standards. The first members of the family are the OMAP4430 and OMAP4440, with features including:
  • Four powerful, high-performance processing engines:
    • General-purpose processing leveraging the dual-core Cortex-A9 MPCore, supporting SMP
    • Programmable multimedia engine based on TI’s C64x DSP and power-efficient, multi-format hardware accelerators
    • POWERVR™ SGX540 graphics engine
    • Dedicated ISP
  • Full 1080p multi-standard HD record and playback
  • Digital SLR-like performance with 20 MP imaging
  • 3D user interfaces supporting life-like graphics, intuitive touch screens, large local displays beyond WSXGA and HDMI compatible external displays
  • Industry-leading power management technology, delivering great multimedia performance while maximizing battery life:
    • 10+ hours of 1080p HD video playback, 4+ hours of 1080p HD record
    • 140+ hours of CD quality audio playback
• Broadest support for leading mobile operating systems, and a comprehensive software suite that is tested for real world-uses cases, accelerating time to market. The OMAP 4 platform will support Linux variants such as the Android Mobile Platform and LiMo, as well as Symbian OS™ and Microsoft® Windows® Mobile. Additionally, software for the OMAP 4 platform is tested and validated up to the application level, dramatically reducing development time. Further easing the design process, the OMAP 4 platform includes:
  • Pre-integrated support for mobile connectivity, including TI’s current and future combo WiLink™ Wi-Fi solutions, NaviLink™ GPS solutions, and BlueLink™ Bluetooth® solutions;<
  • Pre-validated modem interface software to easily connect the OMAP 4 platform to any external modem;
  • New companion power and audio management solutions (TWL6030 and TWL6040) specifically designed to address the performance needs of the OMAP 4 platform; and
  • Broad portfolio of other hardware solutions optimized for the OMAP 4 platform, including: DLP® Pico projection technology, analog components and other complementary technologies.
• Flexible, open platform for innovation, delivering stunning user experiences and breakthrough mobile computing performance. TI’s commitment to open source software, development tools and a vast third party network has helped build a large worldwide community of OMAP mobile application developers. As a result of this commitment and robust development tools like the Zoom OMAP Mobile Development Platform, developers will be able to create exciting new user experiences that have yet to be imagined.

What they’re saying about the OMAP 4 platform:

“The announcement of the OMAP 4 platform, which utilizes the ARM Cortex-A9 MPCore multicore processor, is significant for the industry as it represents a new era in mobile computing based on Symmetric Multi Processing. This will enable a step change in performance but retain the power envelope required for mobile devices and compatibility with other Cortex family products,” said Ian Drew, EVP Marketing, ARM. “Mobile devices powered by Cortex-A9 MPCore multicore processors will delight end users with a more responsive, higher performance user experience and provide an extended battery life they will appreciate.”

“TI’s OMAP technology has long been renowned for its leading-edge performance and support of new exciting features. Handset manufacturers have often chosen the combination of OMAP technology and Infineon modems when launching new innovative devices," stated WK Tan, Division President, Infineon Wireless Solutions. "We’ve been pleased with the ease of integration of our modem technology on the OMAP 3 platform to further facilitate customers in this choice and look forward to working with their next generation, OMAP 4 solutions. By integrating our modem, handset OEMs can develop powerful devices with compelling form factors and battery life."

“With the Internet becoming a common factor for communication, entertainment, and computing, the performance of mobile devices is being pushed to new levels. In addition, the lines between existing devices is blurring while new devices and categories are emerging,” said Jim McGregor, chief technology strategist, In-Stat. “The OMAP 4 platform offers a flexible architecture grounded in performance with the dual-core ARM Coretex-A9 MPCore and combined with extensive software support, highly flexible I/O interfaces, and high-end multimedia features, such as 1080p HD video and 20MP camera, that can enable these next generation devices.”

“TI’s OMAP 4 advanced multimedia capabilities combined with InterDigital’s HSPA modem makes a very compelling solution for the fast growing smartphone and MID markets,” commented Mark Lemmo, Executive Vice President, Business Development for InterDigital. “InterDigital’s integration of the compact SlimChip MID Module adds instant wireless connectivity to the superior performance of the OMAP4 platform, enabling a variety of tomorrow’s innovative devices.”

“Microsoft is excited to see TI advance its OMAP processor technology. The combination of Windows Mobile and the OMAP platform has created much opportunity for the smartphone category in years past, and today the combination of TI’s OMAP 3 processor together with Windows Mobile 6.5 is an impressive example of the possibilities we will continue to deliver,” said Tom Gibbons, corporate vice president, Microsoft Corp. “We look forward to further cooperation with TI on the OMAP 4 processor family.”

“TI has long supported Symbian OS and, as a founding member of the Symbian Foundation, is committed to future innovation for the platform,” said Lee Williams, Executive Director, Symbian Foundation. “Today’s announcement is a very welcome expansion to the OMAP portfolio, as it provides support for hardware architectures such as SMP, which is crucial to advancing the performance of mobile products and services.”

About Texas Instruments:

Texas Instruments (NYSE: TXN) helps customers solve problems and develop new electronics that make the world smarter, healthier, safer, greener and more fun.  A global semiconductor company, TI innovates through manufacturing, design and sales operations in more than 25 countries.  For more information, go to www.ti.com.

Trademarks

OMAP, NaviLink, WiLink and BlueLink are trademarks of Texas Instruments Inc. DLP is a registered trademark of Texas Instruments Inc. All other registered trademarks and trademarks belong to their respective owners.