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STMicroelectronics Demonstrates NomadikTM Multimedia Application Processor at CEATEC JAPAN Show |
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Nomadik chip shown running Symbian operating system, decoding audio and video in real time; samples and board support package will be delivered to lead customers in November Tokyo, Japan, October 7, 2003 - At the CEATEC exhibition in Japan this week STMicroelectronics is publicly demonstrating, for the first time, the STn8800, the first chip in the Nomadik multimedia application processor family. This chip enables portable terminals such as mobile phones and personal digital assistants to play music, take pictures, record video, and host two-way visual communication in real time. In the demonstration the STn8800 Nomadik devices run the Symbian 7.0S operating system and decode audio/video streams in real time. An appealing user 'dashboard' instantly displays the loading of Nomadik's various remarkable resources. These measurements illustrate how Nomadik combines ultra-low power consumption and unsurpassed audio and video quality to make compelling multimedia a practical reality for handheld devices. Leveraging on its innovative architecture, the Nomadik STn8800 is performing MPEG-4 real-time video decoding in a large VGA display format at 30 frames per second while simultaneously playing MP3 audio. "The first Nomadik multimedia processor we are presenting at the CEATEC exhibition significantly raises the standard for mobile multimedia performance," said Guy Lauvergeon, General Manager of ST's Multimedia Platform Unit. "With the availability of the first silicon of the Nomadik platform and the emergence of open standards we are enabling the proliferation of multimedia mobile terminals and content-rich services." Nomadik application processors will be designed to be compliant with open standards now being developed by the MIPI Alliance, created in July 2003, to standardize hardware and software interfaces for application processors. STMicroelectronics is one of the four founder members of the MIPI Alliance, which was formed in response to broad interest in the earlier OMAPI initiative launched by ST and TI in December 2002. About the Nomadik Processor Family ST's Nomadik multimedia application processor family offers ultra-low power consumption, which is facilitated by the optimal partitioning of the chip between hardware and software, combined with ST's low-power CMOS technology and low-power design know-how. This translates into longer battery operation for consumers and performance scalability for product manufacturers. Nomadik processor chips are based on the combination of an ARM926 core together with programmable 'smart accelerators' that operate independently and concurrently to handle the key video and audio coding functions, including pre/post-processing. This distributed processing approach simplifies software development for developers because they typically only need to write code for the CPU core. In addition, since multimedia functions are not typically executed on the main processor core, there is more headroom for adding new software applications in the future. Nomadik processors build on ST's legacy of success and proven expertise in the digital multimedia segment. A pioneer in MPEG video decoding, ST is today the leading producer of MPEG decoder chips for set top boxes. The company is also a leading supplier of DSP-based audio products and the number one vendor of digital radio receiver chips. Thanks to ST's broad product portfolio, the Nomadik architecture leverages a wide range of complementary functions such as CMOS imagers, smart card ICs, Flash memories, biometric verification chips, MEMS, Bluetooth radio chips, and data storage solutions ST's Nomadik architecture supports the popular operating systems for mobile devices, including Symbian OS, the Microsoft WinCE family and Linux. A comprehensive Nomadik tools environment is provided for software development. The Nomadik architecture is highly scalable in terms of both computational power and smart accelerators, allowing easy upgrades to add more features and easy feature-reduction for simpler price-sensitive products. The programmable audio smart-accelerator implements the main industry-standard digital audio encoders and decoders including MP3, SBC, MPEG2-Layer II, AAC, and many others. The programmable video smart accelerator achieves the industry's lowest power consumption running H.263 and MPEG-4 CODECs using an extremely optimized ST proprietary technology. The new H26L (H.264) standard will also be available in future Nomadik implementations. Nomadik offers a standard baseband modem interface to provide modem independence for mobile phone applications. As with the baseband modem, a simple interface supports communication with wireless PAN (Bluetooth), and wireless LAN (802.11a/b/g), and position location (GPS) chipsets from ST and other manufacturers. This flexibility gives manufacturers the freedom to choose their own mix of connectivity solutions across their product line. A leading supplier of semiconductor devices to the mobile industry, STMicroelectronics is the only microelectronics company offering a complete range of products for mobile terminals. This product range includes baseband processors, power management chips, RF devices, display drivers, Flash memories, fingerprint sensors, multimedia processors, CMOS image sensors, MEMS acceleration sensors, and GPS chipsets For more information www.st.com/nomadik. 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 2002, the Company's net revenues were $6.32 billion and net earnings were $429.4 million. Further information on ST can be found at http://www.st.com. Trademarks: Nomadik is a registered trademark of STMicroelectronics; MIPI is a trademark of the MIPI Alliance. |
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