EEMBC(R) Undertakes Development of Industry-Standard Browser Platform Performance and Compliance Test

EL DORADO HILLS, Calif., April 13 /PRNewswire/ -- The Embedded Microprocessor Benchmark Consortium (EEMBC) today announced that it has formed a new working group to create a standardized, industry-accepted method of evaluating Web browser performance on portable electronic devices. This working group will be co-chaired by Mansoor Chistie and Gary Debes, both from Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI).

Unlike other browser benchmarks, the EEMBC benchmark, named BrowsingBench, strives to measure the complete user-experience from the click/touch on a URL to final page rendered on the screen. It is not limited to measuring only JavaScript execution. In addition, it measures page rendering speed and factors in Internet content diversity as well as various network profiles used to access the Internet.

One other benchmark feature that is particularly important in the mobile platform is the ability to measure power consumption. Since a browser can trade higher performance for better battery life, BrowsingBench will include a methodology for determining the browsing effects on battery life.

BrowsingBench will benefit processor vendors, operating system and browser developers, and system developers by providing a tool to determine how effective (or ineffective) their hardware and software products are at processing and displaying Web pages - both for performing the individual subtasks necessary to display a page, as well as the total composite time for processing the entire page. Users will appreciate BrowsingBench because systems that perform well on the EEMBC benchmark should give good results on real-world, daily Web browser tasks; the opposite is also true. Using EEMBC benchmark, a user will be able to fairly compare browsing performance across different hardware platforms running a wide variety of software browser implementations.

"TI is excited to play a formative role in this browser benchmark working group, and to also represent the industry as a group chair," commented Marcelo Vieira, OMAP™ business unit manager, TI. "We continue to see the need for a well-constructed, industry-accepted Web browsing benchmark to evaluate and compare various platforms' ability to process Web pages. With key industry leaders participating in the creation of BrowsingBench, we believe EEMBC's process, once finalized, will meet this need."

"BrowsingBench will point out the strengths and weaknesses of all system components involved in the browsing experience," said EEMBC president Markus Levy. "Therefore, we are encouraging all relevant companies, including the system manufacturers, processor vendors, operating system and browser developers, to get involved with this effort and help ensure a meaningful and fair representation."

About EEMBC

EEMBC, the Embedded Microprocessor Benchmark Consortium, develops benchmark software to help designers select the right embedded processors for their systems. Benchmark algorithms and applications developed by EEMBC are organized into benchmark suites targeting consumer, digital entertainment, networking, automotive/industrial, telecommunications, Java, and office equipment products. An additional suite of benchmarks, called MultiBench, specifically targets the capabilities of multicore processors based on an SMP architecture. These benchmarks may be obtained by joining EEMBC's open membership or through a corporate or university licensing program. The EEMBC Technology Center manages development of new benchmark software and certifies benchmark test results.

EEMBC's members include Advanced Digital Chips, AMD, Analog Devices, Andes Technology, Applied Micro, ARM, Broadcom, Cavium Networks, Code Sourcery, Cypress Semiconductor, Faraday, Freescale Semiconductor, Fujitsu Microelectronics, Green Hills Software, IAR Systems AB, IBM, Imagination Technologies, Infineon Technologies, Intel, LSI, LynuxWorks, Marvell Semiconductor, MediaTek, Mentor Graphics, Microchip Technology, MIPS Technologies, National Instruments, NEC Electronics, Netlogic Microsystems, Nokia, NXP Semiconductors, Open Kernel Labs, Qualcomm, Realtek Semiconductor, Red Hat, Renesas Technology, Samsung Electronics, Sony Computer Entertainment, STMicroelectronics, Texas Instruments, VIA Technologies, VMware, Wind River Systems.

Trademarks

OMAP is a registered trademark of Texas Instruments Incorporated. All other registered trademarks belong to their respective owners.

SOURCE Embedded Microprocessor Benchmark Consortium