How will mobile phone trends affect the handset's DSP?
19 October 2005
News
What changes are coming to the mobile phone, and how will they affect the handset's digital signal processing? ABI Research has identified four major trends:
* Transition of cellular protocols to 3G and 4G standards. Even though the industry is, to date, barely deploying standards such as UMTS and EV-DO, demos are already under way for next generation standards that employ OFDM and MIMO to enable 100 Mbps-type data rates.
* Advanced multimedia such as video conferencing, 3D gaming and graphics, and mobile TV. Such applications are very computing-intensive.
* Wireless connectivity technologies such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, Ultrawideband, and WiMAX. No technology is ideal in all applications, so the holy grail is to support all wireless technologies and protocols.
* Efforts to improve link margins and communications quality. With growing penetration of cellular networks worldwide, there is increased focus on improving cellular communications without significantly increasing network capital- and operational-expenditures.
How will these trends affect the DSP's design? Alan Varghese, ABI's principal analyst, semiconductor research, sees two pathways: one evolutionary, the other disruptive and revolutionary. "The evolutionary path," he notes, "involves increasing reliance on hardware accelerators and coprocessors to offload the DSP's work. But this approach might run into problems: it is going to be too complex to support all the hardware required for all the protocols mentioned above. A hardware-centric architecture also precludes quick adaptations to new requirements."
ABI Research sees revolutionary promise in a new set of vendors such as Sandbridge Technologies and Morpho Technologies, whose software-defined architectures are finally becoming viable in the handset. "Considering that the mobile phone DSP is approximately a $5 bn industry," Varghese concludes, "current market leaders may need to start looking over their shoulders."
www.abiresearch.com
Further reading:
Engineering in a world that cannot assume connectivity
Technews Publishing
Editor's Choice News
Across industrial automation, networking, and defence systems, engineers are rediscovering the importance of resilience and autonomy in an increasingly connected world.
Read more...
IOT secures major industry partnership
IOT Electronics
News
IOT Electronics has announced a new strategic partnership with Powell Electronics, becoming an Official Authorised Reseller in South Africa.
Read more...
Successful Proteus training conference
Dizzy Enterprises
News
Dizzy Enterprises recently hosted two hands-on Proteus Training Conferences, bringing together electronics professionals, designers, and enthusiasts to explore the latest capabilities of the Proteus Design Suite from Labcenter Electronics.
Read more...
Hitachi reinvents asset management solution
News
Hitachi Energy, in collaboration with Microsoft, is accelerating the digital transformation of essential infrastructure - from electricity networks and transportation corridors to heavy industrial operations - by reinventing how critical assets are managed and maintained.
Read more...
Mycronic releases mixed Q4 results
News
Mycronic reported mixed Q4 results for the year ended January to December 2025, while delivering record full year order intake and net sales.
Read more...
AGOA: Businesses should diversify or face significant exposure
News
Cross-border payments platform Verto has called on South African and African businesses to accelerate their transition toward a “post-AGOA” trade strategy following President Donald Trump’s signing of a one-year extension to the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).
Read more...
European components distribution growing
News
European electronic components distribution returned to growth in the fourth quarter of 2025, according to newly released figures from DMASS Europe.
Read more...
Silicon Labs reports strong growth
News
Silicon Labs has reported robust financial results for the fourth quarter and full year 2025, with significant YoY revenue gains and shifting market dynamics.
Read more...
Siemens acquires Canopus AI
ASIC Design Services
News
The acquisition extends Siemens’ comprehensive EDA software portfolio with computational metrology and inspection to help chipmakers solve critical technical challenges in semiconductor manufacturing.
Read more...
Micron breaks ground on new wafer fabs
News
Micron Technology has advanced two major semiconductor manufacturing initiatives that together reflect the company’s strategic response to sustained global demand for memory solutions.
Read more...
printer friendly version