General Guidelines
Here are some general guidelines learned from our experience architecting some of the early UMPC products in the market.
- How the device will be used needs to be defined before choosing platform.
- Starting the process by negotiating with hardware and software vendors to use their platform is a backwards approach to design. What matters most at this stage is how the device will be used!
- Designs which do not look beyond gadget enthusiast are only good as a design learning experience.
- Connectivity and GPS should be baseline requirements for a mobile device.
- Unless the device UI is Windows, which serves a limited but important audience, the UI and man-machine interface (MMI) design should be in forefront when designing device hardware and software.
So what would be ideal device which is possible with current hardware/software? Stay tuned for our answer to this question.
Platform and Chipset Selection
As a UMPC designer, selecting a CPU/Chipset platform is one of the important decisions. Although this is not the first decision to make for a product, it is a rather important decision and one frequently asked us. It is also an area of deep expertise for umpc.com’s technical folks, so we will publish on this before addressing first concerns like device functionality and user interface. So, to start let us examine Intel’s platform offerings (processor/chipset) for UMPC/MID mobile devices, starting from the earliest offerings.
Gen 0 – The platform used by the very first UMPC devices by ASUS, Founder, and Samsung.
Dothan CPU (Pentium M-based) 900 Mhz/1GHz + 915GMS + ICH6 Chipset.
This is same chipset used in laptops until mid 2005. All the first generation UMPCs from Intel used this chipset. Power was too high, resulting devices with fans and short battery life.
Gen 0.5 – McCaslin Platform. (Intel A100-A110 (Stealey)) Launched Q3 of 2007
Stealey CPU 600Mhz /800 Mhz + 945GU + ICH7-U. This CPU is repackaging of the Dothan CPU into smaller package and binning parts to get lower voltage and lower power parts. These improved parts were sold as Intel A100-A110 CPUs. The smaller package was supposed to reduce the device size. But power (and as a result, heat) are still too high for this package for several reasons, so the device is still large and includes a fan. The cost of platform is even higher because of the 8-10 layer PCBs which are required by smaller package with closer pins. At the same time, other components are still standard laptop components, which keeps the PCB a large size despite the increase in layers.
Gen 1 – Menlow Platform. Branded as Intel “Atom”, Launched end of Q2-2008.
This is the first true UMPC platform designed from ground up.
Silverthorne CPU 600 Mhz/1.6 Ghz. Poulsbo SCH (combined system controller hub).
Intel had to start this design for this as early as 2004-5. The goal was to further shrink power, but unfortunatelly smaller Silverthorn devices still require a fan. However, Intel finally listened to its customers and created a standard package size version of Menlow, making Netbooks take off with low cost PCBs (recall that the smaller package requires a more expensive PCB). If the popularity of clamshell/Netbook/UMPcs is any indication, then this platform will realize the UMPC vision of a portable companion device, without the artificial limitations (touch screen only, no keyboard, etc.) imposed by Intel/Microsoft.
Now more on the current Intel Atom based chipsets:
Atom Z is 800Mhz-1.86 Ghz CPU with deep sleep capabilities. The package is much smaller and as result the ball-pitch between pins is lower. This makes expensive 8-10 layer boards a requirement. Atom Z is paired with System Controller Hub (SCH aka Poulsbo). This is the CPU most often used in MIDs.
Atom N is 1.6Ghz CPU with restricted deep sleep capabilities. It is larger package with ball-pitch of pins allowing for standard 4-6 layer mobile boards (which are cheaper than 8-10 layer boards). This CPU is commonly paired with Intel chipset 945GSE in Netbooks and other UMPCs.
For unknown reasons (as far we can understand none technical) Intel does not sell Atom N with full capable deep sleep enabled. We think this will make for a much more interesting platform for UMPC and Netbooks. The standby power will go down, resulting in longer battery life while cost will remain low because of 4-6 layer PCBs.
Gen 2 – Moorestown Platform. “Atom” Brand will probably continue, expected launch Q4-2009.
Next-gen Atom CPU + separate integrated chipset (still no SOC). This generation will still have two packages, but if Intels’s push towards MIDs (Linux-based) continues, then platform almost definitely will not support Windows (any version but CE/Mobile). If platform power does go down by 10X as been touted by Intel mobility execs then finally no fan will be required. Products based on this platform will probably not launch until late 2009.
Design Choices
During the Gen 0 – Gen1 product launches some companies decided to build devices based on standard Intel mobile chipsets—this resulted in the breakaway popular ASUS EEEPC clamshell/netbook device. The Intel evolution described above through Gen 1 is an ideal platform for this type of netbook device.
That is, the design choice for sub-10” clamshell/ tablet devices to run Windows XP or any powerful Linux variant is unquestionably the Intel Atom platform. This is because the only other options are Via and AMD, which have much too high power for the equivalent performance.
As for the design choice for 4-6” MID/UMPC running non-Windows OS, this is entirely different story. Ironically, the “MID” device platform that Intel’s marketing engine is aggressively pushing, is not well suited for such a small device. But Intel is giving up the Windows XP, or equivalent, market by downgrading the next-generation performance capabilities, without increasing the peripheral integration nearly enough. Next week, we will discuss what is the best platform for a 4-6” MID. As usual input is welcome, keep sending your emails to info@umpc.com.
