http://paug.fr

1. Android Honeycomb tablets
Marc de Courville
Director software engineering

2. Brief history: a culture of innovation
2000 - Jukebox 6000 2001 - JB Recorder 2002 - AV 120
2003 - AV 300 2004 - AV 400 2005 - PMA 400
1st MID on market!
2006 – ARCHOS 604 2007 – ARCHOS 605 2008 - ARCHOS 5

3. Software strategy: the android way!
• Goal:
– combine the best of Archos multimedia together with Android
Google OS and open application framework to release cost
effective tablet devices
• Migration to Android starts at Archos 7th generation of
products
– 2009: transition from in house Linux from scratch closed platform
(Gen4-6) to open Android framework (SDK available and Apache
software license).
– September 2009 Archos5it. Still coexistence between two
independent worlds: Android and legacy Archos Multimedia
Center.
– September 2010 with 5 tablets: migration to Android is complete.
All the user interface is based on Android, one morphing firmware
for all the products.

4. The Android mutation
2009
ARCHOS 5 internet
tablet
1st Android tablet
10.1’’
7.0’’
4.3’’
3. 2’’
2010: range of 5 Android Internet Tablets
2.8’’

5. Gen9 (r)evolution!
• 3rd generation of android tablet!
• From a non-phone, non-certified device to a fully certified
honeycomb tablet!
• Only non-Tegra Honeycomb tablet on the market: a faster
CPU and faster GPU: dual core ARM cortex A9 OMAP4 and
SGX540
– 1.0GHz, 1.2GHz OMAP4430
– 1.5GHz OMAP4460
• Only tablet supporting a hard drive
• Removable full 3G support
• Uncompromised multimedia experience: true 1080p
support for all containers and codecs

6. 3rd generation of android tablets
Removable 3G Two versions
Flash up HDD: 250GB
to 16GB 3mm thicker

7. Android framework
• Network shares: UPnP and Samba made available
from any application:
– Samba: mix of nbtscan (discovery), fusesmb (mount) and
CIFS kernel to maximize throughput to support HD
– UPnP: based on djmount
• USB host: add support on top of muSD of external
storage (HDD/USB keys)
• USB Ethernet dongle for 1080p video streaming

8. Easy 3G: removable/dynamic 3G
• One single 3G stick and data plan for PC/Tablet
• Removable 3G: 3G as an option
– Dynamic telephony support implementation with full RIL
(not a simple tethering) in Android framework

9. Archos media center
• A unified access to multimedia content
– Music and Video browser with cover flow and player
– Support file browsing mode in addition to library mode
– Favorites, Recently played, Recently added
– Local/network storage browsing capability

10. AVOS native multimedia engine
• Containers and codecs: 10 years of
experience in catching up exceptions
from non standard compliant
audio/video stream to be able to play
anything!
– AVOS: native multimedia engine
• Containers: AVI, MP4, MOV, 3GP, MPG, PS, TS, VOB, MKV,
FLV, RM, RMVB, ASF, WMV
• Audio codecs: MP3, WAV (PCM/ADPCM), AAC, AAC+ 5.1,
OGG Vorbis, FLAC, AC3* 5.1
• HD 1080p Video codecs: H.264 (HP@L4.2), MPEG-4
(SP/ASP@L6), WMV9/VC1 (AP@L3), MPEG2* (MP/HL)

11. Multimedia: subtitles
• Subtitles
– SUB/SRT/SMI/SSA format, SSA color tag support, SRT
color/styling support if they use html color tags
– Adjustable frame rate and time shifting
– Download with automatic best match support with
opensubtitle.org

12. Media information scraper
• Archos media information scraper: video file
information and cover retrieval
• Based on thetvdb.com and themoviedb.org
respectively for tv series and movies: allows
hierarchical database representation of video files

13. TV out/Archos remote
• Archos TVout: ability to clone android UI on the TV
and display full HD video files through HDMI
• Archos universal Android remote application on
Android market
– Easy control of your Archos tablet through Wi-Fi to allow
remote operation on TV
– Multimedia keys to control Archos mediacenter
– Works with any Android device

14. Archos multimedia widgets
• Two carousels for music and video with
resume/new/most viewed views

15. File manager
• Filebrowser supporting remote
network shares (samba/UPnP),
USB host and PTP (cameras)
• Enable apps installation
• Double panel
design with drag
and drop and
multi-selection
capabilities

16. System monitor and uninstaller
• Archos system monitor
– Monitor alarms and wakelocks
including kernel ones that
prevent device hibernation
• Not possible in classical apk!
– Easy one click kill to free
memory

17. Startup wizard & demo mode
• Assist the user to setup device
– Install 3rd party applications
– Easy Wi-Fi setup
– Calibration etc.
• Propose safe restricted demo mode for
in store display
• Facilitate OEM customization

18. Memory management
• Gen9 has 512MB and
honeycomb runs fine:
– Android activity manager
adjustments in process
tagging and prioritization
– Dalvik memory management
speedup
– Optimization of low memory
killer thresholds
– Reorganization of out of
memory adjustment levels

19. Low power and HDD management
• Real support for off mode with a
deep sleep option (no wake up) to
fit PMP usage model
• Storage: 10 years experience
integrating HDDs in mobile devices
and clever low power HDD
management software techniques
– Fine tuning of multimedia buffers to
allow powering off of USB PHY and
HDD when playing multimedia
– Combination HDD with an EMMC as
application storage

20. Conclusion and what comes next?
• Gen9 key assets:
– Faster, Multimedia, Storage++, Easy 3G; Value
• Sneak preview on what is in preparation:
– DLNA server
– Parallel solution to MTP that is cumbersome
– Android 4.0 ice cream sandwich?
• No commitment since code is not published
• GED device is based on 4460… like gen9
• We are well positioned ☺
– And much more!