Nikkei Electronics Asia -- October 2008
MicroTech Watch
Intel Discovers SoC Market

Sept 24, 2008 19:05 Nikkei Electronics Asia

Intel has launched a major new initiative to increase its share of the embedded-processor market. Instead of simply supplying its standard PC processors to embedded customers, the processor company is now using its x86 CPUs to create system-on-chip (SoC) designs.

The company recently announced the first two products in this initiative. The EP80579, code-named Tolapai, targets networking products, whereas the CE3100, code-named Canmore, is designed for consumer video systems. Each includes a Pentium-M CPU with a complete set of system interfaces and accelerators for the target application.

These two products are just the tip of the iceberg; the company is developing at least 15 more SoC processors, according to Gadi Singer, general manager of Intel's SoC Enabling Group. These products will target a range of industrial, networking, consumer, and mobile applications.

Big Changes

These products are a big change for Intel. First, the company has integrated standard peripherals such a DRAM controller, PCI Express, and Ethernet, which it has never done before. (The DRAM controller will be standard in Intel's next-generation PC processors known as Nehalem.) This approach reduces system cost, size, and power compared with the typical three-chip set used with Intel's PC processors.

Second, the new chips are further optimized by adding accelerators. For example, the EP80579 has an accelerator dubbed QuickAssist which can accelerate security protocols, such as IPSec, as well as other networking functions.

The CE3100 contains dual high-definition (HD) video decoders, an HD audio subsystem, and a 3D graphics accelerator. These accelerators perform their designated tasks at a much lower power level than the Pentium-M CPU would require to do them in software.

To accelerate the design of these complex devices, Intel has moved away from its focus on doing everything itself. For the CE3100, for example, the company licensed the audio subsystem from Tensilica and the 3D accelerator from Imagination.

The Next Generation

These initial products show the direction of Intel's strategy, but by themselves they are not compelling. The EP80579 burns 11W to 21W (TDP), depending on the clock speed, nearly twice as much as RISC processors with similar performance and integration. At less than 10W, the CE3100 is slightly better, but its power and its

US$35 price tag are too much for most set-top boxes (STB), DVRs, and Blu-ray DVD players.
Intel's next-generation SoC devices will do better. These devices will replace the Pentium-M with the more power-efficient Atom CPU and will move to Intel's leading-edge 45nm technology instead of the 90nm technology used for Tolapai and Canmore. These changes should significantly reduce cost and power dissipation.

These processors will still carry the burden of full PC compatibility, such as the standard FPU and MMX/SSE units that are not needed in most embedded designs. This cost disadvantage, however, could easily be canceled by Intel's advanced manufacturing technology.

Can Intel Succeed?

After abandoning earlier efforts in networking and in embedded ARM processors, Intel has chosen embedded x86 as its new focus for growth. The company already generates more than US$1 billion per year in embedded revenue.

Using its Atom CPU and 45nm technology, Intel should be able to develop SoCs that compete with high-end RISC-based SoCs. These highly integrated devices sell for at least US$20 into networking infrastructure, industrial control, and high-end consumer devices such as STBs, home NAS (storage), and VDSL gateways. Intel will find it more difficult to reach high-volume consumer applications, which require processors that sell for less than US$10.

Despite a lack of experience in these markets, Intel must correctly anticipate their needs and deliver the correct combination of performance, price, power, software, and integration. The x86 architecture holds little advantage in these markets; in fact, most software is written for other architectures.

by Linley Gwennap

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