Business Editors/High-Tech Writers
PHOENIX--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 23, 2003
Top-of-the-Line iChip CO710AG Extends Functionality of Previous
iChips to Small Footprint uBGA and is Ideal for High-Volume,
Low Power-Consuming IP Applications
Connect One(TM) today announced the introduction of the smallest and most powerful member of the iChip(TM) family, CO710AG.
Packaged in a 121-ball Micro Ball Grid Array (uBGA) chip measuring only 10 x 10 mm, CO710AG offers the highest level of functionality and expandability of any existing iChip. It is perfect for IP (Internet Protocol) connectivity applications that require large production volume, high bandwidth, small size, and low power consumption.
"We are now evaluating CO710AG, after having designed the first-generation iChip CO561AD into our flagship Omni 3750 countertop point-of-sale terminal," says Dave Turnbull, vice president of system engineering at VeriFone Inc., the worldwide leader in electronic payment solutions. "iChip and its Internet extension to the AT command set enable us to use our existing software and to easily communicate over IP networks via new physical interfaces. Its functionality and fast time-to-market are very attractive and cost-effective for an emerging market like IP connectivity," Turnbull added.
"CO710AG brings iChip performance and value to a new level," says Alan Singer, Connect One vice president of sales and marketing. "First, its firmware is backward-compatible with all existing iChips, which use the same AT+i(TM) command set. Second, like CO661AL-D iChip Plus(TM), it is the only Internet peripheral chip on the market that supports switchable dial-up, cellular, 10BaseT and 10/100BaseT connectivity. Yet it costs about 15% less.
"Finally, it will be able to deliver three times as much bandwidth -- up to 10 Mbps -- depending on connectivity environment and protocols used. This makes CO710AG ideal for high-speed applications such as security, home networking gateways, video monitoring, medical imaging, multimedia, and financial transactions."
"Connect One's AT+i command set is very easy to implement in a POS application," says Alvaro Chavez, software development manager at Hiper SA, a VeriFone VAR in Lima, Peru. "Our first implementation only took a few days and did not use much memory." Hiper uses TCP sockets to send transactions to a remote host computer for processing credit card authorization. They also use sockets to access remote Web and WAP servers for accessing applications like loyalty cards, pre-paid cellular time, and payments.
About iChip CO710AG
iChip CO710AG is an updateable Internet Controller(TM) chip that eliminates the time, cost and complexity to connect devices to the Internet and IP networks by offloading Internet connectivity tasks from the host processor. It accesses the Internet via dial-up modems, wireless modems (AMPS, CDMA, CDPD, GPRS, GSM, IDEN, and TDMA protocols), 10BaseT and 10/100BaseT Ethernet LANs. iChip interfaces a device's host processor via a serial or parallel connection and Connect One's high-level AT+i Application Programming Interface, which eliminates the need for Internet programming by the customer. iChip supports the full TCP/IP stack, plus upper layer protocols like SMTP, POP3, MIME, HTTP, WAP, FTP and TELNET. It includes onboard Web and WAP servers. Onboard flash memory stores the Internet protocols and configuration parameters, which are independent of the host application, and can be remotely updated over the Internet.
CO710AG includes an ARM7TDMI core processor, 512KB of flash memory and 128KB SRAM. A sister chip, CO710AG-XM, includes an additional 896KB of user-definable flash memory storage area and an additional 128KB SRAM. Both chips include up to 8 user-defined general-purpose I/O pins. The chips operate in the industrial temperature range at speeds up to 66MHz. To ensure low power consumption, the core operates at 1.8-volts, while I/Os operate at 3.3-volts. A sleep mode further reduces power consumption.
Pricing and Availability
Suggested pricing for CO710AG is US$20 and $22 for CO710AG-XM for over 10,000 units. The chips will be available in August from distributors worldwide. Please visit Connect One's Web site at www.connectone.com for a complete list of distributors.
About Connect One
Connect One develops and manufactures chips, software, and hardware that enable manufacturers of industrial, commercial, medical and consumer devices to eliminate the time, cost and complexity to connect devices to the Internet. Connect One is privately owned, with offices in Phoenix, AZ and Kfar Saba, Israel. For further information, please visit the company's Web site at http://www.connectone.com or send an e-mail to info@connectone.com. iChip, iChip Plus, Internet Controller, AT+i, and Connect One are trademarks of Connect One Ltd.
COPYRIGHT 2003 Business Wire
COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group
