1999-02-22 , E/IC-1055/24
Product News From Philips Semiconductors

Lowers system costs with functions performed in software instead of hardware

Extending the performance and ease of use of its existing IEEE1394-1995 compliant audio/video link layer controller, Philips Semiconductors, the leading European semiconductor manufacturer, today announced a full duplex, high speed (400 Mbits/s) version, the  PDI1394L21. This device is the first A/V link to support simple processor-based manipulation of MPEG-2 transport streams - the standard compression scheme for many set-top box, storage, and digital TV applications. This enables the processor to be used to perform tasks in software that previously had to be done on a separate IC, reducing the overall system cost.

In addition, there is on-chip support for IEC 61883 (the latest digital interface standard for consumer electronics products). The IEC 61883 protocol, to which Philips was a major contributor, requires highly accurate time stamps to be added for data transport, due to the time-critical nature of MPEG-2 transport streams. By having the IEC 61883 support on-chip, it avoids the need for any external silicon dedicated to this task, such as logic devices or high speed processors, keeping design costs low.

To date, all IEEE 1394 A/V link layer devices hold received packets until the time stamps expire. More and more today, applications use highly efficient microprocessor-based MPEG-2 manipulation, which can process data in large bursts. The new PDI1394L21 reduces overall software load and systems cost in new digital set-top box and digital TV designs that utilise processor-based de-multiplex and decode. The PDI1394L21 achieves this by accepting processor-generated time stamps and large bursted data packets thus freeing the processor to perform more complex tasks.

"Our full duplex 1394 link layer controller is unique with its support for processor-based MPEG-2 data manipulation," said Allen Light, Philips Semiconductors' 1394 Marketing and Applications Manager. "We included this important feature in direct response to market trends to processor based applications. It is a clear demonstration of our deep understanding of what is happening in the audio/video world and our commitment to developing leading-edge 1394 silicon for A/V applications."

Optimised for the real-time data transfer required for video transport in consumer electronics devices such as digital audio devices, digital VCRs and digital cameras, as well as multimedia PCs and workstations, the PDI1394L21's full duplex, isochronous operation enables the controller to receive and transmit data packets simultaneously.

This makes it particularly suitable for applications where users might want to access more than one function at a time, for example both recording a program and playing a game. The controller also provides a byte-wide interface accommodating commonly-used compression formats including MPEG-2 and Digital Video (DV) codecs, and is supported by a comprehensive Reference Design Kit (RDK) for rapid design and testing.

Offering hot plug and play, the PD1394L21 enables devices to be connected without the need to power down or reconfigure the bus. The IEEE1394 architecture is scalable, allowing for faster peripherals in the future (in excess of 1 Gbits/s), and the PDI1394L21 can operate with 100, 200 and 400 Mbits/s physical layer (PHY) chips. This ensures it meets current demands while still offering backward compatibility and paving the way for A/V functionality to be built into the motherboard. It is fully interoperable with other IEEE1394-1995 and 1394a devices.

Facilitating implementation, the supporting RDK provides full hardware and software tools for 1394 node design and includes a complete PHY/Link layer hardware evaluation board. Offering high performance tools at low cost, this RDK is even simpler to use than its predecessor, with a Windows-based graphical user interface compatible with Windows NT/95 and increased prototyping space on the board.

Adding further functionality, the In Socket Programmable Complex Programmable Logic Device (ISP CPLD) generates both pseudo-MPEG-2 and DV data (previously only MPEG-2 was available) and can be re-programmed to modify the link layer software. The kit is delivered with a range of software, a Win 32 serial driver, plus the documentation and source code for the Application Programming Interface (API) written in ANSI 'C', giving designers flexibility for advanced development projects.

The PDI1394L21 costs USD 8.50 in quantities of 10,000+. The reference design kit, developed by Philips Semiconductors in conjunction with the Vitana Corporation, is available for USD 450 and can be ordered via the Vitana web site at  www.vitana.com/rdk/philips/1394_index.html. Further information on the RDK and Philips Semiconductors' 1394 silicon solutions can be found at  www.semiconductors.philips.com/1394.

Philips Semiconductors, a division of Royal Philips Electronics, headquartered in Eindhoven, The Netherlands, is the eighth largest semiconductor supplier in the world (according to Dataquest's preliminary 1998 ranking by sales). Philips Semiconductors' innovations in digital audio, video, and mobile technology position the company as a leader in the consumer, multimedia and wireless communications markets. Sales offices are located in all major markets around the world and are supported by systems labs.