Qualcomm takes on TI in 3G multi-mode chip set market
By Mark LaPedus
Semiconductor Business News
(11/12/02 03:16 p.m. EST)
SAN DIEGO--In a move to challenge Texas Instruments Inc. and other chip makers, Qualcomm Inc. here today announced the first details of its initial and true multi-mode chip set that supports mainstream, third-generation (3G) wireless networks.
The MSM6500 Mobile Station Modem (MSM) chip set from Qualcomm is said to support the cdma2000 1X and cdma2000 1xEV-DO standards, as well as GSM/GPRS via roaming technology. Samples of the MSM6500 chip set are expected to ship in the second quarter of 2003, according to the San Diego-based company.
The new multi-mode chip set will compete against several vendors, most notably TI. For months, the Dallas-based company has been pushing its Open Multimedia Application Platform (OMAP) chip architecture for multi-mode 3G wireless networks.
"The MSM6500 chipset and system software will allow device manufacturers to develop highly integrated, feature-rich terminals without requiring a companion processor for advanced multimedia applications," said Don Schrock, president of Qualcomm's CDMA Technologies unit, in a statement.
Capable of peak wireless data rates of 2.4-megabits-per-second on the forward link, the MSM6500 chip set integrates Arm Holdings plc's ARM926EJ-S processor, with the Jazelle Java accelerator. It also consists of the company's proprietary DSP4000 Digital Signal Processor (DSP) cores and a wideband stereo codec for enhanced digital audio applications.
The MSM6500 solution integrates Bluetooth, MPEG-4 encoding and decoding, MP3 audio decoding, 2D/3D graphics, a MIDI synthesizer, JPEG encoding/decoding, USB On-the-Go, and location-based services and applications.
It also features its direct RF-to-baseband conversion technology, resulting in multi-band and multi-mode terminals that can be produced in smaller form factors.
Compliant with Interim Standard 856 (IS-856) and IS-2000 Release A, and backward compatible with IS-95A/B and IS-2000 Release 0, the MSM6500 also supports GSM and GPRS functionality. The GSM/GPRS modem is based on Release 99 of the GSM and GPRS standard, and supports class B, multislot class 8 operation, as well as EFR, FR, HR and AMR vocoders. |
