Marvell has announced the PXA168, the first in a family of applications processors targeted at new mass market opportunities in computing and digital consumer devices. The Marvell PXA168 is based on a new architecture that delivers the processing capabilities of an entry-level laptop to instant-on, digital consumer devices by enabling full-featured web surfing, Internet widgets, multi-format video, Adobe Flash-based content playback, image processing, video conferencing and advanced graphical user interfaces at consumer price points with ultra-low power for longer battery life.

Incorporating Marvell Sheeva technology, this new class of applications processor is scalable beyond 1GHz to enable converged consumer devices. Devices powered by the Marvell PXA168 can include connected digital photo frames, portable navigation devices, portable media players, automotive dashboard displays and infotainment systems, home automation, portable TVs, digital signage and other devices that utilize Internet connectivity, media processing and touch screen interfaces.

This architecture enables a suite of software and applications, such as Adobe Flash and Flash Lite player as well as Internet widgets, to run on top of full-featured operating systems such as Linux. Marvell is enabling a scalable software environment for mass market digital consumer devices.

The Marvell PXA168 supports high-definition video with hardware graphics acceleration. The PXA168 also includes Marvell's Qdeo Color Intelligent Color Remapping technology to bring color to displays without hue shifts or clipping while preserving skin tones. Northbridge and southbridge interfaces are integrated for consumer devices, including a 5-in-1 memory card reader, multi-level cell NAND, CE-ATA, DDR2 memory, USB, PCI-e and Ethernet interfaces.

The Marvell PXA168 reference platform supports Linux and Microsoft Windows CE operating systems and a comprehensive media framework for connected consumer devices, including all standard video and audio codecs, , advanced GUIs and many third-party applications.