CEVA Unveils “Lite” Mobile Multimedia Platform

In March CEVA unveiled “Mobile-Media-Lite” (MMLite), a family of multimedia processing solutions comprising licensable silicon IP and software. The family is aimed at low-end multimedia-enabled devices such as mobile TV players, portable multimedia players, and multimedia phones. CEVA also announced the first family member, the MM2200, a single-processor multimedia engine. CEVA’s intent is to provide highly integrated, application-optimized solutions; the company states that the MM2200 is area- and energy-optimized for cost-constrained consumer electronics products.

The MM2200, like CEVA’s earlier MM2000 platform, is based on the CEVA-X1620 DSP core (see BDTI’s analysis excerpts and benchmark scores), and features a DMA engine and peripherals. Like the MM2000, the MM2200 also includes a range of optimized software for video, audio, imaging, and voice encoding and decoding; audio/video synchronization, file parsing, and protocol encoding/decoding; video conferencing, and media player and recorder functionality. However, unlike the MM2000, which targets mid- to high-end multimedia applications, the MM2200 is specialized for low-end multimedia—it has less memory, fewer peripherals, and lower performance. With both platforms, CEVA offers single-core, programmable, application-optimized engines.

The MM2200 does not rely on a general-purpose CPU or fixed-function accelerators as often found in multimedia solutions. CEVA maintains that this enables a small die size of 3.8 sq mm (in a 90 nm process) for the MM2200. For a typical mobile TV use case comprising H.264 Baseline Profile decoding (CIF resolution, 15 fps), HE-AAC audio decoding, bitstream processing, and overhead processing, the MM2200 requires about 150 MHz and consumes about 46 mW (90 nm G process, 1 V, room temperature), according to CEVA.

In the licensable multimedia solution space, different IP vendors have made different trade-offs with respect to programmability, software support, and functionality. Licensable core vendors Tensilica and ARC, like CEVA, emphasize programmability. Tensilica separates audio and video, offering its pre-configured “Diamond 330HiFi” core (based on its “HiFi 2” audio engine) for audio and four pre-configured “Diamond 38xVDO” cores for video. Customers wishing to implement audio and video functionality on the same core need to configure one of Tensilica’s Xtensa cores themselves. Tensilica offers a wide range of audio and video codecs including more than 20 speech and audio codecs, 4 video decoders, and an MPEG-4 encoder.

ARC offers a number of pre-configured cores covering a range of audio-video applications. It has two audio-specific cores—one for low-end and one for high-fidelity applications; a video subsystem for video (see BDTI’s H.264 Solution Benchmark results); and its “Player” subsystem which integrates audio and video. For more demanding multimedia applications, ARC offers a solution called VRaptor. The company offers software for most standard audio codecs and video decoders; video encoders are not currently offered.

Hantro offers a range of specialized IP solutions targeting chips for multimedia devices such as mobile TV and multimedia players. The company offers primarily . Although this class of solution can be very area- and energy-efficient, lack of programmability may limit its appeal for applications with shifting requirements.

CEVA’s comprehensive software offering (especially application-level software and support for video encoding) is likely to make the MM2200 appealing to licensees desiring short time-to-market. The MM2200 is available for license today. CEVA also plans to announce an MMLite-based coprocessor shortly. The solution, MM2100, is intended as a multimedia coprocessor for chips that contain a general-purpose CPU.