Hitachi Ltd says the latest addition to its SDH-4 Series of super-scalar RISC processors will be the first in the industry to deliver 1,000 MIPS per watt (MIPS/W), as well as being the first device in the Hitachi range to feature an on-board PCI controller.
The new SH7751 comes in two versions, including a 1.8 Volt high-performance 167MHz chip that delivers 300 MIPS or 1.2 Gflops while consuming 400mW. But it is the 1.5 Volt 133MHz version that raises the MIPS/W to 1,000, while delivering 240 MIPS or 930Mflops at 240mW. Both versions also feature a dual frequency 66MHz/33MHz on-chip PCI interface conforming to the PCI Rev 2.1 standard.
So far the SH-4’s chief claim to fame has been as the chief graphics part in the Sega Dreamcast console. However, the particularly efficient power dissipation of the latest devices is expected to help it gain new customers among the makers of handheld PCs and other small footprint devices. In this respect the on-chip PCI is seen as the ideal means of encouraging handheld device manufacturers to offer PCI-based links to a variety of peripherals, including IEEE 1394 Firewire supporting devices, and others designed around Apple’s HAVI (home audio and video) device interconnect specification.
Hitachi said it is already taking orders for the device even before it begins shipping in small quantities in August. High volume availability is not expected until next year.
