Claimed by IDT as the first of its kind, the synchronous Mobile Multimedia Interconnect (M2I) targets multimedia applications in high-end mobile handsets and PDAs. An architectural advance over previous generation interfaces, the M2I performs up to six times faster with 90% less battery drain.
For handset OEMs, the interface of the M2I lets the processor support additional differentiating functionality, such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and global-positioning systems (GPS). The M2I works with application processors and baseband processors that employ an address-data multiplexer (ADM) interface. The ADM interface has a lower input/output (I/O) count and higher bandwidth than other approaches, such as the standard, asynchronous dual-port RAMs and embedded serial interfaces often found in highend mobile handsets.
The M2I uses 50% fewer processor I/O pins, freeing those pins to support desired differentiating functionality. Moreover, the M2I deploys eight dynamically programmable I/Os that the processor can use to control and/or monitor other devices, enabling the handset designer to add even more differentiating functionality.
The architecture achieves its high-performance and low-battery drain thanks to a synchronous clocking scheme. This clocking scheme uses an internal counter that eliminates the need for multiple addressing. Consequently, the M2I processes 64kbits of data in only 4001 cycles, compared to the 8000 cycles required by previous-generation devices.