The 2012 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) held in Las Vegas is beginning. Etron Technology, Inc. (Taiwan GTSM: 5351) launch at the show: (1) a new four-port USB 3.0 Host Controller IC EJ198; (2) a new optimized cost-performance four-port USB 3.0 Host Controller IC EJ188; (3) a new top performance dual-channel USB 3.0 Flash Drive Controller IC eV268; (4) the eSP768 chip captures 3D images and video; (5) the eSP868 chip recognizes 3D motions and enables various gesture-controlled functions.
(1) Launch of Innovative Two-Lane PCIe Gen2 to Four-port USB 3.0 SoC Chip
Etron's EJ198 USB 3.0 Host Controller IC conforms to PCIe Gen2 and USB 3.0 standards to support an I/O serial bus interface with a high data transfer rate. This IC achieves high system compatibility, low power consumption, and optimal performance. With two Lanes of the PCIe Gen2 inputs, the EJ198's transfer rate of 5Gbps by each Lane can be doubled to output 10Gb per second to the USB 3.0 ports under a full duplex transmission, which has achieved a total of USB 3.0 performance up to 10Gbps.
(2) Introduction of One-Lane PCIe Gen2 to Four-port USB 3.0 SoC Chip with optimized cost-performance results
Etron also launches a high performance EJ188 USB 3.0 Host Controller IC for cost effectiveness. The product is also a PCIe Gen2 to USB 3.0 host controller, with only one Lane PCIe Gen2 in comparison to EJ198, but its transfer rate can also reach up to 5Gbps signaling rate, as defined in the USB 3.0 standard. The EJ188 has been adopted by Etron's strategic customers of USB 3.0 system manufacturers. In terms of hardware specifications, both EJ198 and EJ188 have four USB 3.0 ports and reserve backward compatibility with USB 2.0 and both are housed in 88-pin QFN packages with an individual external size of 10 by 10 mm2.
(3) Advent of the Dual-channel Flash Drive Controller SoC Chip
As Etron's USB 3.0 host controller products have become the mainstream of the market, the Company has also begun to introduce new USB 3.0 device products. The high-performance eV268 USB 3.0 Flash Drive Controller IC that is going to show up at CES has possessed a dual-channel flash memory interface. The eV268 chip has 60 bit ECC function, which supports Error Check and Correction capability on all SLC/MLC/TLC NAND Flash memories made of 3x nm, 2x nm, and 1x nm advanced CMOS technologies from different flash memory manufacturers. This eV268 product line has two products. The first one is labeled as eV268H, which features supporting 8CE (Channel Enable) and has achieved optimal values between fast data transfer rate and cost effectiveness. The second product is labeled as eV268K, which shows very high performance with using various synchronous or toggle-mode MLC flash memories. The eV268K expands its operation up to 16CE and presents 230 megabytes per second. The products have been adopted by some of Etron's customers in manufacturing high performance flash drives. The eV268 achieved the USB-IF certification and may use the SuperSpeed USB logo, which means it passed the USB-IF's certification and compliance program and is compliant to the world-class standard.
These products are made with Etron's completely self-developed USB 3.0 hardware and software technologies, and provide customers with a total solution of using both Etron's host and device ICs to enjoy the most exciting data transfer experiences. Etron has further strengthened her leading position of supplying various USB 3.0 controller chips for fast growing USB 3.0 application markets, and creates win-win opportunities with her strategic system customers.
(4) The eSP768 chip captures 3D images and video
The eSP768 chip can simultaneously control both timing and image quality of two horizontally placed HD cameras to mimic the function of human eyes in capturing 3D images or video. It features a patented timing control mechanism to synchronize the left and the right images up to 30 frames per second. In addition, it automatically aligns both left and right images in both x and y directions to compensate the unavoidable manufacturing discrepancies between two cameras on both left and right sides. The unique synchronization and self-aligned features in this eSP768 chip ensure a high quality of 3D images/ video and minimize both flickering and blurring noise effects, which are commonly seen in previous 3D image/video capturing systems. With its flexible and programmable output image format, the eSP768 chip supports various kinds of 3D displays using Anaglyph, Shuttered, Polarized and Auto-stereoscopy (Lenticular and Parallax Barrier) technologies.
(5) The eSP868 chip recognizes 3D motions and enables various gesture-controlled functions
The eSP868 chip with its unique software can not only provide all the features supported by the eSP768 but also generate a depth map from both left and right images, and therefore can have real 3D image recognition capabilities. As a result, the eSP868 chip can produce both 3D images and video while simultaneously enable 3D motion recognitions of both gesture and body controls. The eSP868 chip includes a special image signal processing engine, which is used to optimize image qualities under various ambient conditions and to alleviate the well-known correspondence and divergence problems stemming from traditional stereo-vision cameras. After being integrated with complete hardware and software solutions, the eSP868 provides an all-new user-friendly digital control function; for example, a user can simply wave one's hand in front of home multimedia AV equipments to change displayed channels, to adjust volume, or to switch viewing contents.
Both eSP768 and eSP868 chips are highly integrated SoC's with a full blown image signal processor, USB2.0 interface with an image compression engine, four built-in LDO's, the 40KB ROM, 6KB RAM, 8KB OTP (One Time Programming) memories and an embedded CPU. Both chips support Windows, Mac, Linux and Android operation systems, and are available in either 64 LQFP (7x7 mm2) or 68 aQFN (6x6 mm2) packages. For more information, please surf http://www.etron.com.tw/
Etron's EJ198 USB 3.0 Host Controller IC conforms to PCIe Gen2 and USB 3.0 standards to support an I/O serial bus interface with a high data tranfer rate.
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