1. 1
NVidia's TEGRA
line of SoC’s for
mobile devices
for b
Guided by - Sukul.Y
Prof R.N.KULKARNI 8th sem ISE
3BR09IS052

2. 2
System on Chip(SoC):
A system on a chip
or system on chip
(SoC or SOC) is an
integrated circuit
(IC) that integrates
all components of a
computer or other
electronic system
into a single chip.

3. 3
A typical SoC consists of:
• A microcontroller, microprocessor or DSP
core(s).
• Memory blocks
• Peripherals
• External interfaces including industry standards
such as USB, FireWire, Ethernet
• Voltage regulators and power management
circuits.

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Example of a SoC’s structure

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The so called “SMART” race

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Mobile devices:
• Smartphones
• Tablets
• Portable media players
• Personal digital assistants(PDA’s)
• Blu-ray players
• DVD players
• Hand-held Gaming consoles

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• Users today expect their mobile device to not
only deliver long battery life but also provide the
same full high definition web experience that
they get from a PC.
• In addition to web browsing capabilities, users
expect their mobile devices to handle a variety of
use cases such as gaming, audio playback,
navigation and photo/video capture.

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Common mobile device architecture:

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Power-Performance Paradox:
• Most mobile device architectures are designed
around a general purpose CPU.
• The CPU not only underperforms but also
consumes excessive power for today’s mobile use
cases.
• Relying on a power hungry CPU either
compromises battery life to offer good
performance or delivers substandard
experiences.

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The mobile challenge:
The two main challenges are:
• High performance
• Low power consumption

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The Solution:
• NVidia's TEGRA Multi-Processor Architecture
• Use of a heterogeneous multi-processor
architecture .
• A heterogeneous multi-processor by definition
consists of several processors that are different
in structure and function with each processor
optimized for a specific purpose

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8 Purpose optimized processors:
• Dual-Core ARM Cortex A9 CPU(2)
• ARM7 Processor
• Ultra Low-Power Graphics Processor (GPU)
• HD Video Decode Processor
• HD Video Encode Processor
• Audio Processor
• Image Signal Processor (ISP)

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NVIDIA
Tegra
purpose-
optimized
processors

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The Tegra line-up:
• Tegra APX series
• Tegra 6xx series
• Tegra 2 series
• Tegra 3 series
• Tegra 4 series

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Tegra APX SERIES
• Processor: ARM11 600 MHz MPCore (originally
GeForce ULV)
• Memory: NOR or NAND flash, Mobile DDR
• Graphics: Image processor (FWVGA 854×480
pixels)
• 720p H.264 Baseline Profile encode or decode

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Tegra 6xx series
• Targeted for GPS segment and automotive
• Processor: ARM11 700 MHz MPCore
• HD camera 720p
• Display supports 1080p at 24 frame/s, HDMI
v1.3, WSXGA+ LCD and CRT, and NTSC/PAL
TV output

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Tegra 2 series:
Model CPU
number instruction CPU GPU
set
Tegra 250 AP20H ARMv7 1 GHz Dual-core ULP GeForce 300
(Ventana) ARM Cortex-A9 MHz
Tegra 250 T20 ARMv7 1 GHz Dual-core ULP GeForce 300
(Harmony) ARM Cortex-A9 MHz
Tegra 250 3D ARMv7 1 GHz Dual-core ULP GeForce
AP25 ARM Cortex-A9 400 MHz
Tegra 250 3D T25 ARMv7 1 GHz Dual-core ULP GeForce
ARM Cortex-A9 400 MHz

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Tegra 3 series:
Model CPU
number instruction CPU GPU
set
Tegra 3 T30L ARMv7 1.2 GHz Quad- 416 MHz ULP
core ARM GeForce
Cortex-A9
Tegra 3 T30 ARMv7 1.4 GHz Quad- 520 MHz ULP
core ARM GeForce
Cortex-A9
Tegra 3 T33 ARMv7 1.6 GHz Quad- 520 MHz ULP
core ARM GeForce
Cortex-A9

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Tegra 4 series
Model CPU
number instruction CPU GPU
set
Tegra 4 ARMv7 1.8 GHz up to 1.9 72 cores
GHz quad-core
ARM Cortex-A15

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Use case examples:
• Listening to Music
• Watching Videos
• Playing Games

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Processors
Use case
turned on
• Listening to Music • dedicated audio
processor and the
low-power ARM7
processor
• Watching Videos • video decode
processor
• Playing Games • CPUs and the highly
optimized NVIDIA
GPU

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NVidia TEGRA Global Power
Management System:
• Use of Numerous distributed hardware
monitors.
• The feed back from the moniters is used to
determine the optimal operating frequency and
voltage for the active processors.

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Ground-Breaking Performance and
Battery Life:
The following use cases illustrate battery life a
user can expect from an NVIDIA Tegra-based
tablet (with 2000 mAh battery and 400 mW
display)
• Stand-by
• Music playback
• HD video playback on local LCD
• HD video playback on external display

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Contd.

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Advantages:
• Lower power consumption , Higher performance
per watt
• Faster Web page load times
• Higher Performance for demanding applications
• Faster Multitasking
• Higher Quality Gaming

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Conclusion:
• Dedicated, high-performance processors deliver
snappy Web browsing, flawless streaming HD
Flash video, and an exceptional mobile gaming
experience.
• The revolutionary multi-processor architecture
and power management features of NVIDIA
Tegra deliver an exceptional mobile visual
computing experience with uncompromised
battery life.

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References:
• A white paper on “TEGRA MULTIPROCESSING
ARCHITECTURE” published by NVIDIA CORPORATION during
2010.
• A white paper on “THE BENEFITs OF QUAD-CORE CPU’s IN
MOBILE DEVICES” published by NVIDIA CORPORATION
during 2011.
• en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tegra
• http://www.domaintools.com/internet-statistics/
• http://techcrunch.com/2009/06/09/youtube-video-streams-top-1-
billionday/
• http://www.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=102452128776
• en.wikipedia.org/wiki/System_on_a_chip
• videoreference:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thwgwQMXR84