 ATI "Hollywood" GPU within the Wii console | |
| Designed by | ATI |
|---|---|
| Fabrication process | 90 nm or65 nm CMOS |
Hollywood is asystem-on-a-chip (SoC) designed byATI forNintendo'sWii home video game console, integrating graphics, audio, andinput/output functions into a single module. Itsgraphics processing unit (GPU) is an updated version of theGameCube'sFlipper, running at 243 MHz—1.5 times faster—allowing for more advanced visual effects. Additionally, Hollywood includesStarlet, anARM-basedcoprocessor responsible for managing input/output operations and system security. The SoC also features 24 MB of high-speed1T-SRAM for efficient data access.
The initialHollywood-A revision was built on a90 nm process and contained three dies. The first die, codenamedVegas, handled most of the chip's functions. The second die, codenamedNapa, housed the high-speed RAM, while a third die containedEEPROM.
TheHollywood-1 revision, codenamedBollywood, was manufactured on a65 nm process and mergedNapa andVegas into a single die.
Note: ^ denotes speculation: using confirmed ATI GameCube data x 1.5, a crude but likely accurate way of calculating the Wii's results based on clock speeds and identical architecture.
The Texture Environment Unit (TEV) is a unique piece of hardware exclusive to the GameCube and Wii. The Wii inherited the TEV from Flipper, and the TEV is—to use an analogy fromFactor 5 directorJulian Eggebrecht—"like an elaborate switchboard that makes the wildest combinations of textures and materials possible."[1]
The TEV pipeline combines up to 8 textures in up to 16 stages at once. Each stage can apply a multitude of functions to the texture. This was frequently used to simulate pixel shader effects such as bump-mapping, or to perform effects such as cel shading. On the GameCube, Factor 5'sStar Wars: Rogue Squadron II used the TEV for the targeting computer effect and the simulated volumetric fog.[1] In another scenario,Wave Race: Blue Storm used the TEV notably for water distortion (such as refraction) and other water effects.[citation needed] The Wii's TEV unit and TEV capabilities are no different from the GameCube's, excluding indirect performance advantages from the faster clock speeds.[citation needed]
Hollywood contains anARM926EJ-S core. The internal name for this core isIOP, but it is commonly known asStarlet.[2][3] This embedded microprocessor runs the Wii'sIOS operating system, and handles various I/O functions, including wireless communication, USB, SD card access, optical disc reading, and internal flash storage.[4] Starlet also manages security functions, including cryptography, ensuring the console remains secure even if the mainBroadway processor is compromised.[4] Hollywood includes hardware implementations ofAES[5] andSHA-1[6] to speed up Starlet's security functionality. Starlet communicates with Broadway via aninter-process communication mechanism and can reboot Broadway or provide it with executable code at any time.[3]