Nvidia is showcasing Google's Android mobile operating system running on its Tegra system-on-a-chip mobile phone stack at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

Tegra integrates the central processing unit, graphics processing unit, northbridge, southbridge and primary memory functionality onto a single chip, for use in devices such as smartphones and netbooks.

The technology is similar to Qualcomm's Snapdragon platform which was shown running Android at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January, and which is being used by Toshiba in its upcoming TG01 smartphone.

"We welcome Nvidia's support of Android on Tegra and we look forward to many more Android-based devices that deliver an outstanding consumer experience," said Andy Rubin, senior director of mobile platforms at Google.

Nvidia is showing demonstration and development units running Android on its Tegra APX 2600 processor. According to a spokesman, devices built on the system should start hitting the shelves around halfway through 2009.

"Nvidia and Google are both working to unlock the visual computing potential of mobile devices, and this announcement matches the power of Tegra with the innovation of the Android platform," said Michael Rayfield, general manager of the mobile business unit at Nvidia.

"Nvidia will be working within the Open Handset Alliance to continually strengthen the ability of Android to tap into advanced mobile graphics and media acceleration to make interaction with handheld technology more intuitive and instinctive."