Renesas Electronics Announces High-Performance, High-Function Systems-on-Chip (SoC) for High-End Automotive Display Systems

Realizes High-Definition Video Decoding and Advanced Graphics Displays

TOKYO, Japan, September 29, 2011 — Renesas Electronics Corporation (TSE: 6723) a premier provider of advanced semiconductor solutions, and its subsidiary, Renesas Mobile Corporation, an innovative supplier of advanced cellular semiconductor solutions and platforms, today announced the availability of the new automotive systems-on-chip (SoC), the SH7769, for high-end automotive display systems (graphics cluster, multifunction graphics display) supporting advanced human machine interfaces (HMI).

The new SH7769 SoC enhances such functions as video input, display output and high-reliability systems compared to Renesas' existing SH-Navi3 (SH7776) SoC, which has been widely adopted for high-end automotive infotainment systems. The SH7769 SoC implements functions essential for automotive display systems, such as 3D graphics meters and central displays, markets that are expected to grow rapidly.

Due to the recent increase in demand to process enormous volumes of information through in-car network and multimedia systems, car information systems are required to deliver this information to the driver clearly and safely. The SH7769 SoC implements a high-function 3D graphics engine and display units, which allow 1600 × 480-pixel HD (high definition) video decoding. A graphical user interface (GUI) display can be used to express and deliver a realistic instrument-cluster system and in-vehicle information to the driver. This GUI allows realistic 3D graphics display and improved operability.

Up to three video data streams can be processed simultaneously to provide a driver with information from external vehicle cameras, navigation systems, and night vision devices at the same time. The SH7769 SoC also contributes to the reduction of system costs by saving a number of external components by integrating such functions as NTSC decoder and an image render (IMR) function, which perform compensation of fish-eye image.

Key features of the SH7769 SoC:

• (1) Implementation of high-performance, 3D graphics engine, supporting realistic 3D images

  The SH7769 SoC incorporates Imagination Technologies' advanced 3D graphics IP core, the POWERVR SGX530, in the 3D graphics engine. The new SoC also supports an intelligent graphics processor unit (GPU) that supports OpenGLES2.0 for rendering of realistic 3D objects and high-quality GUIs, which makes it suitable for multimedia applications, such as HMIs. CPU core: The SH7769 SoC implements Renesas' 32-bit RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computer) CPU core, the SH-4A, and operate at 533 MHz (max.). The integrated FPU (floating-point processing unit) supports both single-precision and double-precision processing, and 7.46 GFLOPS (giga floating operations per second) (max.) are realized with single precision, which allow high-speed codec processing of still and moving images.

• (2) Advanced image compensation and transformation circuitry

  The SH7769 SoC implements two channels of image compensation: one channel, the IMR-LSX, dedicated for compensation of camera-image distortion, and one channel, the IMR-X, dedicated for compensation of a given image. The IMR-LSX channel can flatten the distortion of a fish-eye image. This hardware processing can achieve lower power consumption and higher speed operation compared to that with the same function implemented on the CPU. The IMR-X channel can transform the image data into a given form and can be used as a head-up display (HUD) image conversion.

  The SH7769 SoC is also capable of converting one digital-image input channel and one digital-image output channel for HUD simultaneously.

• (3) Ultra-high-speed data transfer with DDR3-1067-supported memory interface

  A DDR3-SDRAM interface (16-bit dedicated bus at 533 megahertz [MHz]) with a capability of 1067 mega words per second (M words/s) is implemented on the SH7769 SoC, which achieves an ultra-high-speed data maximum transfer rate of 2.13 gigabytes per second (Gb/s).

• (4) Kit solution with dedicated power-supply IC contributes to low system power consumption and quicker time to market

  Each device in the R-Car series will be offered with a newly developed, dedicated power-supply IC, the “R2A11301,” known as a multi-voltage regulator. This power-supply IC realizes highly accurate output voltage within one percent of voltage variation, with two outputs implemented for the CPU core and for DDR (DDR2/DDR3) as a depressor. An integrated AVS (adaptive voltage scaling) function enables optimum control of the output voltage to the SoC, which saves up to 20 percent (estimating with an AVS [35 mV]) of power. As a finished, tested solution, system designers can reduce the time needed for developing complex, discrete power systems, and speed their time to market. Cost reduction also can be achieved by reducing the number of parts.

• (5) High-reliability system

  The PAM (Physical Address Management) and DISCOM (Display Compare Unit) are integrated onto the SH7769 SoC to detect system malfunctions, and to realize high-reliability. PAM limits and monitor accesses from the CPU or GPU to memory or peripherals. In cases where an unexpected access has occurred, the function can invalidate the access and generate an interrupt to the CPU.

  The DISCOM monitors and compares every frame of data to be output and the actual output data.

The technologies of the new SH7769 SoC will continue to be applied to Renesas' future R-Car series of SoCs for car infotainment systems.

Refer to the separate sheet for the specifications of Renesas' SH7769 SoC.

Packaging, Pricing and Availability

The SH7769 device is packaged in a 496-pin BGA (ball-grid array, 21 millimeter (mm) × 21 mm) package with a 0.8mm ball pitch. Samples of Renesas' SH7769 SoC are available now, priced at US$60 per unit. Mass production is scheduled to begin in June 2013 and is expected to reach a cumulative 30,000 units per month in June 2014. (Pricing and availability are subject to change without notice.)

About Renesas Electronics Corporation

Renesas Electronics Corporation (TSE: 6723), the world's number one supplier of microcontrollers, is a premier supplier of advanced semiconductor solutions including microcontrollers, SoC solutions and a broad range of analog and power devices. Business operations began as Renesas Electronics in April 2010 through the integration of NEC Electronics Corporation (TSE:6723) and Renesas Technology Corp., with operations spanning research, development, design and manufacturing for a wide range of applications. Headquartered in Japan, Renesas Electronics has subsidiaries in 20 countries worldwide. More information can be found at www.renesas.com.