Ever wondered what’s running under the hood of a Sideshow hardware device such as a Sideshow-enabled remote control or a Sideshow Auxiliary display? To this date, there are few silicon manufactures that provide MCU + firmware solutions, namely 3 companies: Winbond, Freescale and Nvidia. While Nvidia’s platform is currently focusing on the MP3 player market (inheritance from Portal Player’s Preface technology) Winbond and Freescale are concentrating on more generic SideShow hardware platforms and SDKs. Winbond’s platform seems to be the right choice for remote controls and Auxiliary displays. While Freescale decided to provide a Sideshow development platform based on a ARM9 processor (I.MX family), Winbond is running its “ShowMe” SideShow offering on an ARM7 processor (WPCE521L). This will probably imply lower cost per MCU, therefore lower device costs.

"ShowMe", is a Winbond controller using Windows SideShow technology (BTW, RicaVision’s Remote Control is running WinBond’s MCU) is at the core of a new generation of Remote Controls for Media Center PCs. These new hand-held remote controls communicate with a PC running Windows Vista, down-load real-time data and display it on a QVGA LCD screen to the user sitting comfortably on their living room couch.

This small, sleek embedded controller was co-developed by Winbond teams in Israel and Taiwan, for use in a remote controls and other sideshow related products. The ShowMe-based remote control uses a wireless Bluetooth link. All data is presented using the Microsoft .NET Microframework, specially adapted for the remote-control experience. Windows Vista synchronizes the data to the host applications.

Winbond's comprehensive ShowMe product family will comprise the Basic, and Enhanced Windows SideShow devices, that will offer PC and remote control designers a wide spectrum of capabilities for cached data and on-line solutions. Winbond's ongoing development program includes advanced controllers that will enable a full range of solutions, ranging from a basic one-line LCD display to an enhanced hi-resolution QVGA LCD, or even higher resolution display.

This is another picture spotted in Japanse web site in at winHEC 2006.

Also, Zeev Heller, Director of Marketing for Winbond’s Advanced PC Product Center will send us a SDK for an in-depth review. Stay tuned for more pictures, and relevant information regarding their development kit!

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