Tegra
Encyclopedia
Tegra developed by Nvidia
is a system-on-a-chip
series for mobile devices such as smartphone
s, personal digital assistant
s, and mobile Internet devices. The Tegra integrates the ARM architecture
processor central processing unit
(CPU), graphics processing unit
(GPU), northbridge
, southbridge
, and memory controller
onto one package. The series emphasizes low power consumption and high performance for playing audio and video.
s and mobile Internet devices (MID).
The first product to use the Tegra was Microsoft
's Zune HD
media player in September 2009, followed by the Samsung
M1. In September 2008, Nvidia and Opera Software
announced that they will produce a version of the Opera 9.5
browser optimised for the Tegra on Windows Mobile
and Windows CE
. At Mobile World Congress
2009, Nvidia introduced its port of Google
's Android to the Tegra.
On January 7, 2010, Nvidia officially announced and demonstrated its next generation Tegra system-on-a-chip, the Nvidia Tegra 250, at Consumer Electronics Show 2010. Nvidia primarily supports Android on Tegra 2, but booting other ARM-supporting operating systems is possible on devices where the bootloader
is accessible. Tegra 2 support for the Ubuntu
GNU/Linux distribution was also announced on the Nvidia developer forum.
On February 15, 2011, Nvidia announced the first quad-core SoC that will be used in many of the tablets to be released in the second half of 2011. The announcement was made at the 2011 Mobile World Congress
event in Barcelona. Though the chip has currently been codenamed Kal-El, it will likely be branded as Tegra 3. Early benchmark results show impressive gains over Tegra 2. Nvidia initially claimed that Tegra 3 could outperform a Core 2 Duo processor from Intel, and released benchmarks with an underclocked Tegra 3 to that effect; later investigations proved that the Intel chip had also been handicapped by compiling settings (although the handicap to the Intel chip was noted in the details initially released). Code running on the underclocked Kal-El (running at 2/3 speed) had been compiled with a modern version of GNU Compiler Collection
(GCC) and aggressive optimizations while that running on the Intel chip was produced by an obsolete version of GCC and only minimal optimizations. When the Intel code was compiled using the same flags as the code running on Kal-El, the Core 2 Duo was appreciably faster than at least an underclocked upcoming Tegra 3.
Codenames of all upcoming releases in the Tegra series are references to comic book superheroes. Specifically, Superman
(Kal-El), Batman
(Wayne), Jean Grey
(Grey), Wolverine
(Logan), and Iron Man
(Stark).
Cortex-A9 CPU (lacking ARMs advanced SIMD extension, marketed as NEON), an ultra low power (ULP) GeForce GPU with 4 pixel shaders + 4 vertex shaders, a one-channel memory controller with either LPDDR2 at 600 MHz or DDR2 at 667 MHz, a 32KB/32KB L1 cache per core and a shared 1MB L2 cache. There is also a version of the SoC supporting 3D displays; this SoC uses a higher clocked CPU and GPU.
The Tegra 3 is functionally a quad-core processor, but includes a fifth "companion" core. All cores are Cortex-A9s, but the companion core is manufactured with a special low power silicon process. This means it uses less power at low clock rates, but more at higher rates; hence it is limited to 500 MHz. There is also special logic to allow running state to be quickly transferred between the companion core and one of the normal cores. The goal is for a mobile phone or tablet to be able to power down all the normal cores and run on only the companion core, using comparatively little power, during standby mode or when otherwise using little CPU. According to Nvidia, this includes playing music or even video content.
Tegra 3 officially released on November 9, 2011.
NVIDIA
Nvidia is an American global technology company based in Santa Clara, California. Nvidia is best known for its graphics processors . Nvidia and chief rival AMD Graphics Techonologies have dominated the high performance GPU market, pushing other manufacturers to smaller, niche roles...
is a system-on-a-chip
System-on-a-chip
A system on a chip or system on chip is an integrated circuit that integrates all components of a computer or other electronic system into a single chip. It may contain digital, analog, mixed-signal, and often radio-frequency functions—all on a single chip substrate...
series for mobile devices such as smartphone
Smartphone
A smartphone is a high-end mobile phone built on a mobile computing platform, with more advanced computing ability and connectivity than a contemporary feature phone. The first smartphones were devices that mainly combined the functions of a personal digital assistant and a mobile phone or camera...
s, personal digital assistant
Personal digital assistant
A personal digital assistant , also known as a palmtop computer, or personal data assistant, is a mobile device that functions as a personal information manager. Current PDAs often have the ability to connect to the Internet...
s, and mobile Internet devices. The Tegra integrates the ARM architecture
ARM architecture
ARM is a 32-bit reduced instruction set computer instruction set architecture developed by ARM Holdings. It was named the Advanced RISC Machine, and before that, the Acorn RISC Machine. The ARM architecture is the most widely used 32-bit ISA in numbers produced...
processor central processing unit
Central processing unit
The central processing unit is the portion of a computer system that carries out the instructions of a computer program, to perform the basic arithmetical, logical, and input/output operations of the system. The CPU plays a role somewhat analogous to the brain in the computer. The term has been in...
(CPU), graphics processing unit
Graphics processing unit
A graphics processing unit or GPU is a specialized circuit designed to rapidly manipulate and alter memory in such a way so as to accelerate the building of images in a frame buffer intended for output to a display...
(GPU), northbridge
Northbridge (computing)
The northbridge has historically been one of the two chips in the core logic chipset on a PC motherboard, the other being the southbridge. Increasingly these functions have migrated to the CPU chip itself, beginning with memory and graphics controllers. For Intel Sandy Bridge and AMD Fusion...
, southbridge
Southbridge (computing)
The southbridge is one of the two chips in the core logic chipset on a personal computer motherboard, the other being the northbridge. The southbridge typically implements the slower capabilities of the motherboard in a northbridge/southbridge chipset computer architecture. In Intel chipset...
, and memory controller
Memory controller
The memory controller is a digital circuit which manages the flow of data going to and from the main memory. It can be a separate chip or integrated into another chip, such as on the die of a microprocessor...
onto one package. The series emphasizes low power consumption and high performance for playing audio and video.
History
The Tegra APX 2500 was announced on February 12, 2008; the Tegra 6xx product line was revealed on June 2, 2008and the APX 2600 was announced in February 2009. The APX chips were designed for smartphones, while the Tegra 600 and 650 chips were intended for smartbookSmartbook
A smartbook was a class of mobile device that combined certain features of both a smartphone and netbook computer, promoted in 2009 and 2010....
s and mobile Internet devices (MID).
The first product to use the Tegra was Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
's Zune HD
Zune HD
The Zune HD is a portable media player in the Zune product family released on September 15, 2009 by Microsoft. It is a direct competitor with the Apple iPod and iPhone series of mobile devices. It was initially released in 16 and 32 GB capacities. A 64 GB version was released on April 9, 2010...
media player in September 2009, followed by the Samsung
Samsung
The Samsung Group is a South Korean multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea...
M1. In September 2008, Nvidia and Opera Software
Opera Software
Opera Software ASA is a Norwegian software company, primarily known for its Opera family of web browsers with over 220 million users worldwide. Opera Software is also involved in promoting Web standards through participation in the W3C. The company has its headquarters in Oslo, Norway and is...
announced that they will produce a version of the Opera 9.5
Opera (web browser)
Opera is a web browser and Internet suite developed by Opera Software with over 200 million users worldwide. The browser handles common Internet-related tasks such as displaying web sites, sending and receiving e-mail messages, managing contacts, chatting on IRC, downloading files via BitTorrent,...
browser optimised for the Tegra on Windows Mobile
Windows Mobile
Windows Mobile is a mobile operating system developed by Microsoft that was used in smartphones and Pocket PCs, but by 2011 was rarely supplied on new phones. The last version is "Windows Mobile 6.5.5"; it is superseded by Windows Phone, which does not run Windows Mobile software.Windows Mobile is...
and Windows CE
Windows CE
Microsoft Windows CE is an operating system developed by Microsoft for embedded systems. Windows CE is a distinct operating system and kernel, rather than a trimmed-down version of desktop Windows...
. At Mobile World Congress
Mobile World Congress
The GSMA Mobile World Congress is the combination of the world's largest exhibition for the mobile industry and a conference featuring prominent Chief Executives representing mobile operators, device manufacturers, technology providers, vendors and content owners from across the world...
2009, Nvidia introduced its port of Google
Google
Google Inc. is an American multinational public corporation invested in Internet search, cloud computing, and advertising technologies. Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services and products, and generates profit primarily from advertising through its AdWords program...
's Android to the Tegra.
On January 7, 2010, Nvidia officially announced and demonstrated its next generation Tegra system-on-a-chip, the Nvidia Tegra 250, at Consumer Electronics Show 2010. Nvidia primarily supports Android on Tegra 2, but booting other ARM-supporting operating systems is possible on devices where the bootloader
Booting
In computing, booting is a process that begins when a user turns on a computer system and prepares the computer to perform its normal operations. On modern computers, this typically involves loading and starting an operating system. The boot sequence is the initial set of operations that the...
is accessible. Tegra 2 support for the Ubuntu
Ubuntu (operating system)
Ubuntu is a computer operating system based on the Debian Linux distribution and distributed as free and open source software. It is named after the Southern African philosophy of Ubuntu...
GNU/Linux distribution was also announced on the Nvidia developer forum.
On February 15, 2011, Nvidia announced the first quad-core SoC that will be used in many of the tablets to be released in the second half of 2011. The announcement was made at the 2011 Mobile World Congress
Mobile World Congress
The GSMA Mobile World Congress is the combination of the world's largest exhibition for the mobile industry and a conference featuring prominent Chief Executives representing mobile operators, device manufacturers, technology providers, vendors and content owners from across the world...
event in Barcelona. Though the chip has currently been codenamed Kal-El, it will likely be branded as Tegra 3. Early benchmark results show impressive gains over Tegra 2. Nvidia initially claimed that Tegra 3 could outperform a Core 2 Duo processor from Intel, and released benchmarks with an underclocked Tegra 3 to that effect; later investigations proved that the Intel chip had also been handicapped by compiling settings (although the handicap to the Intel chip was noted in the details initially released). Code running on the underclocked Kal-El (running at 2/3 speed) had been compiled with a modern version of GNU Compiler Collection
GNU Compiler Collection
The GNU Compiler Collection is a compiler system produced by the GNU Project supporting various programming languages. GCC is a key component of the GNU toolchain...
(GCC) and aggressive optimizations while that running on the Intel chip was produced by an obsolete version of GCC and only minimal optimizations. When the Intel code was compiled using the same flags as the code running on Kal-El, the Core 2 Duo was appreciably faster than at least an underclocked upcoming Tegra 3.
Codenames of all upcoming releases in the Tegra series are references to comic book superheroes. Specifically, Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
(Kal-El), Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
(Wayne), Jean Grey
Jean Grey
Jean Grey-Summers is a fictional comic book superheroine appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. She has been known under the aliases Marvel Girl, Phoenix, and Dark Phoenix and is best known as one of five original members of the X-Men, for her relationship with Cyclops, and for her...
(Grey), Wolverine
Wolverine (comics)
Wolverine is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Born as James Howlett and commonly known as Logan, Wolverine is a mutant, possessing animal-keen senses, enhanced physical capabilities, three retracting bone claws on each hand and a healing...
(Logan), and Iron Man
Iron Man
Iron Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Tales of Suspense #39 .A billionaire playboy, industrialist and ingenious engineer,...
(Stark).
Tegra APX 2500
- Processor: ARM11ARM11ARM11 is an ARM architecture 32-bit RISC microprocessor family which introduced the ARMv6 architectural additions. These include SIMD media instructions, multiprocessor support and a new cache architecture...
600 MHz MPCore (originally GeForce ULV)- suffix: APX (formerly CSX)
- Memory: NOR or NAND flash, Mobile DDR
- Graphics: Image processor (FWVGA 854×480 pixels)
- Up to 12 megapixels camera support
- LCD controller supports resolutions up to 1280×1024
- Storage: IDE for SSD
- Video codecs: up to 720p720p720p is the shorthand name for 1280x720, a category of High-definition television video modes having a resolution of 1080 or 720p and a progressive scan...
H.264H.264/MPEG-4 AVCH.264/MPEG-4 Part 10 or AVC is a standard for video compression, and is currently one of the most commonly used formats for the recording, compression, and distribution of high definition video...
and VC-1VC-1VC-1 is the informal name of the SMPTE 421M video codec standard, which was initially developed as a proprietary video format by Microsoft before it was released as a formal SMPTE standard video format on April 3, 2006...
decoding - Includes GeForceGeForceGeForce is a brand of graphics processing units designed by Nvidia. , there have been eleven iterations of the design. The first GeForce products were discrete GPUs designed for use on add-on graphics boards, intended for the high-margin PC gaming market...
ULV support for OpenGL ESOpenGL ESOpenGL for Embedded Systems is a subset of the OpenGL 3D graphics application programming interface designed for embedded systems such as mobile phones, PDAs, and video game consoles. OpenGL ES is managed by the not-for-profit technology consortium, the Khronos Group, Inc.- Versions :Several...
2.0, Direct3D Mobile, and programmable shaders - Output: HDMIHDMIHDMI is a compact audio/video interface for transmitting uncompressed digital data. It is a digital alternative to consumer analog standards, such as radio frequency coaxial cable, composite video, S-Video, SCART, component video, D-Terminal, or VGA...
, VGA, composite videoComposite videoComposite video is the format of an analog television signal before it is combined with a sound signal and modulated onto an RF carrier. In contrast to component video it contains all required video information, including colors in a single line-level signal...
, S-VideoS-VideoSeparate Video, more commonly known as S-Video and Y/C, is often referred to by JVC as both an S-VHS connector and as Super Video. It is an analog video transmission scheme, in which video information is encoded on two channels: luma and chroma...
, stereo jack, USB - USB On-The-GoUSB On-The-GoUSB On-The-Go, often abbreviated USB OTG, is a specification that allows USB devices such as digital audio players or mobile phones to act as a host allowing a USB Flash Drive, mouse, or keyboard to be attached.- Architecture :...
Tegra APX 2600
- Enhanced NAND flash
- Video codecs:
- 720p H.264 Baseline Profile Encode or Decode
- 720p VC-1/WMV9 Advanced Profile Decode
- D1 MPEG-4 Simple Profile Encode or Decode
Tegra 600
- Targeted for GPS segment and automotive
- Processor: ARM11 700 MHz MPCore
- Memory: low-power DDRMobile DDRMobile DDR is type of double data rate synchronous DRAM for mobile computers.-Original LPDDR:...
(DDR-333DDR SDRAMDouble data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory is a class of memory integrated circuits used in computers. DDR SDRAM has been superseded by DDR2 SDRAM and DDR3 SDRAM, neither of which are either forward or backward compatible with DDR SDRAM, meaning that DDR2 or DDR3 memory modules...
, 166 MHz) - SXGA, HDMI, USB, stereo jack
- HD camera 720p
Tegra 650
- Targeted for GTX of handheld and notebook
- Processor: ARM11 800 MHz MPCore
- Low power DDRMobile DDRMobile DDR is type of double data rate synchronous DRAM for mobile computers.-Original LPDDR:...
(DDR-400DDR SDRAMDouble data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory is a class of memory integrated circuits used in computers. DDR SDRAM has been superseded by DDR2 SDRAM and DDR3 SDRAM, neither of which are either forward or backward compatible with DDR SDRAM, meaning that DDR2 or DDR3 memory modules...
, 200 MHz) - Less than 1 watt envelope
- HD image processing for advanced digital still camera and HD camcorder functions
- Display supports 1080p1080p1080p is the shorthand identification for a set of HDTV high-definition video modes that are characterized by 1080 horizontal lines of resolution and progressive scan, meaning the image is not interlaced as is the case with the 1080i display standard....
at 24 frame/s, HDMI v1.3, WSXGA+ LCD and CRT, and NTSC/PAL TV output - Direct support for Wi-Fi, disk drives, keyboard, mouse, and other peripherals
- A complete board support packageBoard support packageIn embedded systems, a board support package is implementation specific support code for a given board that conforms to a given operating system...
(BSP) to enable fast time to market for Windows Mobile-based designs
Tegra 2 series
The second generation Tegra SoC has a dual-core ARMARM
An arm is an upper limb of the body.Arm may also refer to:-Geography:* Arm , a narrow stretch of a larger body of water** Canal arm, a subsidiary branch of a canal or inland waterway** Distributary or arm, a subsidiary branch of a river...
Cortex-A9 CPU (lacking ARMs advanced SIMD extension, marketed as NEON), an ultra low power (ULP) GeForce GPU with 4 pixel shaders + 4 vertex shaders, a one-channel memory controller with either LPDDR2 at 600 MHz or DDR2 at 667 MHz, a 32KB/32KB L1 cache per core and a shared 1MB L2 cache. There is also a version of the SoC supporting 3D displays; this SoC uses a higher clocked CPU and GPU.
| Model number | Semiconductor technology | CPU instruction set | CPU | GPU (GFLOPS) | Memory technology | Production | Devices using them |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tegra 250 AP20H | 40 nm | ARMv7 | 1 GHz dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 ARM Cortex-A9 MPCore The ARM Cortex-A9 MPCore is a 32-bit multicore processor providing up to 4 cache-coherent Cortex-A9 cores, each implementing the ARM v7 instruction set architecture.-Features:Key features of the Cortex-A9 core are:... |
ULP GeForce 300 MHz (4.8 GFLOPS) |
One-channel LPDDR2 600 MHz or DDR2 667 MHz | Q1 2010 | LG Optimus 2X, Motorola Atrix 4G Motorola Atrix 4G The Motorola Atrix 4G is a high-end Android-based smartphone by Motorola, introduced in CES 2011 on January 5, 2011. It was made available in the first quarter of 2011. It was introduced along with three other products, Motorola Xoom, Motorola Droid Bionic, and Motorola Cliq 2. It uses an NVIDIA... , Motorola Droid X2, Motorola Photon Motorola Photon The Motorola Photon 4G is a high end Android-based mobile smartphone that is distributed exclusively by Sprint Nextel. A very similar model based on the same hardware is available as the Motorola Electrify from U.S. Cellular. -User Interface:... , Samsung Galaxy R Samsung Galaxy R The Samsung Galaxy R I9103 is an Android smartphone that was announced by Samsung on August 10, 2011 as a variant to the Samsung Galaxy S II.- Processor :Nvidia's Tegra 2 System on a chip uses Nvidia's own GeForce ultra-low power for its GPU.... , Tesla Model S Tesla Model S The Tesla Model S is a full-sized battery electric sedan developed by Tesla Motors. It is an electric car that was initially codenamed WhiteStar during research and preliminary development. Model S was announced in a press release on June 30, 2008... |
| Tegra 250 T20 | 40 nm | ARMv7 | 1 GHz dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 | ULP GeForce 333 MHz (~5.33 GFLOPS) |
One-channel LPDDR2 600 MHz or DDR2 667 MHz | Q1 2010 | Acer Iconia Tab A100 and A500, Asus Slider, LG Optimus Pad, Avionic Design Tamonten Processor Board, Exper EasyPad, Notion Ink Adam tablet Adam tablet The Adam Tablet is a tablet computer designed by Bangalore-based firm Notion Ink. The worldwide launch occurred on December 18, 2010 via a video released by Notion Ink detailing their Eden Interface... , Olivetti Olivetti Olivetti S.p.A. is an Italian manufacturer of computers, printers and other business machines.- Founding :The company was founded as a typewriter manufacturer in 1908 in Ivrea, near Turin, by Camillo Olivetti. The firm was mainly developed by his son Adriano Olivetti... OliPad 100, Point of View Mobii 10.1, ViewSonic G Tablet ViewSonic G Tablet The ViewSonic G Tablet is an Android-based tablet produced by ViewSonic Corporation, a manufacturer and provider of visual technology. It first appeared for consumer purchase at Sears on 1 November 2010.... , Motorola Xoom Motorola Xoom The Motorola Xoom is an Android-based tablet computer by Motorola, introduced at CES 2011 on January 5, 2011. It was the first tablet to be sold with Android 3.0 Honeycomb. The Verizon branded Xoom was the first tablet to run Android 3.1 Honeycomb, however the 3.1 update has not yet been provided... , Toshiba AC100, Toshiba Folio 100, ASUS Eee Pad Transformer ASUS Eee Pad Transformer The ASUS Eee Pad Transformer is an Android 3.2 Honeycomb tablet computer announced at CES 2011 and launched on March 30, 2011. The Transformer design includes an optional docking keyboard.- Features :... , Advent Vega, Hannspad Hannspree, Aigo n700, CompuLab Trim-Slice nettop, Dell Streak 7, E-Noa Interpad, Malata Tablet Zpad, MSI 10 inches (254 mm) tablet, Toradex Colibri Tegra 2, Toshiba Thrive tablet, Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 series is an Android-based tablet computer produced by Samsung, introduced on 13 February 2011 at its Samsung Unpacked event in Barcelona.... , T-Mobile G-Slate T-Mobile G-Slate The T-Mobile G-Slate is a tablet computer from T-Mobile USA developed by LG Electronics and was released in the US in March 2011. It is LG's first device running Android 3.0 and appeared at the Mobile World Congress in February 2011.... , Lenovo IdeaPad Tablet K1, Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet, Velocity Micro Cruz Tablet L510, Dell Streak Pro, Zyrex Onepad SP1110, Zyrex Onepad SP1113G |
| Tegra 250 3D AP25 | 40 nm | ARMv7 | 1.2 GHz dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 | ULP GeForce 400 MHz (6.4 GFLOPS) |
One-channel LPDDR2 600 MHz or DDR2 667 MHz | Q1 2011 | Fusion Garage Grid 10 |
| Tegra 250 3D T25 | 40 nm | ARMv7 | 1.2 GHz dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 | ULP GeForce 400 MHz (6.4 GFLOPS) | One-channel LPDDR2 600 MHz or DDR2 667 MHz | Q1 2011 |
Tegra 3 (Kal-El) series
- Processor: quad-core ARMARM architectureARM is a 32-bit reduced instruction set computer instruction set architecture developed by ARM Holdings. It was named the Advanced RISC Machine, and before that, the Acorn RISC Machine. The ARM architecture is the most widely used 32-bit ISA in numbers produced...
Cortex-A9 MPCoreARM Cortex-A9 MPCoreThe ARM Cortex-A9 MPCore is a 32-bit multicore processor providing up to 4 cache-coherent Cortex-A9 cores, each implementing the ARM v7 instruction set architecture.-Features:Key features of the Cortex-A9 core are:...
, up to 1.4 GHz single-core mode and 1.3 GHz multi-core mode - 12-Core Nvidia GPU with support for 3D stereo
- Ultra low power GPU mode
- 40 nmNanometreA nanometre is a unit of length in the metric system, equal to one billionth of a metre. The name combines the SI prefix nano- with the parent unit name metre .The nanometre is often used to express dimensions on the atomic scale: the diameter...
process by TSMCTSMCTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Limited or TSMC is the world's largest dedicated independent semiconductor foundry, with its headquarters and main operations located in the Hsinchu Science Park in Hsinchu, Taiwan.-Overview:... - Video output up to 2560×1600
- NEON vector instruction set
- 1080p1080p1080p is the shorthand identification for a set of HDTV high-definition video modes that are characterized by 1080 horizontal lines of resolution and progressive scan, meaning the image is not interlaced as is the case with the 1080i display standard....
MPEG-4 AVC/h.264H.264/MPEG-4 AVCH.264/MPEG-4 Part 10 or AVC is a standard for video compression, and is currently one of the most commonly used formats for the recording, compression, and distribution of high definition video...
40 Mbps High-Profile, VC1-AP and DivX 5/6 video decode - The Kal-El chip (CPU and GPU) is to be about 5 times faster than Tegra 2
- Estimated release date is now to be Q4 2011 for tablets and Q1 2012 for smartphones, after being set back from Nvidia's prior estimated release dates of Q2 2011, then August 2011, then October 2011
The Tegra 3 is functionally a quad-core processor, but includes a fifth "companion" core. All cores are Cortex-A9s, but the companion core is manufactured with a special low power silicon process. This means it uses less power at low clock rates, but more at higher rates; hence it is limited to 500 MHz. There is also special logic to allow running state to be quickly transferred between the companion core and one of the normal cores. The goal is for a mobile phone or tablet to be able to power down all the normal cores and run on only the companion core, using comparatively little power, during standby mode or when otherwise using little CPU. According to Nvidia, this includes playing music or even video content.
Tegra 3 officially released on November 9, 2011.
Tegra (Wayne) series
- Processor: quad- or octa-core ARM Cortex-A15 MPCoreARM Cortex-A15 MPCoreThe ARM Cortex-A15 MPCore is a multicore ARM architecture processor providing an out-of-order superscalar pipeline ARM v7 instruction set running at up to 2.5 GHz. ARM has confirmed that the Cortex A15 core is 40 percent faster than the Cortex-A9 core, all things equal...
- Improved 24 (for the quad-core) and 32 to 64 (for the octa-core) GPU cores with support for DirectxDirectXMicrosoft DirectX is a collection of application programming interfaces for handling tasks related to multimedia, especially game programming and video, on Microsoft platforms. Originally, the names of these APIs all began with Direct, such as Direct3D, DirectDraw, DirectMusic, DirectPlay,...
11+, OpenGLOpenGLOpenGL is a standard specification defining a cross-language, cross-platform API for writing applications that produce 2D and 3D computer graphics. The interface consists of over 250 different function calls which can be used to draw complex three-dimensional scenes from simple primitives. OpenGL...
4.X, OpenCLOpenCLOpenCL is a framework for writing programs that execute across heterogeneous platforms consisting of CPUs, GPUs, and other processors. OpenCL includes a language for writing kernels , plus APIs that are used to define and then control the platforms...
1.X, and PhysXPhysXPhysX is a proprietary realtime physics engine middleware SDK developed by Ageia with the purchase of ETH Zurich spin-off NovodeX in 2004... - 28 nmNanometreA nanometre is a unit of length in the metric system, equal to one billionth of a metre. The name combines the SI prefix nano- with the parent unit name metre .The nanometre is often used to express dimensions on the atomic scale: the diameter...
- About 10 times faster than Tegra 2
- To be released in 2012
Tegra (Grey) series
- Processor: ARM Cortex MPCore
- 28 nmNanometreA nanometre is a unit of length in the metric system, equal to one billionth of a metre. The name combines the SI prefix nano- with the parent unit name metre .The nanometre is often used to express dimensions on the atomic scale: the diameter...
- Integrated Icera 3G/4G baseband
- To be released in 2012
Tegra (Logan) series
- Processor: ARM?
- Improved GPU core
- 28 nm
- About 50 times faster than Tegra 2
- To be released in 2013
Tegra (Stark) series
- Processor: ARM?
- Improved GPU core
- About 75 times faster than Tegra 2
- To be released in 2014
Similar platforms
- Snapdragon by QualcommQualcommQualcomm is an American global telecommunication corporation that designs, manufactures and markets digital wireless telecommunications products and services based on its code division multiple access technology and other technologies. Headquartered in San Diego, CA, USA...
- OMAP by Texas InstrumentsTexas InstrumentsTexas Instruments Inc. , widely known as TI, is an American company based in Dallas, Texas, United States, which develops and commercializes semiconductor and computer technology...
- ExynosExynosSamsung has a long history of designing and producing System on Chips and has been manufacturing SoCs for its own devices as well as others, for example Apple. The first Samsung SoC, S3C44B0, was built around an ARM7 CPU which operated at 66 MHz clock frequency...
by SamsungSamsungThe Samsung Group is a South Korean multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea... - AxApple AxApple Ax is a series of ARM based system-on-a-chip processors designed by Apple to fit inside their consumer electronic devices, such as the iPod, iPad, iPhone and Apple TV.-Apple A4:...
by AppleAppleThe apple is the pomaceous fruit of the apple tree, species Malus domestica in the rose family . It is one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits, and the most widely known of the many members of genus Malus that are used by humans. Apple grow on small, deciduous trees that blossom in the spring... - NovaThorNovaThorNovaThor is a platform consisting of System on Chips for smartphones and tablets produced by ST-Ericsson, a 50/50 joint venture of Ericsson and STMicroelectronics established on February 3, 2009....
by ST-EricssonST-EricssonST-Ericsson is a global wireless platform and semiconductor supplier to four of the top five mobile handset manufacturers. ST-Ericsson is a 50/50 joint venture of Ericsson and STMicroelectronics established on February 3, 2009...
See also
- ZiiLABSZiiLABSZiiLABS is a global technology company, whose ZMS media-rich application processors, reference platforms and enabling software are designed to enable OEMs and ODMs to create products that target a range of low-power consumer electronics and embedded markets, including Android based tablets.-...
ZMS series - i.MXI.MXThe i.MX range is a family of Freescale Semiconductor proprietary microprocessors for multimedia applications based on the ARM architecture and focused on low-power consumption. The i.MX application processors are SoCs , that integrate many processing units into one die, like the main CPU, a video...
by FreescaleFreescale SemiconductorFreescale Semiconductor, Inc. is a producer and designer of embedded hardware, with 17 billion semiconductor chips in use around the world. The company focuses on the automotive, consumer, industrial and networking markets with its product portfolio including microprocessors, microcontrollers,... - ImageonImageonThe Imageon is a line of media processors developed by ATI providing graphics acceleration and other multimedia features for handheld devices such as mobile phones and Personal Digital Assistants ....
- Loongson
- Mobile Internet device
- NomadikNomadikNomadik was a microprocessor for multimedia applications from ST-Ericsson. It was based on ARM architecture. Nomadik application processors were designed specifically with mobile devices in mind....
by ST-EricssonST-EricssonST-Ericsson is a global wireless platform and semiconductor supplier to four of the top five mobile handset manufacturers. ST-Ericsson is a 50/50 joint venture of Ericsson and STMicroelectronics established on February 3, 2009... - PXA by MarvellMarvell Technology GroupMarvell is an American producer of storage, communications and consumer semiconductor products.Founded in 1995, Marvell Technology Group Ltd. has operations worldwide and approximately 5,700 employees. Marvell’s U.S. operating subsidiary is based in Santa Clara, California and Marvell has...
- Renesas Electronics Corporation
External links
- Nvidia's Tegra APX website
- Nvidia's Tegra FAQ
- Tegra 2 Whitepaper
- New Chips Could Boost iPhone Rivals
- Nvidia Unveils Mobile Graphics Powerhouse in Barcelona
- Nvidia Surprises With First Mobile CPU
- Nvidia dialing into mobile phones
- Nvidia APX 2500 chip enables 3D and hours of high-def playback on Windows Mobile handsets
- Nvidia rolls out Tegra chips aimed at tiny PCs
- Forum dedicated to all Tegra 2 devices
- News Source on all Tegra Developments and Updates
- Nvidia Announces Tegra "Grey" SoC with Built-in 3G, 4G Communication Capabilities