Hello,
There were many questions on the main blog on the switch from Tegra to OMAP. I thought we should clarify this.
So which is better, Tegra or OMAP? NVidia will say Tegra of course and TI will say OMAP. Would that mean we should go by the benchmarks? Or may be sheer specifications of both the SoC? Doesn’t OMAP’s memory bandwidth is more than Tegra 3 and Snapdragon? But Tegra 3 is Quad Core, and even GPU is updated? Then why iPad 2 beats Tegra 3 by miles on GLBenchmark? We had a lot of similar questions while we wanted to opt for one. If you followed Kernel developments you’d know that OMAP was definitely the next SoC supported by Google, so this decision had to be made on our end and fast.
Answer came from a very experienced veteran in the industry (one of our 3 mentors), who said, unless as an OEM you can’t get 100% out of these chips, all benchmarks, specifications and latest developments are useless. So the answer wasn’t based on which chip can beat the other one, but which one can we leverage to the highest possible extent. And in this regard OMAP definitely beats any SoC out there w.r.t. documentation, number of use-case modeled, white papers, reference documents and much more. Bangalore also hosts a lot of Ex-TI professionals who helped build OMAP, so answers are not tough to find.
Unlike last time where we banked on Tegra without possibly fully utilizing its power, this time our focus is to offer TI the best product based on OMAP. TI is a very respectable firm and I believe Adam II will be a marvel in their portfolio.
Learning time!
Check out this link on TI’s site for more information on OMAP.
Chip Block Diagram Source: TI High Resolution LINK
Few important things we should read from this diagram:
- Dual-channel LDPPR 2 memory, which makes for easier, faster memory access and overall system efficiency (isn’t all your OS on RAM?)
- This diagram mentions POWERVR™ SGX540, but OMAP 4470 has SGX544
- TWL6030 and TWL6040 are companion support chips, heavily optimized for lowering the power consumption on OMAP
- WiLink™ 7.0 is a mobile Wireless LAN chip. Single solution for WLAN, GPS, Bluetooth and FM. It supports Bluetooth 3.0 as well as Bluetooth Low Energy Profile which is core feature of Bluetooth 4.0. Link
Few other terms we should know since we will be using them in future:
- Interfaces (in out context protocols which hardware peripherals follow to talk to each other)
- I2C : one of the best 2-wire interface invented by Phillips. Used to be slow, but now supports up to 3.4 Mbit/s. OMAP has 4 of these. Nearly all your sensors and touch screens support I2C interface. Read more details here: LINK
- CSI-2: this is Camera Serial Interface. Check this LINK
- SPI: this is a Serial Peripheral Interface named by Motorola. For high-speed short distance I2C would be best, and for more distance, less speed on data transmission, SPI should be used.
- McBSP: Multichannel Buffered Serial Port, supports DMA, full-duplex data transfer, and lot of configurability. TI uses this in lot of their products. Looking at the diagram, you can guess the importance while communicating with WLAN or 3G/4G. More here
- UART: Universal Asynchronous Receiver/transmitter, translates data between parallel and serial forms, mostly used for Debug USB, WLAN Module, NFC, etc.
That’s all for this week, next time we will cover Major Blocks (IVA, ISP and the mighty SGX) on the Chip.
Warm Regards
Rohan Shravan
As I said on the other blog, excellent decision to move away from Nvidia. TI’s development boards (beagleboard, pandaboard) are well supported by the linux community and I expect the headaches over proprietary drivers will be greatly reduced this time.
hmm…looks interesting….athough, the end performance will ultimately depend on correct implementation of all components.and not just the OMAP
Hi Rohan,
Hoping to learn along the way.
A few questions:
1 – Any reason for going with OMAP4 and not OMAP5?
2 – What is the timeframe we are looking at for releasing the product
3 – Some discounts for your loyal Adam customers would be most welcome
I wish NI all the very best in this next step. Here’s hoping to a great partnership with TI and to a fabulous product!
WOW! Impressive beginning.
See, now this is what I love, technology talk. To hear the thinking behind a product, the reasons for decisions made. Excellent stuff and can’t get enough. Going with TI is smart in my view for 2 reasons.
1- TI have been around forever and know what they’re doing.
2- Google pref for OMAP makes any smart OEM lean that way.
Peaceout adam2freaks
In fact most of the companies use OMAP as a platform to showcase a née application or the capabilities of a new chip. Those designs can work straight away.
Rohan, while I’m not sure where adam2 is up to, and therefore don’t know if this question is too late, is it possible with the wuxga output to enable connection to an external monitor? One of the limitations in adam was that connection to a standard projector for presentation purposes was close to impossible. I recognize that it might be undesirable to place a 15 pin VGA connector on adam2′s exterior but there are possibilities with adaptors. Even some sort of micro-DVI would do, as its sort of half-way between VGA and HDMI.
Would you please comment on this, either stating that this is possible but rejected for other reasons, or not possible, or already implemented?
Of course this will not change my decision to buy an adam2 at the first possible moment, but just wanted to add to the wish list.
As I thought Adam 2 is now based on Omap4. TI’s ecosystem will truly benefit Adam to emerge as great product. I would love to see legacy serial support directly or indirectly to talk with creative circuits. Also, as Rohan said in his first blogs a device students can use to do real stuff at any time ,any where and also,acting as a mobile teacher which is always with him/her. For this to be possible, there should be atleast one variant affordable enough. Rohan its time to fulfill your promises this time because these were your words about how you felt and touched the right chords of every student like me. You made us realize Adam was the one who could do those things but it didnt. Few lines by Charles Dickens will describe my feelings.
“Now, I return to this young fellow. And the communication I have got to make is, that he has great expectations.”
Yes, I have great expectations.
Great post Rohan! Are you hinting that Adam to will have OMAP4470 as you mentioned that it has SGX544 GPU?
And in the SPI description shouldn’t it be “For high-speed short distance SPI would be best, and for more distance, less speed on data transmission, I2C should be used.”
Looking forward to reading a lot more as the design progresses.
While you are talking of the processor do not forget that you need to have a quality build and screen with good touch sensitivity.You have shattered glasses which shattered our hopes for the Adam1.I hope the same is not repeated with Adam 2.
Reblogged this on A Surfeit of Technology and commented:
Selecting the right SoC is more important than the UI!
The fact that you can make better use of the OMAP5 rather than the Tegra 3, i would believe you.
However, I just want to note this is only one part of the equation….
Another part of the equation is that Adam tablet was kind of targeting the students market if I recall, and students like to play games, and so far games are tailored for Tegra device. Notice-less how students like to show off about how games looks better in their device.
But once again, I’m not criticising, just noticing another part of the equation.
I hope this transparency stays throughout the Adam II lifecycle. Because after Adam I was launched you guys seem to be vanished! Being a fellow Indian and a technology enthusiast I want you guys to succeed.
Keep up the good work.
Doesn’t Matter which chip you use… unless outside Display is not good with wide viewing angles (IPS) no body cares much about whats inside….. you may have quad core or octa core inside but its of no use unless display which is going to show end results to user is not good…..
First impression is last impression….
ADAM 1′s display was so bad it looked like some cheap Chinese tablet no body could have imagined Tegra 2 inside it…..
I know so many people changed their mind and purchased much lower performing tablets just because their display was good…….
did u have regular LCD or PixelQi e-ink display ?
Very nice Rohan,
From the question about why omap4 and not 5. My experience with TI is that the upgrade path is pretty well thought out by them, so I suspect moving forward to newer TI hardware will be much easier.
One of the other comments was about touch screen shatter. I would put Gorilla Glass at the top of my list if I were making one
Thanks for all the info!
Awesome! Its interesting to know!
Rohan, please take a look at this article
blog.gsmarena.com/microoleds-latest-display-has-enough-pixels-to-blow-your-mind/
Much better display lesser power consumption! Thank you.
> 0.61″ display unit
great for auxillary back-side touch pad
but i hardly think they would be able to scale this up to 10″ and still have decent power reqs
and no e-ink mode ever
still wish for dual SD slots, maybe externally-available T-Flash + internal full-size SD
or maybe two sull-size SD
main storage for media i think would be extra large not very fast relatively unexpensive SD card, while fast and expensive internal storage for apps.
then it would be nice is user can copy media from his friends’ devices (cemeras and players) directly from their memory card to his own one.
never used SDIO cards, but those who doalso would benefit
i wonder if HDMI or MHL be used ?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_High-definition_Link seems getting steam.
and allowing to simultaneously stream video Adm to TV and power/charge Adam from AC. Great for gaming.
@Rohan
I would like to reiterate Rhattangdi’s question regarding omap5.
The following article which compares OMAP4 to OMAP5 seems to suggest it would be very strategic to go for 5 now, in particular the lower power comsumption but higher clock cycles might push adam2 into uber-class.
Check out “devicegadget.com/hardware/omap-4-vs-omap-5/2573/”
I get the impression that you are already someways down the development path, and there’s always going to be a better next gen chip, but if there’s pin, power and interconnectivity compatibility from the SOC to the board and supporting circuitry it might not be a major switch to upgrade…
We all want adam2 to leave the competition behind in a smoldering pile of envy, so thank you for reading through the comments, questions and suggestions. Its a demonstration of great humility on your part to hear us on these matters.
@myself
@Rhattangdi
@Rohan
I withdraw my question regarding OMAP5.
According to various sources (eg “www.netbooknews.com/43436/texas-instruments-shows-off-omap-5-getting-us-excited-prematurly/”) which I should have looked up before posting, OMAP5 won’t be available until late 2012 / early 2013.
Oops.
Rohan I suggest you proceed with your well-thought-out plan of using OMAP4
Of course you would be using OMAP5 if it was available, and we don’t want to wait till 2013 for adam2. Apologies. However I would like to know about VGA output.
Peaceout
i’d wait for Adam2 till end 2012 or even till 2013
Adam 1 was announced too early and delayed too much.
I think development is to be reasonable fast, but not in haste.
A year to pull device from drawing papers to smoothed mass production is overly optimistic, i think Adam 2 is more realistically about mid or even end of 2013.
Otherwise we’d get half-baked unstable product, like those chinese el cheapo tablets.
But waht is nice for $150 tablet is not nice for Adam.
Even Akashi i believe was not released prematurely.
PS: BTW, Rohan, did You personally played with Akashi ?
Maybe it would bee nice if Adam2 had something to communicate to them, so it could be like central “Teacher computer” in the class with net of pupil’s Akashi-s
…and i always felt that 1024×600 screen is too small after HD Video standard get steam.
I’m eagerly waiting for Pixel Qi to release long promised 1280×800 screen.
So no matter what CPU to be, i think Adam 2 is not to be released until it can sport 720p-capable Pixel Qi screen.
Just a little more on the idea of VGA output, I note that pandaboard (OMAP4430) and pandaboard ES (OMAP4460) have both HDMI and DVI output in what appears to be HDMI Type A connectors, so perhaps if we can have DVI output on adam we can cable that to older VGA projectors.
Please?
Phil, you’d better read http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Visual_Interface in advance.
There is not such thing as DVI at all.
There is DVI-D(igital).
There is DVI-A(nalog), which is VGA D-Sub wires in another form-factor.
There is DVI-I(ntegral) which is DVI-D plus DVI-A in same connector.
And HDMI is a speed-reduced (single-link) DVI-D plus digital audio in different form-factor.
If a device sports HDMI – it by definition sports single-link DVI-D. But not DVI-A.
So i do not think there is possibility to attach VGA without “active adapter” which is special DAC processor board rendering DVI-D signals and serializing them to D-Sub.
And personally i’m for MHL connector, aka Mobile Hi-Def Link, which is getting more and more popular in small devices.
Though plain HDMI would be fine too, if made rigid enough to not risk breaking PCB if to bend cable too strongly.
—–
I wish latest HDMI standards be supported, such as HDMI-CEC and networking over HDMI
Hey Arioch,
You know what really annoys me?
“Standards”, because when there’s so many then there aren’t any.
I just thought it might be useful, but, you know, projectors are moving on, wifi for presentations are coming in, so, whatever.
Rohan if its not too much trouble then great, if it ain’t gonna work then ok. For my thinking its the only thing I’ve missed (well that and larger internal storage).
Thanks for the link Arioch, and Rohan press on.
Peaceout
I love the juicy news and excited about this. With all that Nvidia experience, and how favourite tabletroms geeks had to literally write new own drivers for Adam, a truly heroic feat, the main concern should be whether the TI support is going to be comfortable with giving people the freedom to do things with the chip. So it is probably a good idea to make sure that there will be drivers and APIs readily available.
Another thing worth noting, I think, is PiQi display. I love the thing so much I can’t imagine why people even look at tablets without it. I also think it should be in phones — I constantly have trouble seeing what’s on my cell’s screen behind all these glares and reflections. So, I would never upgrade my Adam unless the new tablet has PiQi as well.
May your development be smooth and certain.
@firebreak
I’m with you on the Pixel-Qi screen. I love it.
Benchmark: “http://laptop.org/en/laptop/hardware/xo3.shtml”
Just came across the Galaxy Note 10. To me it actually is a “Slate”, very well needed. I can’t stop appreciating it after the Galaxy Note, I have.
I had in mind, one of first company that failed to get touch screen using IR, Neonode. A while back it announced a new touch controller in cooperation with TI. Would NI be interested in this? I see a lot of potential in such a product.
One more anti-Tegra argument which probably Rohan can not tell out publicly, is the reliability of Tegra production.
TSMC had troubles launching Tegra 2 in reliable producing quantities.
http://www.fudzilla.com/processors/item/21499-tegra-2-has-yield-issues
And now it seems Tegra 3 is plagued with the same.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13924_3-57378887-64/nvidia-targeting-dual-core-phones-that-undercut-iphone-4s/
So, OMAP seemingly provides NI with a way to start making Adam2 with stable current generation chips and seamlessly switch to newer chip if it would be ready to Adam2 launch or even after Adam2 launch.
I speculate, that Tegra3 processors could not be seamlessly subsituted into Tegra 2 mainboard, so NI could not target for T3 while keeping the same design capable of fallback onto T2 chips.
Ooohh… if only to now for sure over Pixel Qi 720p-capable screen
I hope you go with OMAP5 for Adam2