Embedded Processor Watch

Editor: Tom Halfhill

In This Issue:

• StarCore Reveals Its First DSP
• Microprocessor Forum 1999: Call for Proposals
• Industry Resources: Design Automation Conference
• New Embedded IC Announcements

StarCore Reveals Its First DSP

Like Texas Instruments and Analog Devices (ADI), the Motorola-Lucent alliance known as StarCore is betting on the Great Wide Hope: VLIW. StarCore's new SC140 is the third recent DSP architecture to apply long instruction words and a wide-issue core to the challenge of delivering more instruction-level parallelism.

In the latest high-end DSPs, function units and MAC pipelines are sprouting faster than new metropolitan area codes. The SC140 has 16 function units, including four MAC units that can execute 1.2 billion multiply-accumulate instructions per second at the core's target frequency of 300 MHz. In all, the fixed-point SC140 can execute six instructions per cycle -- equivalent to 10 basic operations -- for a blazing raw score of 3,000 MIPS.

But that's what it will take to compete with TI's popular 'C6x family and ADI's future TigerSharc line. Both DSP architectures use wide-issue cores and VLIW to raise parallelism to new heights -- er, widths. All three DSP architectures also bear some resemblance to the VLIW media processors from Philips and Equator, as well as to Intel's IA-64.

The SC140 is the first member of StarCore's SC100 DSP family. It's a core, not a chip; Lucent and Motorola will each design its own DSPs by adding on-chip memory, peripherals, and external buses. This dual-sourcing arrangement is another of StarCore's selling points, because virtually all DSP architectures tie customers to a single supplier. It doesn't necessarily mean that both partners will offer the same pin-compatible parts, however. Only the core architecture will be the same. Indeed, it's likely they won't compete against each other directly.

TI is the front runner in this contest, and not just because the company has the largest DSP market share. The 'C6x was the first high-end DSP architecture to use VLIW. It has been shipping for more than a year, and currently there are three fixed-point and two floating-point devices in the line. TI developed its tools in-house, with close collaboration between the compiler writers and DSP architects. It was the first DSP vendor to offer an assembly-language optimizer that's closely matched to the architecture. All this gives TI a significant lead that competitors are hard pressed to match.

Still, the SC140's shorter instructions should give it an advantage in code density over the 'C6x and TigerSharc DSPs. If StarCore's power-consumption projections are in the ballpark, the SC140 will be more suitable for mobile applications as well.

Microprocessor Forum 1999: Call for Proposals

MicroDesign Resources is now accepting presentation proposals for the 12th annual Microprocessor Forum, October 4-8, 1999, at the Fairmont Hotel in San Jose, California. All proposals must be received by June 1.

We will consider proposals from companies making announcements of new high-performance microprocessor technology. Presentations must include significant technical detail and include new information not previously disclosed. Microprocessors disclosed in detail for the first time will be given preference. Areas of interest include processors for PCs, processors for workstations and servers, embedded processors, DSPs, and programmable multimedia processors. All presentation proposals will be kept confidential. Proposals may be preceded or accompanied by appropriate nondisclosure agreements.

Microprocessor Forum is the largest, most important technical conference in the microprocessor industry. Attendees include professionals from computer and embedded application OEMs, component suppliers, semiconductor firms, and the financial community. Press coverage of Microprocessor Forum is extensive and worldwide. Press credentials are issued for over 150 journalists from media outlets ranging from the Wall Street Journal to CNN. For more information, go to: http://www.MDRonline.com/events/mpf/99call.html or mailto:halfhill@mdr.cahners.com.

Industry Resources: Design Automation Conference

There will be a special track on embedded systems at the 36th Design Automation Conference in New Orleans, June 21-25. Numerous sessions and tutorials will cover such topics as low-power system design, mixed-signal design, IP reuse, and system-on-a-chip issues. The festivities on Tuesday include a panel discussion entitled "Hardware and Software in Embedded Systems Design: Loveboat, Shipwreck, or Ships Passing in the Night," followed by two sessions of invited papers ("Network Embedded Systems: OS, Middleware, and Protocols" and "Software-Driven Architecture"). For more details, go to http://www.dac.com.

New Embedded IC Announcements

ST52x301 (ST Microelectronics): This DuaLogic microcontroller includes a four-channel A/D converter, an 8-bit timer, a 16-bit programmable prescaler, and an 8-bit fuzzy processor. Price: $3.30/1,000; samples: now; production: 3Q99. Call STM at 781.861.2650.

M16C/80 (Mitsubishi): a 16-bit microcontroller with a 10-channel, 10-bit A/D converter; an I2C bus; 128K of ROM; 10K of RAM; and 4-channel DMA. Price: $5.00/10,000; samples: now; production: 3Q99. Call Mitsubishi at 408.774.3189.