First X-Scale chips available

By Staff Writer for Intel

Johannesburg, 12 Feb 2002

Intel has released the first of its X-Scale processors, designed for cellular and handheld devices.

The two new chips, the PXA210 and PXA250, run at 200MHz and 400MHz respectively, but consume only half the power of their predecessor, the StrongARM SA 1110.

Reminiscent of the old XT with a Turbo button, Intel`s Turbo technology enables the X-Scale architecture to speed up to full speed or slow down dramatically to consume less power, in the space of a single clock cycle.

Intel is betting that these new chips will be driven by processor-intensive applications like gaming, music and video, and has tacked its AE Media Processing Technology to the new processors. This integrated technology is designed to work specifically with the device`s audio, video and gaming applications to increase the number of frames per second in videos, improve sound quality and give advanced graphical effects.

Manufacturers endorsing the new processors include Acer, Casio, Compaq, HP and Toshiba. Microsoft Windows CE.Net, Windows Pocket PC 2002, PalmOS, SymbianOS and embedded Linux will run on the new processors. Products using the new processors will be available to consumers and business users by mid-2002.

Adobe, Macromedia, PacketVideo, RealNetworks, and over 200 other independent software vendors have optimised their software for the new chips.

Both the Intel PXA250 and Intel PXA210 applications processors are available today in sample quantities. The Intel PXA250 processor at 400MHz has a suggested list price of $39.20 and the Intel PXA210 processor at 200MHz has a suggested list price of $19 in 10 000 unit quantities. Additionally, Intel is making the Intel DBPXA250 development system, DCPXA250 daughter card and PXA2xx simulator available today.