Embedded Processor Watch

Editor: Jim Turley
Sr. Editor: Tom Halfhill

In This Issue:

• V850E To Be Part of TI's ASIC Library
• Japanese Patriots Go ShBoom
• Industry Resources: Forum Starts in Two Weeks
• Industry Resources: Mars, Venus, and Now Jupiter
• Industry Resources: EEMBC Benchmarks Available for Beta Use
• New Embedded IC Announcements

V850E To Be Part of TI's ASIC Library

NEC's little-known V850 family (see Microprocessor Report 3/30/98, p. 8) will make the move to 0.18-micron processing this year, and will also gain a second licensee. Texas Instruments will be only the second company, after Lucent, to license the 32-bit processor from NEC.

TI will initially build the devices in its 0.21-micron process, with 0.18-micron version coming late this year. The company suggested that disk drives are the major market opportunity for the new core, supplementing TI's own DSP cores, which are already popular among disk- drive makers. The availability of an additional source for the core may make the V850 architecture more attractive to the makers of such high- volume, low-margin equipment.

At the same time, NEC has announced plans to upgrade its own ASIC library with a 0.25-micron version of the V850E core. Currently, NEC's ASIC customers can get the V850E in 0.35-micron process, where it reaches a top speed of just 66 MHz. The 0.25-micron, 2.5-V version should achieve 100-MHz clock rates, according to NEC. Availability is scheduled for June.

Japanese Patriots Go ShBoom

Patriot Scientific, the San Diego-based developer of the PSC1000 (nee ShBoom) microprocessor, has licensed the design to Japan's Venture SystemLSI Assist Center. VSAC is a government-funded body formed to assist Japanese technology startups. In return for a one-time licensing fee to Patriot, VSAC can distribute the PSC1000A core to its members. As with Sun's recent deal (see Embedded Processor Watch #37) royalties are due only when--or if--chips reach production.

The PSC1000A (see Microprocessor Report 4/15/96, p. 1) is a stack-based processor originally designed for aeronautic applications. Patriot found that Java compatibility has more cachet than Forth compatibility and recast its part as a "Java ready" chip. Since its announcement in 1996, Patriot (http://www.ptsc.com) has upgraded the PSC1000 to 100 MHz and developed a soft version of the core. The chip has had some success, but has been overshadowed by Sun's PicoJava developments (for those who are interested in Java performance) or more mainstream 32-bit microprocessors (for those who are not).

IIndustry Resources: Forum Starts in Two Weeks

Don't read the news about embedded chips late, filtered, and uninteresting. See and hear it first hand, direct from the source. Mingle with the industry's leading lights and mix with your colleagues (or competitors). The second annual Embedded Processor Forum starts in just two weeks at the Fairmont Hotel in downtown San Jose (Calif.).

On tap are 19 new chip and chip-technology announcements from two dozen big names in the microprocessor industry: Motorola, Intel, Texas Instruments, Sun, Hitachi, MIPS, Sony, and many more. Most announcements are first-time world premiers.

Monday evening's welcome reception will be hosted by MIPS Technologies, and Tuesday evening's banquet is sponsored by ARM. Full press facilities are provided courtesy of ARC Cores. Tuesday evening also features three "birds of a feather" sessions open to all Forum attendees, focusing on Java acceleration, embedded benchmarks, and a first-hand survey of embedded engineers.

Monday and Thursday feature special full-day seminars from industry analysts Jim Turley, covering embedded microprocessors and trends, and Jeff Bier, speaking on DSP processors. Both seminars are nearly sold out, so prompt reservations are suggested.

For a complete conference program, including announcements, panels, affinity sessions, receptions, seminars, and other events, check out http://www.MDRonline.com/epf or call 800.527.0288.

Industry Resources: Mars, Venus, and Now Jupiter

Men, women, and Internet researchers will want to read "Consumer Internet Economy," a "book-length study" from Jupiter Communications. The report is billed as a strategic blueprint covering successful revenue models, revenue projections for online advertising, online content, and ways to capitalize on the growing Internet economy.

Copies of the report are available directly from Jupiter (New York) at $3,494 per copy. For more information, or to order, contact Jupiter at 800.488.4345 or http://www.jup.com.

Industry Resources: EEMBC Benchmarks Available for Beta Use

The EDN Embedded Microprocessor Benchmark Consortium (EEMBC) is licensing beta copies of its benchmark suite to compiler and real-time operating system vendors. Licensees can use the code suite to tune their software products to better execute the benchmarks. Microprocessor vendors (that are not already EEMBC members) may also license the benchmark code to evaluate possible optimizations. Because the EEMBC benchmarks are derived from embedded applications, optimizations should be applicable to real-world performance.

For more information, contact Markus Levy at (El Dorado Hills, Calif.) 916.939.1642 or visit http://www.eembc.org.

New Embedded IC Announcements

CS4294 (Cirrus Logic) Single-chip AC97 codec combines two A/D channels, stereo mixing for three inputs, and 18-bit D/A channels in a 48-pin TQFP package. Price: $3.50/10,000; Production: Now; Call Cirrus at 512.912.3587.

AD9803 (Analog Devices) CCD and video-signal processor features 18-MHz CDS, low noise PGA with 0- to 30-dB gain range, operating from a 3-V power supply. Price: $7.50/1,000; Production: Now; Call ADI at 800.262.5643.

AD859x (Analog Devices) Single-supply amplifier offers +/- 250 mA output, 5-V/uS slew rate, 3-MHz gain bandwidth; in a variety of packages. Price: $1.56/1,000; Production: Now; Call ADI at 800.262.5643.

AD260 (Analog Devices) Five-line digital isolator with on-board power transformer, 5-V digital logic signals, 3,500 Vrms, 1-W uncommitted power transformer. Price: $12.50/1,000; Production: Now; Call ADI at 800.262.5643.

AD6121, AD6122 (Analog Devices) CDMA receiver/transmitter pair operate at 10 mA, 3 V, consuming 11 mA; in a 28-lead SSPO package. Price: $4.75/1,000; Production: Now; Call ADI at 800.262.5643.

Si3038 (Silicon Labs) DAA is compliant with AC97 2.1 specification, provides direct interface for V.90 soft modems; in 16-pin SOIC package. Price: $6.50/10,000; Production: Now; Call Silicon Labs at 512.502.8223.

CS5180, CS5181 (Crystal) Delta-sigma 16-bit analog/digital converters with 93-dB S/N ratio, 8-kHz to 400-kHz output rates, integral low-pass and anti-alias filtering. Price: $12.50/1,000; Production: Now; Call Crystal at 512.912.3877.