NEC Electronics Launches VR Series Single-Controller Chip for Portables, HPCs
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — September 2, 1997 — NEC Electronics Inc. today announced the VRC4171, an LCD and PC Card controller for the low-power, high-performance VR4102(TM) and future VR4100(TM)-based MIPS(R) RISC microprocessors designed for portable systems. The single-chip VRC4171 device adds both color LCD graphics and PCMCIA Card control capability to the VR4100 family of processors, creating an ideal combination for Windows(R) CE-based and other handheld products.
An LCD graphics display controller and two PC Card controllers are included in the VRC4171 device, which also offers up to four programmable general-purpose input/output (GPIO) pins for communication with outside peripherals. Ideal for battery-powered designs, the VRC4171 device operates at 3.3 volts with a typical power consumption of 250 milliwatts.
Target applications for the VRC4171 include handheld PCs and terminals, smartphones, Web phones, wallet PCs and personal digital assistants, automotive navigation and global positioning systems, digital cameras and handheld diagnostic systems.
"The VRC4171 is the perfect companion to the highly-integrated VR4102 processor for creating advanced handheld devices," said Arnold Estep, marketing manager for the VR Series. "By adding color LCD and dual-slot PC Card capabilities, this new companion chip provides designers and OEMs with a high-performance, low-cost system solution."
About the VRC4171
The LCD controller in the VRC4171 device supports both color and monochrome LCD displays, a requirement of Microsoft Windows CE 2.0. The device will drive single-, dual-scan and active matrix displays, providing up to 64,000 colors and 64 gray scales. Screen resolutions of up to 640 x 480 dpi (dots per inch) are supported by the VRC4171 device.
There are two different types of PC Card controllers included in the VRC4171. The first controller is fully compliant with both the popular ExCA PC Card standard and PCMCIA (Personal Computer Memory Card International Association) version 2.1 standards, so it can be used for many different kinds of PC Cards. The second controller provides either PCMCIA or Compact Flash(TM) memory control, offering system designers the choice of adding additional PC Card-based peripherals or flash-based storage.
Even more flexibility is provided to system designers by up to four general-purpose input/output (GPIO) pins, which are available for programming system inputs and outputs.
Development Tools
A variety of tools, including compilers, operating systems and debuggers that support the MIPS RISC architecture, can be used to develop VRC4171-based systems that do not use the Windows CE platform, enabling the designers to select the most efficient development environment for their particular applications.
Evaluation boards for the VR4102 processor and for the VRC4171 device are available now. A unified board including both the VR4102 and VRC4171 on the same evaluation board will be available in October.
Pricing and Availability
The VRC4171, which is built on a 0.5-micron process and packaged in a 208-pin LQFP, will be available in September 1997. It will be priced at $9 per unit in 10,000 unit quantities. Pricing and availability are subject to change.
NEC's VR Series Microprocessors
NEC licenses the MIPS RISC technology from the MIPS Group of Silicon Graphics, Inc. Based on this technology, NEC designs and manufactures the VR Series of high-performance microprocessors. The company offers a broad line of MIPS-based microprocessors, including the VR4100, VR4101(TM), VR4102, VR4300(TM), VR4400(TM), VR5000(TM) and VR10000(TM).
About NEC Electronics Inc.
NEC Electronics Inc., headquartered in Santa Clara, Calif., designs, manufactures and markets an extensive line of electronic products including ASICs, microprocessors and microcontrollers, 3D graphics accelerators, digital signal processors (DSPs), memories and components including flat panel displays. In 1996, the company ranked fourth in semiconductor sales in the U.S. The company operates a 709,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Roseville, Calif. NEC Electronics is an affiliate of NEC Corporation (NIPNY), a $41 billion international manufacturer of computer, communications and semiconductor products. For more information about products offered by NEC Electronics Inc., visit the NEC U.S. website at http://www.nec.com.
NOTE: NEC, VR Series, VRC4171, VR4100, VR4101, VR4102, VR4300, VR4400, VR5000 and VR10000 are registered trademarks or trademarks of NEC Corp. MIPS is a trademark of Silicon Graphics Inc., MIPS Group. Windows and Windows CE are trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. CompactFlash is a trademark of SanDisk Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective holders.
Literature Hotline:
NEC Electronics Inc.
800-366-9782 phone
800-729-9288 fax
SOURCE: NEC Electronics Inc.
CONTACT:
Jim Lucas of NEC Electronics Inc., 408-588-6620, or [email protected];
or
Michael Goldstein of Cohn & Wolfe, 310-226-3037, or [email protected], for NEC