Marvell Unleashes Most Advanced Printer System-On-Chip, to Allow More Powerful 3D Printing

This is a world operating with ‘next generation machines,’ performing at rapid speed productivity, and one where we are continually developing new applications–many of which are geared toward the Internet of Things as well as a world of media and recreation. We tread technologically on groundbreaking new architectures, with Marvell being an expert in all of these areas. And they’ve just set the bar even higher.

This company is a leader in many areas, from silicon solutions and mobile communications, to storage, Internet of Things (IoT), cloud infrastructure, digital entertainment and more, and they have just announced the release of the industry’s most advanced printer system-on-chip (SoC)–the Marvell 88PA6270.

If we’re already operating with next generation technology, then this sends us chasing the heels of another at speeds fast enough to make your head spin. With the world’s fastest and most highly integrated 64-bit quad core system on-chip, standards within the printing industry as we know it are in the process of changing. Right. Now.

The Marvell 3D printer

No longer will high-performance CPUs require separate central processing units, as the 88PA6270 is designed to allow for a common architecture that spans across an entire product lineup. It will as well allow for a new breed of 3D printers, harnessing a new level of speed and imaging horsepower. With this, users will be able to look forward to high-performance object rendering and slicing, along with cloud and mobile connectivity which is an absolute necessity in this contemporary business–and social–world.

“The 88PA6270 design platform is the new flagship product in Marvell’s printer SoC family and we believe that it will establish new standards for the entire industry,” said Mark Montierth, Vice President and General Manager, Marvell Printer and Customer Solutions Business Unit. “This solution reflects our passion to innovate and to collaborate with top global printer manufacturers to advance the industry. Marvell’s investment in advanced integration in 28nm process enables an extremely low-cost bill of material while providing extensive connectivity options. The 88PA6270 offers unprecedented performance and feature integration to allow our customers to quickly develop their industry-leading solutions.”

We’ve reported on Marvell previously regarding their 3D printing system-on-chip (SoC) innovation. Their team sees this technology as a way for 3D printing to truly hit the mainstream due to the precision and processing power they will be able to give to the desktop 3D printing market.

The 88PA6270 platform has great potential for the 3D printer as well, with features such as:

• Dedicated Direct Engine Control hardware (DEC), which allows for a wide range of 3D printing technologies as well as control of functions like laser signals and LED arrays, sensors, and more.
• The quad-core ARM Cortex-A53 performance, which advances 3D printing as in-product rendering and slicing are enabled. This is highly beneficial in that both speed and complexity of the 3D printer can be improved substantially, affecting the bottom line in a very positive way.

Testing has been underway in the US, Japan, and South Korea, and has been met with a good reception as Marvell targets original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) for the 88PA6270, which will expand their lineup that includes the 88PA6170, 88PA6120, and 88PA6110. Marvell maintains a partnership with Global Graphics Software, as well, allowing for an improved experience for OEMs. Development is expedited through use of high-performance rendering engines, which shortens time to market.

“Our partnership with Marvell has been hugely productive and offers printer vendors unprecedented commercial opportunity for reducing their bill of materials on the one hand and extending the range and speed of devices they can drive on the other,” said Martin Bailey, CTO at Global Graphics Software. “Our Harlequin PDL rendering software is now the fastest available across PCL, PDF, PostScript, and XPS, even in a very small footprint, and is renowned for its rendering quality. So when you combine Marvell’s high performance SoC with our software, you’ve got the best of both worlds.”

The development kit allows for the creation of high-performance products that are more affordable to make, and includes:

• Complete Linux Software Development Kit
• Detailed documentation and application notes
• Reference designs
• A full family of wireless connectivity solutions
• Power management ICs
• Consumables security system
• Code security system
• JavaScript Kinoma software

Additional specs:

• 8nm Low Power (LP) process technology
• Quad-core ARM Cortex-A53 (64-bit) processor with a 1MB L2 cache
• Dedicated dual-channel imaging hardware
• Hardware image sensor error calibration and correction and image quality optimization
• Powerful Vivante GC400LT GPU for fast, smooth 2D/3D graphics support.
• Three additional 32-bit ARM CPUs for user customization
• Built-in security hardware to authenticate and monitor consumables
• Platform and SDK support for 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, NFC, 802.3 (GigE), and Bluetooth 4.0 advanced connectivity.
• Advanced integrated connectivity
• Low power operation

How do you think this new, high-performance technology will affect the world of 3D printing? Discuss in the Marvell 88PA6270 forum thread over at 3DPB.com.