EE Times Under the Hood - June 23, 2008 - (Page U24)

UTH0623MOBILE_PG14_24.QXD 6/11/08 4:07 PM Page 24 under the hood: w w w. e e t i m e s . c o m MOB I L E The Wolfson WM8753 is a voice and audio codec for the speaker. For the battery, Linear Technology puts up its LTC3557 USB power manager and lithium-ion charger, and three step-down regulators. A National Semiconductor LP3990 150-mA linear voltage regulator provides an accurate output voltage, low noise and low current. The part, which offers preset output voltages between 0.8 and 3.3 V, works without a reference bypass capacitor, thereby reducing the parts count. HP iPaq 310 The HP iPaq 310 shares roughly the same physical dimensions as the Garmin system, but not much else. The iPaq is about 11 grams heavier, at 187 grams. The screen is the same size, at 4.3 inches, but it has a higher resolution, of 800 x 480 pixels. The lithium-ion battery offers a bit more punch, at 1,700 mAh. As opposed to the nuvi 750, the iPaq does have Bluetooth 2.0, but as mentioned, some of the other nuvi models offer Bluetooth as well. A glance at the board inside the iPaq quickly shows that it is a bit more complex than the nuvi. First off, we can see a Centrality processor (Centrality was acquired by SiRF last year). The one used here is the Titan dual core running at 600 MHz, with an ARM11 core. In conjunction with the GPS capabilities of the Titan is SiGe Semiconductor’s 4110L GPS receiver,which provides an on-chip low-noise amplifier and a low-IF receiver with a linear automatic gain control and 2-bit A/D converter. Samsung’s four-dice SLC in a single package provides 2 Gbytes of memory; Micron provides 128 Mbits of SDRAM. Also on board, the Wolfson WM9712 codec controls the I/Os for the touchscreen and speaker, while ForteMedia’s FM1182 takes care of voice processing and includes echo cancellation and noise suppression. Finally, for Bluetooth connectivity, the HP system has the Cambridge Silicon Radio BlueCore 4. Different systems, different companies, different choices. ■ • w w w. t e c h o n l i n e . c o m watches. Companies are finding that GPS is a relatively simple way to increase the functionality of portable devices without significantly increasing the overall cost to manufacture, since many of the requisite components (such as the processor and memory) are already in the products. The only additions some systems need are a GPS receiver and the software revisions necessary to operate it. The two GPS systems analyzed for this teardown were relatively new products: the Garmin nuvi 750 and the HP iPaq 310. The only similarity we found between them was a design win in both systems for Wolfson, although for different functionality. Other than that, the two companies have come up with their own spins on how to design a GPS system with more or less the same shape and size. Garmin nuvi 750 The nuvi has a 4.3-inch screen with a resolution of 480 x 272 pixels. It weighs about 176 grams and has a 1,250-milliampere-hour (mAh) lithium-ion battery. The 750 model does not have Bluetooth capabilities like others in the series, such as the nuvi 760 and 770. It does offer an FM transmitter so that you can hear the directions over the stereo instead of the internal speaker. One neat feature the nuvi offers is route planning. Instead of having to program in the next destination at each stop on a long trip, you can enter up to 10 places you want to go up front, and the system will take you to each in turn. Of course, during your travels you can also listen to MP3 players or audio books, or have a picture slide show going on. As for the components inside, the IN BRIEF GPS systems are becoming a norm in the market, with strong growth expectations in the coming years. Whether they are standalone systems or integrated into other devices, such as cell phones or vehicles, they provide a quick and easy way to reach your destination.The Garmin nuvi 750 and Hewlett-Packard iPaq 310 are similar-looking GPS systems but have implemented completely different technologies to achieve their goals. Both have a 4.3-inch screen, but the iPaq is about 11 grams heavier, at 187 grams, and has 800 x 480-pixel resolution, compared with the nuvi’s 480 x 272 pixels. Component focus heart of the system is a Garmin- and Omap-branded processor. While the exact part number is not discernible in package markings, a decap of the device reveals that it is the Texas Instruments Omap1623. This is the same as the Omap1621 device, but with 512 Mbits of mobile DRAM. It’s based on an ARM9 core and a TI DSP. The same device has been used in a few of Garmin’s previous products, like the 200W and 350. The GPS functions are controlled by the SiRF StarIII. This part combines digital and RF functions in a single package, and runs a 50-MHz ARM7 core. Storage relies on 2 Gbits of SanDisk iNAND, which is a combination of the NAND flash controller, DRAM and NAND flash. In conjunction with the iNAND are 512 Mbits of DDR mobile RAM from Qimonda. Garmin and Hewlett-Packard implemented completely different component sets to create their systems but have maintained a very similar form factor. The key to a successful GPS design are the GPS components. Garmin relies on the SiRF StarIII for all of the GPS functionality, along with a Garmin-packaged Texas Instruments Omap1623 for processing. HP, on the other hand, chose to utilize the Centrality (now SiRF) Titan dual core for GPS functionality and processing, combined with a SiGe 4110L GPS receiver. 24 Electronic Engineering Times, TechOnline | June 23, 2008 http://www.eetimes.com http://www.techonline.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Under the Hood - June 23, 2008

Under the Hood - June 23, 2008 Extreme Design: SuitSat Pushes Desigers' Limits Evolution of the Smart Phone Mature Devices get Rolly Rocking GPS: Garmin Nuvi 750 vs. HP iPaq 310 Inside the Sony OLED TV Multizone Dgital Audio Flip Ultra Camcorder - An Ode to Clean Design Robot Guitar Tunes Itself E-book is a Sight for Sore Eyes Scientific Calculator Boils Down to Two ICs $100 BOM Eludes First OLPC Laptop 45 nm: What Intel Didn't Tell You Next Step in NAND Flash Evolution Surveillance on a Shoestring Hot 3G Phone Owes Debt to Analog SecurID Fob: Single-Chip Safety Net

Under the Hood - June 23, 2008

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