The Future of PC and Mobile Processors - By Tim Bajarin

Traditionally, chips have been created independently and then coupled together to provide multiple computing features. For example, a manufacturer would create a core processor like an Intel Centrino with a built-in Wi-Fi radio, and then attach that to a systems board, perhaps linking it together with a separate graphics co-processor, in order to deliver enhanced PC graphics. Another might take an ARM core processor and then add on additional features like extended graphics to enhance device functionality.
When core processors are coupled together like this, however, they take up extra space on the motherboard. As devices get smaller, motherboard real estate becomes all the more valuable. Now nearly every vendor is working on its own SOCs, in order to cram more functionality onto a single chip. Intel's poster child for this manufacturing process is Atom, which includes the core processor, microcontroller, and i/o controller, while still leaving room for things like a transcoder, DSP, and other features that an OEM might want to incorporate into its netbook.

To get some perspective on this from a non-PC manufacturer, I spoke with the people at Zoran Corporation, a Silicon Valley semiconductor company that rose to fame by creating the processors that are found in 33-percent of DVD players worldwide and 33-percent of the digital televisions in the US. The company's amazing Coach processor is in 35-percent of all digital cameras, as well as one of Cisco's popular Flip pocket camcorders. Recently, when I was in Europe, I had the opportunity to test drvice two Coach cameras, the Sony CoolPix s620 and Samsung VLUU WB 1000. I have tested plenty of point-and-shoot cameras in my day, but I quite was impressed with the image quality and functionality of both models.

Zoran's CEO is Dr. Levy Gerzberg, one of the smartest people I have met in the tech world. I've had him on my CES Supersession panel on Big Thinkers-Disruptive Technologies for the last couple of years, and his perspective is always fascinating. I recently spoke to him about SOCs, and the company's ability to cram eight core functions onto a chip smaller than a dime, a process the company utilizes for some of its DTV chips. Gerzberg told me,

As device real estate gets smaller and customers (OEMS) demanded more features in tinier packages, we needed to push our engineers to get more and more in smaller spaces. This resulted in our ability to put the decoder, HDMI receiver, LVDS transmitter, demodulator, picture enhancement, front panel controller, memory for front panel, and legacy analog video into a single chip, thus giving our customers the ability to create thinner digital televisions that can run cooler and draw less power.
The company's Coach line of digital camera processors is even more impressive. They deliver advanced noise reduction, accurate color reproduction, multiple face tracking, integrated real-time lighting correction for video, real-time lens distortion compensation for enhanced video capture, h.264 HD video codec, and an integrated HDMI interface on an even smaller processor.

This is great news for D-SLR fans. This manner of specialized SOCs means that, in the not-too-distant future, we can have D-SLR-level functionality in our pockets. Of course the lenses still present a size issue, but we also expect to some major advancements in optical lenses that will eventually make pocket D-SLRs a reality.

SOCs will also have a dramatic effect on the smartphone space. Imagine the manner of next generation imaging and video than can be delivered onto smartphones as SOCs with greater functionality are integrated into these devices. Think smartphones with 3D maps, true HD video, and perhaps even video telephony built-in. This sort of functionality could lead to smartphones that are almost as powerful as most of today's laptops.

SOCs have already been around for some time in various forms. But in the last two years, as processor manufacturing technology has advanced and allowed more processors to be placed on a smaller chip, it has also allowed many semiconductor companies to create even more powerful and functional processors. We'll continue to see separate graphics chips connected together in larger systems like PCs and laptops, but as the latter get smaller and demand more power, the SOCs will become even more in demand. Intel's forthcoming Core Duos, which integrate the graphics processor directly into the main chip, are a good example of this phenomenon.

When you ask the folks in the semiconductor industry what's hot these days, they'll most likely talk about the impact of SOCs on the next generation of PCs and gadgets. And as Dr. Gerzberg told me, "systems-on-a-chip are going to be an important part of the next generation of semiconductors, and we probably haven't even scratched the surface of what can be done with these types of processors in the future."
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Tim Bajarin is one of the leading analysts working in the technology industry today
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