STMicroelectronics (ST) is sampling a high-integration SoC (system-on-chip) for low-cost set-top boxes (STBs) and other video-oriented consumer devices. The STB7100 integrates a SuperH core, H.264 and WMV9 decoders, and a multiplicity of on-chip peripheral interfaces, and targets set-top boxes, DVRs (digital video recorders), car multimedia centers, HD- and BlueRay-DVD players, DVD-audio players, and more.

ST, which claims to be the largest vendor of SoCs for the STB market, says the STB7100 can lower design and production costs for STB makers, since it “combines all the STB functions and multi-standard decoding circuitry into a single chip” built on 90nm process technology. The company's previous STB SoCs rely on external DSP coprocessors.

According to ST, the STB7100 can simultaneously decode multiple HD video streams, and output them to two television sets or to picture-in-picture displays. Additionally, the STB7100 supports field codec upgrades, ST says. It says the chip is appropriate for in-car entertainment devices capable of interfacing with GPS systems, as well as DVD and audio playback systems.

The STB7100 is based on a 300MHz ST40 core, a venerable 32-bit SuperH processor that enables the SoC to support existing STB OSes and middleware, according to ST. ST designated MontaVista in May of 2001 as the preferred supplier of Linux for the ST40 core.

According to ST, the STB7100 also incorporates “an innovative video decoding architecture [that] combines hardware and software techniques.” Supported codecs include H.264/AVC, a new video codec developed by the ITU-T's VCEG (video coding experts group); VC1, Microsoft's Windows Media 9 series codec; and codecs for DVD-audio and DVD security encryption.

ST expects consumer electronics companies to find support for H.264 especially appealing. It says the codec can be used to bring high-quality video to HDTVs, DVDs, and 3G (third generation) mobile phones at much lower bitrates than the widely used MPEG-2 encoding scheme. H.264 compression has also been used in surveillance systems, such as the Debian-based Smartvue S2 system announced this week.

The STB7100's on-chip peripheral interfaces include serial, ATA, and USB 2.0, ST says, enabling the SoC to be used in systems with hard drives, such as DVRs, and in devices that support consumer peripherals such as cameras, printers, and memory cards.

ST's GM of STBs, Christos Lagomichos, said, “[The] STB7100 [provides] manufacturers with by far the most cost-effective base for their products in [the STB] market.”

Availability

The STB7100 is available now in sample quantities in a 35 x 35 PBGA package and costs $29 when purchased in large volumes. Volume production is planned for early 2005.

 
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