SUN UNVEILS ITS FIRST JAVA PROCESSOR;
MICROJAVA701 LOOKS TO POST INDUSTRY'S HIGHEST
CAFFEINEMARKS
SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 15, 1997--Today at the
Microprocessor Forum, Sun Microsystems, Inc. (NASDAQ:SUNW) will make
a technology disclosure of its first JavaChip(TM) processor, the microJava(TM)
701(TM).
The first in the microJava 700 series processors from Sun, the microJava 701 will
be optimized for native Java(TM) code execution while also supporting C/C++
code, thereby facilitating the industry's migration from C/C++ code to Java. Sun's
internal preliminary benchmark results indicate that the microJava 701 should
deliver 13,332 embedded Caffeinemarks as measured by the well-known
CaffeineMark 3.0 benchmark and 200 Dhrystone MIPS on C programs as
measured by the Dhrystone 2.1 MIPS benchmark. An Overview of microJava
701
The microJava 701 is being designed to deliver the best price/performance ratio
for the native execution of Java-centric applications. The microJava 701 will
integrate system functionality on-chip, eliminating the need for external ASICs. At
the heart of microJava 701 will be an enhanced core, picoJava(TM) 2.0. The
second in a family of JavaChip cores from Sun, picoJava(TM) 2.0 is a new
high-performance core that will be optimized for native Java code execution,
while providing solid C code execution. This bridge strategy is designed to meet
the needs of wide-ranging applications transitioning from legacy code to a Java.
The picoJava 2.0 microarchitecture will feature a six stage pipeline and extensive
instruction folding. This instruction folding allows up to four instructions to be
combined for execution in a single clock cycle, improving the performance of all
types of code. "Java is gaining unstoppable momentum throughout the industry,
especially in emerging information acc ss devices including consumer electronics,
communications systems and industrial systems," said Raj Parekh, vice president
and general manager of Sun Microelectronics' Volume Products Group. "Through
both our designs and strategic relationships, we intend to offer an entire family of
Java processors and licensable cores that address the price/performance needs of
the emerging Java information appliance industry."
"We're encouraged by Sun's commitment to developing a family of picoJava
cores," said Kozy Kubota, NEC Semiconductor Group. "The unveiling of
picoJava 2 is a clear illustration of Sun's commitment to developing a range of
scalable cores for the Java centric market." "We stand to benefit from the
technology resources Sun has put behind the picoJava 2 core," said Sun Choi,
Managing Director, Media Processor Venture, L.G. Semicon. With its superior
performance of Java code, design flexibility, low system level cost and ability to
execute C code, the microJava 701 is being designed to suit a range of
high-volume, Java-centric applications in the enterprise, communications and
consumer markets. The microJava 701 is aimed at early adopters in the Java
market in the intranet and extranet arenas such as industrial automation,
point-of-sale, terminal replacement and information kiosks.
The Technology Details The microJava 701 is being designed to allow developers
to rapidly and cost-effectively develop systems. To this end, the memory
controller and I/O bus controller are being integrated onto the device. This not
only lowers overall system cost, but conserves power and increases reliability.
The memory controller will offer the choice of a 32-bit or 64-bit wide data
interface, and a choice between one or more cost-effective EDO DRAM or
higher-performance SDRAM. It also supports SRAM, ROM and Flash memory.
The PCI controller will be compliant with the 2.1 interface standard. In addition, a
local bus supports low-cost 8/16/32-bit slave I/O peripherals.
The microJava 701 will utilize a 32-bit picoJava 2.0 core. It will contain both an
Integer and Floating-point unit as well as 16KB instruction and 16KB data
caches. The microJava 701 will be manufactured in a 0.25 micron CMOS
process and has a target frequency of 200 MHz. The design is targeted to be fully
static and use a 2.5 volt core and 3.3 volt I/O supply. Estimated power
dissipation is about four watts assuming a 200 MHz core using a 33 MHz PCI
bus and a 66 MHz memory bus. Die size is estimated at 50 square millimeters.
Overall transistor count is estimated at 2.8 million. The chip will be packaged in a
316 pin plastic ball grid array (PBGA). Availability
Sun expects to be in volume production with the microJava 701 by the second
half of '98. Details on pricing will be released closer to the time of availability.
About Sun Microsystems
Since its inception in 1982, a singular vision, "The Network Is The
Computer(TM)" has propelled Sun Microsystems, Inc. (NASDAQ:SUNW) to
its position as a leading provider of hardware, software and services for
establishing enterprise-wide intranets and expanding the power of the Internet.
With more than $8 billion in annual revenues, Sun can be found in more than 150
countries and on the World Wide Web at sun.com . Note to Editors:
Sun, the Sun logo, Sun Microsystems, Java, microJava, microJava 701, picoJava
and The Network Is The Computer are trademarks or registered trademarks of
Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the United States and other countries.
Press announcements and other information about Sun Microsystems are
available on the Internet via the World Wide Web at sun.com . |
