computer science

SIMpad

SIMpad is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand SIMpad rather than just read about it. In short: The SIMpad is a portable computer developed by the company Keith & Koep by order of Siemens AG, with an 8.4" TFT touchscreen. Commonly used with wireless network cards, it was marketed as a device to browse the World Wide Web.

Key takeaways

SIMpad belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect SIMpad to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of SIMpad from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The SIMpad is a portable computer developed by the company Keith & Koep by order of Siemens AG, with an 8.4" TFT touchscreen. Commonly used with wireless network cards, it was marketed as a device to browse the World Wide Web. Initially announced in January 2001 at the Consumer Electronics Show.

There are five known model variants, all out of production:

CL4: The low-end model with 32 MB RAM and 16 MB Flash ROM without PC card slot but with DECT modem. WP50: A variant sold by Swisscom. Same as the CL4. T-Sinus Pad: A variant sold by Deutsche Telekom. This one is the same as the CL4 but with a PC card slot. SL4: The high end model, with 64 MB RAM and 32 MB Flash ROM. This one also has a PC card slot. SLC: Identical to the SL4, but with the addition of a Siemens MD34 DECT modem, allowing connection to certain Siemens ISDN telephone systems. All variants contain:

An Intel StrongARM#SA-1110 SA-1110 32-bit RISC processor with a clock frequency of 206 MHz An 8.4" TFT LCD with an SVGA resolution (800×600 pixels) 4-wire analog resistive touch interface A single 16-bit PC card slot (not included in some CL4 models designed to use the Siemens MD34 DECT module) A standard ISO/IEC 7816 SmartCard interface A USB 1.1 client interface (not fully functional in production releases, but see Mullenger.org below) An IrDA interface (V1.3, SIR) A serial interface (proprietary Siemens "Lumberg" socket) A 7.2 V 2800 mA·h Lithium Ion Battery (~4hr life) A built-in mono speaker A built-in microphone (not on CL4 models) A headphone interface (proprietary Siemens "Lumberg" socket) All devices weigh approximately 2.2 lb (1 kg) and measure 10.35 × 7.08 × 1.10 inches (263 mm ×181 mm × 30 mm). The SIMpad was initially released with the Handheld PC 2000 (Windows CE 3.0) operating system, while later units (mostly SL4 and SLC) were released with Windows CE.NET (Windows CE 4.0). Since the SIMpad was discontinued in 2002, all manufacturer support was also discontinued. The OpenSIMpad project offers a SIMpad related Wiki where one can find information about Linux, Windows CE, hardware and mods.

External links Developer's homepage

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with SIMpad

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what SIMpad claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to SIMpad before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about SIMpad ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of SIMpad

In research: SIMpad appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses SIMpad in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: SIMpad is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Embedded Linux, Siemens, Tablet computers, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for SIMpad outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study SIMpad in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what SIMpad means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain SIMpad out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is SIMpad in simple terms?

Why does SIMpad matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study SIMpad?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on SIMpad.