Mar 2 2009
MIPS Technologies, Inc. (NasdaqGS: MIPS), a leading provider of industry-standard architectures, processors and analog IP for digital consumer, home networking, wireless, communications and business applications, today announced it is continuing to drive HDMI into portable electronic devices with new IP that is optimized for ultra-low power SoC implementation. With its new 40nm HDMI 1.3 Interface IP (Controller + PHY), MIPS continues to extend its leadership in the digital home, enabling HDMI content to go mobile.
According to market research firm In-Stat, now that adoption of HDMI ports approaches 100% in digital televisions, the interface is moving into set top boxes, DVD equipment and mobile PCs. In the near future, portable electronic devices, such as camcorders, digital still cameras, and portable media players (PMPs) will be emerging HDMI categories to watch. The firm says that overall HDMI-enabled product shipments will increase at an annual rate of 23% between 2007 and 2012, and that HDMI penetration in PMPs will approach 10% by 2012.
Shrinking form factors and cost considerations in portable devices are driving the need for low-power solutions that can be integrated in a single chip. MIPS Technologies’ HDMI 1.3 IP is uniquely optimized for HDMI connectivity in low power, portable transmit applications. With it, designers can integrate HDMI functionality onto SoCs down to 40nm. Analog programmability and the ability to implement a subset of the HDMI 1.3 specification mean that designers can select the specific features needed for their application to further reduce area and power.
“With our HDMI solutions, we provide the IP our customers need for traditional receive applications as well as emerging mobile consumer applications,” said Luis Laranjeira, director of Embedded Peripherals and Digital IP, Analog Business Group, MIPS Technologies. “For high volume portable products, there is a distinct cost advantage in integrating HDMI onto SoCs in advanced process nodes. We are focused on porting early so the IP is available when our customers need it. With our HDMI IP, as well as our expertise in foundry porting, we are leading the HDMI SoC transition.”
MIPS Technologies’ HDMI Interface IP (Controller + PHY) is available in the world’s major foundries for both transmit (Tx) and receive (Rx) functions, in multiple nodes from 90nm down to 40nm—with more to come. The new HDMI 1.3 Tx Interface in TSMC 40nm supports video modes compliant to CEA-861-D, as well as the I2S and S/PDIF digital audio formats. It supports multiple system buses, and offers analog programmability that enables customers to control software, performance and other parameters. MIPS Technologies’ HDMI solutions are backed by a qualified connectivity IP engineering team and dedicated support team with deep expertise in HDMI connectivity and numerous foundry technologies.
Together with its proven USB solutions available down to 40nm, and other connectivity IP solutions in production and under development—including MIPI (Mobile Industry Processor Interface) solutions—MIPS Technologies is the broadest supplier of connectivity, multimedia and wireless interface IP for consumer devices worldwide. The company leads the industry in rapidly porting IP across a broad array of foundries in leading processes, supporting preferred foundries for both IDMs and fabless semiconductor companies.