Standard Microsystems Corp. (SMSC) is sampling its second “network multimedia co-processor.” The LAN9132 essentially adds a dedicated, Linux-based processor that offloads the processing of multiple high-definition (HD) streams, software protocol stack management, and security, enabling devices to stream multiple HD channels over 100Mb/s Ethernet, according to the company.

SMSC's original LAN9131 network multimedia co-processor, sampled last September, connected to the host application processor via a local bus. The new LAN9132 instead connects via a standard PCI interface.

Both chips are based on ARM926EJ-S cores clocked at 200MHz, and both are said to support dual MPEG-2 or multiple simultaneous MPEG-4 HD (high-definition) A/V (audio/visual) streams. Both target network-enabled HD TVs, set-top boxes, digital video recorders, home media servers, and wireless multimedia streaming applications, and are said to comply with DLNA guidelines.

SMSC LAN9132 architecture
(Click to enlarge)
Vamshi Kandalla, VP of marketing at SMSC, stated, “Our family of networking devices gives our customers the flexibility of designing with higher bandwidth, multiple high-definition A/V streams and encryption/decryption support, whether in a PCI or non-PCI environment.”

The company says it supports the LAN9132 with an “embedded Linux OS with full support for networking applications.”

Lots more technical detail about SMSC's LAN913x family can be found in our earlier coverage, here.

Availability

SMSC's PCI-based LAN9132 and local-bus based LAN9131 are both available now in sample quantities.

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