STMicroelectronics Unveils New Nomadik(TM) Processor for Next-Generation Mobile Multimedia Applications
Geneva, Switzerland (ots/PRNewswire)
- STn8815 Adds Level-Two Cache to ARM Core, Smart Imaging Accelerator, and More Memory, to Boost Performances While Ensuring Software Reuse
STMicroelectronics (NYSE: STM) today announced a new mobile multimedia application processor in its award-winning(1) Nomadik(TM) family. The STn8815 embeds two new smart accelerators and more memory to provide higher performance while ensuring full software reuse for the next generation of mobile devices. This third Nomadik device, which is pin-compatible with the successful STn8810, adds a level-two cache to its ARM9 CPU as well as dedicated on-chip imaging and graphics processors to the video and audio accelerators of the earlier device. The STn8815 also features an enhanced Security Toolbox and advanced new packaging options.
The new device builds on the fundamental Nomadik features of ultra-low power consumption, open platform strategy, exceptional video and audio quality, very small footprint, and scalable performance. The STn8815 is the culmination of a series of breakthroughs in video-coding efficiency, inventive algorithms, and chip-implementation schemes. These advances were necessary to enable smart phones, mobile multimedia devices, internet access products, and car entertainment systems to play broadcasted media content, record images and video clips, and perform bidirectional audio-visual communication with other systems in real time.
"Nokia welcomes the introduction of Nomadik processors, which will accelerate the integration of state-of-the-art multimedia consumer applications into mobile devices," said Petri Haavisto, Vice President, Symbian Product Platforms, Nokia. "The media-rich capabilities of the Nomadik architecture will significantly boost innovation and growth of the mobile entertainment and wireless communication market."
"Nomadik is an award-winning family of application processors that delivers best-in-class video performance," said Patrice Meilland, Marketing Director of ST's Application Processor Division. "Now this latest member of the family further enhances the mobile entertainment experience for users. The chip not only integrates ST's cutting-edge hardware accelerator technology, developed specifically for the delivery of multimedia content on mobile platforms, but also it offers excellent software development continuity for mobile terminal manufacturers."
Nomadik's Smart Imaging Accelerator (SIA) delivers impressive multimedia quality without sacrificing battery life. It operates as a real-time, programmable image-reconstruction engine at up to 80 Mpixels/sec. This capability enables camera-phone systems, based on 5 Mpixel sensors, to execute noise reduction, auto-focus and exposure control, and other fundamental algorithms, therefore eliminating the need for an external imaging co-processor and reducing the system BOM (bill-of-materials). The SIA, coupled with the Smart Video Accelerator (SVA), which is capable of 30 Mpixel/s JPEG-image encoding, allows impressive multi-shot camera performance, as well as low-power video encoding. The STn8815 integrates two SMIA (Standard Mobile Imaging Architecture) CCP2 (Compact Camera Port 2) camera interfaces, and supports 10-bit raw Bayer RGB data formats.
The new imaging accelerator joins the smart-video and -audio accelerators established in earlier Nomadik devices, and the new graphics accelerator intended to support 2D/3D graphics-intensive applications. STn8815 supports high-quality camcorder applications, thanks to the accelerated 30-frame/s SDTV (standard-definition) MPEG-4 encoding which runs in parallel to complex audio processing. The H264/AVC decoding, accelerated via the SVA, and supporting up to VGA format at 30frames per second, enables significantly improved performance for mobile TV. The Smart Audio Accelerator supports multiple audio standards such as MP3, AAC, AAC+, WMA, Midi synthesis, plus all major speech codecs, with a 24-bit audio data path, and noise reduction, echo canceling, stereo enhancements, and surround effects.
By distributing taxing multimedia processing onto the accelerators - which operate independently and concurrently to handle specific codec functions - the innovative Nomadik architecture frees the CPU (central-processing unit) of these time-consuming and energy-hungry tasks. This approach allows the CPU to concentrate on control and program flow, avoiding the need for high clock speeds. The CPU can also enter a hierarchy of power saving modes to preserve battery life; aggressive power management turns off inactive parts of the chip and keeps the CPU in low-power modes whenever possible. Most alternative mobile processors are based on a single CPU, or on a combined CPU and DSP, which need to use high clock frequencies leading to higher power consumption.
The CPU is an ARM926EJ RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computer) processor core, to ensure full backward compatibility with existing Nomadik processor software and the significant ARM9-based software legacy in the industry. The core includes a memory management unit (MMU), 16 kbyte data and instruction caches, and 128 kbyte level-2 cache which boosts performance while reducing the number of accesses to the external memory. This core operates at a clock frequency up to 334MHz, delivering an impressive 1000 MIPS (32-bit RISC-equivalent), on top of the performance of the hardware accelerators for video, audio, imaging, and graphics. Moreover, an embedded SRAM of 512Mbytes accelerates multimedia processing and enables complex applications that most competitors cannot achieve with standard processing architectures. The platform provides direct support for high-level operating systems such as Symbian OS(TM) and Windows Mobile(R).
The compact 14 x 14mm BGA (ball-grid-array) packages are pin-to-pin compatible with the STn8810, and use the same stacked-chip technology to provide memory variants, including SDRAM (Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory) and NAND Flash memory within the same package. In addition, the STn8815 will be available in package-on-package versions bringing extra functionality within the same footprint. The new processor supports rich and improved connectivity, including USB-OTG (USB On-The-Go) High Speed, a host port, three UARTs (Universal Asynchronous Receiver-Transmitter), IrDA (Infrared Data Association), SSP (Synchronous Serial Port), three MSP (multichannel serial ports), three I2C (Intelligent Interface Controller) and other interfaces. For the increasingly-important removable external memory it integrates NOR/NAND/CompactFlash/CF+ and high speed MMC/SD Card/SDIO/Memory Stick Pro controllers.
The Nomadik family of multimedia application processors now comprises the original STn8800/01 (differing in packaging), the STn8810/S12 (differing in memory), and the STn8815, which is available to key customers in engineering sample quantities with volume production expected in Q4 2006. US pricing is expected to be approximately US$19 for quantities of 10,000 pieces.
This press release is also available at:
www.st.com/stonline/stappl/press/news/year2006/p2004.htm
...with links to further information on the STn8815.
About ST's Home, Personal, Communication Group (HPC)
STMicroelectronics is a world-leading supplier of comprehensive solutions for the converging segments of home entertainment, communication, and connectivity. ST's HPC product offering encompasses a whole range of applications in the digital consumer market, including set-top box, DVD, TV, and audio; a wide array of solutions for personal multimedia, from application processors to energy management, mobile imaging, and wireless connectivity; and a full spectrum of display ICs and devices for wireless and wireline network infrastructures.
About STMicroelectronics
STMicroelectronics is a global leader in developing and delivering semiconductor solutions across the spectrum of microelectronics applications. An unrivalled combination of silicon and system expertise, manufacturing strength, Intellectual Property (IP) portfolio and strategic partners positions the Company at the forefront of System-on-Chip (SoC) technology and its products play a key role in enabling today's convergence markets. The Company's shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange, on Euronext Paris and on the Milan Stock Exchange. In 2005, the Company's net revenues were $8.88 billion and net earnings were $266 million. Further information on ST can be found at www.st.com.
(1) The Nomadik architecture won the Microprocessor Report Analysts' Choice Award in 2004
Nomadik(TM) is a trademark of STMicroelectronics. All other mentioned trademarks or registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
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For further information, please contact: STMicroelectronics, MEDIA
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