Idt Mips Risc Microprocessors Power The Satellite Television
Entertainment Revolution
The Leading Manufacturers and Distributors of Satellite Television Systems Worldwide Select the
MIPS Architecture to Power New Satellite Receiver
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., March 4 /PRNewswire/ -- MIPS Technologies, Inc. announced that
EchoStar's DISH(TM) Network satellite television digital receivers, introduced today, will be based
on the IDT R3041(TM) MIPS(R) RISController(TM) from Integrated Device Technology, Inc.
(IDT). EchoStar Communications, a leader in satellite television, will base its new digital receivers
on the MIPS RISC technology because it offers the highest performance and bandwidth at an
affordable price point. The EchoStar design further validates MIPS as a leader in the emerging
consumer marketplace.
"MIPS has become the leader of the digital consumer electronics revolution by providing
applications such as Sony(R) PlayStation(TM), Nintendo 64(TM), Williams-Bally arcade games
and now EchoStar with breakthrough technology," said Ron Bernal, president of MIPS
Technologies, Inc. "The EchoStar design win proves MIPS' strategy that processors designed for
high-end applications can quickly migrate down into high-volume consumer and embedded
applications. Advances in process technology and multiple sourcing allows inexpensive MIPS
processors to be sold in these markets without compromising performance."
EchoStar will base its new HTS and EchoStar brand receivers on the IDT R3041 MIPS
RISController, a derivative of the popular MIPS R3000(R) family of processors. This is a low-cost,
32-bit microprocessor with optimized on-chip caches. The R3041 is designed to achieve minimal
systems and components cost while maintaining the high performance inherent in the MIPS
architecture. The R3041 will manage the user interface, graphical display, audio and video
synchronization and communication with smart cards. In addition, the R3041 will handle all the
database functions like maintaining the Electronic Program Guide which is used to navigate through
200 channels. The internal caches of the R3041 allow slower memory components to be used,
further reducing system cost.
"EchoStar chose the MIPS architecture because we were able to get high performance at the best
price. The dynamic bus sizing, inside cache, performance of the MIPS core and the fact that a
broad range of microprocessors are available from multiple sources made the MIPS architecture an
easy decision, " said Mark Jackson, director of engineering, EchoStar.
EchoStar Communications Corporation, headquartered in Englewood, Colorado, is a leading
manufacturer and distributor of satellite television systems worldwide. The company is developing a
state-of-the-art direct broadcast satellite (DBS) system, the Digital Sky Highway (DISH) Network,
which debuted today. A total of over 200 channels of digital video, audio and data services are
expected to be delivered on 18-inch satellite dishes to homes throughout the continental United
States with the launch of EchoStar-II in mid-1996.
EchoStar Communications Corporation and its subsidiaries deliver direct-to- home (DTH) satellite
television products and services to customers worldwide. The company is a single, convenient
source for equipment distribution, sales, installation, and service; consumer financing; and
programming distribution; and is widely recognized in the industry for its research and development
activities. EchoStar's international operations include sales and service locations in Holland, Spain,
Singapore, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia and India.
Integrated Device Technology, Inc. (IDT) designs, manufactures, and markets CMOS VLSI
integrated circuits (ICs) for a range of growth markets, including desktop computer, server,
datacommunications and office automation. IDT offers products in four key areas: high-speed
SRAMs, RISC microprocessors, specialty memories and high-performance logic. The company's
product areas are synergistic and provide solutions that optimize the cost and performance of
microprocessor-based systems. Headquartered in Santa Clara, Calif., IDT employs approximately
3,875 people worldwide.
MIPS Technologies, Inc. designs and supplies the world's most advanced RISC microprocessor
technology. The company tests, certifies and licenses its processor technology to its semiconductor
partners, which provide processors for the computer system, digital consumer and embedded
control markets. MIPS microprocessors power systems from a number of computer industry
leaders. MIPS RISC architecture components are available from Integrated Device Technology,
Inc., LSI Logic Corporation, NEC Corporation, NKK Corporation, Siemens AG, Toshiba
Corporation and Philips. MIPS Technologies, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Silicon Graphics,
Inc. and is headquartered in Mountain View, Calif.
NOTE: MIPS and the R3000 are registered trademarks of MIPS Technologies, Inc.
R3041 and RISController are trademarks of Integrated Device Technology, Inc. Nintendo is a
trademark and Nintendo 64 is a trademark of Nintendo. Sony is a registered trademark and Sony
PlayStation is a trademark of Sony Corporation. |
