Embedded Processor Watch

Senior Editor: Tom Halfhill

In This Issue:

• ARM Wrestles picoTurbo in Court
• QED's RM7000A Gets Faster, Cooler
• Tidbits: Motorola Licenses M-Core to Japanese
• Tidbits: Patriot Scientific Design Win -- Caliper Pig
• Search Microprocessor Report Online!
• Industry Resources: Embedded Processor Forum June 12-16
• Industry Resources: Microprocessor Forum Call for Proposals

ARM Wrestles picoTurbo in Court

By Tom R. Halfhill

PicoTurbo, a two-year-old startup based in Milpitas, Calif., has a new twist on ARM: a family of embedded-processor cores that's compatible with the ARM architecture. Indeed, the cores are apparently too compatible for ARM, which has filed a patent-infringement lawsuit against picoTurbo in U.S. District Court in San Jose.

ARM alleges that picoTurbo infringes three of ARM's U.S. patents. One patent describes shadow registers that temporarily store the contents of data registers during exception processing. The other two patents are related to ARM's Thumb instructions -- a subset of the normal 32-bit instruction set that uses 16-bit instruction words for greater code density. PicoTurbo maintains that its cores do not infringe on ARM's patents, because they either don't perform the patented functions or perform similar functions in different ways, with an independently designed "clean room" microarchitecture.

PicoTurbo's pT-100, pT-110, and pT-120 cores are based on a similar design with several variations. Like the ARM9, they are 32-bit uniscalar RISC processors with five-stage pipelines and fully static cores. To address different segments of the market, picoTurbo removed some elements from the pT-110 to produce the lower-end pT-100, and it added some features to produce the higher-end pT-120. But even the pT-100 retains a 32-bit Wallace-tree multiplier, a separate Thumb decoder, a 32-bit barrel shifter, and power-management logic.

It's easy to see why ARM is giving picoTurbo the cold shoulder. Millions of dollars are at stake for both companies. ARM feels compelled to defend its hard-won market share against an invader that is undercutting its license fees and royalties. PicoTurbo stands to gain a lucrative chunk of the market by riding the coattails of the popular ARM architecture. We don't expect this case to be settled anytime soon. (The full version of this article is available online to Microprocessor Report subscribers at http://www.MDRonline.com/mpr/h/2000/0417/141601.html).

QED's RM7000A Gets Faster, Cooler

By Tom R. Halfhill

Squeezing more life out of a four-year-old core, Quantum Effect Devices (QED) is producing a new version of its 64-bit MIPS-compatible RM7000 processor in a 0.18-micron process from TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.). The new RM7000A will run up to 50% faster (450MHz) while consuming 66% less power (2.8W) than its predecessor. QED will soon follow with the RM7000B, which uses 0.15-micron transistors on the same-size die, boosting clock frequencies to 500MHz.

Samples of the RM7000A are available now at 400MHz, with production scheduled for 3Q00. QED plans to produce a 450MHz part in 4Q00. By then, the company hopes to have samples of the 500MHz RM7000B, which will enter production in 1H01. In contrast, today's fastest RM7000 runs at 300MHz and consumes 7.5W. (The full version of this article is available online to Microprocessor Report subscribers at http://www.MDRonline.com/mpr/h/2000/0403/141405.html).

Tidbits: Motorola Licenses M-Core to Japanese

Motorola has licensed its M-Core embedded-processor architecture to Yamaha and a Japanese university consortium, VDEC (VLSI Design and Education Center). Yamaha says it intends to use M-Core microcontrollers in mobile phones, portable game consoles, mobile multimedia terminals, and home networking equipment. The academic license to VDEC allows as many as 170 undergraduate-engineering programs at Japanese universities to use M-Core in academic designs.

Tidbits: Patriot Scientific Design Win -- Caliper Pig

Computer & Audiotechnik (Dortmund, Germany) has chosen Patriot Scientific's PSC1000 processor (see Embedded Processor Watch #44, http://www.MDRonline.com/epw/issues/epw_44.html) to use in the data recorder of a pipeline-inspection tool. C&A is designing the data recorder for Analytic Pipe GmbH, a German pipeline service company, which will integrate it into a tool known as the Caliper Pig. For more information: http://www.ptsc.com/.

Search Microprocessor Report Online!

Microprocessor Report subscribers can now search the full text of current and previous articles and departments on the Cahners MicroDesign Resources Web site. Seven years of back issues are online. Just go to http://www.MDRonline.com/ and log on with your password. If you don't have a password yet, use the subscription information on the back cover of your monthly newsletter and log on today.

Embedded Processor Forum: June 12-16

Registration is now open for the Embedded Processor Forum, which will be held June 12-16 at the Fairmont Hotel in San Jose. Vendors will introduce more than 20 new embedded processors, and analysts will present six full-day technical seminars. Embedded Processor Forum will give you the in-depth technical information you need to make winning embedded-design decisions. Due to high demand, we expect registration to fill up quickly. To get more detailed information about the forum and registration, visit the Cahners MicroDesign Resources web site at http://www.MDRonline.com/EPF or call 800.527.0288 or 408.328.3900.

Microprocessor Forum Call for Proposals

Cahners MicroDesign Resources is accepting presentation proposals for its thirteenth annual Microprocessor Forum, October 9-13, 2000, at the Fairmont Hotel in San Jose, California.

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.

Your abstract must be submitted electronically to: mailto:mpfprogram@mdronline.com

Deadline for proposals is June 1, 2000.

All presentation proposals will be kept confidential. Proposals may be preceded or accompanied by appropriate non-disclosure agreements. For more information, go to http://www.mdronline.com/mpf/call.html.