Silicon Creations' SerDes Technology Designed into Novatek 8K TV SoC on TSMC 12nm Process

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga.-- August 17, 2020 -- Silicon Creations, a leading supplier of high-performance analog and mixed-signal intellectual property (IP), announced today that its Deserializer PMA (Physical Media Attachment) technology has been deployed as a V-by-One HS receiver in an SoC designed by Novatek Microelectronics Corp. for an 8K digital TV application.

Novatek, a leading fabless chip design company that designs display driver ICs and SoC solutions for flat-panel display applications, designed the frame-rate converter SoC on TSMC’s 12nm process. The chip is being used for 8K video transport in a leading 8K flat-panel television and is currently in production.

In addition to Silicon Creations providing the Deserializer PMA and supporting Novatek’s SoC production tape-out, Silicon Creations and Novatek collaborated on a test chip. Novatek provided test chips containing the quad Rx/Tx multiprotocol PMA IP which was validated by Silicon Creations engineers at their state-of-the-art test lab in Lawrenceville, including specific measurements related to supporting the V-by-One® HS standard and operation to 16Gbps. The V-by-One^® HS standard, developed by THine Electronics in 2007, is a digital signaling standard that can run at faster speeds over twisted pair lines than LVDS.

“Silicon Creations has a long history of its SerDes PMAs supporting the V-by-One HS standard for customers in the ultra-high definition TV market. Our first deployment was back in 2013 on TSMC 40nm Low Power (LP) process, then a few years later we supported our customers’ transition to TSMC’s industry leading 28nm HPC Plus (28HPC+). We are now delighted to bring our V-by-One HS solution to Novatek on TSMC 12nm process,” said Andrew Cole, Vice President, Silicon Creations.

“The successful tape-out and start of mass production of the frame-rate converter SoC is a testament to the team at Silicon Creations. The quality of the deserializer, the ease in which it could be integrated with a V-by-One HS Rx controller, and the support the engineering staff at Silicon Creations provided made for an excellent experience,” said Daniel Ping, Ph.D., Director of IC Design of Novatek’s iHome division. “The added capability of Silicon Creations providing lab testing of our test chip containing the IP further ensured a successful first tape-out, essential in this cost-competitive market.”

Silicon Creations offers a range of SerDes IP built upon proven ring PLLs (phase-locked loops) and high-speed line drivers and receivers. Overall, Silicon Creations has been involved in more than 600 products from 5nm to 180nm, while the PMA team has been involved in over 80 products, from 180nm to 12nm and at speeds up to 25Gbps. In addition to V-by-One HS, Silicon Creations offers targeted PMAs and PHYs including DisplayPort, JESD204, XAUI, CPRI, SGMII, CPRI, OIF-CEI, InfiniBand, PCIe1/2/3/4 and Serial RapidIO, as well as Multiprotocol PMAs covering over 30 protocols from 250Mb/s to 16Gb/s and SerDes designed for custom requirements.

About Silicon Creations

Silicon Creations provides world-class silicon intellectual property (IP) for precision and general-purpose timing PLLs, SerDes and high-speed differential I/Os. Silicon Creations’ IP is in production from 7- to 180-nanometer process technologies and proven in 5nm. With a complete commitment to customer success, its IP has an excellent record of first silicon to mass production in customer designs. Silicon Creations, founded in 2006, is self-funded and growing. The company has development centers in Atlanta, USA, and Krakow, Poland, and worldwide sales representation. For more information, visit www.siliconcr.com.

About Novatek Microelectronics Corp.

Novatek Microelectronics Corp. is a leading fabless chip design company specializing in the design, development and sales of a wide range of display driver ICs & SoC solutions that help our worldwide customers meet emerging needs for sophisticated flat-panel display applications and audio/video applications for all digital devices. Building on our expertise in chip design and advanced fabrication technologies, Novatek has successfully achieved a substantial growth and expansion, as well as an outstanding financial performance since its inception in May 1997. In August 2002, Novatek was listed on the main board of the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TSE), stock code: 3034.

About THine Electronics, Inc.

THine Electronics, Inc. is a fabless semiconductor company specializing in high-speed serial interface and image processing for a large number of customers like high-definition TV, multi-functional printer, automotive camera and so on. THine has established V-by-One US technical specification as a next-generation high-speed interface technology that follows V-by-One HS technical specification, which is the de facto standard of interface inside 4K TVs.