Toshiba High Performance Microprocessor User Manual

Toshiba Develops High Performance Microprocessor

Core

-‘MeP-h1’is the World’s First 1GHz Configurable Processor-

Toshiba Corporation has announced that it has developed a new
high-end processor core, MeP-h1, the first configurable
microprocessor to achieve a 1GHz clock speed. The MeP-h1 is
based on Toshiba’s “Media embedded Processor” (MeP)
architecture for digital consumer and other high performance
SoCs. It gives designers the flexibility to customize processors at
the design stage, including the ability to change processor
configurations and add custom instructions to satisfy application
requirements.

The performance of the new core was boosted by increasing the
number of instruction execution pipeline stages to nine, from five in
Toshiba’s previous processor core. The new core is also optimized
for design of high-performance customized processors by
integration of a reorder buffer circuit that manages and shortens
waiting cycles for user extension instructions. The present
implementation of the core was manufactured with 65nanometer
(nm) process technology, and that too contributed to achieving the
1GHz clock speed. The new configurable processor core is
designed with register transfer level description (RTL) and can be
manufactured with other process technology, including 90nm
technology.

Development background:
The market for digital equipment supporting images, audio and
communications is growing fast. However, the required
performance and type of data processing in system LSI differs by
application, and the overall volume of handled data is rapidly
increasing. As a result, there is growing demand for customizable

high-performance embedded processors. Toshiba will continue to
develop MeP technology and to apply high-end gigahertz-level
MeP cores to SoC for digital products.

Outline of MeP:
MeP is a configurable processor that allows designers to
customize processor configurations, including custom instructions
and embedded memory capacity, in about 1 million different
combinations. The processor features small chip size, low power
consumption and high-speed processing. It is based on a 32-bit
RISC processor, appropriate for digital media products that require
processing of large volume of image and audio data, such as
digital TVs and DVD recorders.

MeP main features:

1. High-speed media processing (image and audio)

2. Customizable configuration, including embedded-memory
capacity

3. Extensibility of hardware allowing easy addition of functions

These features contribute to shorter development times for SoC
that integrate complicated functions, reducing the development
time for digital products.

Toshiba uses MeP in its own products and also licenses the
technology to third parties that require flexibility in circuit design.
Users who want to apply MeP to their own products can download
MeP design data and related information from Toshiba’s dedicated
website, http://www.MePcore.com/

, after registration and

completing a license agreement.

Roadmap of MeP:
Toshiba developed its first MeP core, MeP-c1 which had a 5-stage
pipeline structure in 2001. Toshiba expanded MeP functionality,
creating its line of c-series products, with the MeP-c2 and MeP-c3.
The new core announced today, MeP-h1, introduces a 9-stage
pipeline structure as the first core in the new high-performance h
series. Toshiba is also developing MeP-c4, an enhanced c-series
core

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About Toshiba

Toshiba Corporation is a leader in information and communications systems,
electronic components, consumer products and power systems. The
company’s integration of these wide-ranging capabilities assures its position
as an innovator in advanced components, products and systems. Toshiba has
more than 161,000 employees worldwide and annual sales of over US$53
billion (FY2003).

Toshiba Electronics Europe (TEE) is the European Headquarters for the
electronic components business of Toshiba Corporation, which is the world's
seven largest semiconductor vendor according to estimates by Dataquest.

Providing design, manufacturing, marketing and sales, TEE was formed in
1973 in Neuss, Germany. The company now has headquarters in Düsseldorf,
Germany and subsidiaries in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden and the
United Kingdom. Company president is Mr Shikama and the total number of
personnel in Europe is around 400.

Toshiba Electronics Europe offers one of the industry's broadest IC and
discrete product lines including high-end memory, microcontrollers, ASICs,
ASSPs and display products for automotive, multimedia, consumer, telecoms
and networking applications. The company also has a wide range of power
semiconductor solutions.

For more company information visit Toshiba's web site at
www.toshiba-components.com

Contact details for publication:
Toshiba Electronics Europe, Hansaallee 181, D-40549 Düsseldorf, Germany
Tel: [phone] Fax: [phone]
Web: http://www.toshiba-components.com/pressoffice/index.asp
E-mail: [e-mail]

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Contact details for editorial enquiries:
Angela Fehrenbach, Toshiba Electronics Europe
Tel: [phone] Mobile: [phone]
E-mail: [e-mail].

Issued by:
Simon Flatt/Andrew Town, Pinnacle Marketing Communications Ltd,
Prosperity House, Dawlish Drive, Pinner, Middlesex, HA5 5LN, UK
Tel: [phone]/9345 Fax: [phone].
E-mail: [e-mail] or [e-mail]
Web: www.pinnacle-marketing.com

August 2005 Ref: 5606/A

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