Microcomputers with On-chip Ethernet Support Promote Networking Capabilities in Audio-Visual products and Industrial Equipment

Initiatives such as the Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA, see note 1) are driving progress in the networking of AV equipment such as home appliances, PCs, and mobile devices. The aim is to enable the seamless sharing of music, photographs, video, and other digital content. To enable this content sharing while thwarting piracy, the Digital Transmission Licensing Administrator (DTLA, see note 2) is putting in place standards for technology that will ensure the protection of copyrights of the content used in home networks. Meanwhile, the market for home AV networks is finally ramping up as various different types of digital AV equipment have begun to have widespread use (see Figure 1).

Ethernet networking technology is common in computer systems. It has been widely adopted as a means of communication between equipment in industrial applications in Europe and America and is becoming more common in Japanese industrial equipment. It's also a good choice for home AV networks. The rising use of Ethernet-based networking will be a long-running trend as users seek easy connectivity and maintenance throughout an entire plant, an office building or a home. Ethernet allows network users to standardize and simplify their infrastructures, including the bus and the network interfaces to each device (see Figure 2).

Renesas is contributing to applications in the AV, industrial and other market sectors by extending the number and types of our microcomputers that offer integrated Ethernet support functions (see Figure 3). These devices will be called Ethernet microcomputers in the discussion that follows, which describes various features incorporated into Renesas devices to meet market demands.

Support for content copyright protection

The Renesas SH-Ether microcomputer product line is ideal for home networking products that comply with content copyright protection standards. In particular, the SH7650 and SH7652 microcomputers address requirements from Japanese AV equipment manufacturers. The SH7652 is equipped with a DTCP-IP feature (see note 3), a distribution control function that incorporates copyright protection via inter-device authentication and content stream encryption and decryption. The SH7652 incorporates DLNA middleware that supports players such as flat-panel TVs and server functions such as DVD players. It also supports simultaneous transmission of two channels of HD content.

Further, the SH7652 microcomputer incorporates the copyright protection function planned for use with IP broadcasting. This means it implements a function for the copyright protection of content transmitted to an in-home IP network via the internet (see Figure 4).

Integrated Ethernet PHY

The SH7619 was the first Renesas microcomputer to incorporate a PHY transceiver. This transceiver not only facilitates the development of 10M/100Mbps Ethernet connections, it also reduces the external component count, allowing lower-cost designs of high-performance equipment.

Host interface function

In many types of embedded equipment, the most practical approach when adding a communication function to an existing main microcomputer is to delegate network control to a separate Ethernet CPU. The Renesas SH7618, SH7619, SH7650, SH7652, SH7670, SH7671, SH7672, and SH7673 microcomputers contain a host interface function that facilitates connections to other devices such as the main microcomputer used for equipment control. This allows the main microcomputer to treat the Ethernet microcomputer as if it were SRAM.

The host interface function consists of a 16-bit interface bus and two banks of SRAM, each with a 1Kbyte linear address space (2Kbytes, total). The main microcomputer can access this SRAM and perform reading and writing directly. Also data downloaded via the Ethernet link can be transferred to the main microcomputer at high speed.

The host interface function includes an HIF boot function. This allows the code that runs on the SuperH devices to be downloaded from the main microcomputer's flash memory, eliminating the need for external flash memory and reducing system cost.

Fast Ethernet microcomputers with SH-4A core

Microcomputers at the higher end of the Renesas SuperH product line use the high-performance superscalar SH-4A CPU core. Two Ethernet microcomputers do so. One is the SH7763, which operates at speeds up to 266MHz and has two channels of Gigabit Ethernet Media Access Controller (MAC), plus LCDC, PCI, and internal USB functions, among other peripherals. The other device is the SH7764. It runs at speeds up to 324MHz and has one Ethernet MAC channel, a 2D graphics engine, an internal LCD controller/Digital RGB, and more. This device is aimed at digital audio products (general consumer and automotive models). Both the SH7763 and SH7764 allow users to implement networked systems using a single processor.

Ethernet microcomputers for industrial applications

Renesas offers an extensive range of Ethernet microcomputers for use in production equipment and other industrial applications. For example, there are three models that provide Ethernet as their only network interface. The SH7619 has an SH-2 core that operates at up to 125MHz and provides an Ethernet MAC and integrated PHY. The SH7618 has an SH-2 core that runs at speeds up to 100MHz and provides an integrated Ethernet MAC. The H8S/2462 has an H8S/2600 core, operates at up to 34MHz, and provides an integrated Ethernet MAC.

For systems that must connect to PCs, PDAs, and other types of equipment, design engineers typically seek microcomputers that offer USB interfaces. Devices that combine both Ethernet and USB features are the SH7670/1/2/3 (SH-2A core, 200MHz operation, and integrated Ethernet MAC and USB) and the H8S/2472 (H8S/2600 core, 34MHz operation, and integrated Ethernet MAC and USB).

Support for user development for each of these models includes a range of evaluation boards from Renesas and its various partner vendors. For the SH7670/1/2/3, the M3A-HS71 evaluation board from Renesas Solutions Corporation will soon be released (see Photograph), and core Ethernet drivers and sample USB software are available.

In conjunction with its technology partners, Renesas provides DTCP-IP, DLNA, and IPTV middleware for use in our SH-Ether microcomputers (SH7650 and SH7652) for home networks that comply with copyright protection standards. Our marketing strategy is to first build sales among large Japanese AV equipment manufacturers, then grow volume by undertaking initiatives to expand sales overseas.

Because there are bright prospects for growth in products and equipment that exploit the benefits of Ethernet connectivity, we plan to continue introducing new Ethernet microcomputers for Japanese and global markets. Moreover, we will also continue to supply a full complement of evaluation resources, as well.

Notes:
? DLNA: Digital Living Network Alliance. An industry-wide non-profit organization established by major equipment manufacturers involved in the diverse technical fields that are associated with products such as home appliances, PCs, and mobile devices. Established and commenced activities in June 2003.
? DTLA: Digital Transmission Licensing Administrator. An administrative body for the copyright protection technology associated with digital transmission.
? DTCP-IP: Digital Transmission Content Protection over Internet Protocol