Greek applied materials company Think Silicon and Texas-based Ambiq are bringing smartphone-class, 3D-like graphics to IoT devices.

Think Silicon is a provider of low-power GPU IP for embedded systems, and Ambiq specialises in low-power microcontrollers, systems-on-chip (SoCs) and real-time clocks. The companies are working together to bring high-end graphics capabilities to designers of everyday wearable devices.

To provide high-performance low-power graphics, Ambiq’s Apollo 4 SoC family now incorporates Think Silicon’s Nema Pico GPU and DC display controller IP. The Apollo 4 family is the fourth-generation processor built on Ambiq’s proprietary Spot subthreshold power-optimised technology.

The Apollo 4’s hardware and software enable battery-powered endpoint devices to achieve a higher level of intelligence without sacrificing battery life. It is purpose-built to serve as both an application processor and a coprocessor for battery-powered endpoint devices, including smartwatches, children’s watches, fitness bands, animal trackers, far-field voice remotes, predictive health and maintenance devices, smart security devices, and smart home devices.

The Nema Pico XL/XS series is a SoC-optimised GPU with display controller IP in a feature-complete design targeting rigorous power, performance and area requirements for mid- to high-end wearables and embedded IoT display devices. The scalable multi-core GPU IP platform has the ability to run on bare metal and a real-time operating system that requires only a small amount of on-chip memory and system resources, making it suitable for memory- and power-limited SoCs.

“Incorporating the Nema Pico GPU IP with the Apollo 4 SoC family allows us to push the limits of what’s possible in high-performance, low-power graphics,” said Ulli Mueller, director of IP licensing at Think Silicon. “Together, our solution provides stunning graphics in a power-performance envelope with battery life measured in weeks instead of days, all on the smallest silicon footprint.”

The series is designed to lower overall system power by reducing memory and display access without sacrificing battery life, graphics quality and performance.

“Adding the Nema GPU and display controller widens the application space for the Apollo family of SoCs,” said Dan Cermak, vice president at Ambiq. “It allows our customers to build ultra-low-power wearables with industry-leading graphics performance, delivering feature-rich and uncompromising user interfaces. The flexibility of the Think Silicon IP gives our customers a wide range of options for display, allowing them to support multiple end-product tiers with few changes to the underlying design.”

Think Silicon is an applied materials company that provides low-power 2D and 3D graphics, AI and video IP for smart IoT and edge connected end nodes such as displays, cameras and embedded systems. Its headquarters and development centre are in Athens and Patras, Greece, with sales and technical support offices in North America, Europe and Taiwan.