Press and News - 07.11.2000

u-blox introduces the world's smallest embedded Computer at Electronica show in Munich

Technology progresses rapidly on the fast line. OEMs have increasingly a hard time to keep up with the pace when devoting all internal resources to developing an end product completely on their own. Time overhead is necessary to get familiarized with new technologies in order to derive new products hereby. They will be in an advantageous position when they can free their engineers from base activities and fully focus on the core business which contributes to a successful product available in the market on time.

Affecting embedded computer systems, overhead is minimized if the OEM can buy lean ready-to-run products where all system level work has been taken care of: design and commissioning of a processing unit including running operating system and software drivers to standard peripherals. All he has to do for completing the system, is to provide required peripherals and write application code. It is obvious that ready-to-use integrated development tools, configured for that hardware, are delivered with the embedded system. A support hotline shall be available for help.

u-blox, located in Thalwil, Switzerland, provides the optimum solution with a highly miniaturized embedded computer system called ROGER including Microsoft's ready-to-run Windows CE®. The module has a size of just 37.5 x 37.5 x 3.9 mm (this is approx. 1.5 x 1.5 x 0.15") and provides a 225-pin ball grid array that allows handling like an electronic component.

u-blox' ROGER module contains the Intel SA-1110 StrongARM® processor, 8 MB Flash EPROM, 2 MB static RAM, internal clock generation, reset logic and power supply for the CPU core. All bus-, I/O-, communication- and LCD video signals, and 3.3V power lines are available on ball grid array pins. The module allows glueless connection to max 256 MB synchronous or asynchronous DRAM and other bus-driven devices of choice. Following communication signals are available: 3 UARTs (RS-232), 12 Mbit/s USB slave, signals for 2 PCMCIA slots, IrDA and general-purpose I/O ports. The CPU-internal video controller is suitable for a wide range of displays up to full color VGA (640 x 480). Glueless connection to a Philips UCB 1200 CODEC provides analog audio, telephone and touch-screen sensing. u-blox provides matching Windows CE®-based software drivers for all standard interfaces to make them accessible to application software.

The ROGER modules fits best in application fields where at least one of the following requirements applies: Low power dissipation (The ROGER module consumes only 400 mW at maximum clock speed of 206 MHz/ max. 235 MIPS), limited space, cost efficiency, fast time-to-market for both hardware and software and product longevity. The very low power dissipation makes ROGER suitable for battery-powered devices.

Use of the ROGER module allows efficient electronic designs without hardware overheads. All the OEM manufacturer needs to do, is to design a board containing peripheral interfaces like transceivers and connectors, 3.3V power supply and possibly custom circuitry. u-blox provides application notes and support for that. If a technology leap takes place, e.g. with introducing new memory modules, u-blox will plan to introduce backward-compatible successor products which guarantees product longevity at module level.

u-blox also provides a complete development kit. It contains one ROGER module, DRAM expansion, serial interfaces, USB, IrDA, two PCMCIA slots, UCB 1200 CODEC, audio input/output, general-purpose I/O and one 640x240 color LCD display with touch-screen sensing. Furthermore, it includes Windows CE®, operational device drivers and Embedded Visual Studio from Microsoft which provides C/C++ and Visual Basic - ready to start application programming immediately. On request, u-blox can provide custom-tailored device drivers and system solutions. Other operating systems are supported on demand. In the near future, u-blox plans to introduce additional products with higher memory capacities and more powerful microprocessors.

About u-blox

Founded in 1997 as an ETH Zurich spin-off, the electronics company u-blox develops integrated circuits for GPS modules embedded in electronics systems for the automobile industry and consumer articles. The GPS global positioning system enables precise location within a few metres anywhere in the world by using satellite signals as a reference. u-blox is already well established on the market as a manufacturer of high-performance GPS receivers with low power consumption. These are installed for example in car navigation systems. u-blox was founded by the current management team Daniel Amman, Claus Habiger, Andreas Thiel, Prof. Dr. Gerhard Tröster and Jean-Pierre Wyss. The company now has 25 employees, most of whom are development engineers, and sales for this year are expected to reach 20 million DM. u-blox plans to double its sales and human resources next year.

Further information