STMicroelectronics (STM) has released a new chip in its Nomadik family of low-cost, multimedia-oriented system-on-chip (SoC) processors. The STn8811A12 runs embedded Linux and targets products such as personal media players (PMPs), Internet appliances, and video conferencing.

The STn8811A12 is a software-compatible upgrade of the previously announced STn8810, STM said. However, its ARM926EJ processor is now clocked at 393 MHz, enhancing video performance and resolution.

STn8811A12 system-on-chip block diagram
(Click to enlarge)
STM says the SoC's ARM926EJ processor core includes both smart video and audio accelerators, and an advanced power management unit. It can encode or decode 30fps QVGA-resolution (320 x 480) MPEG-4, Windows Media 9, and H.264 video, as well as 5 megapixel JPEG images. The STn8811A12 also includes built-in 3D software, and a “comprehensive” audio library is available to support the chip.

The STn8811A12's security framework is said to include 64KB of secured ROM and 16KB of secured RAM. Other security-oriented features include SHA-1/DES/3DES hardware accelerators, a true random number generator (RNG), a secure watchdog timer, and a unique die ID.

The SoC also integrates a wide array of peripheral interfaces, including:

• simultaneous TV and color LCD outputs
  
• CCIR-656 camera input
  
• three serial ports
  
• fast IrDA
  
• high-speed (12 Mb/s) USB On-The-Go (OTG) port
  
• GPIO
  
• MMC card
  
• SD card
  

In addition to Linux, the STn8811A12 supports Symbian and Windows CE.

Availability

The STn8811A12 is priced at under $13 in quantities of 10,000, STM said. Samples are available now, with production quantities expected in Q3 of 2007.

---

 
This article was originally published on LinuxDevices.com and has been donated to the open source community by QuinStreet Inc. Please visit LinuxToday.com for up-to-date news and articles about Linux and open source.