Product category:
Microprocessors, Microcontrollers and DSPs
News Release from: Agere Systems | Subject: PI-301
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 08 January 2004
SoC takes control of fax functions
The industry's first single-chip controller for inkjet and thermal fax applications combines as many as eight separate components, offering exceptional image quality, print features and cost savings.
The industry's first single-chip controller for inkjet and thermal fax applications combines as many as eight separate electronics components, offering exceptional image quality, print features and cost savings Agere's controller supports existing thermal fax designs while also enabling the industry's transition to monochrome inkjet fax solutions for consumer and small office applications
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 8 Mar 2007 at 8.00am (UK)
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In addition, Agere is collaborating with Lexmark, a leading developer, manufacturer and supplier of printing products, to provide this controller along with Lexmark's inkjet print engines as a high-performance package for developing new inkjet fax designs.
Today's inkjet fax machines use as many as three printed circuit board assemblies to manage a variety of printing, processing and communications tasks.
Agere's PI-301 SoC enhances the superior image quality of inkjet solutions while combining multiple discrete controller, memory and modem functions.
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This integration enables all required electronics to fit on a single board, reducing overall electronics costs by 30 to 50% when compared with existing inkjet fax designs.
As the market for inkjet-based fax machines expands, this chip can help drive compact, low-cost fax designs while maintaining support for established thermal fax solutions.
"Inkjet fax machines offer a compelling mix of outstanding image quality and ease-of-use, and Agere can help drive the growth in consumer inkjet solutions by providing manufacturers with integrated electronics as well as advanced image and print processing", said Jack Keller, Imaging and Printing Product Line Director at Agere Systems.
Agere's PI-301 SoC manages image acquisition and processing, print mechanics - including scan control, print engine control, cartridge movement, ink firing, and paper feed and positioning as well as fax modem functionality and advanced display features.
The chip combines three discrete controllers typically found in inkjet fax machines, significantly reducing the amount of components, cable interconnects and board space required.
The PI-301 also allows for consolidation of all external memory requirements into a single Flash memory.
This solution leverages Agere's expertise in modem and DSP technology, chip-level integration and system architectures.
The PI-301 is a dual-processor solution, integrating an Agere-developed DSP for modem signal processing, and an ARM9 processor.
The ARM9 provides a cost-effective, flexible image-processing pipeline.
The solution's firmware enables image enhancements for improving quality in both text and graphics, and leaves headroom for adding such features as colour displays or Internet capabilities.
The PI-301 I/O functions are programmable, giving manufacturers the flexibility of configuring I/O to support different print mechanisms and inkjet cartridge systems.
These design elements allow fax developers to easily add features and customise their products.
Agere's PI-301 SoC is an application-specific standard product, making it easily adaptable to multiple inkjet and thermal print engines.
Engineering samples of Agere's PI-301 chip are expected to be available in first calendar quarter 2004, with volume production beginning in second calendar quarter.
Unit pricing for the chip will be under $10 in sample quantities.
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