NEC Electronics Introduces New EMMA Chips
Santa Clara, CA - NEC Electronics America, Inc. recently introduced to the Americas two new additions to its lineup of system LSI chips based on the enhanced multimedia architecture (EMMA) platform. Designed for set-top boxes (STBs) with internal hard disk drives, the EMMA2SE (part number uPD61140) and the EMMA2SE/P (part number uPD61142) devices include on a single chip all of the key functions needed to receive, record and play back digital television (TV) broadcasts. Compared to NEC Electronics' previous-generation EMMA2 device, the new chips offer higher performance to enable even smoother execution of common middleware, higher integration to lower bill of materials (BOM) costs, and software compatibility to shorten development time. Both chips offer a second, independent TV or DVD recorder output, while the EMMA2SE/P device offers security features for content protection.
Main features and advantages of the EMMA2SE and EMMA2SE/P chips:
- Enhanced CPU and memory interface
An integrated MIPS32 4KEC microprocessor core capable of executing 284 million instructions per second (MIPS) offers a 40-percent improvement in performance compared to the previous EMMA2 chip. In addition, both chips employ a new 1-gigabit DDR SDRAM interface capable of operating at 266 megahertz (MHz), compared to the 512-megabit SDRAM interface that operated at 133 MHz in the EMMA2 chip. The improved performance enables smoother operation of middleware employed on STBs, such as web browsers and Java virtual machines.
- Internal USB host controller
The new devices integrate NEC Electronics' market-proven USB 2.0 host controller and an oscillator on-chip to facilitate the transfer of stored data between STBs and peripheral devices such as flash memory readers or digital cameras, eliminating the need for external components and helpingto lower BOM costs.
- Software compatibility
The software for both devices is compatible with the software used in NEC Electronics' previous EMMA devices, allowing customers to shorten development times by making effective use of existing software resources when designing new systems.
- Advanced security features
The EMMA2SE/P chip incorporates advanced on-chip security features to protect and ensure the integrity of valuable AV content. By detecting content protection violations at startup, the chip helps to prevent illegal operation of STBs and to preserve the intellectual property of conditional access vendors and broadcasters worldwide.
- Dual-output capability
Both chips are uniquely equipped to deliver dual output, enabling an STB to stream different video content simultaneously to a television and an external recording device, such as a DVD recorder or VCR.
NEC Electronics' Digital AV Offerings
Since introducing the world's first system LSI chip for digital broadcast STBs in 1998, NEC Electronics has launched numerous market-leading devices based on its EMMA platform. With a current lineup of 13 devices for STBs, the company has a promising roadmap of innovative solutions and aims to reach US$800 million in EMMA-based sales by 2010.
SOURCE: NEC Electronics America, Inc.