Embedded Processor Watch

Editor: Jim Turley

In This Issue:

• Mentor Scores IBM PowerPC Cores
• NEC Multiplies V830 Media Performance
• iReady Internet Tuner Picked Up by Toshiba, Seiko
• Industry Resources: Embedded Chips Play in Las Vegas
• Industry Resources: Palm Computers Under the Palms
• New Embedded IC Announcements

Mentor Scores IBM PowerPC

Tool-vendor Mentor Graphics has acquired a license to sell two of IBM's embedded PowerPC processor cores to its ASIC customers. Beginning next year, Mentor customers will be able to design ASICs using the PowerPC cores. Previously, PowerPC-based ASICs were possible only through IBM's own semicustom business.

Mentor offers the PowerPC 401 and 405 cores. The 401 is a simple, low- end core first announced in 1997 that appears in IBM's inexpensive 401GF processor chip. The 401GF chip runs at under 100 MHz and sells for less than $15 in quantity.

The PowerPC 405 is a new core, first announced by IBM at Embedded Processor Forum last month (see Embedded Processor Watch #18). The 405 is a relatively high-performance core, for clock speeds of 200 MHz and up, with additional multiply-accumulate (MAC) features.

IBM's deal with Mentor highlights a growing trend toward making cores directly available to chip designers, not just semiconductor foundries. Last week, MIPS Technologies made a similar announcement, revealing a roadmap for synthesizable cores that will be licensed directly to major hardware developers. ARM, too, has recently begun licensing synthesizable versions of its ubiquitous ARM7 design. Clearly, the industry trend points downward, shifting design decisions away from the semiconductor vendors and into the hands of product developers.

NEC Multiplies V830 Media Performance

At Embedded Processor Forum last month, NEC unveiled the V830R, a new DSP- and media-enhanced member of the V830 family of microprocessors. The new V830R is compatible with NEC's existing V830 and V831 chips but adds extensive DSP and media-processing capabilities through a new 64- bit SIMD (single-instruction, multiple-data) execution unit.

While many CPUs have received SIMD retrofits in recent years, NEC's approach is slightly different. The V830R uses a VLIW-like mechanism to issue one integer and one SIMD instruction per cycle. In contrast, Intel's StrongARM-1500 provides a separate SIMD coprocessor with its own thread of control, while Pentium/MMX dynamically schedules SIMD and regular instructions in each cycle.

The V830R can perform up to four 16-bit or eight 8-bit operations in parallel. It handles multiply-accumulate (MAC) and a few other specialized operations, such as absolute value of the difference of two operands. Saturating arithmetic and unbiased rounding are also supported. Choreographing the simultaneously issued SIMD and integer instructions will prove a challenge for programmers, who will likely be forced to work in assembly language for maximum performance.

NEC expects first silicon by the end of this year. The 3.6-million transistor chip will come in a 208-pin PQFP and is projected to dissipate 1.3 W at 200 MHz using split 2.5/3.3-V supplies in NEC's 0.25- micron, four-layer-metal process. [Thanks to Jeff Bier, BDTI --ed.]

iReady Internet Tuner Picked Up by Toshiba, Seiko

Two companies have announced their first products based on the Internet "tuner" from iReady (see Microprocessor Report 10/6/97, p. 14). Toshiba and Seiko Instruments have both demonstrated working silicon that incorporates iReady's hardware-only networking stack: an interface chip and an LCD display, respectively.

Toshiba's sample Internet tuner is a general-purpose Internet interface device with an x86 bus to a host processor, an SRAM interface, serial and parallel ports, and a keyboard controller, all in a 208-lead PQFP package. Samples are available now for 2,000 yen (about $17).

Seiko is integrating the iReady technology a little more closely with its products. The company will produce a family of LCD display modules with the iReady tuner already integrated. Seiko plans a family of small, text-only displays with an integrated network stack and a second line of larger, quarter-VGA (320 x 240) panels with network, e-mail, and Web functions.

Both licensees, as well as iReady (http://www.ireadyco.com), believe that these products will first appear in digital cellular telephones, possibly as early as next quarter. Although iReady's approach to Internet connectivity is certainly unusual, at least some major companies seem willing to gamble on it.

Industry Resources: Embedded Chips Play in Las Vegas

Where else but Las Vegas for the 1999 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), which rolls into town January 7-10. The four-day exhibit and conference will spotlight digital cameras, PDAs, home networks, aftermarket automotive electronics, entertainment, mobile communications, and more. More than 1,500 exhibitors and 80 sessions will be sprawled over the Convention Center and three hotels. Howard Stringer, chairman of Sony Electronics and John Chambers, CEO of Cisco Systems, will provide the keynote presentations.

Registration is free before 12/18, or $75 thereafter. For more information, or to register, visit http://www.CESweb.org.

Industry Resources: Palm Computers Under the Palms

Fans of 3Com's small wonder will want to attend the second annual Worldwide Developers' Conference for Palm Computing, which comes to the Santa Clara (Calif.) Convention Center December 1-4. Exhibits will be interspersed with technical and commercial presentations and seminars.

More information is available at http://www.palmdevcon.com.

New Embedded IC Announcements

AT90SC3232C (Atmel) Microcontroller for smart cards has 8-bit AVR core, 32K flash memory, 32K EEPROM, and 1K of SRAM; with cryptography protection. Price: $4.20/100,000; Samples: Now; Production: 1Q99; Call Atmel at 408.441.0311.

AT89SC1616A (Atmel) Microcontroller for smart cards has 16K flash memory, 16K of EEPROM, and 512 bytes of SRAM; upgrade from AT89SC168A controller. Price: $2.80/100,000; Production: Now; Call Atmel at 408.441.0311.

PCI9610 (PLX) Bus-master PCI interface chip for MPC8260 processor handles 64-bit, 66-MHz PCI; compatible with CompactPCI how-swap requirements. Price: $49/100; Samples: Now; Production: 1Q99; Call PLX at 408.328.3562.

IMP60xA (IMP) Power-management supervisor chips are compatible with Maxim parts, have watchdog function, 4% voltage accuracy, active-low reset. Price: $1.60/1,000; Production: Now; Call IMP at 408.434.1467.

IMP802x (IMP) Power-management supervisor chips are compatible with Maxim parts, have watchdog function, 2% voltage accuracy, active-low reset. Price: $1.85/1,000; Production: Now; Call IMP at 408.434.1467.