Renesas has introduced a new SuperH embedded processor that supports Linux and is optimized for VoIP (voice over IP) applications. The SH7710 dual-core RISC/DSP chip can process VoIP with enough overhead to simultaneously run a firewall and security algorithms, according to Renesas. It targets VoIP ATAs (analog telephone adapters), routers, home gateway servers, and secure routers.

Renesas says the SH7710 can encode or decode up to four channels of voice while simultaneously running an operating system, SIP (session initiation protocol), and other networking protocol stacks.

The SH7710 is based on an SH3-DSP core clocked at 200MHz, with 32KB of mixed instruction/data cache and 16KB of X/Y memory. The core is based on the SuperH architecture, and has a built-in DSP (digital signal processor).

According to Renesas, the chip's DSP unit can also be used for multimedia processing, such as MPEG computations, in addition to VoIP processing.

Additional on-chip peripherals include an IPSec accelerator, two Ethernet controllers, an Ethernet DMAC, six general purpose DMACs, a pair of FIFO serial interfaces, two serial com interface channels, and a real-time clock with three channel timer.

The chip supports a temperature range of -20 to +75 degrees C. Its voltage requirements are 3.3V for interface circuitry and 1.5V for internal functions.

A “complete set of VoIP middleware” for the chip is available for licensing to VoIP equipment OEMs, according to Renesas. The middleware is based on ITU-compliant CODECs including G.711, G.723.1, G.726, and G.729A, and the speech CODEC license includes patent indemnification that covers major countries in North America, Asia, and Europe. An echo canceller and an adaptive jitter buffer manager are also available.

Availability

The SH7710 is priced at $20 in quantity, and is available now in either a 256-pin HQFP or CSP package.

 
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