Imagination upgrades Creator CI20 micro-computer

Upgraded CI20 introduces new board layout, FlowCloud integration and enhanced Wi-Fi capabilities

London, UK – May 12^th, 2015 – Imagination Technologies (IMG.L) announces significant upgrades for its high-performance, low-power MIPS-based Creator CI20 development board featuring a PowerVR GPU. The new board includes full support for Imagination’s FlowCloud IoT platform; a square form factor; a modified board layout to optimise Wi-Fi speed and stability; and updated software for Linux and Android. The new software features are fully compatible with all CI20 boards already shipped.

A key part of the CI20 upgrade is the addition of out of the box compatibility for its FlowCloud services, which have been specifically conceived to enable rapid development of IoT applications. FlowCloud gives users comprehensive device-to-cloud infrastructure and services, enabling IoT innovators to rapidly create new applications based on CI20 such as home automation, robotics, industrial monitoring and control, and many others.

Launched in December 2014, the Creator CI20 is an affordable micro-computer that runs Linux and Android, and enables open source developers, the maker community, system integrators and others to implement a wide array of applications quickly. It is ideal for a wide range of projects such as home automation, gaming, wireless multimedia streaming, and many more applications requiring a high performance Linux or Android platform with GPU and video capabilities and excellent connectivity.

Says Tony King-Smith, EVP marketing for Imagination: “Adding FlowCloud compatibility for Creator CI20 is an exciting step for our burgeoning development board range – and we’re upgrading Wi-Fi performance, software and form factor as well. We conceived the Creator family of low cost development boards to give developers the opportunity to get their hands on a wide range of our technologies from PowerVR GPUs to MIPS CPUs – and there are more Creator boards coming soon. Thanks to full support for FlowCloud, developers now get an incredible out of the box solution – it boots Linux or Android, and through FlowCloud connects to a cloud-based platform ideal for deploying IoT applications quickly. We believe these new features should really capture the imagination of our substantial and growing ecosystem of Creator partners, inspiring new levels of innovation.”

As part of the upgrade, Imagination has updated Creator CI20 with the latest Android and Linux operating systems* to provide new features and an enhanced user experience. The new updates for Android include new configuration options for audio over HDMI and Bluetooth, enhanced Ethernet preferences and full support for audio recording. The upcoming move to a new Linux kernel will also deliver a significant boost in memory and graphics performance.

For the full list of changes, please visit our blog for more details.

Availability

The upgraded Creator CI20 is available for pre-ordering now from http://store.imgtec.com. Upgrades for existing CI20 users are available here.

For developers attending Maker Faire in the Bay Area (May 16-17), Imagination is offering a $10 discount for boards purchased at the show.

About Imagination Technologies

Imagination is a global technology leader whose products touch the lives of billions of people across the globe. The company’s broad range of silicon IP (intellectual property) includes the key processing blocks needed to create the SoCs (Systems on Chips) that power all mobile, consumer and embedded electronics. Its unique software IP, infrastructure technologies and system solutions enable its customers to get to market quickly with complete and highly differentiated SoC platforms. Imagination’s licensees include many of the world’s leading semiconductor manufacturers, network operators and OEMs/ODMs who are creating some of the world’s most iconic products. See: www.imgtec.com.