The versatile MIPS Technologies Inc R-series RISC has been given another role by Philips Electronics NV. The Eindhovener’s Philips Semiconductors unit has developed a two-microprocessor chip set for the Personal Digital Assistant and communicator markets that uses an R3000 core to provide the processing power. The set, comprising the PR31100 processor and UCB110 communications chip has a combined price of just $38. Other applications for the set include screen-phones and Internet access terminals. The set includes liquid crystal display drivers, and provides input via a touch-screen and optional keyboard, and support for communication via telephone lines. As well as the R3000 core, the PR31100 contains 4Kb of instruction cache and 1Kb of data cache, plus hardware multiply-accumulate unit for signal processing functions. The PR31100’s other features include a complete video controller for both color and monochrome panels, an infra-red interface for standard Infrared Data Association communications and consumer infra-red remote control signalling; dual Universal Asynchronous Receiver-Transmitters; a Concentration Highway Interface; a high-speed serial interface bus for connecting to the UCB1100 or other devices; a System Peripheral Interface; and 39 additional bidirectional input- output pins. The PR31100 runs code for the V.32bis 14.4Kbps software facsimile modem also developed and licensed by Philips, speech recognition of about 100 words, echo cancellation for high-quality speaker-phone performance, and handwriting recognition. Two external crystals are used to generate the real-time clock and drive an on-board phase-locked loop which generates the 40MHz clock for the R3000 core. The UCB1100 mixed-signal includes a 14-bit telecommunications coder-decoder, 12-bit audio codec that connects directly to a microphone and speakers without the need for external amplifier, touch- screen interface, four general-purpose analogue-to-digital converter inputs and 10 programmable digital input-output lines. The software modem eliminates the need for an external modem chip. The company reckons that to design most devices, it’s a case of just add memory – no other chips are needed. Both parts run off a single 3.3V supply. Philips says it is working with major vendors of operating systems for handhelds to put their software up on the PR31100 and UCB1100 – operating systems that provide features such as graphical user interface, personal information manager, electronic mail, facsimile, handwriting recognition and Web browsing. Both parts are sampling now with volume next quarter. To get the $38 price, which includes the modem software license, you need to order 100,000 of the sets.
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