Imagination highlights how GPUs are driving silicon performance and SoC innovation

Imagination’s engineers to present paper on GPU Optimisation Techniques at TSMC’s Open Innovation Platform Forum

San Jose -- October 16, 2012 -- Imagination Technologies, a leading multimedia and communications technologies company, observes that the growth in performance of mobile GPUs, such as its PowerVR IP cores, is driving future generations of silicon process and packaging technologies, as well as SoC (system on chip) processing performance across a growing range of markets.

The GPU’s ability to deliver unprecedented processing horsepower (measured in GFLOPS) whilst also delivering amazing graphics performance per mm2 and per mW, means that GPU capabilities are becoming the dominant force driving heterogeneous processing performance in everything from mobile phones through to TVs, in-car information and entertainment, games consoles and even cloud computing.

Recognising this trend, Imagination is further developing its roadmaps, architectures and support to ensure its partners can select IP solutions optimized for the latest silicon process and SIP (System in Package) technologies, enabling them to realise the full potential of what GPUs can deliver in SoCs, both for graphics and compute capabilities.

To help its partners, Imagination is already working with leading silicon foundries to implement high performance mobile GPU-based systems delivering unheard-of levels of memory bandwidth, using the latest PowerVR Series6 GPUs combined with wide I/O memory and advanced 3DIC assembly and process technologies. Imagination is also working with foundries and EDA vendors to ensure that licensees of all of Imagination’s IP (intellectual property) cores can benefit from well-defined tool flows and optimized libraries to achieve the most aggressive speed, area and power consumption targets.

Reflecting closer ties to key foundries, Imaginations’ engineers will be speaking at the TSMC Open Innovation Platform Forum 2012 in San Jose, CA, on ‘Implementing and Optimising Graphics IP in SoCs’. Imagination will also be demonstrating its latest PowerVR GPU and VPU (video processor) as well as Ensigma RPU (radio processor) and Meta CPU IP technologies at the event (booth 201).

Says Tony King-Smith, VP marketing, Imagination: “Just as memory drove silicon processes in the ‘80s and ‘90s, and CPUs drove these in the late ‘90s and ‘00s, mobile GPUs are now becoming the most demanding on-chip function driving tomorrow’s advanced SoCs and silicon processes. We see our strengthening relationships with leading foundries, EDA vendors and library providers, as well as strategic activities with industry standards bodies such as HSA Foundation and Khronos Group, as key to ensuring we continue to drive and deliver the leading edge capabilities our customers have come to expect from us.”

About Imagination Technologies

Imagination Technologies - a global leader in multimedia and communication technologies - creates and licenses market-leading processor solutions for graphics, video, display, embedded processing, multi-standard communications and connectivity, and cross-platform V.VoIP & VoLTE. These silicon and software intellectual property (IP) solutions for systems-on-chip (SoC) are complemented by an extensive portfolio of software drivers, developer tools and extensive market and technology-focused ecosystems. Target markets include mobile phone, handheld multimedia devices, connected home consumer, tablets/mobile computing, in-car electronics, telecoms, health, smart energy and connected sensors and controllers. Imagination’s licensees include many of the world’s leading semiconductor, network operator and electronics OEM/ODM companies. Corporate headquarters are located in the United Kingdom, with sales and R&D offices worldwide. See: www.imgtec.com