In a recent survey, 80% of end users said that "power efficiency" - that is, having a long-lasting battery - is the most important feature to look for in choosing a new mobile device.

The consensus is clear: consumers want longer talk time, longer standby time, and longer play time. It's all about managing power so there's more time for enticing new features like hi-fi audio, video processing, and larger color displays.

New requirements

The increased demand on performance is changing the way power needs to be managed in the system. To support music functions, the system has to deliver hi-fi audio and store MP3 files. For digital imaging, there are special requirements for CCD sensors (and, to a lesser degree, for CMOS sensors), and for the backlighting functions that support the LCD display.

For advanced gaming and business applications, power management tasks need to be provided to an applications processor or, in the case of 3D gaming, a graphics co-processor.

Mobile video, TV-on-mobile, and connectivity technologies like wireless LAN (WLAN) are often managed in a modular format, creating a need for scaleable solutions that manage power in a specific subsystem.

New levels of efficiency

At NXP, we're actively addressing these power management issues, adding new functions and improving efficiency throughout our portfolio of power management units (PMUs).

We've increased the number of programmable power supplies - there are as many as 21 on a single chip - and have developed highly efficient switching power supplies for different processor cores. We've made power management dynamic, enabling adaptive voltage scaling and closed-loop systems. We've even added more mixed-signal functionality, integrating high-performance audio codecs, charge-and-play features, accurate fuel gauging, touchscreen interfaces, Class D amplifiers, and more.

The NXP portfolio

Our PMU portfolio includes highly integrated, single-chip devices that work directly with the baseband or with an applications processor, and we also have dedicated PMUs for connectivity and broadcast subsystems.

We go beyond technology to provide the highest levels of customer support. From the earliest evaluations to the delivery of final product, we back our commitment with a global network of dedicated design engineers and multiple production sources.

The result is a range of flexible solutions that speed time-to-market while optimizing performance in even the mostly highly evolved cellular handset.