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STMicro unveil 64bit ARM SOCs
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Friday, January 10, 2014
STMicroelectronics is rolling out technology based on 64-bit ARM cores for future SoCs in the digital home space.
The company, which makes high-definition and ultra-high-definition set-top-box ICs, has introduced its STi8K architecture, building on the deployment of ARM-based solutions including its Cannes, Monaco, and Alicante product lines.
STI8k is based on ARM’s v8-A cores and is intended for these three product families as well as a transition from 32-bit to 64-bit computing. The STi8K architecture is optimized for ST's 28nm silicon-on-insulator and smaller geometry manufacturing process. It makes use of the ARM Cortex A33 and Cortex A57 64-bit processor’s increased data throughput, extended memory addressing, and reduced power consumption.
“The consumer industry has initiated the transition from 32- to 64-bit computing in the mobile market,” Gian Luca Bertino, executive vice president and general manager digital convergence group, ST Microelectronics, said in a statement. “New upcoming, highly demanding technologies, such as DOCSIS 3.1 or full-featured 10-bit High-Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) in Ultra High Definition at 60 frames per second, will drive this same transition in the Digital Home market.”
He went on to say that the company has already invested in a solid, fast time-to-market in its the three aforementioned product families. Its new architecture is therefore the next step for these families in addition to being the way to 64-bit computing in the digital home space. “Our recently launched Cannes, Monaco, and Alicante product families are enjoying strong momentum and have positioned ST as a leader in Ultra HD and HEVC technologies,” added Bertino. “By adopting these families our customers are securing time-to-market advantages in their introduction of tomorrow’s digital home.”
This also represents a major launch for ARM and not just ST. In the same release, Tom Cronk, Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations, at ARM, said, “We share ST’s vision for the future of the digital home market. Full-color Ultra HD applications together with ultra-high bandwidth home-network-access systems made possible with DOCSIS 3.1 technologies will transform the home-entertainment experience. Our long-term collaboration with ST, including its recent integration of our latest 64-bit processors, together with our mutual investment in software-ecosystem development, for example through Linaro, are key building blocks that will help make more advanced and immersive media experiences a reality.”
In addition to being ARM-based, ST’S STi9k architecture includes Faroudja transcoding, which allows for the management of advanced hardware–assisted networking and multiple high-definition streams. It also supports Ultra High Definition of up to 60 frames per second with wide gamut and 10-bit color, as part of the ITU-R Recommendation BT.2020, alongside full-frame-rate graphics via OpenGLES 2.0 and Open GL3S 3.0. This, in turn, enables operator branding at native 4K resolution.
To offer high-speed connectivity and full color and frame-rate Ultra HD screens, the STi8k includes HDMI 2.0 along with the new 2.2 version of High-Bandwidth Digital Content Protection security as well as DisplayPort v1.2.
By: DocMemory
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