Dialog Semiconductor and BSQUARE partner for Windows mobile based devices

The first product from the partnership is expected to deliver a fully working reference design in Q4 2006 based on Intel’s Monahans processor, Dialog’s recently launched DA9034 power management and audio controller chip, and associated WinCE drivers. The most significant benefit to customers of this solution is the high level of integration that dramatically reduces the bill-of-materials (BoM) for the reference design, and the speed with which customers will be able to develop a working design based on the Monahans mobile processor. In addition, customers will be able to get full hardware and software support for their system from a single supplier.

Jalal Bagherli, CEO of Dialog Semiconductor, said, “This partnership will strengthen our position in the growing Windows mobile based wireless and hand-held products market. While developers already have access to the individual elements of the system, one of the key challenges to date has been the ability to quickly put together a working system combining all these elements, along with a complete set of WinCE drivers. With BSQUARE’s great track record in delivering embedded software solutions to Windows embedded and Windows mobile device makers, and proven experience in designing with Intel’s Monahans processor, we’ll be able to quickly deliver fully working reference designs to customers developing mobile products.”

Pawan Gupta, VP products and marketing for BSQUARE, added, “We are excited by the opportunities that will result from this partnership. By partnering with industry experts such as Dialog, we increase the value of our Devkit product for Monahans to the Windows CE general embedded market. The key to what we can jointly offer is higher system integration, lower cost and faster time-to-market. Thanks to Dialog’s highly integrated power management and audio SoC, we’ll be able to significantly reduce the BoM, because we previously had to implement many of the functions that are available on the DA9034 with many discrete components. We expect to see an increase in potential design wins as a result of offering a complete, fully working reference design.”

The two companies will jointly market the reference design, which is designed to show how Dialog’s DA9034 power management and audio IC works with Intel’s Monahans processor and associated WinCE drivers.

The DA9034 is a very sophisticated analog baseband system-on-a-chip and incorporating full integrated audio sub-system, significantly reducing the number of ICs required in a system and reducing PCB area by more than half. It is the most highly integrated power and audio controller to support applications processors in 90nm technologies and below. The IC connects directly to the battery, providing complete control of all power management, battery charging, audio (stereo audio playback, microphone, loudspeaker and handsfree functions), white and general purpose LED drivers, USB interface and many other functions that need to be controlled in a portable multimedia device.