STMicroelectronics Publishes Certified EEMBC Results for VLIW Core Used in High Performance Embedded Consumer Applications

ST231 processor core is ECL-certified and is designed into ST's SoC products for set-top box and DVR applications

GENEVA -- Sept. 22, 2005 -- STMicroelectronics (NYSE: STM) today published the results of EEMBC (Embedded Microprocessor Benchmark Consortium) certification of the latest and most advanced processor core in the ST200 VLIW (Very Long Instruction Word) family, which is intended for use in high-performance multimedia System-on-Chip (SoC) devices. The third- generation ST231 core -- which has added a Memory Management Unit (MMU) to provide support for the Linux operating system, as well as other new features -- has been certified at 300MHz by the EEMBC Certification Lab using the STi5300 SoC designed for set-top box, DVD and multimedia applications.

The ST231 VLIW Core, which executes up to four operations per clock cycle, achieves performance comparable to a RISC processor running at a significantly higher clock frequency, while maintaining the low dynamic power consumption of its actual clock speed. The ST231 has been designed for both general-purpose host processing and audio/video streaming applications such as MPEG-2 and MPEG-4.

EEMBC (http://www.eembc.org) was formed in 1997 to develop performance benchmarks for the hardware and software used in embedded systems, and its benchmarks have become an industry standard for evaluating the capabilities of embedded processors using objective application-based criteria. They reflect real-world applications, and EEMBC scores have effectively replaced the obsolete Dhrystone MIPS. For a processor's scores to be published, the EEMBC Certification Laboratories (ECL) must validate benchmarks run by the manufacturer; ECL certification ensures that scores are repeatable.

ST has certified the ST231 across all five of EEMBC Version 1.1 benchmark suites. The certification is for code run "out-of-the-box", implying that no optimizations specific to the ST231 have been made. This unmodified benchmark source code is compiled using ST's standard ST231 compiler and run on the STi5300 SoC to produce the results. The certified scores for the ST231 are as follows:

Commenting on the publication of these results, Roger Shepherd, Manager of the ST200 Program said: "These certified EEMBC benchmarking results confirm the great performance benefits of the ST231 processor, which is now being deployed in a number of ST's consumer products".

About STMicroelectronics

STMicroelectronics is a global leader in developing and delivering semiconductor solutions across the spectrum of microelectronics applications. An unrivalled combination of silicon and system expertise, manufacturing strength, Intellectual Property (IP) portfolio and strategic partners positions the Company at the forefront of System-on-Chip (SoC) technology and its products play a key role in enabling today's convergence markets. The Company's shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange, on Euronext Paris and on the Milan Stock Exchange. In 2004, the Company's net revenues were $8.76 billion and net earnings were $601 million. Further information on ST can be found at http://www.st.com.