Rockchip Electronics announced the North American availability of its system-on-a-chip (SoC) processor with 3G communications it jointly developed with Intel®. The SoC is Rockchip’s XMM™6321 and it’s aimed at Android® tablet, phablet and smartphone design manufacturers seeking to develop products for entry-level markets. The device tightly integrates two processors into one complete lowest-cost, fastest-to-market platform solution. This high level of integration is market-changing since competing solutions require three, to as many as five, integrated chips.
Use of the XMM6321 could reduce OEM production times by as much as half and could also reduce the number of used components in a design by as much as 75 percent. These design advantages can have a profound impact on dramatically reducing device costs for designers and consumers alike. Therefore, more lower-cost smartphones, phablets and tablets can make their way into even more entry level markets.
The level of integration with this two-chip solution is so-far unmatched by any other 3G SoC platform. One of the integrated SoCs is the XG632 that leverages an ARM® Cortex® dual-core CPU. This processor provides a GPU, IPS, video processing and Intel’s 2G/3G modem. The other integrated chip is an Intel/Infineon AG620 that provides communications functions. This includes 2G/3G RF, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS/GLONASS, and audio/PMU. The baseband technique is worldwide certified. OEMs adopting the solution could use any of four supported frequency bands.
In addition to targeting 3.5 to 7 inch Android devices, Rockchip’s XMM6321 is also ideal for other applications. They include smart terminal phones, set top boxes (STB), smart wearable technologies, and more. The XMM6321 is also a foundation for future tightly integrated platforms to cover 3G/LTE 4G communications.
“Rockchip’s strength lies in the ability to develop tightly integrated, reliable SoC platforms and this collaboration with Intel is testament to this strength,” said Yanyan Xing, Brand Manager, Rockchip. “It has yielded a solution that requires the fewest separate processor functions compared to competing solutions. It provides low power consumption and a low cost to adopt. Also, it is turnkey to allow really fast times to market. The XMM6321 significantly reduces 3G device product costs which can significantly reduce market prices for these devices. This new Rockchip SoC will be a cornerstone for new levels of global 3G product popularization.”
The processor operates at 1.0GHz (overclock can be 1.2 GHz). Other key specifications include GPU support for Open GL ES 2.0; LPDDR2 666 MT/s eMMC 4.41 memory; display support for MIPI-DSI 854x480 @ 60 fps or 1024x600 @ >30 fps; H.264, VP8 @ 1080p30 video decoding; H.264 @ 720p24 video encoding; camera support for MIPI CSI-2 2+1 lanes / up to 8MP rear + 3MP front. Android operating system support is for 4.4 KitKat or higher. Modem support includes integrated Rel-7 HSPA+ 21/5.8, GSM, GPRS, EDGE, and DSDS with DvP. Wi-Fi is 802.11 b/g/n and Bluetooth is version 4.0 LE.
Pricing and Availability
Rockchip Electronics’ XMM6321 was made available throughout Asia in October. An order from a Dubai manufacturer for 100,000 units was made in October for a 7 inch phablet design. Today, the XMM6321 is also being made available worldwide, including the North American market. Pricing is based on mass quantities purchased and varies by amounts.
About Rockchip Electronics Co.
Rockchip is a leading fabless semiconductor company and mobile-Internet system-on-a-chip (SoC) provider based in China. Founded in 2001, the company focuses on SoC solutions for mobile Internet devices. These devices include smartphones, phablets and tablets, terminals (tablet/OTT-BOX/dongle/e-book), portable multimedia entertainment terminals (MP3/PMP), and other such devices. Rockchip has combined its audio/video and Android® experience to produce semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) solutions for customers that include well-known brands, and worldwide OEMs and ODMs. The company is headquartered in Fuzhou, China where most design and development takes place. Three additional offices in Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen primarily focus on sales and marketing. 
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