Design Article
Modern embedded solutions for graphical interfaces
Martin Danzer, Congatec
1/10/2013 10:11 AM EST
The new processor architecture
Compared to the G-Series platform, the new R-Series platform offers a revised x86 architecture characterized by a combination of shared and dedicated resources. The new processor architecture provides two x86 cores which have access to up to 2 MB of shared L2 cache. Each core has an integer unit plus 128-bit floating point unit (FPU). If required, two FPUs can now also be combined to a 256 FPU, increasing the floating point performance of an application significantly. Dedicated processing units provide additional energy efficiency: the revised unified video decoder reduces the power consumption of the APU during video playback. In the AMD Embedded R-Series APU, two independent 1080p video streams can be handled simultaneously, with support for 3D Blu-ray content. A brand new feature is the video compression engine, which converts HD video in real time and with minimal CPU load to the H.264 format. This is useful, for example, for video conferencing systems or video surveillance applications.
Another new feature is the secure asset management unit which enables GPU-assisted encryption and decryption of sensitive data. This is particularly useful for medical, gaming or cloudbased applications, where application data has to be encrypted.
The new graphics unit
Offering between 128 and 384 graphics cores with a clock speed of up to 686 MHz, the integrated AMD Radeon graphics unit of the 7000 family is also new and more powerful. With a 3Dmark Vantage “E” result of 13,066, the AMD R-464L APU offers three times the graphics performance of the most powerful G-Series APU. This is well above any performance levels previously available in an integrated graphics unit.
However, thanks to individual resource allocation, modules based on the new AMD Embedded R-Series platform remain extremely power efficient. For example, with an AMD R-464L APU for graphics-intensive or data-parallel applications, it is possible to focus the power allocation via higher frequency/voltage levels on the GPU thereby accelerating graphics processing by 38 percent while remaining within the specified power limits.
For CPU-intensive applications, the power allocation can be concentrated on the CPU in order to achieve a 39-percent increase in processor speed. Overall, the AMD R-464L APU is capable of achieving 576 GFLOPS of peak single precision floating point performance. COMs based on these APUs are, therefore, an ideal platform for demanding embedded applications that require high performance with low power consumption, such as gaming, digital signage, medical imaging, security and surveillance.
Compared to the G-Series platform, the new R-Series platform offers a revised x86 architecture characterized by a combination of shared and dedicated resources. The new processor architecture provides two x86 cores which have access to up to 2 MB of shared L2 cache. Each core has an integer unit plus 128-bit floating point unit (FPU). If required, two FPUs can now also be combined to a 256 FPU, increasing the floating point performance of an application significantly. Dedicated processing units provide additional energy efficiency: the revised unified video decoder reduces the power consumption of the APU during video playback. In the AMD Embedded R-Series APU, two independent 1080p video streams can be handled simultaneously, with support for 3D Blu-ray content. A brand new feature is the video compression engine, which converts HD video in real time and with minimal CPU load to the H.264 format. This is useful, for example, for video conferencing systems or video surveillance applications.
Another new feature is the secure asset management unit which enables GPU-assisted encryption and decryption of sensitive data. This is particularly useful for medical, gaming or cloudbased applications, where application data has to be encrypted.
The new graphics unit
Offering between 128 and 384 graphics cores with a clock speed of up to 686 MHz, the integrated AMD Radeon graphics unit of the 7000 family is also new and more powerful. With a 3Dmark Vantage “E” result of 13,066, the AMD R-464L APU offers three times the graphics performance of the most powerful G-Series APU. This is well above any performance levels previously available in an integrated graphics unit.
However, thanks to individual resource allocation, modules based on the new AMD Embedded R-Series platform remain extremely power efficient. For example, with an AMD R-464L APU for graphics-intensive or data-parallel applications, it is possible to focus the power allocation via higher frequency/voltage levels on the GPU thereby accelerating graphics processing by 38 percent while remaining within the specified power limits.
For CPU-intensive applications, the power allocation can be concentrated on the CPU in order to achieve a 39-percent increase in processor speed. Overall, the AMD R-464L APU is capable of achieving 576 GFLOPS of peak single precision floating point performance. COMs based on these APUs are, therefore, an ideal platform for demanding embedded applications that require high performance with low power consumption, such as gaming, digital signage, medical imaging, security and surveillance.
Figure 2: Nine-screen digital signage systems based on the new AMD Embedded R-Series platform support large-scale video wall installations.
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