Digital ICs/DSP: Graphics/Video Processors Deliver Topnotch Small-Screen Images

May 26, 2005

The Mali graphics and video intellectual-property cores eliminate the tradeoffs that are typically made when designers create a system to deliver high-quality 3D graphics and smooth video playback. The Mali110 and Mali55 were built from the ground up for small, mobile applications. These cores come with an optional integrated geometry processor, the MaliGP. Additionally, they use the same gates to process graphics and video. This reduces the cost and streamlines the design of next-generation multimedia-enabled cellular phones and other systems. The Mali110 and Mali55 both are single-pipeline 2D/3D/Video IP rasterizer cores that deliver 30-fps encode and decode of video and advanced 16× full-scene anti-aliasing support and texture filtering. Available as soft intellectual property, the cores are fully verified, and they can be scaled for processes as small as 65 nm. A free evaluation trial license is available for the cores. Contact the company for specific licensing fees.

Falanx Microsystems Inc.www.falanx.com

About the Author

Dave Bursky

Technologist

Dave Bursky, the founder of New Ideas in Communications, a publication website featuring the blog column Chipnastics – the Art and Science of Chip Design. He is also president of PRN Engineering, a technical writing and market consulting company. Prior to these organizations, he spent about a dozen years as a contributing editor to Chip Design magazine. Concurrent with Chip Design, he was also the technical editorial manager at Maxim Integrated Products, and prior to Maxim, Dave spent over 35 years working as an engineer for the U.S. Army Electronics Command and an editor with Electronic Design Magazine.