Imagination packs high-quality PowerVR Rogue graphics into a tiny footprint

New highly optimized 4-core GPU brings full OpenGL ES 3.0 functionality to compact and low-cost devices

MOBILE WORLD CONGRESS, Barcelona, Spain – 2^nd March, 2015 – Imagination Technologies (IMG.L) announces a new area-optimized PowerVR GPU designed to drive high-quality graphics with full OpenGL ES 3.0 functionality into low-cost and space-constrained devices.

Imagination customers creating products such as entry-level smartphones, wearables and IoT devices with displays (smartwatches, appliances, connected radios), and in-dash screens in entry-level cars and other vehicles, can now use the industry’s highest-quality, most efficient GPUs to create compelling GUIs and user experiences.

The new PowerVR G6020 GPU has been specially designed for graphics efficiency in ultra-compact silicon area, obtaining better real device performance and compatibility without unnecessary overhead. It is the smallest member of the PowerVR Series6XE family, with four arithmetic logic unit (ALU) cores and a silicon footprint of 2.2mm2 (28nm process technology at 400MHz). To enable this, the G6020 features a highly optimized universal shading cluster (USC) engine designed specifically for UI experiences. Specially configured to enable the optimal feature set in the smallest possible area and power envelope, the new USC is completely compatible with other Rogue USCs.

Kristof Beets, director of business development at Imagination, says: “PowerVR GPUs are widely known to be the most efficient solutions matching true mobile and embedded market requirements. With the G6020, we are setting a new benchmark for very small, low-power, feature-rich GPUs, and further extending the breadth of our portfolio of PowerVR Series6XE/XT GPUs. The G6020 ensures that even the most size and cost conscious applications can use the world’s best graphics processors, opening up opportunities for an even broader range of products needing smooth graphics-rich UIs at aggressive price points.

“Our growing range of entry-level Series6XE GPUs complements our recently announced Series7 GPUs, which scale from 16 to 512 cores, ensuring our PowerVR GPU line-up addresses the broadest possible range of applications and cost/performance points.”

Designed to deliver a smooth user experience for high-definition displays (720p at 60fps) the G6020 features full OpenGL ES 3.0 capability, providing the optimal feature set needed to meet next-generation requirements for a range of devices. PowerVR is the ideal GPU for mobile and embedded because its programmable shader-based tile based deferred rendering (TBDR) architecture leads to high performance efficiency and the lowest power consumption per frame. In addition, PowerVR maximizes bandwidth efficiency with Imagination’s advanced PVRTC2 texture compression technology that also ensures minimum memory footprint and superior image quality.

The new G6020 is a key member of the Rogue product line-up that features an OpenGL ES 3.0 feature set and compatibility across the range for easy software development, enabling customers to build an entire product line based on Rogue from the entry level to the high end.

The new GPU is designed to support operating systems such as Android, Android Wear, Linux and RTOS (real-time operating systems).

Software and tools support

Imagination provides developers with free access to the PowerVR Graphics SDK, a cross-platform toolkit designed to support all aspects of 3D graphics application development. Developers can join the PowerVR Insider community, download the SDK for free and interact with the vibrant community of members through developer forums at www.powervrinsider.com.

Part of the integrated PowerVR Multimedia IP portfolio

Imagination’s PowerVR Rogue GPUs (including the Series6, Series6XE, Series6XT, Series7XE and Series7XT families) form a key element of Imagination’s comprehensive portfolio of PowerVR multimedia IP, which also includes PowerVR video encoders and decoders and PowerVR imaging processors (camera ISPs). While each core in the PowerVR family is designed to work with any bus fabric, processor or other IP, Imagination has created optimizations between all PowerVR multimedia cores to maximize system performance while minimizing power, silicon area and memory bandwidth. The PowerVR family of multimedia IP is part of Imagination’s broad range of IP including MIPS CPUs, MIPS CPUs, Ensigma RPUs (radio connectivity processors) and FlowCloud device-to-cloud platform.

Availability

The PowerVR G6020 GPU is available for licensing now. Contact info@imgtec.com for more information.

Editor’s Note

* The PowerVR G6020 GPU is based on a published Khronos specification, and is expected to pass the Khronos Conformance Testing Process. Previous generation Rogue cores have already achieved conformance. Current conformance status can be found at www.khronos.org/conformance.

About Imagination Technologies

Imagination is a global technology leader whose products touch the lives of billions of people across the globe. The company’s broad range of silicon IP (intellectual property) includes the key processing blocks needed to create the SoCs (Systems on Chips) that power all mobile, consumer and embedded electronics. Its unique software IP, infrastructure technologies and system solutions enable its customers get to market quickly with complete and highly differentiated SoC platforms. Imagination’s licensees include many of the world’s leading semiconductor manufacturers, network operators and OEMs/ODMs who are creating some of the world’s most iconic products. See: www.imgtec.com.