Imagination announces POWERVR SGX554 MP multi-processor graphics IP

Highly efficient and truly scalable multi-processing graphics technology delivers 8-pipelines for ‘best-in-class’ performance

December 7, 2010 -- Imagination Technologies, a leading multimedia and communications technologies company, announces POWERVR SGX554, a high performance graphics core for embedded and mobile applications with full multi-processor capability.

POWERVR SGX554 can be implemented as a high-performance 8-pipe single core, or in multiprocessor (MP) configurations of between 2 and 16 cores (16 to 128 pipes).

POWERVR SGX554 is the latest member of Imagination's POWERVR Series5XT family which is poised to bring new levels of performance to mobile and embedded graphics. [Series5XT is being demonstrated in silicon for the first time today (December 6th) at Imagination’s exclusive annual industry event at the British Embassy in Tokyo.]

SGX554 provides full support for DirectX 9 Feature Level 3 with maximum hardware acceleration, making it ideal for tablets, computing devices and smartphones. SGX554 delivers all the benefits of POWERVR SGX cores, delivering the best industry metrics in performance per mm2 and performance per mW.

Tony King-Smith, VP marketing, Imagination, says: “This latest POWERVR Series5XT core will deliver new levels of embedded graphics capabilities. SGX554 pushes the upper boundaries of performance in power and cost-constrained embedded environments, while building on our unrivalled portfolio of APIs across every significant embedded and desktop operating system. What’s more we have been shipping DX9 level parts for more than three years, in millions of units, so SGX554 will benefit from the maturity of our DX9 drivers.”

SGX554 also provides comprehensive market proven support for desktop OpenGL 2.1 (including X11 integration with DRI2, EXA and DRM support), OpenGL ES 1.1 & 2.0, OpenVG 1.1 and OpenCL 1.1 Embedded Profile, offering the widest ranges of supported APIs of any mobile or embedded graphics IP core available today.

POWERVR SGX software stacks have passed rigorous Khronos and Microsoft conformance tests, guaranteeing fast time to market with high confidence across the widest range of embedded and desktop operating systems. Software configurations for Linux, Android, MeeGo, Palm's WebOS, Nokia's Maemo, Symbian, Windows Mobile, Samsung's Bada, and a variety of other operating systems are all shipping with POWERVR SGX powered devices today.

About POWERVR Series5XT

Members of the POWERVR SGX Series5XT Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) IP core family feature significant performance enhancements over the highly successful Series5 architecture used in the earlier SGX family of IP cores. All Series5XT SGX cores are based on a second-generation Universal Scalable Shader Engine (USSE2) that delivers significantly higher processing throughput than the earlier Series5 USSE shader engine, and include architectural extensions enabling low-power and high-performance for 2D, 3D and general purpose (GP-GPU) processing in either single core or scalable multi-processor (MP) solutions.

About Imagination Technologies

Imagination Technologies Group plc (LSE:IMG) – a global leader in multimedia and communication technologies – creates and licenses market-leading processor cores for graphics, video, multi-threaded embedded processing/DSP and multi-standard communications applications. These silicon intellectual property (IP) solutions for systems-on-chip (SoC) are complemented by platform level IP and services, a strong array of software tools and drivers and extensive developer and middleware ecosystems. Target markets includemobile phone, handheld multimedia, home consumer entertainment, mobile and low-power computing, and in-car electronics.Its licensees include many of the leading semiconductor and consumer electronics companies. Imagination has corporate headquarters in the United Kingdom, with sales and R&D offices worldwide. See: www.imgtec.com.