Renesas Introduces SH-MobileJ2 Multimedia Accelerator Platform

6/22/2004 - Renesas Technology Corp. announced the SH-MobileJ2 Multimedia Accelerator Platform comprising software sets ranging from drivers to accelerator APIs (Application Programming Interface) for the SH-MobileJ2 in the SH-Mobile Series of application processors, for use in the development of multimedia applications for mobile phone systems. Provision of the new Multimedia Accelerator Platform will begin in July 2004 in Japan.

This platform supports a µITRON1 specification operating system, and offers the following features.

  1. Provision of software development solutions using three kinds of software sets
    This platform comprises three kinds of software sets: (a) device drivers for controlling hardware such as a camera or sound interface, (b) middleware, for synchronous playback of audio and video, video mail, and so forth, and (c) accelerator APIs that facilitate software interfacing to a baseband LSI. Users are thus offered a multimedia application development solution in the form of an integrated platform covering the spectrum from drivers to APIs.
  2. Software sets facilitating use of the full potential of hardware incorporated in the SH-MobileJ2
    The middleware and accelerator APIs are optimized to extract the maximum performance from the MPEG-4 accelerator and other hardware incorporated in the SH-MobileJ2, simplifying the development of sophisticated, high-performance applications.
  3. Development times approximately halved compared with current Renesas Technology norms
    The new platform simplifies the development of diversified and sophisticated multimedia applications, enabling development efficiency to be improved. User application development times can be cut by approximately 50%, helping to bring end-products to market in a timely.

Background
With mobile phones expanding of advanced and a variety of multimedia applications such as moving image recording or playback, and game and moving image contents distribution, in addition to voice communication functions, Renesas Technology developed the highly acclaimed SH-Mobile Series of processors specifically to handle processing of such applications. As multimedia applications become increasingly versatile and sophisticated, programs are growing larger size and more complex, resulting in longer development times. There is consequently a strong demand for more efficient system and application program development in order to bring end-products to market in a timely. At the same time, the expansion of multimedia applications is also spreading to overseas low-priced mobile phones, and Renesas Technology developed the SH-MobileJ2, incorporating such features as an MPEG-4 hardware accelerator, for such middle- and low-end mobile phones.

Now, in response to the need for improved application program development efficiency, Renesas Technology has prepared the SH-MobileJ2 Multimedia Accelerator Platform integrating driver software for controlling hardware, various kinds of middleware, and accelerator APIs, for use in the development of mobile phone systems employing the SH-MobileJ2.

About this Platform
This platform comprises the following three kinds of software running on a µITRON4.0 specification operating system: (a) SH-MobileJ2 driver software, (b) SH-MobileJ2 middleware and MPEG-4 libraries for sound and image processing, and (c) SH-MobileJ2 accelerator APIs. Details are as follows.

  1. SH-MobileJ2 driver software
    This is hardware control software that operates on a Solution Engine®2 application development board with a 133 MHz operating frequency SH-MobileJ2 mounted. Drivers necessary for multimedia function execution and data storage and playback are provided, including camera interface, sound interface, and silicon disk drivers. A USB Function driver and storage class and similar device class libraries are also available, enabling easy implementation of PC communication functions on a mobile phone. The provision of these device drivers reduces the development environment construction load on the user.
  2. SH-MobileJ2 middleware and MPEG-4 libraries
    As well as MP3 for sound, JPEG and MPEG-4 for image processing, and middleware supporting communications and voice, a comprehensive range of middleware optimized for the SH-MobileJ2 is available, supporting such functions as simultaneous moving image/voice recording and playback, and silicon audio. This middleware simplifies user development of multimedia applications. Libraries are also available that enable the MPEG-4 hardware accelerator incorporated in the SH-MobileJ2 to be used to its full potential, facilitating the development and evaluation of applications such as moving image recording and playback using the accelerator.
  3. SH-MobileJ2 accelerator APIs
    Accelerator APIs integrate discrete middleware as a system, and approximately 150 APIs are available. Use of these APIs enables digital still camera, movie player, small memory card file system, MP3 player, and similar functions to be implemented without worrying about the various decoders and encoders incorporated in the SH-MobileJ2, or system camera, LCD panel, and similar connections. This makes it possible for users to develop high-level multimedia functions in a short time-frame.

These APIs also simplify the development of the software interface between a baseband LSI and SH-MobileJ2. Software interface development is carried out by the user, and development has previously been implemented independently by combining detailed instructions. Now, SH-MobileJ2 multimedia software accelerator functions can be implemented simply by including these APIs in the baseband LSI program, enabling development time to be shortened significantly. In addition, a user can easily add new multimedia functions to existing application software resources operating in the baseband.

Use of this SH-MobileJ2 Multimedia Accelerator Platform enables the user's burden in multimedia development environment construction to be greatly reduced, making it possible to carry out application development quickly and selectively. In addition, the variety of middleware simplifies the development of versatile applications that fully exploit the hardware capabilities of the SH-MobileJ2. The provision of a range of software effective in lightening the development environment construction load and creating applications, such as middleware and accelerator APIs, enables the time required by the user from construction of an application development environment to completion of development to be cut by approximately 50% compared with current Renesas Technology norms.

Renesas Technology plans to expand the scope of this platform to handle other SH-Mobile Series products, and to provide an extended environment and software lineup offering improved development efficiency in line with users' needs.

Notes:
1. µITRON: Micro Industrial TRON. TRON is an abbreviation of "The Real-time Operating System Nucleus".
2. Solution Engine is a registered trademark of Hitachi ULSI Systems Co., Ltd. in Japan.

Typical Applications
Development of multimedia applications for mobile phone systems using the SH-MobileJ2

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