Fujitsu's Interface Bridge SoC Incorporates 10 Different Interfaces

MB86E631 incorporates a total of 10 different interfaces, including USB, Serial ATA, PCI Express, Ethernet MAC, and TS. As a result, the new product is an LSI featuring performance and functionality that has been optimized for CPUs for transcoder LSI control, as well as for products requiring control of a wide variety of interfaces.

The spread of smartphones and tablets has led to the availability of Wi-Fi TV tuner products that enable TV to be viewed on customer mobile devices. Such products are equipped with transcoder LSIs for performing video format and resolution conversion, as well as Wi-Fi modules and other technologies. A number of challenges are involved in selecting a CPU for controlling these technologies.

Multi-decoder LSIs used in video recording devices and communications processors for networking products are too powerful, whereas the performance of low-cost CPUs, such as microcontrollers, is insufficient.

At the same time, customers who manufacture video recording devices, TVs with built-in recording capabilities, and other products have expressed the need for a CPU with the ability to control a variety of interfaces capable of connecting to a wide range of different equipment.

Fujitsu Semiconductor developed Interface Bridge SoC MB86E631 as an LSI that has been optimized to meet this need for both performance and functionality.

Featuring a dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 processor (~500MHz operations) as its CPU core, MB86E631 brings together a total of 10 different interfaces—including USB2.0/3.0, Serial ATA, PCI Express, Ethernet MAC and TS—all on a single chip. Not only is the product optimal for use together with a transcoder LSI in Wi-Fi TV tuner applications SoC, but it can also be employed as a CPU for interface control in multi-tuner devices and other applications in which control of multiple interfaces is required. In addition, the new chip will lead to the development of a new market that extends beyond video delivery and recording devices to include products that require performance greater than that of microcontrollers and support for multiple interfaces.

Going forward, Fujitsu Semiconductor will continue to roll out new technologies and products, particularly in the area of video processing LSIs, while also proposing solutions for a wide range of product applications.

Product Overview

1.Incorporates 10 different interfaces
By incorporating interfaces such as USB2.0/3.0, Serial ATA, PCI Express, Ethernet MAC, TS, UART, and I2C, as well as the DDR3 and Quad Serial Flash Controller memory interfaces, the new series can be employed in a host of applications, including CPUs for transcoder LSI control and CPUs for interface control in multi-tuners that require the control of multiple interfaces.

2.Features a dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 processor
The new series employs an optimal CPU core for controlling its various embedded interfaces.

3.Enables the delivery of Wi-Fi TV tuner solutions
Fujitsu Semiconductor offers reference boards featuring MB86E631 together with the company's transcoder LSI. DLNA-compatible reference boards for Linux are also available as a solution for Wi-Fi TV tuner products, making product development easy.