ARTICLE APRIL 2001

High volume memories address growth in multimedia market

With the convergence of home computing and multimedia/broadcast applications, the demand for storage systems that can efficiently retrieve and manipulate large volumes of voice, video and graphic material at high speeds is increasing. The development of software and hardware system architectures that can address this requirement was the subject of a MEDEA project (A102) that will lead to low power, low cost chipsets for a wide range of multimedia applications.

The huge potential of digital techniques has unlocked a demand for mass storage in future audio-visual (AV) networks. Indeed, the amount of information that can be targeted at consumers by service and e-business providers has, to a large extent, driven the growth of the Internet.

Digital systems are fast replacing traditional techniques for recording large quantities of data. They also provide user interfaces able to cope with an infinite variety of inputs, including terrestrial, cable and satellite transmissions, the Internet and telecommunications links, and user generated material, such as photographs and home video.

Re-writeable DVDs seem the most likely medium for consumer applications, whilst linear magnetic tape (LMT) drives are as reliable as optical media in terms of data durability. Combining a hard disk cache memory device with an optical disk for high-speed access is yet another possibility. Whatever the chosen media, it will require highly developed features to provide sufficient interactivity, interconnectivity and interoperability for a range of multimedia applications.

MEDEA A102 consortium, led by Philips Consumer Electronics, with Onstream, Philips Semiconductors, STMicroelectronics, Thomson multimedia and Thomson TCS as partners, has developed architectures and building blocks that will meet the requirements of future multimedia applications. Important areas that had to be anticipated and addressed were emerging standards, as well as protocols laid down by other companies producing devices and systems for the same market. Other MEDEA projects, and so the expertise and findings, were also consulted. For instance, project A102 worked closely with A101, which developed multimedia receiver technology.

The technology that project A102 concentrated on was DVD. The development of architecture for re-writeable DVD applications as well as interfacing with first generation DVD products was of prime importance.

Areas addressed included the production of unified memory, replacing smaller, but more expensive memory blocks with a larger, but less expensive single physical memory. The second phase of the programme worked towards improved integration and producing a working demonstrator SoC, with an audio/video encoder and system microcontroller, all interfaced to a single central memory.

Project A102 is a succesful example of the type of co-operation that both MEDEA and now MEDEA+ encourage. The implementation of joint IP and resources through improved relationships makes this type of technological innovation possible, and provides the necessary advantages that will make European microelectronics companies more competitive throughout the World.