Amazing demo of a TI OMAP4 chipset driving an e-ink reader

BKeeper · 02-03-2010, 01:37 AM

slashgear has a video of TI OMAP4 driving an e-ink reader.
The chipset is great in terms of power efficiency and performance.

The OMAP4 has an integrated display controller, and it's amazing to see what even current generation e-ink can do in terms of refresh once you eliminate the controller bottleneck.

Even if my money is on tegra2/PixelQi and Mirasol, e-ink could still be a player here.

This year we will finally be able to achieve all-day computing battery life on everyday devices.

Once you reach 8-12h, battery becomes a secondary concern for many people.

I'm also perfectly okay with tegra and OMAP and a linux OS for tablets/readers/smartphones. Now that google has finally decided to go to war and enable multitouch, things will get really really interesting.

I think Microsoft needs to adapt its interface, and it's gonna take the some time. No windows for me thank you.

CTH · 02-03-2010, 03:06 AM

I have long suspected that the controller was a bottleneck and the screens could be much faster. That speed is fast enough for anyone who complains that e-ink is slow (when reading).

Pretty cool stuff

wallcraft · 02-03-2010, 09:59 AM

The EInk-ready processor is an OMAP3, and its most interesting feature is that the display controller is actually a standard DSP module and software.

See E-reader platform taps 45nm Cortex SoC, which lists SiPix and LiquaVista as "partners". So perhaps some or all of the Readers with SiPix screens will be using this chip.

LDBoblo · 02-03-2010, 11:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CTH

I have long suspected that the controller was a bottleneck and the screens could be much faster. That speed is fast enough for anyone who complains that e-ink is slow (when reading).

Pretty cool stuff

No, the screen is still way too slow for full functionality. Perhaps in another generation or two of EPD, but not yet. More tolerable? Perhaps, but fast enough? No, absolutely not. And I mean when reading.

badbob001 · 02-03-2010, 11:18 AM

That demo did look very interesting, though it's hard to say if it's faster than current implementations. It shows the demo rapidly updating the screen, though we have no idea what the delay is from when the program draws on the screen and when the screen actually updates. I'm guessing if the dev unit supported sytlus/finger touch, we can see how quickly the unit can keep up.

It is also impossible to tell if such fast updates leaves after-images (ghosting) on the screen, which may not show up in a demo but will when viewing many pages of text. Current controllers probably try to find a compromise between speed and anti-ghosting techniques. Some controllers, in response to a page turn, like to just refresh just the parts of the screen with text while other controllers (irex's delta) wants to refresh the entire page. There is probably different battery cost to each method (perhaps Irex's usage of the faster and cleaner entire refresh method is why their devices are less battery efficient).

But I do agree than the current CPUs on readers is too slow since much of the screen refresh time is not due to the e-ink.

astra · 02-04-2010, 06:08 AM

Considerable improvement.
Almost a perfect speed for reading fiction. Even traditional eInk is fast enough for reading but this one will satisfy speed readers too. Nice!

02-03-2010, 01:37 AM	#1
BKeeper Groupie Posts: 186 Karma: 728 Join Date: Jul 2006 Device: Kindle PW	Amazing demo of a TI OMAP4 chipset driving an e-ink reader slashgear has a video of TI OMAP4 driving an e-ink reader. The chipset is great in terms of power efficiency and performance. The OMAP4 has an integrated display controller, and it's amazing to see what even current generation e-ink can do in terms of refresh once you eliminate the controller bottleneck. Even if my money is on tegra2/PixelQi and Mirasol, e-ink could still be a player here. This year we will finally be able to achieve all-day computing battery life on everyday devices. Once you reach 8-12h, battery becomes a secondary concern for many people. I'm also perfectly okay with tegra and OMAP and a linux OS for tablets/readers/smartphones. Now that google has finally decided to go to war and enable multitouch, things will get really really interesting. I think Microsoft needs to adapt its interface, and it's gonna take the some time. No windows for me thank you. Last edited by BKeeper; 02-03-2010 at 01:58 AM.

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Demo: Jetbook mini official demo	bookwarm	Ectaco jetBook	36	09-21-2010 12:18 PM
LiquaVista to demo color epaper reader at CES	Nate the great	News	67	01-15-2010 02:11 PM
Plastic Logic Reader Demo	Sundara	Andere Lesegeräte	2	09-22-2009 12:01 AM
iLiad Iliad Chipset	Frisi42	iRex Developer's Corner	5	05-23-2008 03:24 AM
Video Demo of the Bookeen Reader	tribble	Bookeen	29	09-28-2007 02:48 AM

02-03-2010, 03:06 AM	#2
CTH Zealot Posts: 129 Karma: 1000153 Join Date: Jan 2007	I have long suspected that the controller was a bottleneck and the screens could be much faster. That speed is fast enough for anyone who complains that e-ink is slow (when reading). Pretty cool stuff

02-03-2010, 09:59 AM	#3
wallcraft reader Posts: 6,975 Karma: 5183568 Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Mississippi, USA Device: Kindle 3, Kobo Glo HD	The EInk-ready processor is an OMAP3, and its most interesting feature is that the display controller is actually a standard DSP module and software. See E-reader platform taps 45nm Cortex SoC, which lists SiPix and LiquaVista as "partners". So perhaps some or all of the Readers with SiPix screens will be using this chip.

02-03-2010, 11:18 AM	#5
badbob001 Fanatic Posts: 556 Karma: 1102020 Join Date: Sep 2009 Device: Kindle Keyboard (rip), Kindle Voyage, Fire Tablet 10 '17, iPad '19	That demo did look very interesting, though it's hard to say if it's faster than current implementations. It shows the demo rapidly updating the screen, though we have no idea what the delay is from when the program draws on the screen and when the screen actually updates. I'm guessing if the dev unit supported sytlus/finger touch, we can see how quickly the unit can keep up. It is also impossible to tell if such fast updates leaves after-images (ghosting) on the screen, which may not show up in a demo but will when viewing many pages of text. Current controllers probably try to find a compromise between speed and anti-ghosting techniques. Some controllers, in response to a page turn, like to just refresh just the parts of the screen with text while other controllers (irex's delta) wants to refresh the entire page. There is probably different battery cost to each method (perhaps Irex's usage of the faster and cleaner entire refresh method is why their devices are less battery efficient). But I do agree than the current CPUs on readers is too slow since much of the screen refresh time is not due to the e-ink.

02-04-2010, 06:08 AM	#6
astra The Introvert Posts: 8,307 Karma: 1000077497 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: United Kingdom Device: Sony Reader PRS-650 & 505 & 500	Considerable improvement. Almost a perfect speed for reading fiction. Even traditional eInk is fast enough for reading but this one will satisfy speed readers too. Nice!