Time was when embedded applications were assumed to be "headless."
Those days, however, are gone. More and more embedded applications now employ complex displays.
"A picture is worth a thousand words," notes Dr. Nikhil Balram, general manager for high-definition products at National Semiconductor Corp. "And a visual display is the most effective way of communicating, especially in entertainment products."
Indeed, high-profile products, such as the iPod and a variety of MP3 players, have shown that today's entertainment products need displays, as well as the processing capabilities that go with them. Moreover, the trend toward displays has migrated to a multitude of embedded devices, including digital televisions, videophones, set-top boxes, and audio-digital receivers.
For designers, such products create challenges. They must integrate more sophisticated processing capabilities, while keeping the power draw down.
"Whether it's an iPod or any other device, the number of pixels is going up," Balram says. "And when the number of pixels rises, it means we need greater processing power."
The following three vendor products are designed to help find a way to meet those processing needs without breaking the power budget.
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