Texas Instruments Inc. announced the availability of its FLEX two-chip chipset, which with its built-in analog to digital converter sets the product apart from others, said the company.
Motorola’s Paging Products Group, which designed the FLEX protocol, stated plans to use the chipset, while Ex Machina Inc. is building the set into devices for its AirMedia Live! news, information and alert broadcast service, said TI. The AirMedia service transmits data via paging frequencies to personal computer users.
TI said its chipset will be available in production quantities in January.
The analog to digital converter within the chipset eliminates the need for an original equipment manufacturer to add any extra logic, said Kevin Thomazios, TI’s marketing manager for FLEX products. TI’s FLEX chipset interfaces directly with off-the-shelf receivers and microcontrollers, said the company.
This will allow AirMedia to use its existing product design “with virtually no changes,” commented Tim Von Kaenel, vice president and general manager for the AirMedia products group.
TI said it is targeting alphanumeric paging and other wireless messaging applications for its FLEX chipset. The alphanumeric segment of the paging market is growing rapidly. In fact, 20 percent of new one-way customers sign up for alpha rather than numeric service. Thomazios believes growth and familiarity in the alpha market will drive demand for two-way messaging down the line.
Thomazios said the FLEX chipset has embedded wireless messaging capability and he expects it will be used in a host of devices from pagers and PCs to personal digital assistants, automobiles and certain home electronic devices.
The TI chipset will provide up to five times the battery life of older paging protocol standards.
The company noted that the shape and size of its chipset allows for design improvements of devices.
To date, only Texas Instruments, Motorola, Taiwan’s Industrial Technology Research Institute and Wireless Access Inc. of Santa Clara, Calif., are licensed to make FLEX chipsets. Wireless Access Inc. is building ReFLEX chipsets.
