Motorola Inc.’s Wireless Subscriber Systems Group introduced the DSP56690 baseband processor, capable of handling all existing wireless transmission standards, as part of its DigitalDNA+ portfolio for wireless systems.
The processor incorporates a DSP core and an M-Core microcontroller. It supports such standards as Code Division Multiple Access, Global System for Mobile communications, integrated Digital Enhanced Network, Time Division Multiple Access and several satellite-based products.
“Manufacturers now can standardize their manufacturing around one key component, regardless of the market of which they are currently focused, and scale their production for different standards and different areas of the world as needed,” said Mario Rivas, corporate vice president and general manager of the Wireless Subscriber Systems Group.
Such standardization means a quicker and less expensive development cycle, Motorola said.
Tim Saccomanno, the group’s director of marketing, said the processor represents Motorola’s vision of creating proactive solutions-having the technology available for what the company expects original equipment manufacturers will demand before the demand is there.
“The key is being ready and prepared,” Saccomanno said, “having the flexibility to address customer needs for upcoming applications and markets.”
Key to the chip’s flexibility is the system-on-a-chip process that allows OEMs and device manufacturers to customize the exact applications they wish the chip to support, particularly data. Saccomanno said the processor is a migration path to second-generation phone-based data solutions and a roadmap for future 3G evolution.
The chip supports General Packet Radio Services and Wireless Application Protocol standards. It also can support applications built on Sun Microsystems Inc.’s Jini software. Different chip blocks and memory can be added or removed as needed, based on which applications the manufacturer expects the device to run, like a menu selection, all on the same chip.
Without such a processor, solutions must be developed specific to the standard. With it, developers can make a solution that can be implemented across several standards.
Motorola said it plans to add support for additional technology in the future, such as the Bluetooth transmission standard.
In that effort, Motorola announced it signed a definitive agreement to buy a majority interest in Digianswer, a Bluetooth and HomeRF connectivity specialist. Motorola said it plans to embed Digianswer’s Bluetooth technology into its DigitalDNA+ portfolio.
