I’ve been asked what’s next for Amlogic a few times recently, and today I received an Amlogic 2017/2018 roadmap dated Q3 2017 that shows three new processors beside Amlogic S805X, which has yet to be launched into products: Amlogic S905C, S905X2 and S922. So let’s have a look at the three new processors.
Amlogic S905C specifications:
- CPU – Quad core ARM Cortex A53 processor
- GPU- ARM Mali-450MP2
- System Memory – Up to 3GB DDR3/3L, LPDDR2/3 memory
- Storage – NAND flash, eMMC 5.0 flash, and NOR flash interfaces
- Video – 4K60 HEVC decoder, 4K30 H.264 decoder, and AVS+ decoder with HDR10, HLG, 1080p60 H.264 encoder
- Video Output – HDMI 2.0b, CVBS
- Audio – integrated audio DAC
- Integrated DVB-C demodulator , 1x TS input
- Others – 10/100M Ethernet, 2x USB 2.0
- Package – 13 x 13 mm BGA
Engineering samples have been available since July 2017, and it looks to be targeting the Chinese cable TV market with an AVS+ decoder and built-in DVB-C demodulator. Android and TVOS SDK will be provided. I had never heard about tvOS, and it looks to be the operating system used in Apple TV boxes. Will Amlogic processor be found in Apple devices, or is that another “TVOS”? [Update: TVOS should either be Android TV OS, or more likely NGB TVOS for the Chinese market. See comments]
Amlogic S905X2 is an update for S905X with a new manufacturing process and a mysterious dual core Dvalin GPU:
- CPU – Quad core ARM Cortex A53 processor
- GPU- Dvalin MP2
- Video – Advanced HEVC, VP9 decoders; H.264, H.265 encoder
- HDR – Dolby Vision, HDR10+
- Ultra low power
- Next gen process
Amlogic S922 will move to next gen Arm cores, and an upgraded GPU, but we don’t know a whole lot:
- CPU – Octa-core next gen Arm CPU
- GPU – Next gen GPU
- Video – Dual 4K decode/4K encode
- Full HDR standards
- Display – MIPI DSI
- Camera – MIPI CSI
- Interfaces – USB type C, and PCI-e
- Ultra low power
That processor should be able to handle 4K 3D videos thanks to the dual decoder, and will likely go beyond TV boxes, with the camera and display interfaces, so maybe Amlogic S922 laptops or tablets will be a thing at the end of 2018. If that’s the case, the processor will likely use an Arm Cortex A7x/A5x configuration, instead of just eight Cortex A55 cores.
Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in 2011.
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