STMicroelectronics Unveils System-on-Chip Solutions with Sixth Generation x86 Core.

Business Editors/High Tech Writers

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 10, 2000

At the Microprocessor Forum, STMicroelectronics (NYSE:STM) today unveiled the next generation of its STPC family of x86 PC-compatible System-on-Chip devices.

Known as the STPC Galaxy, the new range achieves higher integration and higher performance with lower power dissipation, thanks to the use of 0.18u CMOS technology, a new sixth generation x86 core and innovative design techniques to minimize power consumption.

At the heart of the STPC Galaxy family is a new core known as the CP250. This is a Pentium-II class processor with a fast FPU with Triple Issue MMX Technology, ideal for audio and DSP applications such as soft modems, GSM protocol, soft DVD and digital imaging. The Triple Issue Integer unit includes a 6-stage pipeline with bi-directional data pre-fetching and no data misalignment penalty. Core clock speeds up to 300MHz are possible, with programmable host clock ratios of 1x, 2x, 2.5x, 3x and 3.5x.

Special design techniques have been used to minimize the power used in redundant logic switching, which can account for over 75% of the system power consumption. These include an automatic clock stop on unused blocks and software-driven clock throttling to tailor performance to the application. The result is outstanding power consumption versus frequency and power supply: under typical applications conditions (20% active, 80% idle), power consumption ranges from 1100mW at 250MHz/1.8V down to only 200mW at 66MHz/1.3V.

The first two members of the STPC Galaxy family are the STPC Vega and STPC Pictor. Both devices contain the CP250 core processor, a 64-bit Unified Memory Architecture (UMA) SDRAM controller and a PCI Master/Slave controller. Both devices also include a 16-bit fast access local bus and an ISA bus for legacy PC peripheral support. Other blocks common to the two devices are an Integrated Peripheral Controller, the Power Management Unit, an I2C bus controller and a JTAG port.

To these, the STPC Vega adds an ATA66-compliant UIDE interface, an Ethernet 10/100 MAC, a USB Host dual port hub, a serial port and a general purpose I/O port. The graphics-orientated STPC Pictor adds a 64-bit 2D accelerator, VGA controller, RAMDAC, video input port, TV output with programmable 3-tap flicker filter, PAL/NTSC TV encoder and ATA33-compliant UIDE.

In addition to meeting the demand for increasing system performance while keeping power consumption and costs low, the STPC Galaxy allows custom variants to be quickly produced, allowing customers to specify particular IP combinations.

Pentium and MMX are trademarks of Intel Corporation.

About STMicroelectronics

STMicroelectronics (formerly SGS-THOMSON Microelectronics) is a global independent semiconductor company, whose shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange, on the Paris Bourse and on the Milan Stock Exchange. The Company designs, develops, manufactures and markets a broad range of semiconductor integrated circuits (ICs) and discrete devices used in a wide variety of microelectronic applications, including telecommunications systems, computer systems, consumer products, automotive products and industrial automation and control systems. In 1999, the Company's net revenues were $5.056 billion and net earnings were $547 million. Further information on ST can be found at www.st.com.