Sony Corporation has developed low-power-consumption dynamic reconfigurable circuit technology for compact mobile devices, "Virtual Mobile Engine™", and incorporated this technology in a newly developed LSI "CXR704060" for Network Walkman "NW-MS70D".

Dynamic reconfigurable circuit technology does not require multiple dedicated circuits for each operation. The technology enables an LSI to function according to each situation by altering its preset configuration and operation with software during processing. Previously this technology was considered only for use in large-scale data processing communications devices requiring swift specification changes, but concerning its application in consumer mobile devices, power-consumption had been an issue.

[Reconfigulable Logic Concept Image]

Sony developed "Virtual Mobile Engine™" for audio visual LSIs as a solution to the increasingly complex LSI design of the multi function consumer mobile devices. The first product adopting the technology is the "CXR704060" LSI for Network Walkman "NW-MS70D", which achieved fourfold energy efficiency (in playing ATRAC3) in comparison to the current commodity DSP (Digital Signal Processor)*. In "CXR704060", reconfigurable circuit technology is applied to energy consuming multiple processes that decode the original music data from its compressed form. This is the world's first application of low-power-consumption dynamic reconfigurable circuit technology in consumer products.

By altering the process of LSI design, "Virtual Mobile Engine™" allows the manufacture of more compact, higher quality mobile devices. In future, Sony will continue the pursuit of even more distinctive mobile product design through the extensive application of this "Virtual Mobile Engine™".

"Virtual Mobile Engine™" is a trademark of Sony.

• *Source: Sony internal measurements.