TI Introduces Open Multimedia Application Platform (OMAP) 4 Mobile Applications Platform

Texas Instruments (TI) is introducing its new OMAP (Open Multimedia Application Platform) 4 mobile applications platform. OMAP 4 platform is targeted to Smartphone and Mobile Internet Device (MID) OEMs and ODMs, to help them developing new class of mobile devices that will redefine the boundaries of Smartphones and MIDs. OMAP 4 is powered by Dual-core ARM Cortex -A9 MPCore with Symmetric Multi Processing (SMP). It has integrated POWERVR SGX540 graphics accelerator and programmable multimedia engine based on TI’s C64x DSP. The Image Signal Processor (ISP) in this 45 nm tech device can handle 20mpx imaging, 1080 pixel video record/playback and approximately a week (168 hours) of audio play time. OMAP 4 supports all major mobile OS, including Symbian, MS Windows Mobile, and Linux (Android, LiMo)

TI’s OMAP 4 Mobile Applications Platform

TI’s OMAP 4 mobile applications platform, including its development tools are expected to sample in the second half of 2009. Volume production is expected by the second half of 2010.

Key features of OMAP 4 Mobile Applications Platform:

• Optimized mobile applications platform including: applications processors, multimedia software and power management to drive Mobile Internet Device (MID) and Smartphones
• Dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 MPCore with SMP (Symmetric Multi Processing) parallel processing for higher mobile computing performance and efficiency
• IVA 3 Hardware Accelerator enables 30 fps High Definition 1080p videos, broad support for multimedia codecs vailable today as well as programmability to add support for future codecs
• Integrated POWERVR SGX540 graphics accelerator drives next-gen, 3D user interfaces with larger displays, life-like graphics and touchscrens
• Integrated ISP (Image Signal Processor) for higher-quality and faster video and image capture. Delivering digital SLR-like performance with 20-megapixel still image capture
• Support for leading mobile OSes including Ms Windows Mobile, Symbian, Linux (Android, LiMo)
• Comprehensive software suite, supporting major OSes, to reduce development cost and speed-up time to market
• Programmability and extra-space to support new standards and applications
• Includes TI’s connectivity solutions such as WiLink mWLAN, BlueLink Bluetooth and NaviLink GPS mobile connectivity and support for external modem
• Audio back end (ABE) processor, SmartReflex 2 power & performance management technologies, delivering 4+ hours of high-definition (1080p) video recording, 10+ hours of video playback, and 140+ hours of high quality audio playback
• Includes M-Shield mobile security technology, enhanced with ARM TrustZone support
• Flexible system support
  • Composite TV output
  • HDMI v1.3 output to drive HD displays
  • WUXGA display support
  • Peripheral interfaces: MIPI serial camera and serial display interfaces, MIPI
  • SLIMbusSM, MMC/SD, USB 2.0 On-The-Go
  • High Speed, UART, SPI, and more
• Designed in mobile 45-nm CMOS process technology for improved performance and power efficiency
• Packaging: 12 mm x 12 mm, 0.4 mm pitch Package-on-Package (PoP)

TI’s OMAP 4 System Diagram (OMAP44x)

SMP (Symmetric Multi Processing) Parallel Processing

OMAP 4 applications processor is powered by dual-core, ARM Cortex-A9 MPCore based architectures and employs SMP (Symmetric Multi Processing) for higher performance and efficiency. SMP allows identical processing subsystems to run the same instruction set; have equal access to memory, I/Os and external interrupts; and run a single copy of the operating system to control all the cores.

IVA 3 Hardware Accelerator

IVA 3 Hardware Accelerator enables advanced multimedia performance at low power levels while maintaining the flexibility to allow developers to quickly update devices to support new standards. IVA 3 Hardware Accelerator is divided into two sections:

• A multi-format, power-optimized hardware accelerator for mainstream codecs
• A programmable DSP (Digital Signal Processor) for emerging codecs and audio

IVA 3 Hardware Accelerator delivers up to 1080p at 30 fps encode/decode and support for broad multimedia codecs including:

• MPEG4 ASP
• MPEG-2 MP
• H.264 HP
• ON2 VP7
• VC-1 AP

Graphics Accelerator

OMAP 4 integrates Imagination Technologies’ POWERVR SGX540 graphics accelerator core to deliver immersive user interfaces, advanced gaming and rich 3D mapping at 4x the sustained performance compared to the previous SGX530 core.

The OMAP 4 graphics accelerator uses a Tile Based Deferred Rendering (TBDR) architecture to deliver state of the art support for 2D and 3D graphics and supports all the major APIs, including: OpenGL ES v2.0, OpenGL ES v1.1, OpenVG v1.1 and EGL v1.3. The graphics accelerator is a fully programmable, multithreaded IP core and provides optimal load balancing with advanced scheduling hardware.

Display sub-system

Flexible multi-pipeline of the display sub-system enables OMAP 4 to support larger, color-rich, multi-touch displays (local or external). OMAP 4 applications processor can also interface to MIPI-compliant serial displays as well as parallel displays for use in mobile handsets and MIDs. To drive external displays, the OMAP 4 includes a PAL/NTSC composite output with an integrated 10-bit video digital-to-analog converter (DAC) and video amplifier featuring built-in TV cable detection. An integrated HDMI v1.3 transmitter with High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) and deep color support can drive an external High Definition (HD) display from the handset. The mutually exclusiveness of analog and digital TV outputs enables users to choose the display format.

Image Signal Processor (ISP)

Image Signal Processor (ISP) of OMAP 4 provides a flexible and powerful image processing. It able to support up to 20-megapixel still image camera sensors at less than one-second shot-to-shot delay. The Imaging Sub-system also supports advanced image processing and quality enhancement features including:

• Stabilization
• Auto-focus, auto-exposure, auto-white balance
• Digital zoom
• Digital anti-aliasing
• Lens-distortion correction
• Edge enhancement
• Noise filtering
• On-the-fly defect pixel correction

M-Shield Mobile Security

TI’s M-Shield technology enables protection of media content, protocol and applications such as banking, shopping, ticketing and brokering. M-Shield mobile security technology enables value-added services and increased terminal security, allowing operators, content providers and manufacturers to secure sensitive assets and usage rights for protection against revenue loss. Features include terminal identity protection that makes stolen phones useless, network lock protection that prevents users from arbitrarily switching networks on the internet, and secure flashing and booting, so that only authorized software can be loaded on the handset.

TI’s OMAP 4 Platform Software Suite

To enable faster development for equipment and application developers, TI provides a comprehensive software suite that supports major mobile OSes and is integrated and tested up to the application level. TI’s OMAP 4 supports all major mobile high-level operating system (HLOS) platforms, including Symbian, MS Windows Mobile, and Linux (Android, LiMo). This multi OS support enable developers and mobile operators to differentiate their products (applications and services). The software suite allows OEMs and partners to spend their resources on differentiating their product at the user interface and application level while reusing most of the system platform software components directly from TI. The software suite includes:

• Mobile OS drivers, BSP (board support package) and Base enablers
• Pre-integrated hardware accelerated multimedia codecs with multimedia and UI/Applications frameworks
• Pre-Integrated connectivity (GPS, Bluetooth, FM, WiFi) solutions as a single software package with system-level optimizations
• Integrated 3D graphics and hardware based security framework
• Integrated application suite and UI across multiple OSes
• System-level power management

OMAP 4 platform code compatibility with other OMAP processors makes it easy to port software. TI’s well known development environment speeds up programming for all on-chip processors. OMAP 4 platform is supported the OMAP Technology Centers (OTCs, now includes support for WiLink WiFi, BlueLink Bluetooth and NaviLink GPS solutions) and OMAP Developers Network, as well as development tool providers, systems integrators and content providers all over the world. TI’s OTC program provides a system-level approach with support for the OMAP platform and non-cellular wireless solutions to give handset manufacturers and developers access to a broad range of wireless systems expertise.

Resources:

• Press release: Texas Instruments Announces OMAP 4 Mobile Applications Platform
• Product info: OMAP Applications Processors: OMAP 4 Platform
• Product Bulletin of OMAP 4 Mobile Applications Platform, pdf, 740Kb (http://www.ti.com/omap4_pb)