ASCOT, United Kingdom-Lucent Technologies Inc. unveiled a reference design platform for manufacturers of General Packet Radio Service handsets that it claims will shave the time-to-market interval for Internet-equipped handsets from as much as 15 months, to as little as four months.
Lucent reported that the time-savings is partly due to the inclusion of a full range of technologies required to build a GPRS handset, eliminating the need for manufacturers to build such products on their own. The solution also allows manufacturers to develop at least two new handsets using the same platform design, without additional engineering resources, leading to reduced costs.
Based on the company’s Sceptre 3 system-on-a-chip technology using DSP 16000 architecture, the platform integrates microcontroller, mixed signal and other technologies onto the chip. The platform also includes Full Type Approval development of the module-required by European regulatory authorities-including baseband, radio, power management and user interface.
According to Lucent, the new multiband platform is approximately the size of a business card, yet is designed to support GPRS up to Class 8 technology, enabling data downloads at a speed of 56 kilobits per second, similar to a V.90 modem. The single-board, single-sided design is expected to be ideal for the next-generation of lightweight, compact handsets, while the reduction in components will lower overall electronics costs.
Lucent noted that global delivery of the new platform to handset manufacturers is scheduled to begin during the fourth quarter.
