1997-01-27 , S/IC-589/650

Philips Semiconductors' TwoChipHCG*™ has been selected by the Philips Mobile Computing Group to power the Velo^®, a new handheld personal computer (HPC). The TwoChipHCG* is one of the most complete, high-performance solutions available today for handheld devices.

"We selected Philips Semiconductors' chipset for our Velo handheld PC based on the consistent performance of its products and its long-standing reputation for quality," remarked Alan Soucy, general manager of Philips Mobile Computing Group. "Since the TwoChipHCG* was developed specifically for handheld devices, it allows us to configure the Velo to run at phenomenal speeds while supporting the Microsoft^® Windows^® CE platform."

The Velo is among the first handheld PCs to incorporate the full-featured Windows CE operating system, as well as other Microsoft supporting applications for HPCs. Velo also integrates the industry's only software fax/modem capability with the TwoChipHCG* and takes full advantage of the on-chip IrDA infrared transceiver and RS-232 hardware, allowing seamless synchronization with desktop PCs.

"World-Class Silicon"

"Philips' technological leadership in designing world-class silicon and value-added software means that designers can take Microsoft's new handheld operating system and team it with one of the leading hardware architectures available today," said Craig Mundie, senior vice president of the consumer platforms division at Microsoft. "The combination of TwoChipHCG* (with the Velo) and Windows CE offers exciting opportunities to customers in the handheld category."

The chipset, comprising the PR31500 and UCB1100 devices, provides a complete, integrated solution for handheld PCs. The two ICs break size, cost, and power-consumption barriers that have traditionally kept products such as PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants) from becoming popular consumer items. The fax/data modem software completely eliminates the need for a modem chipset by executing directly on the PR31500's MIPS R3000 core and single-cycle hardware multiply/accumulate unit.

Philips Semiconductors' "systems on silicon approach" provides the hardware abstraction layer, the device drivers and a complete reference design for the Windows CE implementation on the TwoChipHCG*. This allows designers to focus on high-level issues such as product size, shape, features, and application software. By taking advantage of the functions available with the TwoChipHCG*, designers can now create various types of wired or wireless HPCs, PDAs, Personal Intelligent Communicators, smart mobile phones, or vertical-market handheld devices that currently or will support the new Microsoft Windows CE operating system.

The TwoChipHCG* is supported within the Microsoft Visual C++^® toolchain, allowing ISVs and IHVs to independently develop applications for OEM devices. Philips Semiconductors' licensing of the Windows CE operating system gives it access to the necessary source code, facilitating the design of customer-specific products.

The TwoChipHCG* provides a complete feature set for OEM devices, saving handheld PC designers a great deal of time, effort and expense. The chipset's complete video controller supports both colour and monochrome LCDs, and the touchscreen module provides an efficient method for navigating through Windows CE-based and user applications.

The chips telecommunications circuitry can be interfaced with a phone line for simple implementation of a wired HPC or PDA. for wireless designs, the PR31500 works with available radio and cellular phone modules to take advantage of the latest wireless messaging, networking, and voice communications capabilities. Additional communication features include both IrDA and consumer Infrared connection to PC serial ports, as well as a high-speed serial port to support ISDN connections. The chipset supports two PC card slots.

The audio circuitry in the UCB1100 can be connected to a microphone and speakers without the need for external audio amplifiers or other ancillary components. The UCB1100's digital-to-analog and analog-to-digital converters provide high-quality voice/sound reproduction and sampling. Both ICs require a single 3.3 V supply voltage and incorporate comprehensive power-management functions, including doze and sleep modes.

Pricing and Availability Samples and production quantities of the TwoChipHCG* are now available. Cost for the chipset and the software fax/modem license is $39 in 100,000-unit quantities. For pricing and availability outside the United States, contact your local Philips Semiconductors Sales Office or Authorized Philips Distributor. Product availability and specifications may vary in non-U.S. markets. Other operating systems, real-time kernels and compilers are also available.

Philips Semiconductors, a division of Philips Electronics NV headquartered in Eindhoven, The Netherlands, is the eleventh largest semiconductor supplier in the world. Philips Semiconductors' innovations in digital audio, video, and mobile technology position the company as a leader in the consumer, multimedia, and wireless communications market. Sales offices are located in all major markets around the world and are supported by systems labs.