Castle announces ARM9 MiMagic 5 support
Published on 29th Nov 2004, 16:48:09, source is drobe.co.uk
By Chris Williams
Only 220MHz but still exciting, if you want ROS in a PDA [Updated]
Castle have announced RISC OS support for NeoMagic's MiMagic 5 processor range. The MiMagic application processor is a 220MHz 32bit ARM9 core wrapped in a host of I/O and LCD monitor interfaces, and is aimed at wireless PDAs, handheld information appliances and other embedded kit.
Clearly not aimed at desktop use, the MiMagic 5 chip packs the following features:
- ARM922T 220 MHz 32-bit ARM core
- Dual independent 32-bit DMA bus configuration and dynamically assignable DMA controller.
- Very low system power consumption.
- Frequently used code can be stored in the SRAM.
- Multiple power down modes.
- Multimedia Enhancement Hardware-assist for video streaming and decoding.
- Digital camera interface.
- Low system cost.
- Supports low cost NAND Flash.
- Rich set of peripherals: SD Card, SDIO, MultiMediaCard, USB, serial, and audio.
- Multiple Boot Options: Linear Flash, NAND Flash, UARTs, SD, MMC, or Serial EPROM.
- Video support up to 800x600.
No prices or release dates are mentioned, but development boards will be available from Castle at some point. For the impatient, Castle will be demonstrating a MiMagic 5 powered RISC OS 5 computer at the Midlands RISC OS show this Saturday.
Following the news of the A9, the RISC OS future certainly looks portable - playing heavily on the OS's original motto of 'doing more with less'. Its small footprint, modular ROM based nature, and straight forward GUI are the assets that appear to be making the OS attractive to outside customers.
It also demonstrates the flexibility of modern ARM cores, in that silicon developers can pick up a core, pack in extra features (such as wireless and LCD support) as required and produce a custom processor to suit their needs - especially with high speed ARM9 cores rumoured to be in hands of third parties developing kit that use the ARM family.
We're also told that the support for MiMagic 5 was introduced after Castle's embedded arm, Tematic, have been working with un-named OEMs.
Update at 04:04 1/12/2004
We asked Castle if they could name the OEMs that they've been working with. CTL boss Jack Lillingston had this to say: "At the moment I can't name any OEMs (that is the nature of the companies we do business with). Also we have some high powered customers purchasing IYONIX pcs for evaluation and development, including major silicon designers and major telecoms companies."
We'll also have to wait and see on the price of the development board, too.
Links
MiMagic 5 support for RISC OS 5 announcement
Castle websiteRelated articles
Castle reveal shared source licence
Castle and ROS Open reveal plans for 2007
Castle directors patch up 'disagreement'
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