PowerVR 8XE Plus cores released

https://www.imgtec.com/news/press-release/imaginations-new-powervr-gpus-deliver-leading-performance-lowest-area-mid-range-markets/

Important bit:
Series8XE and Series8XE Plus GPUs have already been licensed by multiple customers for TVs, set-top boxes, mid-range mobile devices, ultra-low cost phones/tablets, and automotive applications

Anyone's guess who the licensees are but hopefully the likes of Mediatek etc.

LONDON, UK – 17th January, 2017 – Imagination Technologies (IMG.L) announces a new family of GPUs that provides the ideal balance of performance and fillrate needed to enable gaming and compute applications on cost-sensitive devices. PowerVR ‘Series8XE Plus’ GPUs expand the company’s highly successful range of entry-level and mid-range GPUs with three new IP cores optimized for gaming and compute on devices such as premium set-top boxes, mid-range smartphones, and automotive infotainment systems. The new GPUs also have more features for enhanced in-system efficiency. In addition, Imagination is extending its complementary line-up of PowerVR Series8XE GPUs with two new IP cores, supporting one pixel per clock (PPC) and eight PPC.

Series8XE and Series8XE Plus GPUs deliver the best performance/mm2 while incorporating advanced features and support for the latest APIs. Fillrate optimized Series8XE GPUs are ideal for GUI/casual gaming focused markets including DTVs, set-top boxes, streaming sticks/dongles, automotive HMI, and entry-level mobile devices. Series8XE Plus GPUs have increased GFLOPS to provide a step up to mid-range devices targeting 1080p displays, with the ability to scale to 4K and beyond.

Series8XE Plus GPU hardware is optimized to work not only with the latest graphics APIs but also advanced compute and vision APIs such as OpenVX™ 1.1 and OpenCL® 1.2. In mid-range markets, this support is critical since such devices don’t typically incorporate dedicated hardware for vision and compute. 8XE Plus GPUs provide an area and power efficient solution for these tasks.

Jon Peddie, president, JPR Research, says: “With these new GPUs, Imagination has demonstrated the greatest compute and fillrate density in the minimum silicon area. Balancing fillrate and FLOPS is the right approach for mid-range devices to provide consumers an enhanced experience, while maintaining the low area needed for price sensitive categories.”

Says Graham Deacon, VP PowerVR business operations, Imagination: “With 8XE we are seeing customers move to PowerVR from competitor GPUs. We expect this to continue with the introduction of the new 8XE and 8XE Plus cores as we are now addressing even more performance and area points. Series8XE Plus GPUs represent the industry’s best graphics cores for gaming and compute on 1080p displays in cost sensitive devices, and demonstrate Imagination’s continuing technology leadership.”

Inside Series8XE Plus GPUs

The initial Series8XE Plus GPUs each deliver up to four pixels per clock and incorporate advanced features such as hardware virtualization, OmniShield™ multi-domain security, and support for the latest APIs including OpenGL® ES 3.2, OpenCL® 1.2, Vulkan® 1.0 and OpenVX 1.1*. Micro-architectural tuning translates into reduced bandwidth usage and improved in-system performance through a reduced number of small inefficient bursts for higher fabric/memory utilization. The GPUs are optimized to provide customers with specific solutions for their application. The new GPUs build on the successful Series8XE GE8300 GPU, which also has four PPC:

• GE8320: 2x FLOPS for low- to mid-range mobile devices
• GE8325: 2x FLOPS plus features including PVRIC and 10-bit YUV for set-top boxes and HDTV gaming applications
• GE8340: 4x FLOPS for ultimate gaming on mid- to high-end mobile devices

The micro architectural enhancements in PowerVR Series8XE Plus GPUs are now also incorporated into Series8XE GPUs including the one PPC area optimized GE8100 IP core and the eight PPC GE8430 GPU which has the vastly increased throughput required for high resolution 2K/4K screens.

With Series8XE and 8XE Plus, customers can choose the appropriate core for their specific application – be it GUI, gaming or compute focused. Compatibility across the range means that licensing partners can benefit from using PowerVR GPUs across their entire product line from entry-level to high-end.

Series8XE and Series8XE Plus GPUs have already been licensed by multiple customers for TVs, set-top boxes, mid-range mobile devices, ultra-low cost phones/tablets, and automotive applications.

Software and tools support

Imagination provides developers with free access to the cross-platform PowerVR SDK, designed to support all aspects of 3D graphics application development; as well as tools and utilities that ease development of 3D graphics and GPU compute applications. Developers can join the PowerVR Insider community, download the SDK for free and interact through developer forums at http://community.imgtec.com/developers/powervr/.

Physical Design Optimization Kits (DOKs) for Imagination’s PowerVR Series8XE Plus GPUs will also be available, offering customers the flexibility to optimize for power, performance and area (PPA). Imagination DOKs are comprised of optimized reference design flows, tuned libraries from partners, characterization data and documentation.

Availability

PowerVR Series8XE and Series8XE Plus GPUs are available for licensing now. Contact info@imgtec.com for more information.

Mark Dickinson announced as Power VR EVP

https://imgtec.com/news/press-release/imagination-appoints-industry-expert-lead-powervr-business-unit/

Already known but now officially announced at CES, definitely a positive move by the new team:

International CES, Las Vegas – 5th January, 2017 – Imagination Technologies (IMG.L) announces the appointment of industry expert Mark Dickinson as executive vice president of its PowerVR business unit. Dickinson brings a wealth of industry knowledge and expertise to the role, with more than 20 years of management experience in semiconductors and IP. Dickinson is part of the executive management team put together by CEO Andrew Heath to deliver long-term growth and innovation to Imagination.

Andrew Heath, CEO, Imagination says: “As we enter 2017, Imagination is focused and energized to drive the company to an even stronger position in the industry. We refocused Imagination in 2016 on our core businesses of PowerVR, MIPS and Ensigma, around our leading technologies in graphics and multimedia, CPUs and wireless communication. We are investing in all three businesses to deliver differentiated solutions to customers for their SoCs. PowerVR, with its proven history of leadership in graphics and multimedia as well as innovation in vision technology, is key to our success. That’s why we’ve brought Mark on board. We believe he is the right person to steer this new phase of growth and innovation for PowerVR.”

Mark Dickinson says: “I’m delighted to join Imagination at this very exciting time for both the company and the PowerVR team. We’re seeing unprecedented uptake of our XE series of cores for cost sensitive applications, and we’ll be rolling out a number of compelling new GPUs this month. I expect PowerVR to continue to grow in traditionally strong areas such as mobile devices, tablets, TVs, set-top boxes and automotive, and I see exciting new opportunities in emerging applications including Advanced Driver Assisted Systems (ADAS), AR/VR and machine learning.

“With its remarkable scalability and efficiency, as well as powerful ray tracing, vision and security capabilities, PowerVR will drive the agenda for innovation in graphics, compute, multimedia and AI across a growing range of next-generation products.”

Prior to joining Imagination, Dickinson was vice president and GM of ARM’s Media Processing Group. In this role he was responsible for graphics, video, and display products, as well as gaming middleware. He was previously with Altera Corporation for 15 years in a number of VP and GM roles, most recently leading product planning and strategic marketing for their communication products and IP. Earlier, as GM of the Excalibur Business Unit at Altera, he was responsible for the company’s embedded processor products and IP. Prior to Altera, Dickinson was head of the Semiconductor Products Group at TTPCom. He holds a PhD in electronics from Birmingham University and a M.A. in physics from Oxford University.