Inferno

Description

Inferno is CSR’s firmware and tools platform for developing printers, multifunction printers (MFPs) and scanners with CSR’s Quatro system-on-chips (SoCs). Quatro is a family of highly integrated SOCs that features a powerful ARM CPU core and a highly programmable DSP for high-performance, next-generation hardcopy imaging products.

Inferno runs on Quatro development boards and implements functions such as printing, scanning, copying, connectivity, networking and user interface.

Inferno can be configured to use Embedded Linux or a more traditional real-time operating system. Inferno also features an API for easily integrating CSR’s industry-leading IPS print language interpreters, which have been optimized to take advantage of Quatro’s dual-core CPU and DSP. Inferno is also integrated with a CSR Wi-Fi solution.

Inferno is targeted for a wide range of hardcopy imaging products:

Low-end to high-performance
Monochrome and color
A3/Tabloid and A4/Letter paper size
PDL and raster printing
Optional graphical display
Optional fax
Optional Ethernet and Wi-Fi

Key features

Embedded Linux and traditional real-time operating system configurations
Leverages IPS’s concurrent rendering architecture
Extended networking
Rich user interface
Comprehensive development tools chain

Benefits

Single modular firmware platform for a family of SOCs that cover broad product range
Programmable architecture for implementing unique features and algorithms
Industry’s only controller solution with optimized PDL interpreters

Product details

Inferno Architecture

Inferno can be configured to use embedded Linux or a more traditional real-time operating system for Quatro’s ARM processor. The inferno-Linux configuration allows the customers to leverage Linux’s vast open source ecosystem, including open source libraries, device drivers and development tools. Alternatively, customers can choose the Inferno-NL configuration and work with a traditional real-time operating system such as ThreadX. Customers can also develop certain products on one OS and other products on another since the two configurations share the common architecture and much of the firmware code.

Inferno in either configuration is designed to provide the real-time processing capability required by high-performance printers, MFPs and scanners. FlexRISC microcontroller cores are used to offload the most time critical tasks in printer and scanner engine control. The powerful Quatro DSP cores maintain high-throughput image processing.

Inferno and IPS Print Language Interpreters

Inferno and CSR’s IPS PDL interpreters take full advantage of each other. For example, IPS’s concurrent rendering architecture leverages the SMP capability of Linux when running on Quatro’s dual-core version. The full IPS suite has been ported to Inferno/Quatro and tuned to maximize PDL printing performance.

Product Development

Inferno’s standard firmware and development tools are provided to Quatro customers free of charge. Inferno is designed to meet the varying needs of customers who want different degrees of customization. Inferno comes with a complete basic feature set for fast time-to-market. Customers who want extensive customizations can modify the supplied firmware components and/or add new firmware components. Inferno’s modular architecture simplifies any level of customization. Most of the code is provided in source form.

Quatro SoC

Quatro 5300
Quatro 4500
Quatro 4300

Operating System

Embedded Linux
ThreadX
OS abstraction layer

Print Features

Color and mono
IPS PDLs
JBIG raster
Sample print driver (created with IPS DDK)

Copy Features

Color and mono
Various resolutions and screening methods

Scan Features

Scan to PC, USB flash drive, network drive
Uncompressed and JPEG compressed data

Fax Features

G3 with ECM
Up to V.34
Color and mono
JBIG fax

Development Tools

Open source tools (gcc, gdb, etc.)
CSR-developed DSP and flexRISC tools
Optional third-party commercial tools

Others

Low-power sleep mode
USB, Ethernet and Wi-Fi connectivity
Text, Graphic and Web user interfaces

Subject to approval, a datasheet can be made available for this product via CSR Support.