- LONDON - British computer scientists will unveil a new type of chip
this June that will allow mobile phones to be the size of wristwatches.
-
- The chip differs from conventional technology
because it does not rely on a central clock to co-ordinate messages going
from one part of a chip to another. This "asynchronous" design
means it does not cause interference in a device's circuitry and so cuts
down on the need for shielding. This is a vital step in slimming down phones
and gadgets. The design also saves battery power.
-
- Steve Furber heads the team at Manchester
University that is developing the chip. He says: "Computer chips work
a bit like an orchestra. You have the equivalent of a conductor in the
middle beating his baton, telling each part when they can communicate with
the other parts. The problem is you get a rhythm in the chip that's a bit
like dropping pebbles in a pond. You get a wave that interferes with the
electronics in the rest of the device. That means manufacturers have to
put shielding around chips that raises costs and stops you slimming down
devices."
-
- Conventional chips also use more power
because they are generally left to carry on ticking, even when they have
little or nothing to do. The new Amulet III chip uses power only when it
needs it.
-
- "It's like the lighting at home,"
says Furber. "If you want to read, you put on a lamp. You don't need
to have all the lights in the house burning power."
-
- The Amulet III chip is to be manufactured
by the Acorn spin-off company, ARM. The Cambridge manufacturer expects
to be marketing the chips next year for mobile phones.
-
- Philips, which has worked with the EU-funded
Manchester researchers in the past, is a potential customer. - British
computer scientists will unveil a new type of chip this June that will
allow mobile phones to be the size of wristwatches.
|
