Via explains 'e-commerce' processor core

Chip maker Via has revealed details of its C5J Esther processor core, designed to save power and provide extra on-die security for small devices with e-commerce capabilities.

The new core will be made using IBM's 90nm silicon on isolator (SOI) process.

Devices using the chips could offer high compression video streaming and data encryption and decryption.

Via hopes that by accelerating RSA encryption and including Secure Hashing, together with support for execution protection to help fight worms and viruses, it can establish the C5J Esther as an e-commerce chip.

"It's great to see a CPU vendor provide hardware support for the most important needs of crypto," said Phil Zimmermann, creator of Pretty Good Privacy encryption software, in a statement. "I wish all CPU vendors would do this."

Through the SOI process, Via said the C5J Esther core will deliver a significant boost in processor speed within the same thermal bracket as the manufacturer's current processors, and reduce maximum power consumption to 3.5W at 1GHz.

Other performance-enhancing features include a new, faster Front Side Bus of up to 800MHz, SSE2/SSE3 multimedia instructions, and a larger L2 cache.

"Our approach to processor design allows small, fanless devices to carry out the most demanding security operations while simultaneously processing today's increasingly sophisticated digital entertainment applications," said Glenn Henry, president of Via-owned Centaur Technology, in a statement.