Compact Flash host controller targets mobile devices

20th June 2007

QuickLogic

ES Admin

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QuickLogic has announced an addition to its integrated programmable connectivity solution portfolio targeting mobile devices. The company has released a full Compact Flash host controller to provide designers with simple access to this common memory technology. Compact Flash was introduced in 1994 initially as an interface to flash data card storage. Over time, it has been enhanced to support micro hard disk drives and peripheral devices such as Wi-Fi, Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and Scanner modules. Although the Secure Digital (SD) card has gained more popularity due to its simpler interface, Compact Flash is still required for devices such as Enterprise PDAs, portable industrial ePOS, and high-end digital cameras.

Compact Flash is a high pin-count interface and as a result, many of the latest application processors no longer support it - in order to reduce costs. QuickLogic's Compact Flash host controller acts as a companion device to the application processor, enabling connectivity to a host of Compact Flash devices on the market. It preserves the investment made in Compact Flash peripherals by consumers, while allowing them to take advantages of the more powerful emerging application processors.

QuickLogic's Compact Flash host controller solution supports the CF+ specification including memory, data storage, I/O and True IDE mode. It can be configured to work with Compact Flash memory cards, micro hard disk drives and a broad range of I/O peripherals. The processor interface implemented in the programmable fabric allows seamless connection to a variety of applications processors, enabling developers to quickly add Compact Flash to their mobile designs.

The Compact Flash host controller is the latest addition to QuickLogic's customer specific standard product (CSSP) device portfolio, which reduces design time and risk by embedding high-performance fixed logic functionality with a programmable fabric. The fixed-logic portion of the CSSP device enables designers to optimise the product bill of materials (BOM) cost and battery life, while still providing the flexibility to customise the programmable fabric portion to suit individual product requirements. The Compact Flash solution can be integrated into any of QuickLogic's PolarPro, Eclipse II or ArcticLink device families.