NEW YORK-In its next-generation, Internet-enabled mobile wireless devices, L.M. Ericsson will use the Open Multimedia Application Platform of Texas Instruments Inc., according to an agreement announced Jan. 10.
The OMAP, based on digital signal processor technology, will enable advanced wireless Internet access, including digital audio, electronic commerce and real-time video streaming without compromising power efficiency, Texas Instruments said.
As part of their cooperation, the two companies will develop the Gigacell subsystem, whose original and future derivative versions are to become the core of highly integrated third-generation baseband chips Ericsson plans to create.
Ericsson views the OMAP Gigacell as “the optimal platform for our future wireless communications devices,” said Tord Wingren, director and general manager of product unit Universal Mobile Telecommunications Systems Telephones for Ericsson Mobile Communications.
“Going from 2G to 3G means going from a skinny pipe to a fat pipe of information. [OMAP] will enable use of the fat pipe and help build it,” said Bob Carl, director of Americas marketing for Texas Instruments’ Wireless Group.
OMAP “allows companies like Ericsson to have one platform they can develop across multiple standards, and it offers high performance, many [millions of instructions per second] with low power consumption.”
Nokia Corp. announced in May it would use Texas Instruments’ OMAP for its future wireless information devices and optimize the platform to run Symbian’s EPOC technology. In its announcement of the agreement with Ericsson last week, TI said it also will make the platform available to other original equipment manufacturers to develop new wireless data applications.
“People can write applications (for wireless devices) that are more computer-like: streaming audio, mobile video or [electronic] commerce, which need high performance for encryption,” Carl said.
A preliminary tool set is now available for software designers to begin implementing applications, and Texas Instruments plans to begin volume production during the second half of this year.
“TI will support this platform with development chips, a software development kit and clearly defined Application Programming Interfaces,” the company said.
“The APIs will be open and can be implemented by other vendors to ensure an attractive DSP-accelerated multimedia environment for independent software vendors.”
