Freescale said that the i.MX508 processor is designed to deliver energy efficiency and system cost savings needed to help OEMs evolve and grow the eReader product category. With the ARM core running at 800 MHz, the i.MX508 provides twice the rendering performance of Freescale’s previous eReader processors, resulting in faster page turns.
In addition, the increased processing capability gives manufacturers the additional performance to add features like advanced touch and the ability to run other value-added applications.
The processor supports panel resolutions up to 2048 x1536 pixels at 106 hertz. Leveraging the Arm Cortex-A8 engine, the i.MX508 processor has the potential performance to handle complex image manipulations and color processing, the company said.
Freescale added that by integrating the E Ink display controller, the i.MX508 reduces part counts and lowers costs associated with electronic paper display control functionality by as much as 50% compared to systems without an integrated controller.
The i.MX508 processor includes special power modes created for eReaders that allow the CPU and some peripherals to operate at full speed while rendering a page and then turn off to save power when they are not needed. As eReader panel resolution increases, the i.MX508 with its integrated display controller, offers lower power than software-based display controller solutions, the company said.
The i.MX508 applications processor is expected to be priced at less than $10 in quantities greater than 250K units. Freescale plans to begin providing samples to select customers early in the third quarter of 2010.
