Discovering current PAD selection "hidden rules"

Nowadays, mainstream brands, both international and domestic, have introduced high-performance PDAs with various A8 and even A9 cores (specifically, various handheld receipt collectors and smart terminals are used in this article), marking that PDA has entered the A8 era and entered a new era. PDA provides greater room for development for the entire industry application, and stronger hardware protection. So how do we choose to face such a powerful PDA? Is it purely hardware performance or price? The following notes start with the CPUs of the latest A8 and A9 PDAs on the market and make a horizontal comparison to help you make the most sensible choice.

We know that there are a lot of CPUs using the A8 core, such as the A1X, Apple A4, Conexant CX92755, Freescale MX5X, Rockchip RK2918, RK2906, Samsung S5PC100, S5PV210, Texas Instruments OMAP35X, AM3X and so on. But not every type of CPU is suitable for PDAs, because PDAs should be regarded as industrial application products, and the response speed to technology upgrading is half a beat slower than that of general consumer products. The development cycle of a product is about one year, and the life cycle is usually 3-5 years or even longer, so it has its own "hidden rules" in the choice of CPU: First of all, this CPU should be universal, like the chips of Quan Zhi, Apple, Rockchip and Conexant are mainly used internally. , General external consumer electronics and industrial control products used less, of course not included in the list; followed by long lead times, like Samsung's S3PC100 mainly used on mobile devices, such as Apple's mobile phone 3GS and iPod 3G, cycle Not long; the last is that the development and chip costs are low, and the matching degree of resources is high. For example, the OMAP35X from Texas Instruments adds DSP functions that cannot be used on the PDA, resulting in increased costs and being eliminated; this makes optional CPU Only Samsung S5PV210, Freescale MX5X, Texas Instruments AM3X. So what are the advantages of these several CPUs? The author will analyze them one by one.

Say the Samsung S5PV210 first. More than two years ago, the S5PV210 had been red and sometimes, I also was "obsessed" on her at that time: up to 1G clock speed, 1G DDR3 memory, support WINCE6.0 and Android two operating systems, while adhering to Samsung's always lower development The threshold is simply the legendary "White Fu Mei"! However, after in-depth study found that hidden in her gorgeous appearance behind the fatal trap: the power consumption is too high, the key is the original factory development package does not have a complete dynamic power conditioning this core function. Simply put, its operating frequency cannot be automatically adjusted according to the CPU load, or an abnormality such as a system crash occurs during the adjustment. This leads to a large power consumption if it is allowed to run at a high frequency, and it always runs low. When the frequency status loses the advantage of the A8, so the purchase of S5PV210 program PDA may have these two phenomena, or enjoy the high frequency of fun, but to endure the trouble of frequent battery replacement or recharging; or hold A8, indulge in The vanity of the surface, in fact, is still using the "ARM11" core, the two can not have both. I think that with Samsung's emphasis on the direction of mobile electronics, it has been difficult for manufacturers to return to solve this problem left over from history, and relying on PDA design companies themselves, it would be difficult to completely solve them. Therefore, when purchasing a PDA with the S5PV210 solution, it is best to find a third-party software test to see how much the frequency is actually running, and how much power is used to avoid a momentary impulse and cause regret.

Here, can not help but want to say that another gimmick, that is, some manufacturers of PDA clearly running WINCE6.0 system, but it is biased to advertise with 1G memory, it may be the motherboard really posted 1G, if so, I suggest Manufacturers stick only 512M of memory, and use the saved silver for the research and development of other key parts such as the structure, or to improve the welfare of employees, so that at least it can improve the product's energy to a certain extent, and it should not fall into a flamboyant nature. Consumer notoriety. Because people who know a little bit about technology know that the maximum memory address space supported by WINCE 6.0 is only 512 MB, and actually it can use more than 300 MB. Is it possible that the technology of these manufacturers can get rid of Microsoft? Claw!

In addition to the issue of power consumption, the S5PV210 also has a weakness that is non-industrial-grade chips, so don't expect him to use it in the industrial field. Even if the protection level of the product is so high, how hype the publicity is, and this is the core. The point cannot be changed. Otherwise, in the industrial field, it can only be plagued by corruption, slow response and even crashes. It has not been commented yet.

Followed by the Freescale MX5X. Freescale's CPU is mainly used in automotive electronics, and its excellent performance is beyond doubt. However, when it comes to using it for PDAs, I always feel a bit far-fetched or overkill, plus Freescale’s support in this area. The intensity and experience are not enough. Although it can support WINCE6.0 and Android operating systems, it is rarely used on PDAs.

Of course, some companies are always willing to try to be innovative and they use the MX5X to make their own unique products. Due to the above factors, the author believes that the product must be strictly tested when it is selected. This is not to say that MA5X is unstable, but it is due to the difficulty of development and the lack of experience that can lead to procedural defects. The risk is relatively high. If it is confirmed that the stability is good and automatic power consumption can be achieved, then this kind of PDA is a good choice. It is a true industrial-grade product and can withstand all kinds of environmental tests. The only fly in the ointment is the PDA. Does not support Mobile operating system.

Again, Texas Instruments AM3X. It can be said that this CPU is designed specifically for industrial applications, has a wealth of experience in the field of industrial applications, use it to develop PDA is really bright! Of course, to get a good job, you have to be right: the development of this CPU is very difficult, one is the original technical support has long been the main focus on the latest A15, will only give you a bunch of "outdated" but very sound Documents, only to use human tactics, spend time slowly pondering; both have this development experience engineers hard to find, unlike the Samsung CPU recruitment online to find casually. Therefore, companies that can use this CPU to develop PDAs themselves will have to invest heavily in research and development. They are absolutely powerful companies that will not appear in at least two or three years after you purchase their products. Point is enough to make you buy practical.

From the performance point of view, AM3X frequency 1G, support 1G LPDDR2 memory, support stable dynamic frequency adjustment, the average power consumption is not much higher than ARM11, operating temperature from -40 degrees to 90 degrees, support WINCE6.0, Android and Mobile Three sets of operating systems ensure that the PDA can adapt to the requirements of different occasions. The true combination of performance and power consumption is truly a perfect match for the industrial family. The PDA is the best choice from a single CPU. When choosing the actual product, consumers are advised to look for the same solution to compare the overall stability, ease of use, etc., and then make appropriate choices, I believe we can certainly find the real "white Fumei" in the PDA industry.

Finally talk about Qualcomm CPU. It stands to reason that Qualcomm's CPU development is very expensive (the copyright only makes the general company prohibitive), the chip cycle is only about two years, was originally inappropriate for PDA, but its other advantages are too obvious, such as high cost, frequency can To 1.5G, there are dual-core, quad-core and other options, and low power consumption, while internal integration of communications, language, GPS and other functions, etc., and more importantly, there are several "good things" (before doing cell phone Halfway from change) Selling it as a core board just took advantage of weaknesses, so there was a Qualcomm PDA on the market. This kind of PDA can only run Android system. The interface looks like a smart phone. Due to the high level of chip integration, the appearance of the product can also be made very small. This will satisfy the needs of some new generation consumers who are pursuing fashion. The main products are For non-industrial applications, such as cosmetics, clothing, etc.

Simply put, if your use environment is similar to that of a mobile phone, you can tolerate the failure rate of a similar mobile phone, and you want your PDA to have perfect short-message, voice, and even dual-card dual-band capabilities like a mobile phone, then choosing a PDA with a high-pass solution is very suitable. Otherwise, it is better to use a more professional PDA with the above A8 core.

There are also several home-made MTK programs to do PDA, practice, function and application are basically similar to Qualcomm, the price is a little more advantage, here is no longer tired.

In summary, this article mainly analyzes the selection from the point of view of the CPU used by the PDA. Although this is the core of the PDA, it plays a decisive role in the performance of the entire PDA, but it must not be partial, and consumers still have to Combining the characteristics and needs of the industry, we must make a comprehensive assessment of the stability, durability, ease of use, and functionality of the product based on the technical strength, support, and after-sales service of the manufacturer. We must not blindly launch it. In order to avoid delaying work, wasting funds, or even repeating investment and other potential risks.