QuickLogic's CSSPs Enable TI's Sitara AM335x ARM Cortex-A8 Processor to Support High-Resolution Cameras

• Complete, ready-to-use parallel Camera Interface solution (CAM I/F)
• Supports up to 5MP camera for latest generation of industrial handheld / mobile devices
• QuickLogic BeagleCam Camera Cape eliminates the need to use scarce USB resources

Sunnyvale, CA – July 23, 2012 – QuickLogic Corporation (NASDAQ: QUIK), the innovator of ultra-low-power programmable Customer Specific Standard Products (CSSPs), today announced a complete, ready-to-use solution for the Sitara™ AM335x ARM® Cortex™-A8 processor from Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI).   The QuickLogic solution enables TI’s AM335x processor to support high-resolution cameras through a low-power parallel Camera Interface (CAM I/F) port.  By eliminating the need for cameras to consume sometimes-scarce USB ports, and by reducing total system power consumption, the QuickLogic CSSP CAM I/F solution expands the application space for the TI processor in the mobile enterprise (including AIDC, or Automatic Identification and Data Capture, and ruggedized handhelds), portable consumer, industrial tablet and industrial smartphone markets.

TI’s new low-cost, low-power, feature-rich AM335x processor enables new robust end products.  The AM335x processor is ideal for a variety of portable devices that support high-resolution cameras.  While many cameras require the standard USB interface, the processor’s USB controllers are often already used by other peripherals.  Moreover, the processor’s USB controller can consume up to 400mW more power than QuickLogic’s CAM I/F enabled CSSP solution, making it impractical for many handheld and mobile applications.  QuickLogic’s CSSP provides the CAM I/F, connecting the TI general-purpose memory controller (GPMC) and the camera sensor.  The GPMC includes direct memory access (DMA) capability, allowing QuickLogic to support high-resolution cameras.  With this new low-power solution, TI can now support up to five megapixel cameras without using sometimes-scarce USB ports, and address a much wider range of applications.

BeagleBone Reference Design Platform

To ease integration of TI’s AM335x processor, BeagleBoard.org created BeagleBone, a ready-to-use, open-source hardware platform for rapid prototyping and firmware and software development.  This low-cost BeagleBone follows the heels of BeagleBoard.org’s successful BeagleBoard platform for mid-range and upper-end applications.  BeagleBone is highly extensible, allowing developers to add many features and interfaces via add-on boards or Capes.  The camera cape, including the QuickLogic CSSP, will connect to a BeagleBone and an Aptina image sensor.

“With the launch of the AM335x processor, we have been looking to quickly expand market opportunities for new end-product segments,” said Russell Crane, product marketing manager, Sitara ARM processors, TI.  “With its CAM I/F solution, QuickLogic has provided an opportunity to make significant breakthroughs into the portable device market where camera and video input is required.”

“System designers are constantly challenged with processor interface and peripheral component mismatches,” said Mehul Kochar, senior business development manager for QuickLogic.  “We have taken full advantage of the flexibility inherent in our CSSPs to deliver a fast time-to-market solution to this market requirement.”

Availability

The QuickLogic BeagleCam Camera Cape solution is available today as a ready-to-use CSSP, or as a Proven System Block (PSB) for inclusion in other CSSPs.  For additional information, please go to www.quicklogic.com/ti-camif. 

About QuickLogic

QuickLogic Corporation (NASDAQ: QUIK) is the inventor and pioneer of innovative, customizable semiconductor solutions for mobile and portable electronics OEMs and ODMs.  These silicon plus software solutions are called Customer Specific Standard Products (CSSPs).  CSSPs enable our customers to bring their products to market more quickly and remain in the market longer, with the low power, cost and size demanded by the mobile and portable electronics market.  For more information about QuickLogic and CSSPs, visit www.quicklogic.com.