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GermanBluetooth in audioplayer MSI
Evgenie Rudometov,
Victor Rudometov
authors@rudometov.com
Perfecting the products of the consumer electronics, known computer company Micro-Star International (MSI) has developed and has released model MP3 of an audioplayer with built in Bluetooth radio unit
Multiplexing semiconducting, computer and audioprocessing techniques has provided appearance of new electronic arrangements. Many of them became more compact, and some have gained new functionality of which it was difficult to dream only several years ago.
As an example it is possible to result model MEGA PLAYER 516 BT, released by known company MSI. This model providing not only playback, but also audioinformation writing, presence of the built in unit of radio communication Bluetooth distinguishes from other arrangements. This possibility provides a wireless communication with many home arrangements supporting the given popular standard. Among such arrangements the greatest distribution was received by many models of mobile phones. Realising possibilities of the radio interface, the owner of the specified player and appropriate phone can not worry now for link during music listening on a player.
While audioplayers with Bluetooth are rather rare, for this reason appearance of such models deserves the most steadfast attention. As the manufacturer has kindly allowed not only to estimate functionality of the new model, but also to get acquainted with its internal arrangement.
So, model MEGA PLAYER 516 BT. Before to pass to the description of the given model, it is necessary to mark, that on testing the engineering sample has been given. One of features of the given sample is its tank which very much reminds tank of the similar model having name MEGA PLAYER of 522 W. However it was not mirrored in working capacity of a player. As to external design quite probably model MEGA PLAYER of 516 W will be released quite probably in several variants of the tanks differing not only a colouring, but also the form.
Appearance of the given sample of audioplayer MEGA PLAYER of 516 W is resulted on a Fig. 1, and key parametres resulted on a firm site, are presented in Table 1.
Fig. 1. Appearance of audioplayer MEGAPLAYER 516 BT
Table 1. Key parametres of audioplayer MEGA PLAYER 516 BT
Playback formats |
MP3, WAV and WMA |
Operating systems |
Windows 98SE, Windows ME, Windows 2000, Windows XP Home/Pro, MAC OS 9 or above. |
The interface |
USB |
The sizes, mm |
54 () x 86 (dl) x 11.5 () mm |
Weight |
55 g (with the secondary generator) |
Size of the built in flash-memory, Mb |
64/128 / 256 / 512 |
Maps of the external flash-memory of memory |
SD/MMC |
OLED the indicator |
The sizes: 23 (dl) x 11.98 () mm, 128 x 64 pixels |
Input/output plugs |
1. Stereo Audio - out, 2.5мм |
The power supply |
The Li-ionic secondary generator (built in) 420 mA/hour / 3.7V |
The given arrangement possesses a number of interesting features.
Certainly, first of all are built in resources Bluetooth with all possibilities following from this circumstance. Presence of this interface allows to realise function “Handsfree” at usage of a mobile phone with support Bluetooth. Besides, considering presence for MEGA PLAYER 516 BT writing functions, by means of the given radio interface it is possible to organise arresting and durable storage of negotiations on a mobile phone.
Parametres of Bluetooth unit used as a part of audioplayer MEGA PLAYER 516 BT, are resulted in Table 2.
Table 2. Basic performances of Bluetooth unit of audioplayer MEGA PLAYER 516 BT
The hardware interface |
I2C |
Specification Bluetooth |
Ver. 1.1 |
Operating voltage |
3.3V |
Range of operation |
To 20 m on open space |
Correspondence to requirements |
BQB (Bluetooth Qualified) |
The spectrum extension |
Transmission with rasshereniem a spectrum by means of spasmodic modification of frequency (FHSS) |
Frequency band |
2.4 ~ 2.4835 GHz (2.4 GHz ISM a band) |
Radio channels |
79-channel system for the USA, Japan, and Europe (excepting France) |
Supported profiles |
Support of wireless ear-phones |
Support Hands-Free |
The audioplayer is equipped OLED disleem (Organic Light-Emitting Diode). As is known, displays of this type possess the best corners of the browse, than usual Zhk-displays. Besides, OLED displays do not demand additional highlighting, that positively influences offline work time. This circumstance has allowed as a part of audioplayer MEGA PLAYER 516 BT to use compact lithium-ionic the secondary generator of rather small size which can be charged not only by means of the special adapter from a standard network of an alternate current 100-240 In, but also through USB the plug desktop or even the transportable computer.
Handle of the arrangement is carried out by means of a number of not fixed keys. Three of them are allocated on a front panel, the others – on lateral faces where, by the way, are allocated also plugs (a Fig. 2).
Fig. 2. Plugs and the control buttons allocated on side panels
And it is finite, the audioplayer of such class has the numerous functions which have become already standard for models of high level (High End). Model MEGA PLAYER 516 BT supports high-quality reproduction of sound files of formats MP3, WAV and WMA. Besides, MEGA PLAYER 516 BT allows to make synchronous writing from the built in microphone, FM the receiver, a linear input terminal and Bluetooth phone. Writings are stored in sort of files of format WAV in the nonvolatile memory.
Estimating functionality of the considered arrangement, it is necessary to mark, that important feature is add-on memory usage. Really, the majority of similar arrangements are released with the fixed size of an internal storage of the non-volatile storage fulfilled on the basis of built in chips of the flash-memory. It is obvious, that the arrangement final price depends on size of the given memory not only the common size hranimyh audiofiles, but also: the more a memory size, the above the product price. But if not to pay attention to the price, it is necessary to recognise, what even in case of models with limiting memory sizes of the built in memory its size remains all the same limited. As a result at durable removal from the computer, audiocontent change becomes the insoluble task. However it concerns not all models. So, for example, in audioplayer MEGA PLAYER of 516 W the given problem is solved thanks to presence of the special external plug of standard SD. The given plug allows to expand the informational memory size making for the given copy of given model, by the way, only 128 Mb. The extension by means of usage of special units of the flash-memory inserted into the appropriate slot is fulfilled. Thanks to presence in the architecture of given MEGA PLAYER 516 BT slot supports memory maps SD/MMC, allowing to control the files written on maps.
Handle of hardware-software resources is carried out by only several chips. Among these chips chip SIGMATEL STMP3410L allocated under OLED by the display is central.
Fig. 3. Plugs and the control buttons allocated on side panels
Access to this chip opens only after display dismantle, that, by the way, is unsafe for working capacity of an audioplayer procedure. It should be considered that who at own risk will dare to repeat operation of dismantling of such arrangement, especially considering, that it is accompanied also by loss of guarantee certificates of the manufacturer of an audioplayer.
Coming back to the internal arrangement of the considered arrangement, it is necessary to mark, that chip SIGMATEL STMP3410L is rather difficult chip. In its structure the considerable quantity of various controllers which are involved in the specified audioplayer not all is realised. The structure of chip SIGMATEL STMP3410L is resulted in a Fig. 4.
Fig. 4. Structure of chip SIGMATELSTMP3410L
In case of the widespread operating system (OS) of Windows XP any additional drivers is not required. The arrangement is correctly identified, that show window fragments «the Manager of arrangements» and «My computer», resulted on a Fig. 5.
Fig. 5. A fragment of windows «the Manager of arrangements» and «My computer»
After transmission of sound files to memory of an audioplayer and its disconnecting from the computer (the PC or a notebook) MEGA PLAYER 516 W is completely ready to operation.
Parsing possibilities of a described audioplayer, it is necessary to consider presence of the built in memory rather a high capacity. Besides, the information field can be increased application of external cards of the flash-memory of standard SD. All it allows to use audioplayer MEGA PLAYER of 516 W as the compact transportable disk drive for resocks between computers of programs and data.
High-speed properties illustrates the results resulted more low received in the course of testing. As tests known package SiSoftware Sandra used.
As a test computer platform notebook MSI MEGABOOK S260 used. Into its structure enter:
r MS-1012 Motherboard ver. 0121 (chip set Mobile Intel 915GM, the processor bus of 533 MHz),
r the Processor of Intel of Pentium M of 1,6 GHz (processing technique of 90 nanometers, kernel Dothan, 2 Gbytes L2),
r the Disk drive on hard 2,5-inch magnetic disks HDD TOSHIBA MK4025GAS in size of 40 Gbytes,
r Units of dynamic storage DDR333 SDRAM of 256 Mb (2 Gbytes are maximum ),
r the Videoadapter presented by resources of the built in drawing of Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 900 (Intel GMA 900), integrated into structure of chip set Mobile Intel 915GM,
r the Optical drive of DVD/CD QSI CDRW/DVD SBW242B,
r the Operating system of Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition.
Audioplayer MEGA PLAYER of 516 W was hooked up to a notebook by means of interface USB.
Results of testing are resulted in a Fig. 6.
Fig. 6. Results of testing of the built in memory of audioplayer MEGA PLAYER of 516 W
And though audioplayer MEGA PLAYER of 516 W can successfully use for storage of computer files, that is as widespread USB-disk drives, the basic purpose of the given arrangement is all the same playback of the sound information. As to quality of playback it has appeared marvellously high. However, numerous admirers of production MSI this circumstance hardly will surprise.
The sample of digital audioplayer MEGA PLAYER 516 BT is given by the Moscow office of company Micro-Star International
Article is published in log Magic of the PC.