Omap 3440

[icurafu]

We've always thought that the OMAP 3430 was going to be used by the Pandora. However, TI just released details regarding the OMAP 3440 which is similar to the 3430 but with an updated SGX chip that can encode 720P.

This will be available in two months. Could this mean that the Pandora will skip to the soon to be released chip instead? Could this be the exciting things happening that Craig and Co cannot talk about.

Anyway, either way, it looks like a very small update with only an improved GPU. Both OMAPs would be great.

http://focus.ti.com/general/docs/wtbu/wtbu...contentId=36505

 

[Julius]

But, but... wouldn't we need a video input connection/device then?

But any improvement is good in my book (not that I am not satisfied already)

 

[sephiroth111]

But would encoding really be worth the >10€ that boost would make? i mean, if it were less than 5€ for the upgrade, i would see it as maybe worthwhile, but since craig &co decided to use the Omap 3430, they probably are on the testing phase of the current chipset, and who knows how much TI decided to change the GPU's low level interface, or if the source would even be available to anyone without an NDA (for the encoding aspect anyway). Colour me skeptical, but I don't think they would change their entire lineup for such an minor incremental upgrade.

 

[icurafu]

I guess it depends on what they negotiate with TI. They may have known about this for months.

All I've found out about it is a rumour that a SGX540 is simply fitted, which would double the ammount of triangles per second.

However, I understand that this uses OpenGL 2.0 instead of OpenGL ES 2.0 which contradicts previous statements made about the pandora, so I doubt it would be used.

I'm sure it would be better using the more power efficient SGX530 in our case.

 

[Eolair]

Well, the clock rate has been upped to 800MHz. The 720p info is for the IVA2+ chip so that's no indication that they changed the SGX chip.

I think omap3430 is quite enough for our needs, and the Pandora is already expensive as it is.

 

[sehs33]

There is never something as enough in CPUs, the more horse power we get the more the chance we will be able to get Dos Box running better

 

[Zarneth]

There is never something as enough in CPUs, the more horse power we get the more the chance we will be able to get Dos Box running better

You need a VERY high end PC if you want dosbox to perform sufficiently. ie, being able to run Magic Carpet 2 smoothly at 640x480.
I think we'll be waiting till at LEAST Pandora Mk-III for that, probably a lot longer.

 

[Exophase]

There is never something as enough in CPUs, the more horse power we get the more the chance we will be able to get Dos Box running better

You need a VERY high end PC if you want dosbox to perform sufficiently. ie, being able to run Magic Carpet 2 smoothly at 640x480.
I think we'll be waiting till at LEAST Pandora Mk-III for that, probably a lot longer.

You know, there are many games for DOS that are much less taxing on the CPU than that.

 

[Null]

which is similar to the 3430 but with an updated SGX chip that can encode 720P.

Excerpt from TIs OMAP 3440 page:

IVA™ 2+ (Image Video Audio) accelerator enables multi-standard (MPEG4, WMV9, RealVideo, H263, H264) encode/decode at D1 (720x480 pixels) 30 fps

I may be wrong but that sounds like 480i/p to me.

Video resolutions

 

[hlidegp2x]

which is similar to the 3430 but with an updated SGX chip that can encode 720P.

Excerpt from TIs OMAP 3440 page:

IVA™ 2+ (Image Video Audio) accelerator enables multi-standard (MPEG4, WMV9, RealVideo, H263, H264) encode/decode at D1 (720x480 pixels) 30 fps

I may be wrong but that sounds like 480i/p to me.

Video resolutions


Excerpt from the same page TIs OMAP 3440 page:

The OMAP3440 leverages TI’s high performance IVA™ 2+ multimedia accelerator to support 720p HD video record and playback, unleashing user creativity behind the lens.

some contradictions here ?

 

[dabomb3627]

800 Mhz could probly garuntee N64 emu (or at least give it more of a chance) i mean we're talking about a 33% increase in power here. i hope they are using the newer one, cuz 10 extra pounds (my keyboard only has USD sign) for 33% more power is a damn good deal, even if it were 25 pounds more, i would still be game!

 

[Eolair]

Maybe sell it in two versions? The compatibility is probably 100% Anyone want a Pandora Pro?

Edit: can't spell

 

[Tobriand]

Imo the 3430 is perfectly good enough for us. If the 3440 is fully backward compatible (and the 3430 is fully forward compatible but slower) then, if Ti ever want to switch the Pandora to the later chip, I wouldn't say no - but not to start with.

We're already on the bleeding edge of technology. If there's not quite so much blood by the time we get there, then that's probably no big deal...

 

[javaJake]

...and, I mean, in this day and age, how long can you expect to stay on the bleeding edge? You might as well be satisfied with something that is wicked fast as it is.

"It's always greener on the other side of the fence."

 

[icurafu]

The only thing that could sway me to want to pay extra for the 3440 would be the allocation of extra system ram.

 

[Squidge]

We could always wait another couple of months to see if TI release any information on a 3450? That could do 1Ghz or so, another 25% improvement!

 

[ldesnogu]

Excerpt from TIs OMAP 3440 page:

IVA™ 2+ (Image Video Audio) accelerator enables multi-standard (MPEG4, WMV9, RealVideo, H263, H264) encode/decode at D1 (720x480 pixels) 30 fps

OMAP3430 already does that.
So as hlide supposed, there might be some typo.

We could always wait another couple of months to see if TI release any information on a 3450? That could do 1Ghz or so, another 25% improvement!

That'd be stupid, wait for the supposedly announced OMAP4. Rumors (aka Wikipedia) say it will have Cortex-A9 and will be available by 2010. That will give you plenty of time to add a webcam, 1 GB of low power DDR2 and an improved battery.

 

[Null]

Excerpt from the same page TIs OMAP 3440 page:

The OMAP3440 leverages TI’s high performance IVA™ 2+ multimedia accelerator to support 720p HD video record and playback, unleashing user creativity behind the lens.

some contradictions here ?



I wonder if they're doing it for marketing reasons, though having said that it's probably more likely to be a screw up.

So as hlide supposed, there might be some typo.

Same as above.

 

[Squidge]

800 Mhz could probly garuntee N64 emu (or at least give it more of a chance) i mean we're talking about a 33% increase in power here. i hope they are using the newer one, cuz 10 extra pounds (my keyboard only has USD sign) for 33% more power is a damn good deal, even if it were 25 pounds more, i would still be game!

I might have run the 3430 at 800Mhz

 

[atomicthumbs]

Or you might have not, and it was actually 80 hertz, and you're being intentionally ambiguous so that you DON'T VIOLATE THE NDA and get in trouble.