Tech Nukem

Nowadays chip processor fabrication technology has been improved as an effort to scale up the processor performance as well as reducing overall cost. Similarly, Samsung, the Korean based manufacturer has just announced its first ARM based processor fabricated using 45-nm process technology. Named as S5P6440, it is an application processor that based on ARM1176 core targeted for portable consumer products such as PND (Personal Navigation Device).




The core processor will be clocking at either 533MHz or 667MHz and can be designed in tiny foot print with both the memory controller and graphics accelerator engine being integrated into it. Measured at only 13mm X 13mm in FPGA package, it fits well in space constraint form factor design suitable for both mobile computing and navigation system. The S5P6440 is expected to be thermally efficient and capable to handle graphics intensive applications while able to stay cost competitive as compared to other solutions such as MIPS or X86 based architecture. As expected, the end device will be compatible to run with either Linux or Windows CE but not commonly available Microsoft Windows XP or Vista operating systems.

The product is already in sampling stage now and mass production will be ready around third quarter this year.