Tech Ticker » chip

1.5GHz dual-core Qualcomm chips coming in Q4, new devices by Christmas

Kunal Gangar — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 16:37:32 +0000

If you’re not satisfied by the fast 1GHz Snapdragon processor, Qualcomm has confirmed to launch 1.5GHz dual-core chips in Q4. According to Mark Frankel, vice president of product management for Qualcomm CDMA Technologies, the dual-core chip QSD8672 will fit into devices like smartphones, tablets, low-cost laptops and if his estimation is correct, the first device bearing this powerful chip will come by this Christmas.

The QSD8672 succeeds MSM8660 dual-core that ran at 1.2GHz. 8672 will be based on 45-nm fabrication and features individual voltage scaling enabling better power consumption, 1080p HD video playback and integrated HDMI.

[Computerworld via MobileCrunch]

IBM developing DNA based microchips

Kinjal Sangoi — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 14:24:12 +0000

IBM’s futuristic approach to building microchips will include human DNA, a paper published in a journal revealed. Artificial DNA nanostructures or DNA Origami provides a cheaper framework to develop tiny chips than what the current technology is capable of.

Spike Narayan, researcher manager at IBM says the technology will need a lot of “experimentation and testing” to be used at full-scale. However, once it reaches that stage, manufacturers can save millions of dollars by investing in polymers, DNA solutions rather than investing hundreds of millions in complex tools.

[Via Reuters]

Broadcom creates 3-in-1 chip with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and FM

Kunal Gangar — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 18:03:16 +0000

Citing the surge of combination chips for space-constraint devices and the need for low power consumption, Broadcom has come up with a combo chip that integrates Wi-Fi 802.11n, Bluetooth and a FM receiver as well as transmitter on a single silicon die.

Broadcom is the first company to add 802.11n in chips and they claim that it can provide a wireless throughput of up to 50Mbps. It also boasts other Wi-Fi features like Space Time Block Coding (STBC), Short Gual Interval (SGI), A-MPDU aggregation, Block Ack, Greenfield and RIFS. Since both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth share the same 2.4GHz band, the chip uses a co-existence algorithm and a shared antenna system to minimize the interference.

Broadcom has scheduled this BCM4329 combination chip to mass produced in 2009.

Press Release