SAN JOSE -- At the Microprocessor Forum here today, STMicroelectronics will announce an x86-based microprocessor line as well as a part built around Hitachi Ltd.'s RISC chip core.
On the x86-based front, the European chip company plans to roll out three products built around a 64-bit, 133-MHz processor core. Designed for use in Internet appliances, set-top boxes, Web TVs, and related low-cost applications, the new x86-based products from STMicroelectronics include the STPC Atlas, STPC Consumer-II, and the STPC Elite.
All three products consist of several components on the same device, including both ISA and PCI controllers, an IDE port, an SDRAM memory controller, a JTAG port, among others. They also support up to 128-Mbytes of synchronous DRAM, using 16-, 64-, or 128-Mbit SDRAM chips.
The STPC Consumer-II and STPC Atlas also include graphics and video functions, while the STPC Elite includes a 16-bit, general-purpose I/O block. Additionally the STPC Atlasincorporates a Super I/O chip, PS/2 keyboard and mouse controllers, two UARTs, dual-port USB host hub, and a PCMCIA controller.
All three devices are packaged in low-cost plastic BGA packages. Samples of the STPC Consumer II and STPC Elite will be available in November, with volume production scheduled for December of 2000. The STPC Atlas will be available two months later.
Prices are less than $38 for the STPC Atlas, less than $33 for the STPC Consumer-II, and less than $26 for the STPC Elite. All prices are in 10,000-unit lots.
On the RISC front, the European chip company announced the availability of the ST40-STB1, the first member of a chip line based on Hitachi's SuperH SH-4, a 32-bit RISC processor core.
Offered in speed grades of 150-, 166-, and 200-MHz, the chip is geared for interactive digital set-top boxes and other products. "The ST40 family is of strategic importance for the next-generation of interactive consumer devices," said Robert Krysiak, group vice president and General Manager of Core Development at STMicroelectronics.
"The ST40-STB1 is the first product in our new generation of devices based around the SuperH RISC engine that we are co-developing with Hitachi," he added.
The ST40-STB1 integrates a 66-MHz PCI interface, memory interface, a peripheral bus, two UARTs, parallel I/O, timers, DMA, and clocks. The device comes in a 372-pin BGA package, but prices were not disclosed.
RSS
Digital
10 emerging technologies to watch:
EE Times has compiled a list of emerging technologies that we think will be worth watching out for in 2010. Biofeedback or thought-control of electronics are among the contenders.
Hot applications in 2010:
We've compiled a list of 10 technology applications you should watch for in 2010, ranging from e-book readers to 3-D TVs. We examine the features that make these apps so compelling as well unresolved issues.
Top 25 predictions for semis in 2010:
2010 is just beginning to unfold in the electronics industry. Looking into our crystal ball, we have released our own chip forecasts--and other predictions--for 2010.
Seven things to fix in 2010:
The editors of EE Times came up with their own informal list of things we hope engineers fix in 2010, spanning everything from nano-lithography to space travel. What do you want to see get done this year?
'09 moves that are shaping the future:
This was a brutal year, but the industry gets a nod for showing grace under fire. Here's our Top 10 guide to the coming year, illustrating what to expect in 2010.
10 CEOs out in 2009:
It's been a tough year for the global electronics industry and CEOs. We survey the dismissal of 10 industry CEOs during the first three quarters of 2009 and what's ahead for the rest of the year.
Notable women in microelectronics:
There is no better time than a global economic recession to examine the keys to successful corporate governance. So, EE Times has compiled an international list that celebrates women who are business and technology leaders in semis.
EE Times updates Silicon 60:
Seventeen companies have been added to the lastest version of our Silicon 60 list of emerging startups. Forty-three companies survived as emerging companies that are still worth watching.
RSS| 
Digital| 
Mobile
