META PROCESSING/DSP

Imagination Technologies' META™ multi-threaded processor architecture is targeted at complex SoC devices designed for global products that offer multi-function capability, requiring multiple high speed data stream I/Os and peripherals while meeting tough system timing, power and performance constraints.

With many competing demands on memory subsystems from multiple units including CPUs, DSPs, and GPUs, a processor's potential throughput is greatly reduced by SoC memory latency. Traditional CPU solutions are not working – only a processor designed for maximum latency tolerance provides an efficient solution.

The META processor architecture is specifically designed for high performance real time operation at low clock speeds, making the best possible use of memory bandwidth and providing exceptional tolerance of system latencies.

META ATP is a powerful but efficient multi-threaded processor core for multimedia applications. META HTP extends the architecture's support for powerful operating systems (OS) and applications while providing faster speeds and new architectural enhancements. META MTX microcontrollers are single-threads of META logic targeted at designs for use in cost-sensitive consumer electronics applications.

META hardware threads are each a virtual processor operating in a parallel / overlapped manner with no context switching overheads. Each thread can be RISC or DSP – which is decided during synthesis – and each virtual processor can run an independent OS, including Linux, Nucleus™ or Imagination's own MeOS RTOS – or they can run code natively.

The scalable META architecture has all the benefits of multi-processing but with less silicon resource and development complexity. And it is significantly lower cost than a multi-processor approach. Its unified architecture delivers both powerful DSP and general-purpose processing whilst the multi-threading 'hides' memory latency in SoC solutions.