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Renesas Technology's Highly Integrated 32-bit ''Euclid'' SuperH Processor Provides Sophisticated Functions Essential for Cost-Se

( BW)(CA-RENESAS-TECHNOLOGY)(HIT)(6501.T)(6503.T) Renesas Technology's
Highly Integrated 32-bit ''Euclid'' SuperH Processor Provides
Sophisticated Functions Essential for Cost-Sensitive Telematics
Systems

    Business Editors/Photo Editors/Automotive Writers/High-Tech
    Editors
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    DETROIT & SAN JOSE, Calif.--May 22, 2006--

       The New SH-4A-Based Processor Provides a 50% Performance
           Increase Over Its Predecessor with Architectural
          Enhancements and Supports Various Memory Interfaces

    Renesas Technology America, Inc., a subsidiary of Renesas
Technology Corp., the world's largest supplier of microcontrollers,
today announced the SH7397 "Euclid(TM)" 32-bit microprocessor, a
highly integrated, low-cost device tailored for enhanced telematics
products and similar types of in-vehicle information systems. The SoC
device incorporates a 300MHz, 32-bit SH-4A SuperH(R) superscalar
architecture that achieves processing performance up to 540 million
instructions per second (MIPS) and 2.1 giga-flops (GFLOPS), 50 percent
higher than the previous Renesas "Camelot(TM)" SH7760 processor. The
Euclid processor is upward code compatible with the predecessor to
maximize engineering investments. Moreover, the complex chip with a
built-in floating point unit (FPU) integrates more and better
peripheral functions and interfaces to simplify and reduce the cost of
automotive products, providing drivers and passengers added
capabilities, convenience, and safety.
    The Euclid chip is fully supported by a comprehensive hardware
reference platform, "Sequoia(TM)," which includes all of the basic
components to facilitate the development of next-generation telematics
systems. For example, it provides external memory, debug ports, and
various interfaces. It is also capable of supporting real-time
operating systems (RTOS) and middleware, which is currently under
development.
    "Our new Euclid SoC is a technology enabler for compelling system
capabilities that will boost consumer demand for OEM and aftermarket
in-vehicle information, safety and entertainment equipment," said Paul
Sykes, marketing manager, CIS/telematics, automotive business unit,
Renesas Technology America, Inc. "Besides its optimum processing
performance for running sophisticated applications, the SH7397 device
provides key system elements supporting those applications, such as a
dedicated bus for external memory and a color LCD controller. The
microprocessor also has a USB interface with a v1.1 (full speed) Host
and a v2.0 (full speed) function controller that enables connections
to consumer devices such as mobile phones, portable music players and
similar types of portable devices."

    SH-4A: Top-end 32-bit CPU core with cache, RAM and FPU

    The SH7397's high-performance SH-4A CPU core has two separate
32-Kbyte, 4-way set-associative cache memories -- one for instructions
and the other for data -- to improve the cache hit rate for higher
throughput. A fast-access on-chip 16-Kbyte RAM further accelerates
software processing. To meet the demand for faster external memory
accesses associated with higher CPU speeds, the microprocessor has a
bus dedicated for connecting to high-speed DDR-SDRAM chips.
    The instruction set of the SH-4A CPU core is upward compatible
with that of the SH-4 core. Therefore, programs written for the SH7760
and other SH-4 series microprocessors can be used on the SH7397,
allowing shorter product development times and lower development
costs.

    Wide variety of peripheral functions enables lower-priced systems

    The Euclid SoC device incorporates many versatile on-chip
peripheral functions that can reduce the overall system cost of
telematics products. For instance, it has the previously mentioned USB
v1.1 host and USB v2.0 function controller and an LCD controller that
can produce approximately 64,000 colors on an 800x600-pixel LCD panel.
Other peripheral functions include a 4-channel 10-bit A/D converter,
real-time clock (RTC), 6-channel timer (TMU), interrupt controller,
and 6-channel direct memory access controller (DMAC) that allows
high-speed data transfers to and from memory.
    A comprehensive set of interfaces is also provided. A serial sound
interface and audio CODEC interface allow transmission and reception
of the voice and audio data essential for a hands-free function.
Memory card interfaces support popular card types (MultiMediaCard, SD
memory card, PC card, and smart card) so multimedia and other data can
be exchanged and stored using the card best suited to the application.
Network interfaces are a CAN interface (the de facto in-vehicle LAN
standard) and an Ethernet controller that can be used both as a
general-purpose LAN interface and as a link for software debugging.
Additionally, there is a 3-channel serial communication interface with
FIFO (SCIF), a 3-channel serial I/O with FIFO (SIOF), and a 2-channel
I2C bus interface.

    Comprehensive, modular reference platform using the Renesas Euclid
SoC

    The comprehensive suite of hardware and software development tools
available from Renesas and a large community of third-party vendors
allow automotive system developers to build telematics systems easier
and faster than ever. The Renesas Sequoia platform includes the Euclid
SoC, external memory, debug ports, and several peripheral functions
for audio, display, CAN and interfaces such as USB, PCMCIA, MMC, smart
card, SD memory/IO card and Ethernet. The platform can support major
operating systems such as QNX(R), VxWorks(R), WindowsCE and embedded
Linux. For expansion, optional support such as Bluetooth and GPS
modules is also available. The platform leverages the expert
technology resources of the COMET (Community Enabling Telematics)
consortium to simplify the development of low-cost telematics systems
and accelerate time to market. For more information about the COMET
program, visit http://www.comet-alliance.com/

    Price and Availability


Product Name Product Number       Package type      Price/Availability
----------------------------------------------------------------------
SH7397       R5S73970J300BGV      449-pin BGA              $37/
(Euclid SoC)                     (21mm x 21mm),     Samples in August
                             lead-free specification       2006
----------------------------------------------------------------------


    Reader contact

    Readers can find additional product and contact information on the
Renesas Technology Web site at www.renesas.com.

    About Renesas Technology Corp.

    Renesas Technology Corp. is one of the world's leading
semiconductor system solutions providers for mobile, automotive and
PC/AV (Audio Visual) markets and the world's No.1 supplier of
microcontrollers. It is also a leading provider of LCD Driver ICs,
Smart Card microcontrollers, RF-ICs, High Power Amplifiers, Mixed
Signal ICs, System-on-Chip (SoC), System-in-Package (SiP) and more.
Established in 2003 as a joint venture between Hitachi, Ltd.
(TOKYO:6501) and Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
(TOKYO:6503), Renesas Technology achieved consolidated revenue of 906
billion JPY in FY2005 (end of March 2006). Renesas Technology is based
in Tokyo, Japan and has a global network of manufacturing, design and
sales operations in around 20 countries with about 26,200 employees
worldwide. For further information, please visit
http://www.renesas.com

    Note to Editors: A specification summary is included in this
release, and a photo and block diagram of the SH7397 microprocessor
are available.


Notes: 1. SuperH is a trademark of Renesas Technology Corp.
       2. Euclid, Sequoia and Camelot are trademarks of Renesas
          Technology America, Inc.
       3. CAN (Controller Area Network): A network specification for 
          use in vehicles, proposed by Robert Bosch GmbH of Germany.
       4. MultiMediaCard is a trademark of the MMCA (MultiMediaCard
          Association). 
       5. SD Memory Card is a small memory card whose specification 
          was originally formulated by 3C (Matsushita Electrical 
          Industrial Co., Ltd., Toshiba Corporation, and SanDisk 
          Corporation) and has been progressively extended by the SDA 
          (SD Card Association). 
       6. I2C bus (Inter IC Bus) is an interface specification 
          proposed by Royal Philips Electronics of the Netherlands.


    Other product names, company names, or brands mentioned are the
property of their respective owners.



               Specifications: Renesas Technology SH7397
                    300MHz SuperH(R) Microprocessor

Item                        Specifications
--------------------------- ------------------------------------------
Product name                SH7397 (Euclid SoC)
--------------------------- ------------------------------------------
Part number                 R5S73970J300BGV
--------------------------- ------------------------------------------
Power supply voltage        1.25V (internal)/3.3V (external)/2.5V
                            (DDR-SDRAM interface)
--------------------------- ------------------------------------------
Maximum operating frequency 300MHz
--------------------------- ------------------------------------------
Processing performance      540 MIPS, 2.1 GFLOPS (at 300MHz operation)
--------------------------- ------------------------------------------
CPU core                    SH-4A type (32-bit RISC superscalar with
                            cache and FPU)
--------------------------- ------------------------------------------
On-chip RAM                 16KB
--------------------------- ------------------------------------------
Cache memory                Instructions: 32KB; Data: 32KB (4-way set-
                            associative type)
--------------------------- ------------------------------------------
External memory             --  DDR-SDRAM memory controller
                                     - DDR-SDRAM connectable with 32-
                                       bit bus width
                                     - Maximum operating frequency:
                                       133MHz
                            --  Local bus state controller
                                     - SRAM, burst ROM, etc., directly
                                       connectable
                                     - Bus width selectable from
                                       8/16/32 bits
                                     - Maximum operating frequency:
                                       66MHz
--------------------------- ------------------------------------------
Main on-chip peripheral     --  Selection of USB Standard v1.1
 functions                      (full-speed) Host interface or USB
                                Standard v2.0 (full-speed) Function
                                interface
                            --  Controller area network (CAN)
                                interface x 1 channel
                            --  Real-time clock (RTC)
                            --  Color-LCD controller
                            --  General-purpose DMAC x 6 channels
                            --  Timer (TMU) x 6 channels
                            --  Serial communication interface with
                                FIFO (SCIF) x 3 channels
                            --  Serial I/O with FIFO (SIOF) x 3
                                channels
                            --  Serial sound interface (SSI) x 4
                                channels
                            --  Interrupt controller
                            --  Audio CODEC interface
                            --  A/D converter (10-bit) x 4 channels
                            --  I2C bus interface x 2 channels
                            --  PC card interface
                            --  MultiMediaCard interface
                            --  SD memory/SDIO card interface(1)
                            --  Smart card interface
                            --  Ethernet controller
--------------------------- ------------------------------------------
Power-down modes            --  Sleep, Module standby, Software
                                standby, RTC power supply backup,
                                DDR-SDRAM power supply backup
--------------------------- ------------------------------------------
Package                     449-pin BGA (21mm x 21mm), lead-free
                            specification
--------------------------- ------------------------------------------

(1) An SD-card license must be obtained in order to use the on-chip 
SD card interface.


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    --30--

    CONTACT: Renesas Technology America, Inc.
             Akiko Ishiyama, 408-382-7407
             akiko.ishiyama@renesas.com
             Stefani Parrish, 408-382-7410
             stefani.parrish@renesas.com