News

  • Home > News

        Broadcom taps ARM's Cortex-A8 for multimedia chip

        Doug | Date: Jun 14, 2007 | Comments: 1



        Broadcom has licensed ARM Ltd.'s Cortex-A8 application processor and supporting IP (intellectual property) functions, for use in an SoC (system-on-chip) aimed at "next-generation" mobile computing devices. Broadcom will combine the Cortex-A8 processor with proprietary Broadcom multimedia acceleration technology, said to implement high-performance, low-power 2D/3D graphics, imaging, video, and audio...


        processing, according to ARM.

        ARM says its Cortex-A8 processor is capable of providing over 2000 DMIPS (Dhrystone MIPS) of processing power. The processor implements the ARMv7 ISA along with ARM's Thumb-2 instruction efficiency extensions, NEON signal processing extensions, and Jazelle RCT Java- and .NET-acceleration technology. It also includes the company's TrustZone security technology for support of DRM (digital rights management) and other high-security requirements.


        Cortex-A8 application processor block diagram
        (Click image for larger view)

        Broadcom will combine ARM's Cortex-A8 application processor with its own VideoCore multimedia technology, touted as "a flexible, low-power, two-dimensional DSP architecture, that is particularly effective at processing and multimedia." Among other benefits, Broadcom expects VideoCore's DSP (digital signal processor) architecture to enable rapid porting, and to facilitate efforts to track continually evolving multimedia technologies, ARM said.

        Expected availability of Broadcom's new SoC incorporating these technologies was not stated.



        Related stories: