Renesas Technology has announced a multi-core processor designed for automotive navigation and information systems. The dual-core SH7776 integrates the control and information operating systems, keeping them independent from each other, while still using a common external memory. To keep the control system operations separate from the information system, the processor does not allow the information system to write in specific areas of common memory.
Each core is effectively a Renesas SH-4A CPU, meaning that each core has a maximum operating frequency of 533MHz and the maximum throughput of 1,920MIPS. Additionally, the processor uses two GPU cores for rendering -- Imagination Technologies' PowerVR SGX for 3D rendering. The other GPU (developed by Reneas) displays map information. The processor also has an image processing circuit that corrects image distortion. A Serial ATA interface is also included since Renesas expects the processor will be used with an 80-GM hard-disk drive.
Sample units will be available in Q2 of this year, with mass production next year.
