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Chapter 1
1.1 Introduction
Mobile devices and mobile services have become part of people’s everyday lives and they are
changing the way people live, work and play. Consumers are progressively moving beyond
just using their phones to call people. We see them increasingly using mobile devices to
access email, browse the web, play games, and enjoy multimedia like music and video.
The next generation of phones and mobile devices need greater processing power to support
these capabilities. Snapdragon delivers the unprecedented combination of 3G, processing
performance, powerful multimedia capabilities and optimized power consumption all in a
single chip to enable a new generation of smart mobile devices. Snapdragon has become the
solution of choice for any device manufacturer designing a high-performance,next-generation
mobile device.
Snapdragon is the name of the architecture of a family of chipsets with an ARM-based CPU.
The architecture was developed by Qualcomm (which calls Snapdragon a "platform") for use
in smartphones and mobile computing devices.
With powerful 1GHz-plus processors, Snapdragon-powered devices are bringing a new type
of user experience to market, redefining mobility for consumers around the world. Mobile
devices based on the Snapdragon family of chipsets deliver real-time ubiquitous
communication, high-performance multimedia, location-aware content, Internet browsing and
productivity applications, all with the lowest levels of power consumption for all-day battery
life and always-on connectivity.
Powered by Snapdragon chipsets, smart phones now coming to market are lighter and more
powerful than ever. With larger, high-resolution display screens and faster processing,
smartphones give you reliable voice, data, Internet, and GPS navigation-but now in an even
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thinner form factor that still fits in your pocket. With Snapdragon power in your Smartphone,
you can quickly access all your favourite applications and take advantage of 3G mobile
broadband connectivity and an extended battery life.
The Snapdragon platform is designed for real time ubiquitous computing with low power
consumption for day-long battery life. The first chipsets in the Snapdragon family were the
QSD8650 and the QSD8250, available since the fourth quarter of 2008,both integrating a 1
GHz, applications processor, a cellular modem and GPS.
The Snapdragon application processor core is called Scorpion and is similar to the ARM
Cortex-A8 core. All Snapdragon processors contain the circuitry to decode High-Definition
(HD) video at 720p resolution.
The latest QSD8672 chip uses 45 nm technology and includes two CPU cores running at up
to 1.5 GHz. QSD8672 product targets advanced mobile computing devices and includes
integrated HSPA+, GPS, Bluetooth, full high definition video recording and playback, Wi-Fi
and mobile TV technologies (MediaFLO, DVB-H and ISDB-T). Mobile devices using the
QSD8672 are expected to become available in the second half of 2010.
1.2 Overview
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With powerful 1GHz-plus processors, Snapdragon-powered devices are bringing a new type
of user experience to market, redefining mobility for consumers around the world. Mobile
devices based on the Snapdragon family of chipsets deliver real-time ubiquitous
communication, high-performance multimedia, location-aware content, Internet browsing and
productivity applications, all with the lowest levels of power consumption for all-day battery
life and always-on connectivity.
Snapdragon technology is the next step in the evolution of mobility that Qualcomm brings to
market.
Snapdragon chipsets power smartbooks, a new breed of mobile devices that merge the
intuitive, instant-on and always-connected user experience of smartphones with the versatility
and power of a laptop in a smaller and thinner design than the traditional or mini-notebook.
Smartbooks offer high-quality multimedia performance with 3D graphics, HD video, built-in
GPS and more. Smartbooks let you enjoy movies, stream videos, play games, surf the web
and social networking sites, connect and locate friends and places and more-wherever you
are. A sizable high-resolution display and all the high-performance advantages of Snapdragon
chipsets round out an incomparable mobile experience in a sleek and slim form factor. A
wide variety of Snapdragon-based smartbooks are already in design today.
Powered by Snapdragon chipsets, smartphones now coming to market are lighter and more
powerful than ever. With larger, high-resolution display screens and faster processing,
smartphones give you reliable voice, data, Internet, and GPS navigation-but now in an even
thinner form factor that still fits in your pocket. With Snapdragon power in your Smartphone,
you can quickly access all your favourite applications and take advantage of 3G mobile
broadband connectivity and an extended battery life.
1.3History
Not that long ago, competition in the microprocessor world centred on x86 designs for
desktop PCs and RISC devices for workstations. “In the 1990s, [CPU design] was all about
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performance – nobody cared about power consumption or how much it cost,” said Linley
Gwennap, principal analyst of The Linley Group. But, as the market matured, x86 players
either left the market or were acquired, leaving Intel and AMD to fight it out.
Today, it is the mobile computing market that is fiercely contested, especially processors for
smartphones and sub notebooks – a computer class known variously as mobile internet
devices, netbooks or smartbooks.
“With mobile processors, it is not just the processor, but also 3d graphics, audio and video
processing and cellular, all designed with an incredibly low power budget and constrained
cost,” said Gwennap. For Gwennap, mobile processors are driving semiconductor
innovation. “Mobile processors are the hardest design task to take on – the same
performance as a pc crammed onto one chip,” he said.
Qualcomm’s Snapdragon is one such device and is already used to power Google’s high
profile Nexus One Smartphone. Qualcomm has several Snapdragon ICs based on the ARM
Cortex-A8 instruction set and plans to adopt the design across more of its product families.
Snapdragon’s origins date back five years when Qualcomm brought onboard a low power
PowerPC processor design team released by IBM. “We hired the team intact,” said Mark
Frankel, vice president of product management at Qualcomm’s CDMA Technologies
division. The team began designing its ARM based core with a target clock speed of at least
1GHz.
Five years on, several Snapdragon designs exist. The first, now shipping in Smartphone and
smartbook products, is the 65nm 1GHz QSD8250/8650. “The QSD8250 and 8650 is the
same silicon,” said Frankel. “The difference is the Firmware: the 8250 is UMTS only, while
the 8650 is multimode and supports CDMA-2000.”
Two follow on 45nm Snapdragon designs have been detailed: the QSD8650A, clocked at
1.3GHz, and the dual core QSD8672, clocked at up to 1.5GHz. Qualcomm owns an ARM
architectural license, such that while Snapdragon is code compatible with ARM’s Cortex-
A8, the company has freedom to design its own hardware. The result is an ARM7
compatible superscalar processor with a 128bit single instruction, multiple data (SIMD)
engine, dubbed VeNum, instead of ARM’s 64bit NEON
“We can dispatch instructions with a greater throughput than a typical ARM, and we control
the [memory] caches and where we put them,” said Frankel. “Not only do we have control
of the process and transistor mix, but also the [technology’s] creative design.”
In addition to the SIMD engine, Snapdragon includes a dsp and a graphics unit. The
QSD8250’s 600MHz dsp is Qualcomm’s own design and performs mainly video processing.
The device can encode and decode video at a 720p rate and includes dedicated hardware
blocks. The faster QSD8672 is able to process video at 1080p.
Given the dedicated dsp, why is the SIMD engine – ideal for multimedia processing needed?
The answer is to run multimedia codecs, such as flash, written by third parties. In contrast,
the dsp, with its own microcode, was never designed to be programmed by Snapdragon
based product developers, says Frankel.
The 2d/3d graphics engine is the result of Qualcomm’s acquisition of the assets of an ATI
supports the faster data rate HSPA+. The 3G modem is a core advantage of Qualcomm’s
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integrated device. “As a leader in 3G cellular, if designers choose the Snapdragon, they
know they are getting a solid 3G baseband used around the world,” said Gwennap
To constrain the Snapdragon’s power consumption – and hence prolong a mobile device’s
battery operating life – functional blocks are clocked independently. “The power can also be
switched down within a clock cycle and when you need processing, it can be switched on
almost instantly,” said Frankel. The 65nm 1GHz QSD8650 device consumes 0.5W and has a
standby rating of 10mW. The 45nm process unit, whose graphics core Qualcomm had
licensed previously.
“The 3d graphics is extremely important [for Smartphones and smartbooks]; it is the first
[product] impression a user gets,” said Frankel
The 3d graphics performance of the QSD8650 is 22million triangle/s and 133m 3d pixel/s. It
also supports displays of up to WXGA (1366 x 768). The QSD8672 extends performance to
80m triangle/s and more than 500m 3d pixel/s. Display capability is extended to WSXGA
(1440 x 900).
As for Snapdragon’s integrated wireless modem, the QSD8650/A supports UMTS, including
the high speed packet access standard (HSPA),as well as CDMA-2000, while the QSD8762
also reduces the power consumption to 0.35W for the QSD8650A.
Qualcomm claims 15 manufacturers are now developing 40 designs based on the
Snapdragon. First to be announced was the Toshiba TG01 smartphone. Since then, other
smartphone product launches include such firms as HTC, Acer, Sony Xperia and LG
In January, Qualcomm announced that Lenovo is developing several designs, including a
smartbook to be launched by US operator AT&T.
This will be followed by launches in China and Europe. Qualcomm is also working with HP
on a Snapdragon based Android smartbook. There is a lack of rigour when it comes to
describing mobile computing devices; even experts agree that definitions are ‘slippery’
Meanwhile, the Google Nexus One handset is the fastest clocked smartphone on the market.
Qualcomm’s mix of design wins spans leading smartphone and smartbook makers. But, by
integrated a powerful cpu with a cellular modem, the design is confined to applications that
require both functions.
“It is not the device for navigation devices or media players, unless mobile functionality is
also needed,” said Gwennap. This is in contrast with the likes of Texas Instruments, whose
OMAP processor is targeted at several products. “The good news for Qualcomm is that
cellular is popping up in a lot of places, such as e-books, while a lot of netbooks are sold
with cellular functionality included,” said Gwennap.
Snapdragon faces stiff competition from the likes of Marvell and Free scale (see NE, 23 Feb
2009), as well as from Intel and Nvidia. While ARM’s Cortex-A8 may not be clocked at
1GHz, ARM continues to invest heavily in its architecture and has announced the Cortex-A9
CPU, which has architectural enhancements such as instruction reordering. This will give a
processing edge for the same clock speed as the Snapdragon.
According to Linley Group, the Cortex-A9 cpu will ship in Nvidia’s Tegra 250 in the second
quarter of 2010. Tegra 250 contains two Cortex- A9 CPUs; each running at up to 1GHz.
Texas Instruments’ OMAP4 also uses ARM’s Cortex-A9 and will ship later this year.
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Chapter 2
2.1 ARM Cortex A-8
The ARM Cortex-A8 processor is based on the ARMv7 architecture and has the ability
to scale in speed from 600MHz to greater than 1GHz. The Cortex-A8 processor can meet the
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requirements for power-optimized mobile devices needing operation in less than 300mW;
and performance-optimized consumer applications requiring 2000 Dhrystone MIPS.
The Cortex-A8 high-performance processor is proven in end devices today. From high-end
feature phones to netbooks, DTVs, printers and automotive-infotainment, the Cortex-A8
processor offers a proven high-performance solution with millions of units shipped annually.
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Specifications
• ARM
• Thumb-2/ Thumb
ISA Support • NEON
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Feature Description
Cortex-A8 Feature
The Level 2 cache is integrated into the core for ease of integration,
power efficiency, and optimal performance. Built using standard
Integrated Level 2
compiled RAMs, the cache is configurable from 0K – 1MB. The
cache
cache can be built using compiled memories and has programmable
delay to accommodate different array characteristics
Memory Management A full MMU enables the Cortex-A8 to run rich operating systems in
Unit a variety of Applications
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Chapter 3
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The QSD 8650 & QSD 8250 were having an RISC structure with a 32-bit width they
supports the instruction set ARMv7. They were having a 1GHz clock frequency with a
CMOS semiconductor technology. The feature size of the machine was only 65nm.
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• Audio codecs: (AAC+, eAAC+, AMR, FR, EFR, HR, WB-AMR, G.729a, G.711,
AAC stereo encode)
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targeting more advanced mobile computing devices. The QSD8672 chip features two
computing cores capable of up to 1.5GHz for greater processing capabilities, in addition to
optimized battery life and a full range of 3G mobile broadband and peripheral connectivity
capabilities found on all Snapdragon chipsets. Snapdragon-powered mobile computing
devices combine the best of Smartphones and laptops, delivering advanced computing while
enhancing the user experience with the always-on, connected characteristics of mobile
handsets.
“This new dual-CPU Snapdragon chip demonstrates our long-term commitment to helping
our customers develop a wide variety of innovative, data-centric, mobile computing devices”,
said Luis Pineda, senior vice president of marketing and product management for Qualcomm
CDMA Technologies. “With its exceptional computing power and improved energy
efficiency, the QSD8672 chip allows us to enable more advanced devices that are essentially
always on, always awake and always connected.”
The dual-CPU QSD8672 solution, with two highly integrated computing processors running
at speeds of up to 1.5GHz, is designed to enable new classes of wirelessly connected
computing and pocketable computing devices and deliver significant enhancements to
Netbook devices. Having two processing cores allows the chip to deliver an enhanced
computing experience with more instantaneous response and greater ability to run multiple
applications concurrently. The QSD8672 also will provide these devices with greater
functionality, particularly 3G wireless broadband through the Company's industry-leading
integrated multi-mode modems including HSPA+ for up to 28 Mbps on the downlink and up
to 11 Mbps on the uplink. The chip integrates GPS, Bluetooth, 1080p high-definition video
recording and playback and also supports Wi-Fi and mobile TV technologies such as
MediaFLO, DVB-H and ISDB-T. The integrated 2D and 3D graphics engines deliver device
manufacturers the ability to offer products with display resolutions up to WSXGA (1440 x
900).
Together with radio frequency and power management chips, the QSD8672 provides a
complete solution for mobile computing devices. Mobile computing devices running on the
dual-CPU Snapdragon solution can offer displays from 9 to 12 inches in size with a form-
factor that is smaller, thinner, lighter and quieter. These devices also take advantage of
integrated 3G connectivity and comprehensive peripheral connectivity capabilities, which
complement and enable these portable form-factors. Running on Snapdragon chips also
allows mobile computing devices to deliver powerful processing capabilities, transparent and
reliable connectivity and exceptionally long battery life.
The QSD 8672 includes most of the features of QSD 8x50 in addition to
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3.3 Smartbooks
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Fig.3.2 Smartbooks
The new breed of hybrid Smartphone and netbook called the smartbook. It is made by
Lenovo and it runs on Qualcomm (NSDQ: QCOM)’s Snapdragon processor and Linux
software. Qualcomm’s chief executive Paul Jacobs flashed the device at an analysts meeting
in New York. Qualcomm has long championed the category it calls the smartbook. It’s a
cross between the netbook and the Smartphone; the idea is to combine the best of both
devices in one. However, some Smartphones are already sporting the features trumpeted in
smartbooks. Smartbooks are touted by manufacturers for the same features found in some
advanced smartphones technology, as well as superior energy efficiency. While Qualcomm
didn’t formally launch the smartbook, it has revealed improvements in its Brew Mobile
Platform OS that should help independent developers bring their smartbook models to market
faster. The firm said key software components are being integrated in the Brew platform
including Java virtual machine browsers, multimedia, instant messaging, and calendar
applications. Qualcomm said that the new features will enable device developers to distribute
applications before new handsets are launched. “Qualcomm is working closely with key
software technology providers,” said Jason Kenagy, VP of product management for
Qualcomm Technologies, in a statement. “This effort includes optimization of target devices
and pre-distribution of these products to device makers.”
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As mobile applications become more demanding, and networks become faster and more
capable of handling heavy data loads, smartphones will continually push the limits of what is
possible on a mobile device while still ensuring a good user experience. Mobile performance,
power optimisation, connectivity options, and device size remain critical to the success of
smartphones. Cost-efficiency will also dictate how accessible devices are in various markets.
In early January, Lenovo announced their Skylight product, which is the first Snapdragon
notebook. Right now, there are 15 manufacturers developing more than 40 Snapdragon-based
devices, including smartphones and smartbooks. From the inception of Snapdragon several
years ago, Qualcomm believed that mobile devices would continue to evolve to become more
capable and more valuable to everyday life. This included not only groundbreaking new
smartphones, but devices with larger displays. We therefore began work on the custom
central processor that is at the heart of Snapdragon, which enables it to deliver performance
exceeding 1 GHz and with low levels of power consumption.
The Lenovo Skylight is a 10 in (25 cm) mobile HD device which uses a 1 GHz Snapdragon
processor.
The soon to be released LG eXpo and the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 are also being built
using a 1 GHz Snapdragon processor.
Acer Liquid is the first mobile phone to use this Qualcomm Snapdragon.
Soon to be released Nokia N900 is also using snapdragon 1GHz chipsets with Maemo OS.
Fig.3.3 N900
8X50A: 1.3 GHz; 45 nanometre technology; available in end products at the end of 2010
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8X72: dual-core, each core clocked at 1.5 GHz; capable of decoding 1080p
Chapter 4
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To make the point clearer, let's tell a story about an everyday college student. Let's call him
Dan.
Dan wakes up in the morning and gets ready to go to class. While eating breakfast, he
streams the latest tunes from his favourite music blogs and compiles them into a fresh playlist
for the day.
As Dan carpools to class, he updates his presentation for Polisci 102 from the backseat.
Meanwhile he checks real-time traffic conditions to find out which campus parking lots still
have space available and passes the data to his friend in the driver's seat.
After his presentation, Dan has an interview with the Dean for his college paper. Instead of
fidgeting with his notes and trying to scribble down a legible shorthand, Dan simply films his
conversation with the Dean. He uses the footage from his interview as a transcript for the
printed edition of his paper and then posts the raw video in a web blog.
Once he is done with his classes, Dan finds himself waiting for his roommate in the parking
lot. He uses the downtime to check his grades, and then to research the scheduled nightlife at
area clubs that evening. Stopping by the supermarket before going home, Dan and his
roommate find a great deal on sundried tomatoes. They don't really know what to make with
sundried tomatoes, but Dan quickly uses his mobile device to find a suitable recipe.
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After dinner, Dan hits the city to go dancing. At the club, he hears a few songs that he likes;
he takes note of their titles so he can check them out later. Dan also shows off all his photos
and video clips to his friends, letting everyone see the evidence of his fantastic trip to South
America last month.
After the club, Dan finds out where the cheapest late night food is and gets some quick
sustenance before heading home for the night.
How did Dan accomplish all of this? Not with a laptop or cell phone. No, Dan has found a
smarter and more modern solution. He uses a Snapdragon-based device.
The options for mobile connectivity are opening up in ways we never dreamed possible five
years ago. Thanks to the revolutionary Snapdragon platform, the question isn't what you want
to do; the question is how far you want to take it.
processors clocked up to 1.2GHz (Scorpion, like ARM's own Cortex, implements ARM's
ARMv7 architecture). Although the company did not initially brand them as "Snapdragon"
processors, they are touted as being "pin-, software-, and functionality-compatible" with
Qualcomm's earlier Snapdragon chips, the QSD8250 and QSD8650. Xandros did not mention
a specific brand of Snapdragon, but is likely targeting this newer MSM8xxx platform.
The Snapdragon architecture first appeared in the QSD8250 and QSD8650 chipsets,
announced in 2007. Those chips were recently used in a Windows Mobile-based smartphone
from Toshiba called the TG01. Qualcomm's QSD8250 offers an ARM-based "Scorpion"
CPU clocked at 1GHz, plus a 600MHz DSP (digital signal processor). The platform also
provides an integral GPS receiver, day-long battery life, HD video playback, and support for
cameras up to 12 megapixels, according to Qualcomm. Other Snapdragon support is said to
include HSDPA (high speed downlink packet access) connectivity, WiFi, and Bluetooth. The
QSD8650 is similar to the QSD8250 except for the addition of dual-mode support for
providing both HSPA and CDMA2000 1xEV-DO Rev. B connectivity.
In 2009 HTC Corporation used the QSD8250, 1GHz chipset in the HTC HD2.
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In June 2009 Qualcomm presented an ASUS Eee PC using the Snapdragon processor and
running Google's Linux distribution Android. At the same event, ASUS also showed a
Snapdragon-based device and then withdrew it abruptly. Acer's Android-based Liquid A1
Smartphone, launched in December 2009, also uses a 768 MHz Snapdragon.
The Google Nexus One, released 5 January 2010, and manufactured by HTC, features
Android OS 2.1 and is powered by a Snapdragon running at 1 GHz (Qualcomm QSD8250).
The Lenovo Skylight is a 10 in (25 cm) mobile HD device which uses a 1 GHz Snapdragon
processor
The soon to be released LG eXpo and the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 are also being built
using a 1 GHz Snapdragon processor.
Acer Liquid is the first mobile phone to use this Qualcomm Snapdragon.
Chapter 5
5.1 MediaFLO Technology
The television experience is no longer tied to the living room. The next frontier in television
is mobility. Broadcasting television to mobile consumers represents an enormous opportunity
for multi-channel operators and mobile network operators alike. But terrestrial television
broadcasting and mobile networks have rarely crossed paths.
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How can rich content be delivered to millions of mobile users? Can mobile network operators
deliver a compelling number of TV feeds without over-burdening their networks and still
build a business case? FLO™ technology was specifically designed to overcome these
challenges.
The MediaFLO system provides a number of unique benefits to multi-channel operators and
mobile network operators. Both parties benefit from a compelling and rich service offering
that both emulates and transcends the traditional television experience.
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• Encourages users to increase usage of existing SMS and data plans vi interactivity
applications
• Provides immediate access to real-time data extending the value of the mobile device
to an “always on” lifestyle management tool
5.2 Wi-Fi
Qualcomm's wireless LAN (WLAN ) technologies deliver the freedom to share and manage
digital content, sync multimedia with home media players and enjoy content anywhere,
anytime, on any device.
mobile gaming, Qualcomm will support device manufacturers with high-performance yet
efficient highly integrated chipset solutions fully compliant with the latest standards.
Wireless LAN networks based on the global, evolving 802.11 standards have significant
benefits for manufacturers and consumers alike:
Based on the revolutionary MIMO (multiple input multiple output) technique, Qualcomm's
highly integrated, high performance WLAN chipset solution for the next generation 802.11n
standard features 4th generation True MIMO® technology that delivers new levels of
coverage, speed and capacity for wireless networking:
5.3 Bluetooth
Qualcomm offers proven, world class Bluetooth® Hardware and Software solutions for
mobile phones and other portable devices requiring low power consumption and a small form
factor. The Bluetooth System on Chip (SoC) and integrated solutions support both Bluetooth
2.X + EDR (Enhanced Data Rate) and Bluetooth 3.0 + H.S. (High Speed), which is the latest
version of the Bluetooth Specification. The SoC’s are available in several package options
which allow for direct PCB attachment or for use in modules that include the Band-Pass
Filter and other required external components. The integrated solutions combine Bluetooth
with cellular radios, FM, Codec and touch screen controller and offer the smallest form factor
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available for handset platforms. Along with these SoC’s and integrated solutions, Qualcomm
provides the complete Bluetooth Upper Layer Software Stack and Profiles.
Qualcomm's Bluetooth solutions facilitate wireless transfers of audio and data between
Bluetooth enabled handsets, headsets, car-kits and other electronic devices.
Benefits
• Enable slimmer form factors by reducing space requirements due to a small footprint
and low external component count.
• Minimal impact on battery life due to low active, standby and sleep power
consumption requirements.
• Turn-key solutions that have been fully integrated, tested and verified on Qualcomm
platforms.
• Fully verified reference designs that reduce OEM development time, engineering
resource requirements and time to market risk.
Key Functions
• High speed UART (4 Mbps) interface to host for control and data
• Integrated regulators
• Ball Grid Array, Bumped Die, Wafer Scale Package and integrated options
5.4 CDMA
Qualcomm developed CDMA technology which changed wireless communication forever.
Through continued innovation the Company delivers increasingly advanced technologies for
wireless solutions around the world.
QCT's CDMA2000® solutions deliver the advanced wireless capabilities that customers
demand today. An innovator in CDMA technology, QCT has propelled mobile connectivity
by providing feature-rich, cost effective, mobile connectivity solutions to all market tiers.
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QCT offers expertise in cutting edge CDMA technologies. Our engineering team has
extensive design and testing experience. Couple that expertise with our integrated-solutions
approach, and we enable sleek, feature-rich, power-efficient devices, while reducing
development time for new handsets. Wireless operators will benefit from the time-to market
advantage of deploying advanced wireless voice and data services without sacrificing
performance or network capacity.
Many Qualcomm CDMA chipset solutions support the mobile industry's Open Market
Handsets (OMH) initiative. Led by the CDMA Development Group, the OMH™ initiative
gives consumers more flexibility and variety when choosing handsets and features. Under the
requirements of OMH, the network settings are shifted from the OMH handset to the OMH
SIM card. Mobile users can purchase a CDMA OMH handset from their retailer of choice
and use it with an OMH SIM card from any CDMA OMH operator. The OMH initiative
increases device variety, improves time-to-market, expands distribution channels, and lowers
handset inventory costs for operators.
To tap into the growing demand for data-intense services, QCT offers cost-effective solutions
for wide area wireless broadband with high data speeds. The higher spectral efficiency of
EV-DO networks offer high data rates and increased capacity. As a result, wireless operators
can deliver cost-effective advanced data services.
EV-DO networks support high-quality streaming video and audio, global positioning
services, and rich multimedia applications. Enhancements in EV-DO Revision A support
symmetric applications with lower latencies. This enables a new breed of applications from
instant messaging with multimedia content to VoIP and video broadcasts. By leveraging
these differentiating services, network operators can offer new services to build revenue;
backward compatibility ensures they can protect their existing network investments.
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Benefits
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5.5 HSPA+
HSPA+, also referred to as High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) Evolved or enhanced HSPA
(eHSPA), is the evolutionary step for HSPA/WCDMA networks. Supporting peak data rates
of up to 42 Mbps on the downlink and 11 Mbps on the uplink*, HSPA+ doubles data
capacity and triples voice capacity, enabling operators to offer mobile broadband more
efficiently and at a lower cost.
With networks offering increased speed and capacity, mobile device users can more enjoy the
always on/connected experience; faster data downloads and uploads; faster Internet surfing;
smoother packet-based video telephony and video sharing; and real-time multimedia gaming,
push-to-talk/media, mobile computing, social networking or a variety of all these activities
simultaneously (multitasking).
* 42 Mbps achieved by combining 2x2 MIMO and HOM (64QAM) in 5MHz or by using
HOM (64QAM) in a 10MHz multicarrier operation.
Benefits
• Fully integrated
Qualcomm's HSPA+-enabled solution features fully integrated next-generation
wireless capabilities and advanced applications. Integration of these features onto a
range of chipsets, allows manufacturers of data cards, handsets and personal/mobile
computing devices to get their devices into the marketplace faster than ever.
• Cost effective
HSPA+ solution is backward compatible with prior generations of WCDMA and does
not require wireless network operators to obtain/purchase new spectrum for
deployment. Thus, operators can leverage their existing network and spectrum
resources - preserving investments - to offer next-generation wireless bandwidth and
performance.
• Greater functionality
Qualcomm's HSPA+ solution enables the mobile broadband experience consumers
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and professionals demand today and well into tomorrow, including multimedia
streaming, video telephony, quick and accurate position location, real-time 3D mobile
gaming, corporate network access, faster Web browsing, and multitasking.
5.6 gpsONE
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GPS technology and location-based services have become essential to modern living. As a
leading developer of advanced wireless technologies and integrated solutions, Qualcomm is
well equipped to provide an advanced and widely adopted (multimode) GPS position-
location technology: gpsOne. Used in more than 500 million handsets, gpsOne goes well
beyond just defining your location. Location-based services, which utilize GPS, are available
to make your life easier, more entertaining, more secure, and more informative.
With the gpsOne solution, navigating from point A to point B becomes much more efficient,
especially when information on weather, traffic, accidents, etc. is automatically utilized to
suggest alternative routes for travel. gpsOne uses location data to provide closer contact with
your friends and family, making it easier to keep in touch and to spend time together. And it
increases your opportunities for fun with dynamic suggestions for dining, shopping, and other
recreation as you travel.
Benefits
Consumer Benefits
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Carrier Benefits:
• Offers creativity and flexibility for marketing programs that emphasize connections to
family and friends
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OEM/ODM Benefits:
• Provides a platform for cost-effective, integrated LBS solution without necessity for a
discrete GPS chip
Technical Specifications
• Compatible with Qualcomm's QPoint Location Based Server as well as 3GPP and
GERAN compliant location servers supporting UMTS control plane and GSM control
plane and OMASUPL 1.0.
QCT began its work in the UMTS market with innovative solutions for WCDMA. It then led
the industry with the first HSDPA, HSUPA and HSPA+ chipsets on the market. These
technologies enable new and advanced applications, allowing operators to differentiate their
service offerings and empowering device manufacturers to develop compelling next
generation devices. Users can experience the best that wireless has to offer.
QCT is also committed to pushing these advanced wireless capabilities to all market tiers by
making it easier for operators to roll out services and expand coverage areas. The QSC family
of integrated single-chip solutions is an example of that, bringing cost and time-to-market
advantages that have spurred growth in wireless broadband and 3G adoption in mass markets
across the globe.
Benefits
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Chapter 6
6.1 Advantages
• Day-long battery life
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• Access to social networks through instant messaging, video conferencing and chat
6.2 Disadvantages
• Currently, one of the disadvantages of QCOM’s Snapdragon smartbooks is that they
will not run MS Windows.
• MSFT has made the decision not to fully support Snapdragon / Arm devices
• Current phones using Qualcomm 7200 or 7600( using ARM Version 6) series
processors not support Windows Mobile 7
Chapter 7
Conclusion
Snapdragon delivers the unprecedented combination of 3G, processing performance,
powerful multimedia capabilities and optimized power consumption all in a single chip to
enable a new generation of smart mobile devices. Snapdragon has become the solution of
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The dual-CPU solution, with two highly integrated computing processors running at speeds
of up to 1.5GHz, is designed to enable new classes of wirelessly connected computing and
pocketable computing devices and deliver significant enhancements to Netbooks devices.
It provides support to HSPA+ technology, Wi-Fi and high resolution video recording and
playback.
Chapter 8
Bibliography
www.eetindia.co.in/ART_8800574154_1800001_NP_87c03f49.HTM
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www.qualcomm.com/products-services/chipsets/snapdragon.html
russia.qualcomm.com/news/relases/2008/081113_Qualcomm_Doubles_Computing_Powe
r_of_Snapdragon_print.html
www.inyomobile.com/2007/11/16/qualcomms-latest-snapdragon-processors-do-
everything-literally.html
www.qctconnect.com/products/snapdragon.html
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snapdragon-(processor)
www.liliputing.com/2010/02/the-qualcomm-snapdragon-based-smartbooks-of-mobile-
world-congress.html
www.pdadb.net/index.php?m=cpu&id=a8650&c=qualcomm_snapdragon_qsd8650
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