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Marvell have set their sights on taking over the market for eReader processors and they’re certainly not shy about extolling the virtues of their processors (and their vision for eInk).

Here’s a prototype design of an eReader using Marvell’s new Armada 100 chip -

Marvell pushes eInk evolution

However, there’s much more than just a prototype.

How Marvell is helping eReaders evolve

Marvell has produced an integrated “system on a chip”.

The Marvell Armada 166E has the eInk graphics controller, the processor, memory, modems, etc. all on one chip. 

1. That means the cost is less (one less chip) and the chip will be thinner and lighter. Savings are expected to be 15 to 20%.
2. Marvell say that eventually their Armada chips will allow for sub $100 eReaders (not in 2010 though).
3. The power used will go down.
4. It also means eInk can refresh slightly faster (parallel processing).
5. Screens also refresh without a pixel reset i.e. no flash of the screen (which is really cool).
6. It supports simple animation.
7. It’s supposed to make rendering PDFs faster. Marvell say as eInk evolves the full power of their chip will be revealed.
8. A special hibernation mode for the chip.
9. The Armada chip also provides a platform to provide 3G, Bluetooth and WiFi support.

Albert Teg of Spring Design has some hearty praise -

Albert Teg, founder and chief technology officer at Spring Design, said his company chose the Armada chip because it needed a processor powerful enough to run the Android mobile operating system while also supporting the Alex Reader’s dual screens

Marvell’s Partnerships with eInk and FirstPaper 

Marvell is leaving no stone unturned in its attempts to make eInk better –  

1. Partnered with eInk (the makers of eInk, now owned by PVI).  
2. Partnered with start-up FirstPaper (linked to Hearst) which provides software that allows larger formats and newspaper like layouts.
3. FirstPaper software also allows for rendering graphic intensive content better.  

The partnership with eInk has been going on for 3 years.

Marvell Processor Technical Details

Armada 100 Series Technical Specifications -

1. ARMv5 CPU processor with up to 1.2 Ghz operation (starts at 400 Mhz).
2. Up to 128Kb L2 cache.
3. 2D hardware accelerated graphics.
4. 24-bit WUXGA LCD Support (for dual screen ereaders).
5. Built in e-paper display controller.
6. Peripheral integration including 5 in 1 card reader and USB host.
7. Wireless MMX2. 
8. Low power Mobile DDR memory and low cost DDR2 memory are both supported.  

Sources include -

1. Marvell. 
2. UberGizmo has lots of pictures of the chip.
3. Xconomy Boston.

Marvell powering new eReaders

It’s not just smoke and mirrors. Marvell’s Armada processor will power -

1. Plastic Logic’s Que eReader. 
2. Spring Design’s Alex eReader. 
3. Entourage Edge eReader.

All of these are expected in the first 3 months of 2010.

Why this is great for eReaders

Here are just a few things to love about the Marvell-eInk-FirstPaper initiative -

1. It’s available to all eReaders. It could be in the next Kindle DX or in Kindle 4 and in the next Nook. 
2. It’s focused on eReaders. It’s just really cool to have companies building a chip that is built from the ground up with eReaders in mind.
3. It removes the flashing screen which bothers some people (and which a lot of eReader critics use as a talking point).  
4. It makes screen refreshes faster.
5. It enables basic animation.
6. It reduces costs (15 to 20% less to begin with).
7. FirstPaper software allows other layouts and wider screen support.  
8. It’ll be arriving in early 2010 - finally, some eInk innovation that we don’t have to wait 2 years for.

It’s just a great sign that chips specific to eReaders are being built - Its about time we got innovations in the hardware to support all the other developments in eReaders.

Filed under: evolution Tagged: | future of epaper, marvell ereader chip