Out in Front: February 1, 1996

Vadem’s VG330 continues the company’s trend for delivering high-integration, x86-compatible processors. NEC’s V30MX processor, providing 386-level performance, lies at the core of the VG330. The processor operates as fast as 32 MHz and has a two-clock bus-interface unit. The chip’s LCD controller handles resolutions as great as 640×480 pixels and features a unified memory architecture, meaning that the controller shares main-system memory with the CPU. An on-chip memory controller supports DRAM, SRAM, ROM, and flash. The memory controller allows as many as six 16-bit RAM banks. The VG330 also contains a PC Card controller, a serial keyboard or scanned-keyboard-matrix interface, a 16450-compatible serial port that supports an IR interface, and 24 general-purpose I/O lines. You can configure these I/O lines to output the signals for a 16-bit ISA bus. Vadem packs all these features into a 160-pin TQFP.

You can reduce the VG330’s power consumption by slowing or stopping the processor’s clock. The device also supports several power-management modes: doze, sleep, suspend, automatic suspend, and off. Doze mode slows the processor’s clock, and sleep mode removes power from selected peripherals. Suspend stops all internal and external clock sources and drives all I/O pins into low or tristate mode. Suspend is the lowest power state you can achieve without loss of system data. Automatic suspend is similar to suspend, except that you use it in critical situations, such as battery failure. In the off mode, only the oscillator runs. The power-management features of the VG330, along with a 3.3V power source requirement, allow the device to run at 30 mW at 32 MHz and 30 µW in suspend mode.

Vadem intends the VG330 to provide a highly integrated, low-cost system for OEMs developing Internet terminals, personal organizers, and smart phones. The VG330 costs $25 (100,000). Datalight (Arlington, WA) and Microsoft (Redmond, WA) provide ROM DOS support for the device. Graphical user interfaces are available from Geoworks (Sunnyvale, CA) and PenRight! (Berkeley, CA). Phoenix (San Jose, CA), SystemSoft (Natick, MA), and Vadem provide BIOS and PCMCIA drivers for the VG330. In addition, Vadem offers design tools that include prototype boards, BIOS-adapter kits, in-circuit emulators, example schematics, and reference platforms.
-- by Markus Levy

Vadem, San Jose, CA. (408) 467-2100