iPod runs Pixo/PortalPlayer on Oxford911 ARM-chip
on
Apple releases iPod
·
· Score: 1
That the CPU is an ARM 7 (part of the Oxford Firewire-IDE bridge) is strongly hinted at by this article http://www.macobserver.com/article/2001/08/31.2.sh tml which I read about on Macintouch http://www.macintouch.com/ipod.html where I also found this most interesting remark: "Oh yeah, two things I made note of on the iPod. Under the "About iPod" section, I noted copyright messages from Portal Player, and Pixo."
Looks like the iPod uses the Pixo toolbox which supplies Memory Management, Low-level graphics (lines, boxes, bitmaps, text), Unicode(!needed for Japanese!), Collection classes, Resource database, and Standard libraries. Or even more of the Pixo OS platform. The ARM kernel Apple might have recycled from the Newton OS. Check out Pixo's web site http://www.pixo.com/products/products001.htm .
A visit ot http://www.portalplayer.com is also very enlightening, just look what they have to offer:
o ARM-based system-on-chip solution supporting real-time encoding and decoding of digital media, and direct support for all major storage media formats.
o Firmware stack including Real Time Operating System (RTOS), decoders and encoders, encryption and decryption algorithms, file management, navigation and control, and post processing effects.
o A network of technology partnerships and business alliances supporting both secure and open digital audio formats, content services and related capabilities.
o PC jukebox application offers a simple, customizable user interface for content management on the PC and attached devices.
(Unfortunately they also offer Windows Media Rights Management. I hope Apple didn't license that!)
Now there is potential. But it makes me wonder even more why a microphone is missing when encoding is already supported. Maybe it will in the "new and improved version" that Apple like to ship a few months later when the initial sales slow down (latest example: iBook bus and CPU speed bump)
Oxford's web site http://www.oxsemi.com/press/dec00/index.html
is not so informative: "With spare MIPS and over 50% of the flash memory free for user encoding, the product differentiation the device offers will be invaluable in creating competitive advantage"
Does anybody know somebody at Pixo or PortalPlayer to give us some more meat?
And BTW, copying MP3 onto the iPod in firewire mode (which a PC can do) does not make them playable. That would need a real hack.
P.S. It has just been reported that the iPod contains a game (http://www.macobserver.com/article/2001/10/26.12. shtml)
Slashdot Mirror
That the CPU is an ARM 7 (part of the Oxford Firewire-IDE bridge) is strongly hinted at by this article http://www.macobserver.com/article/2001/08/31.2.sh tml which I read about on Macintouch http://www.macintouch.com/ipod.html where I also found this most interesting remark: "Oh yeah, two things I made note of on the iPod. Under the "About iPod" section, I noted copyright messages from Portal Player, and Pixo."
Looks like the iPod uses the Pixo toolbox which supplies Memory Management, Low-level graphics (lines, boxes, bitmaps, text), Unicode(!needed for Japanese!), Collection classes, Resource database, and Standard libraries. Or even more of the Pixo OS platform. The ARM kernel Apple might have recycled from the Newton OS. Check out Pixo's web site http://www.pixo.com/products/products001.htm .
A visit ot http://www.portalplayer.com is also very enlightening, just look what they have to offer:
o ARM-based system-on-chip solution supporting real-time encoding and decoding of digital media, and direct support for all major storage media formats.
o Firmware stack including Real Time Operating System (RTOS), decoders and encoders, encryption and decryption algorithms, file management, navigation and control, and post processing effects.
o A network of technology partnerships and business alliances supporting both secure and open digital audio formats, content services and related capabilities.
o PC jukebox application offers a simple, customizable user interface for content management on the PC and attached devices.
(Unfortunately they also offer Windows Media Rights Management. I hope Apple didn't license that!)
Now there is potential. But it makes me wonder even more why a microphone is missing when encoding is already supported. Maybe it will in the "new and improved version" that Apple like to ship a few months later when the initial sales slow down (latest example: iBook bus and CPU speed bump)
Oxford's web site http://www.oxsemi.com/press/dec00/index.html
is not so informative: "With spare MIPS and over 50% of the flash memory free for user encoding, the product differentiation the device offers will be invaluable in creating competitive advantage"
Does anybody know somebody at Pixo or PortalPlayer to give us some more meat?
And BTW, copying MP3 onto the iPod in firewire mode (which a PC can do) does not make them playable. That would need a real hack.
P.S. It has just been reported that the iPod contains a game (http://www.macobserver.com/article/2001/10/26.12. shtml)