29 August 2008

Prototype Multimedia Panel For Smart Home Features ARM Core

Prowad has confirmed that it has finished the development of a prototype multimedia control panel for a smart home.

The main function of the developed panel is to control different devices connected to the home network and indicate their status on the screen. But Prowad said the device is actually multi-purpose and can be used for a number of other functions, including an e-book reader, photo-frame or tablet PC providing internet and web access.

This prototype is based on Cirrus Logic EP9307 processor, which runs on a 200 Mhz ARM9 core. It integrates a number of controllers, including graphics and audio, and runs an embedded Linux operating system.

The control panel has a large color graphic LCD with touch screen and a wide range of interfaces including IrDA, USB 2.0 Host, Wi-Fi (802.11b/g), Ethernet 10/100Mbit, PoE (Power-over-Ethernet), CF II+, AC’97 and RS-232, the company confirmed. The device is equipped with a luminance sensor, presence detector, embedded microphone and loudspeaker together with audio input/output connectors.

The board support package (BSP) was developed using the Poky Linux operating system for the ARM processor. The usage of Linux OS and Open Source allowed the designers to create a scalable platform, which can be easily adopted to the market demands, Prowad said.