The SH-MobileHD1 application processor (SH73730) from Renesas Technology America delivers low-power Full High-Definition (1920 by 1080 pixels) video recording, playback, and streaming support for next-generation Internet Protocol video applications in mobile devices. It also enables HD video surveillance systems that consume less power than typical standard-definition (SD) systems.

Its hardware requires very few cycles from the on-board general-purpose processor, providing ample capability for applications such as analytics or a rich user interface, Renesas says. This is critical to meet energy regulations and power-over-network requirements while delivering high system throughput.

In addition to its low-power consumption, which is critical for a range of streaming video applications, the SH-MobileHD1 supports a range of HD video standards addressing broadcast, networked video, camera-based, media, and video telephony applications. It comes in a small package with integrated system memory designed to facilitate more compact video and audio processing systems for power-sensitive applications.

Along with Full HD video processing on a single chip, the SH-MobileHD1 supports the H.264/MPEG-4 AVC video compression standard (H.264) at Full HD video resolution with a playback/recording frame rate of 30 fps. Its 500-MHz maximum operating frequency is approximately twice as fast as comparable, earlier products from Renesas. Its video processing unit delivers 1080p video encoding and decoding, requiring very few CPU MIPS. 

Additionally, its video input interface for the camera module conforms to the Mobile Industry Processor Interface (MIPI) CSI-2 standard. It offers an enhanced higher-bandwidth internal bus architecture as well as a camera interface that supports direct connection to a 15-Mpixel camera module. And, its two 24-bit dedicated audio DSPs lighten the audio processing load on the CPU and reduce power consumption.

This enables one DSP to handle audio processing such as the AAC high-quality audio compression standard and the Dolby Digital codec, while the other DSP handles sonic enhancement such as equalization and sample rate conversion. In addition, heavy-load processing tasks such as 5.1-channel audio can be assigned to the dual DSPs. Support for Dolby Digital and 5.1-channel audio allow interoperation with applications designed for consumer audio components.

Furthermore, the SH-MobileHD1 includes an interface that supports connection to a transmitter microchip that implements the HDMI high-speed multimedia interface used for interconnections between AV components. This allows connection and output of Full HD resolution video to digital home electronics components such as LCD TVs or Blu-ray disc recorders.

The SH-MobileHD1 also can connect to an SD memory card and wireless local-area network (WLAN) module, and it supports the multiplexing of the MPEG2-TS (transport system) and MP4 formats. This enables the easy sharing of content between digital home electronics products and mobile phones. High-resolution camera data or host-based content can be shared easily over a network such as a WLAN, Renesas says.

The processor uses a compact 407-pin ball-grid array (BGA) package that measures 10 by 11 mm. It is integrated with 512 Mbits of synchronous DRAM (SDRAM) into a single package as a system-in-package (SiP) device for greater system compactness. The SH-MobileHD1 costs $40.86 in 10,000-unit quantities.

Renesas Technology