InHand plans to launch in October a hardware reference design for handheld and wireless devices. The new ATP-27X will use an Intel XScale PXA270 (formerly “Bulverde”), an ARM-based SoC (system-on-chip) optimized for wireless mobile multimedia applications. The ATP-27X supports Linux, and targets top-tier OEMs, InHand says.

(Click for large view of ATP-27X design)

InHand shipped its first XScale-based reference platform in April of 2003, when it launched the Elf3 platform, later following up with the credit-card sized Fingertip3 in August. Both designs use a 400MHz PXA255. The new platform will use the PXA255's successor, the PXA270.

Intel announced the PXA270 as “Bulverde” in September of 2003, later sampling the chip in April and shipping it in June. The chip has so far appeared in a DIMM-shaped board from Strategic Test, and has been announced for the Intel A780, a Linux-based smartphone expected to reach the US market before the holidays, and the Pepper Pad 2, a wireless Webpad for home users.

The PXA-270 features technologies designed to optimize multimedia performance and security in low-powered handheld devices, including “Wireless MMX,” “Quick Capture,” “Mobile Scalable Link,” and “Intel Wireless Trusted Platform.” Joining the branding buzzword fun, InHand says its new ATP-27x platform benefits from “BatterySmart” dynamic power management software, among other power-saving hardware and software technologies in the InHand portfolio. The company says the new platform enables developers to better adjust and manage performance, power consumption, and battery life, compared to previous InHand reference designs.

CEO Andrew Girson said, “Whereas InHand's popular Elf3 and Fingertip3 reference platforms are ideally suited for speedy time-to-market with proven designs, the ATP-27X is appropriate for exploring next-generation designs.”

In addition to the PXA270 chip, the ATP-27X reference design will include 32MB of Flash, and 64MB of RAM.

ATP-27X reference platforms will be available in October and will be priced at $9,995, including the reference platform hardware, software, documentation, and technical support.

 
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