MAP1000: A Revolutionary Programmable Media Processor Platform

Strategic Insights -

The MAP1000, a collaborative effort between Equator Technologies, Inc. and Hitachi, Ltd., represents a significant breakthrough in the development of digital media and imaging products. This programmable media processor platform has the potential to displace traditional hard-wired solutions with a high-performance, software-based alternative that offers increased flexibility and reduced development complexity.

Key Takeaways:

  • The MAP1000 integrates a high-performance processor and digital signal processing (DSP) engine into a single Central-Processing Unit (CPU), enabling simultaneous processing of audio, video, and 3D graphics.
  • With over 20 billion pixel operations per second, the MAP1000 outperforms traditional DSPs and MPEG-2 encoders/decoders by several orders of magnitude.
  • The MAP1000's advanced architecture, combined with Equator's iMMediaC compiler technology, allows developers to write media applications in standard ANSI C, eliminating the need for assembly language programming.
  • The MAP1000 provides a flexible platform for multiple concurrent media functions, with the ability to customize products on the fly using its programmability in C.
  • Equator's iMMediaTools developer suite offers a comprehensive environment for developing media applications, including a compilation toolset, run-time libraries, and an instruction-level debugger.
  • The MAP1000 has a wide range of applications, including medical imaging, video editing, surveillance products, and high-end imaging equipment, such as digital set-top boxes and HDTV sets.
  • The MAP1000 is available in a 399-pin BGA package and is priced at $600.00/1,000 units, with high volume pricing expected to be under $200.00.
  • Production quantities of the MAP1000 are expected to follow in 1999, with Hitachi planning to start sales in the second half of that year.

Statistics:

  • Dual PCI, digital video, audio, analog video, and network interfaces
  • Up to 64 megabytes of external SDRAM/SGRAM at speeds over 130MHz
  • 20 billion pixel operations per second
  • 3.2 billion 16-bit multiply/add operations
  • 1.6 billion 32-bit floating-point operations
  • 800 million instructions per second
  • 170MHz (current sampling speed)
  • $750.00 (sample pricing for the MAP1000)
  • $6,333.00 (Maui reference board set price)
  • $10,000/seat (iMMediaTools pricing)
  • 1999 (year of expected production quantities)
  • 1999 (year of expected MAP1000 sales start)

Sources:

  • Equator Technologies, Inc.
  • Hitachi, Ltd.
  • RealNetworks
  • Microsoft
  • Equator Technologies, Inc. (press release)
  • Hitachi, Ltd. (press release)