Processor offers 'outstanding' multimedia performance

Paul Boughton

Congatec has expanded its Qseven product range by adding the AMD Embedded G-Series SOC (System-on-Chip) platform. This single-chip solution combines the improved processing power of the Jaguar processor with the graphics core of Radeon 8000 technology.

Congatec currently offers three processors from the AMD Embedded G-Series SOC platform in the Qseven form factor. The AMD GX-210HA 1.0GHz dual core (L2 cache 1MB) with 9 watts thermal design power (TDP) and the AMD GX-210JA 1.0GHz dual core (L2 cache 1MB) with 6 watts TDP and an expected average power consumption of 3 watts in a standard application will both be offered.

For extreme environments, the module is also available in extended temperature range featuring the AMD GX-209HA 1.0GHz dual core (L2 cache 1MB). This AMD G-Series SOC is designed to require 33 per cent less power than previously available AMD G-Series processors.

Users benefit from 'outstanding' multimedia performance, excellent performance-per-watt ratios and flexible task distribution between CPU and GPU.

The fanless module design is particularly suitable for cost-sensitive applications in the control and automation industry, digital gaming, communications infrastructures, and graphics-rich devices such as thin clients, digital information boards  and medical-imaging equipment.

Thanks to on-board error-correction code (ECC) memory support, the module is also suitable for safety-critical situations and applications in harsh environments. It can be optionally equipped with up to 8GB ECC DDR3L memory chips. Unlike standard RAM modules, they feature additional functions to check the data flow and adjust it as necessary in order to correct errors. The correction mode of this memory type can detect and correct both single and double bit errors. It therefore differs significantly from the so-called "parity bit", where errors can be detected but not corrected.

The integrated AMD Radeon graphics supports DirectX 11.1, OpenGL 4.2 for fast 2D and 3D imaging, plus OpenCL 1.2.

The dedicated hardware, Universal Video Decoder 4.2, for the seamless processing of BluRays with HDCP (1080p) decodes H.264, MPEG4, VC-1, MPEG-2 video streams. The available display interfaces include single/dual channel 18/24bit LVDS and DisplayPort 1.2, as well as DVI/HDMI 1.4a for the direct control of two independent displays. DisplayPort 1.2 also supports multi-stream transport (MTS) enabling the control of up to two displays per graphics port in daisy chain mode.

Up to four single (x1) PCI Express Gen 2 Lanes, one USB 3.0 and five USB 2.0 ports, up to two SATA 3 Gb/s portsplus a Gigabit Ethernet interface allow flexible system expansions with high data bandwidths. The congatec board controller, on-module SATA SSD up to 64GB, ACPI 3.0 CPU power management and high-definition audio complete the offered feature set.