Ventures News: MediaQ's MQ2100 Controller Sets Higher Standard for Mobile Handset Video and Graphics Applications
New Chip Enables Next Generation of Embedded Camera, Color Video Handsets for Consumer Market
SANTA CLARA, Calif., March 24, 2003 - MediaQ today announced the MQ2100 Multimedia Platform Controller, which lets mobile handset manufacturers rapidly integrate embedded cameras and color graphics into existing and new product designs. The MQ2100 Controller enables OEMs to easily incorporate high-end multimedia capabilities into products without having to redesign and re-qualify the entire handset. The resulting savings in production and development costs enable OEMs to deliver high-resolution color graphics and camera handsets at a price point that is appealing to consumers.
The MQ2100 offers handset manufacturers one of the first powerful hardware acceleration engines for 2D graphics, increasing LCD screen resolution up to 320x240 pixels. The MQ2100 also increases embedded memory size for higher screen resolutions, more vivid colors, and JPEG compression. The 64-bit graphics engine with double buffering for 176x220-resolution produces unrivaled graphics performance for better game playing and other applications.
"The user's experience with multimedia on handhelds and smart phones can now be richer," said Manish Singh, Vice President of Marketing at MediaQ. "Consumers want the sophisticated applications smart phones and handhelds offer, but multimedia messaging, mapping services, and graphics-rich games all require high-performance multimedia capabilities that are notorious for high power consumption and heavy performance demands. The MQ2100 eliminates the barriers to enriching the user's multimedia experience."
Advanced Graphics and JPEG Support
The MQ2100 controller's 2D graphics acceleration engine is designed specifically to meet the unique requirements of handling and displaying data on handsets. MediaQ carefully selected hardware-based acceleration features that speed the responsiveness of multimedia-intensive applications and provide the greater image clarity and color depth needed to clearly view digital pictures, games, and video clips. The results are sharper graphics, richer color, and snappier application performance.
In addition to enabling easier implementation of embedded cameras, the MQ2100's new hardware JPEG encoder allows users to capture and compress images and then store or send them using picture messaging services. The controller's video processing engine is coupled with a JPEG encoder capable of encoding still images with resolutions up to VGA. The JPEG encoder implements all computationally intensive tasks such as DCT encoding, RLE, and Huffman encoding in hardware. This VGA-to-JPEG capability enables handset users to take advantage of applications that support high-quality image transmission over a wireless network, a key feature driving the camera-enabled handset market.
"Handheld multimedia capabilities, such as embedded cameras and JPEG encoding, are the key to convergence of PDA, mobile phone, digital camera, and even tablet PC capabilities," Singh said. "Mobile handsets incorporating the MQ2100 can be the single access point for all of the applications users currently run on multiple devices."
Advanced Power Management
In addition to providing the video and display capabilities these applications demand, MediaQ designed the MQ2100 to operate within the low-power parameters of handsets. Fabricated using advanced low-leakage process technology, the MQ2100 is an inherently power-efficient device. DynamicQ Power Management gates off the clocks of inactive modules and gates off the SRAM clock when no accesses are made.
Clocks to inactive pipeline stages in active modules are also gated off. The MQ2100 consumes less than 5mW during normal operation. The combination of MediaQ's DynamiQ power management technology, hardware acceleration engines, and embedded memory enables the MQ2100 to deliver an energy- efficient design, conserving battery power and providing dazzling performance as a result.
OS Integration Kit (OSIK)
To ease system design and integration challenges for OEMs, the MQ2100 includes the MQ-OSIK to facilitate the integration of hardware acceleration function into OEM operating systems. The MQ-OSIK contains four sets of well- defined functions, including 2D graphics acceleration, initialization, JPEG, and video functions, and allows OEMs to initialize hardware. The complete package enables OEMs to easily integrate the MQ2100 with various baseband CPUs and operating systems used in handsets.
Design and Manufacturing Flexibility
The MQ2100's versatile graphics controller and flexible LCD interface design can support a wide variety of LCD panel technologies. The controller's LCD interface module connects with RGB- or CPU-style LCD drivers, enabling it to drive a wide variety of TFT and STN LCD panels. It also supports leading LCD technology standards such as NEC's M-CMADs, Sharp's ULC, and LTPS. For camera module support, MQ2100's CCIR656-compliant Video Input Port directly takes images from CCD/CMOS VGA or CIF camera modules for display and capture. In addition to flexible LCD and camera interfaces, the host interface in the MQ2100 can support popular baseband CPU interface types. The built-in LCD/baseband CPU/camera module interface flexibility gives OEMs sourcing options and platform scalability to address different market needs.
Availability
Samples of the MQ2100 are available to OEMs today, with general production scheduled for March 2003.
About MediaQ
MediaQ, Inc. develops highly integrated semiconductor solutions and accompanying software for key segments of the growing market for wired and wireless appliances, including mobile handsets, handheld terminals, PDAs, and Smart Phones. The company's core technologies enhance visual display capabilities, process applications efficiently, improve connectivity, and minimize power consumption. Founded in 1997, MediaQ is a privately held company headquartered in Santa Clara, CA. Additional information about MediaQ is available at 408-733-0080 or by visiting http://www.mediaq.com.
© 2003 MediaQ, Inc. All products or service names mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners.
SANTA CLARA, Calif., March 24, 2003 - MediaQ today announced the MQ2100 Multimedia Platform Controller, which lets mobile handset manufacturers rapidly integrate embedded cameras and color graphics into existing and new product designs. The MQ2100 Controller enables OEMs to easily incorporate high-end multimedia capabilities into products without having to redesign and re-qualify the entire handset. The resulting savings in production and development costs enable OEMs to deliver high-resolution color graphics and camera handsets at a price point that is appealing to consumers.
The MQ2100 offers handset manufacturers one of the first powerful hardware acceleration engines for 2D graphics, increasing LCD screen resolution up to 320x240 pixels. The MQ2100 also increases embedded memory size for higher screen resolutions, more vivid colors, and JPEG compression. The 64-bit graphics engine with double buffering for 176x220-resolution produces unrivaled graphics performance for better game playing and other applications.
"The user's experience with multimedia on handhelds and smart phones can now be richer," said Manish Singh, Vice President of Marketing at MediaQ. "Consumers want the sophisticated applications smart phones and handhelds offer, but multimedia messaging, mapping services, and graphics-rich games all require high-performance multimedia capabilities that are notorious for high power consumption and heavy performance demands. The MQ2100 eliminates the barriers to enriching the user's multimedia experience."
Advanced Graphics and JPEG Support
The MQ2100 controller's 2D graphics acceleration engine is designed specifically to meet the unique requirements of handling and displaying data on handsets. MediaQ carefully selected hardware-based acceleration features that speed the responsiveness of multimedia-intensive applications and provide the greater image clarity and color depth needed to clearly view digital pictures, games, and video clips. The results are sharper graphics, richer color, and snappier application performance.
In addition to enabling easier implementation of embedded cameras, the MQ2100's new hardware JPEG encoder allows users to capture and compress images and then store or send them using picture messaging services. The controller's video processing engine is coupled with a JPEG encoder capable of encoding still images with resolutions up to VGA. The JPEG encoder implements all computationally intensive tasks such as DCT encoding, RLE, and Huffman encoding in hardware. This VGA-to-JPEG capability enables handset users to take advantage of applications that support high-quality image transmission over a wireless network, a key feature driving the camera-enabled handset market.
"Handheld multimedia capabilities, such as embedded cameras and JPEG encoding, are the key to convergence of PDA, mobile phone, digital camera, and even tablet PC capabilities," Singh said. "Mobile handsets incorporating the MQ2100 can be the single access point for all of the applications users currently run on multiple devices."
Advanced Power Management
In addition to providing the video and display capabilities these applications demand, MediaQ designed the MQ2100 to operate within the low-power parameters of handsets. Fabricated using advanced low-leakage process technology, the MQ2100 is an inherently power-efficient device. DynamicQ Power Management gates off the clocks of inactive modules and gates off the SRAM clock when no accesses are made.
Clocks to inactive pipeline stages in active modules are also gated off. The MQ2100 consumes less than 5mW during normal operation. The combination of MediaQ's DynamiQ power management technology, hardware acceleration engines, and embedded memory enables the MQ2100 to deliver an energy- efficient design, conserving battery power and providing dazzling performance as a result.
OS Integration Kit (OSIK)
To ease system design and integration challenges for OEMs, the MQ2100 includes the MQ-OSIK to facilitate the integration of hardware acceleration function into OEM operating systems. The MQ-OSIK contains four sets of well- defined functions, including 2D graphics acceleration, initialization, JPEG, and video functions, and allows OEMs to initialize hardware. The complete package enables OEMs to easily integrate the MQ2100 with various baseband CPUs and operating systems used in handsets.
Design and Manufacturing Flexibility
The MQ2100's versatile graphics controller and flexible LCD interface design can support a wide variety of LCD panel technologies. The controller's LCD interface module connects with RGB- or CPU-style LCD drivers, enabling it to drive a wide variety of TFT and STN LCD panels. It also supports leading LCD technology standards such as NEC's M-CMADs, Sharp's ULC, and LTPS. For camera module support, MQ2100's CCIR656-compliant Video Input Port directly takes images from CCD/CMOS VGA or CIF camera modules for display and capture. In addition to flexible LCD and camera interfaces, the host interface in the MQ2100 can support popular baseband CPU interface types. The built-in LCD/baseband CPU/camera module interface flexibility gives OEMs sourcing options and platform scalability to address different market needs.
Availability
Samples of the MQ2100 are available to OEMs today, with general production scheduled for March 2003.
About MediaQ
MediaQ, Inc. develops highly integrated semiconductor solutions and accompanying software for key segments of the growing market for wired and wireless appliances, including mobile handsets, handheld terminals, PDAs, and Smart Phones. The company's core technologies enhance visual display capabilities, process applications efficiently, improve connectivity, and minimize power consumption. Founded in 1997, MediaQ is a privately held company headquartered in Santa Clara, CA. Additional information about MediaQ is available at 408-733-0080 or by visiting http://www.mediaq.com.
© 2003 MediaQ, Inc. All products or service names mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners.