'Consumer multimedia' microprocessor planned

Electronic News, Dec 15, 1997 by Jim DeTar

Tokyo--Saying they want to create a new architecture for consumer multimedia systems, Hitachi and SGS-Thomson Microelectronics (STM) have reached an agreement in principle to collaborate on the development of next-generation SuperH (SH) architecture-based microprocessors for consumer electronics and multimedia applications. The new line will be called the SH-5 by Hitachi and the ST50 by STM, and the architecture from the joint development effort is expected to be unveiled in 1998.

STM and Hitachi have, until now, separately addressed the embedded microcontroller and microprocessor markets with their respective product families. The SH for the last couple of years has rivaled the MIPS architecture for the title of top-selling RISC IC in the video games market, and the SH has also been widely adopted for other consumer and industrial products.

The two companies will together develop the new 64-bit SH-5/ST50 series based upon Hitachi's original SH architecture and STM's knowledge of 64-bit microprocessors, and targeted specifically for interactive set-top boxes (STBs), digital video products, car multimedia systems and other consumer-oriented products.

Under terms of the agreement, STM will also have access--through specific licenses--to Hitachi's SH-3 and SH-4 series. By combining their efforts, the two companies' stated goal is "to deliver high-performance, low-cost processors to the market more quickly than would have been possible working alone and to create an architecture for consumer multimedia systems."

Commenting on the agreement, Dr. Tsugio Makimoto, Senior Executive Managing Director of Hitachi, said, "Joining Hitachi's RISC technology and SGS-Thomson's successful consumer technology will definitely create the next generation of 64-bit SH-5/ST50 microprocessor, for multimedia applications. The collaboration will provide more flexibility, more performance and less cost for customers in the nomadic age."

Similarly, Pasquale Pistorio, president and CEO of SGS-Thomson, said, "There is a clear and growing need for very high performance, cost-effective processors for consumer applications and this joint effort will help to meet that demand.

"By collaborating we aim to establish an industry standard processor for embedded systems, just as the x86 processor family is the industry standard for PCs."

Both companies have established proprietary processors in the market, Hitachi with its H8, H8S and SuperH series and SGS-Thomson with its ST6, ST7, ST9, ST10, and ST20 microcontrollers. The SuperH family of RISC MPUs is said by NEC to have more than 2,000 design wins. Both companies also have a range of peripherals that can be integrated with their processor cores to offer system-on-silicon products to OEMs.