Imagination Technologies, a multimedia and communications chip technologies company, has announced the Powervr SGX544, a high-performance graphics core for embedded and mobile applications with full support for Microsoft DirectX 9 and multi-processor capability.
SGX544 can be implemented as a 4-pipe single core, or in multiprocessor (MP) configurations of between two and 16 cores, meaning up to 64 pipes.
As embedded and desktop application platforms continue to converge, Imagination has seen growing demand for DirectX 9 capabilities. SGX544 provides full support for DirectX 9 Feature Level 3 with hardware acceleration, making it suitable for mobile devices since it offers the highest performance per mm-squared and per mW with lowest system overhead, the company claimed.
SGX544 also provides support for desktop OpenGL 2.1 (including X11 integration with DRI2, EXA and DRM support), OpenGL ES 1.1 & 2.0, OpenVG 1.1 and OpenCL 1.1 Embedded Profile. Software configurations for Linux, Android, MeeGo, Palm's WebOS, Nokia's Maemo, Symbian, Windows Mobile, Samsung's Bada Nucleus, and a variety of other RTOS are available with POWERVR SGX powered devices.
Imagination, in the past year, has signed three more Taiwan licencees, SiS, Realtek and Mediatek. Its OEM partners in Taiwan also include Asustek, Acer and Tatung.