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By Jacques Noel, Vice President, Cellular 3GSM Business Line, Mobile Communications, Philips Semiconductors.1.Please define the different architecture between smart phone and voice dominate cell phone.We see 3 main types of architecture:- For Voice centric, the chipset is built up around a single BB processor performing both the telecom and the other application tasks. There is also a trend towards the integration of the different functions you would today find in more “complete” phones, when applications become more mature. - For VAS (Value Added Services) phones, the system is built up around a powerful baseband complemented with a companion chip or an application co-processor. The baseband runs the main functions including MMS and related applications. The companion chip or the application co-processor is there to perform the highly MIPS-hungry functions such as video processing. The product roadmap shows that those co-processors are integrated into the baseband when the function becomes mature enough and the feature is reaching high level of penetration.- For Smart Phone (Business phones), then the application processor becomes the system master, the GSM/GPRS telecom modem becomes one of the connectivity peripherals (others being e.g. WLAN, Bluetooth, USB .). This is typically the ideal tool for a “mobile office”.In fact, architecture will evolve with the maturity of applications trendy applications of today being basic applications of tomorrow.2.Please describe the unique of your companys smart phone solution, it should include the total solution advantage and unique features of modules such as baseband, application processor, RF, memory, power management, image processing, camera sensor etc.)Philips Semiconductors is active in the different segments we mentioned and provides attractive solutions. For Smart phone specifically, on top of its system leadership for the Telecom pipe, Philips is one of the market leaders for CMOS Sensor. Philips is recognized as being the market leader for power management and offering extreme long lifetime in both talk and standby mode (some of our customers can reach about a month standby time). We are also very active in all the components and features towards the functionality convergence needed in Smart Phone, such as Bluetooth and WLAN 802.11 for connectivity, etc, all based on the Nexperia Mobile Platform to enable easy system integration and to provide the needed flexibility to handle both leading edge telecom and mobile multimedia capabilities. On top, Philips has the associated RF solutions and is defining the optimum integration paths. Leading-edge audio and mobile display solutions are also part of Philips portfolio.Last but not Least, Philips Semiconductors works with the market leaders on some applications processor and, as an example, with Sony Ericsson Mobile Communication for its P800 Smart phone.3.As an important element, please provide the detail information of application processor, it include architecture, I/O, rate, frequency, size, process, power consumption etc.Typical Application Processors announced are ARM 92x based running at speed ranging from 100MHz to 200MHz with processor bus running at generally half of the processor speed. Actual offering is in 0.18um down to 0.12um process technology.Roadmaps in deeper submicron technologies (90 and 65 nanometers) are showing frequency moving up to the 300 to 400MHz within the next 2 to 3 years, targeting even better power figures.These processors not only offer lots of available MIPS on the ARM subsystem but what is differentiating them is the attached accelerators which are offloading the ARM core for intensive computational functions which allows important power dissipation savings:- DSP cores: mainly used for programmable audio codecs or audio enhancement (MP3, WMA, AAC, ATRAC3, noise cancellation, Voice Recognition, Text-to-Speech,.)- video hardware accelerators (JPEG, H263, MPEG4 encode, MPEG4 decode, 2D/3D graphic, H264 codec,.)- DRM (Digital Right Management) , encryption and security blocksWhat is also differentiating them is the integrated interfaces:- integrated camera interface- connectivity like USB 1.0, USB OTG, BlueTooth, 802.11b, NFC- standard memories like NAND & NOR Flash, SDRAM (SDR and DDR)- external standard cards like MM, MS, SDSince these devices are becoming full systems, there is an emergence of integrating memories together with processors thanks to MCP (Multi Chip Package) technology. Application Processors will come rapidly with integrated SDRAM and/or Flash in MCP package for space and power saving reasons.As an example, Philips recently announced the Nexperia Mobile Multimedia Processor, designed to support cellular multimedia functionality such as audio, video and connectivity applications. The version used by Sony Ericssons P800 is optimized to meet the companys requirements for its full-featured mobile multimedia products and reduces time-to-market for the products. The multimedia processor, built on proven know-how in SoC design, also supports color (touch) screens, built-in cameras, organizer functions, Bluetooth wireless technology and access to the Internet. Philips Nexperia solutions provide a portfolio of re-programmable and ready to integrate system and IC solutions for mobile-based multimedia applications. These offer customers flexibility through extensive software IP libraries, which allow software upgrades to future-proof product designs and to provide a fast, low-risk and cost effective route to market.4.Do you think it is necessary to have a separate application processor for smart phone? Will it be integrated into baseband chip in the future? And why?In fact, we believe that both will be needed:1 - Separate Application Processor: This is typically dedicated to a PC-like model, with large headroom in processing power and memory, open OS, GUI, SW/feature upgrade by end user, etc.2 - Application support integrated in baseband: phone manufacturer/operator balance features package against cost, good headroom in processor speed, memory size selected to fit specific feature package.Overlap in between will most probably be filled with various co-processors for specific tasks.Both architectures, separated application processor and “everything-integrated” baseband, have their pros and cons. Even within the leading mobile phone suppliers, both solutions will co-exist. As of today, high-end phone market is dominated by the MMS feature, and most of the phones running MMS are based upon an integrated baseband. At the same time, many handset manufacturers are providing Symbian-based solution based upon an application co-processor. Once those architectures are installed on the market place, because the SW legacy is huge, there is a high probability that we will find them for a while, as it would imply high investment to change their architecture.5.There is no clear agreement within the mobile handset industry today on preferred partitioning among image processing, compression and display graphics task in mobile chip set. Do you think which module the image process function (such as JPEG, MPEG and other) should be integrated into, the baseband, application processor or camera module. And please comparison the different solution.There is benefit in each option, early development of new features will happen application processor, once features are mainstream, cost will dominate towards a solution using shared processing and memory resources.One of the drivers for integration is miniaturization, and the schemes for volume reduction also depends upon the phone shape. For clamshell phones, shape wise, there is a good fit with a partitioning where the image processing would be done close to the display, and the rest including data storage will be done in the other part of the phone. For “candy-bar” phones, the integration scheme would be more towards everything into the BB or the application processor, see above for BB versus Application processor. 6.There is also no clear agreement of the interface between periphery equipment and baseband or application processor. And we know an MIPI alliance has just been announced, Do your company support MIPI, if not, whats your strategy? The lack of standard is not blocking, but indeed hampering in coming to well supported specifications. In our view, the ambition of the MIPI Alliance is the right one, although it will be challenging because of legacy. We are currently discussing with MIPI Alliance to join forces. Obviously we will have to support other standards if they emerge.7.There are two Standards of mobile graphic API, the OpenGL Embedded systems and Direct3D Mobile, which standard your application processor support, and why?OpenGL ES 1.0 has just been ratified in July; in order to satisfy short term requirement. A software implementation (code on ARM926) is possible. However performance requirements with larger resolution LCD (QVGA) and more complex scenes and also to reduce power dissipation, hardware acceleration of OpenGL will be required. IP blocks have been announced from several sources, in anticipation of the deployment of this standard. Open GL will be supported through a Symbian OS.Direct 3D mobile is also an option Philips is investigating.8.Do you think if the RF module should be integrated into baseband module? Whats the challenge to integrated? How to overcome the process problem? We know some leading vendors have announced one chip solution for voice dominate cell phone, do you think if it should be integrated for smart phone architecture? Whats you comment?The main targets are for RF are: - excellent support of evolving standards (GSM/GPRS, EDGE, UMTS, etc.)- high sensitivity and power efficiency in RF are key to provide wide area coverage and excellent talk-time- small footprint, low component count and competitive cost- ease of use for hand-set manufacturer.For coming years we can support this demand with our BICMOS processes combined with advanced packaging options to integrate ICs, inductors, capacitors, filters in one package (System in Package). We have been implementing this approach with our Power Amplifier Module approach, and it has recently been introduced for WLAN modules as well (refer to press announcement). In fact we are following the integration scheme already proven with our DEC-T products where we also a strong market leader.9.Do you think if it need two different operate systems for voice and multimedia traffic in smart phone? For the multimedia OS, do you think witch one should be suitable for Chinese smart phone OEM, Symbian, Pocket PC, Smartphone, Linux, Palm OS etc?There are many options in terms of OS for the mobile phone, and per today, the consumer has very hard time to identify the benefits of having a phone with an open/multimedia OS. Furthermore, still a very large part of the mobile phones, and even a very large part of the digital consumer products in general, are using embedded OS. Thus it is very questionable if any OS at all will really emerge. If yes, Symbian and Linux are the ones having the biggest probability of success. As a fact of life, we are facing this uncertainties and thus as Philipss chipset is prepared to support any OS market will require.10.Power consumption is the biggest challenge for smart phone, would you please provide 3 methods to cut the power consumption?There are many ways to cut power consumption. It can be at system, architecture and design levels. As example of techniques Philips, as a leader in power management, is actively working on:- optimizing digital design for power consumption:* using latest deep submicron CMOS processes (lower voltage, smaller (= more efficient) design)* implementing techniques that allow to switch frequencies and to switch blocks off - usi