New DSP On The Block
by David Gilbert
Introduction
We are beginning to see the fruits of a joint development agreement between Intel and Analog Devices that was announced just over two years ago. On December 5, 2000, a press release announced the introduction of the Micro Signal Architecture, which is targeted at portable communications applications. What sets this DSP architecture apart from others already on the market?
As we pass from the era of embedded systems to the SoC-dominant "post-embedded" era, we find that an increasing number of applications demand high-performance chips that are easy to program and consume less power. This is, in part, due to the increasing popularity of battery-powered mobile wireless devices that demand high integration and quick time-to-market.
Barriers To Entry
SoC designs require a supply of diverse design expertise, and this is achieved most expediently by a collaboration among existing entities. In this case, the DSP proficiency of Analog Devices, coupled with the embedded microcontroller and manufacturing knowledge of Intel, led to a mutually beneficial product. But the market for these devices is not devoid of competition—in this case Texas Instruments—so how is the Micro Signal Architecture to survive as a "green recruit" in a war that has been going on for years?
It is apparent from the end result that the joint development effort has put some forethought into this issue. For example, the pledge to create an architecture that is easy to program indicates that not only is time-to-market a concern, but also acceptance of the new product is in the eye of its beholder. A betting man would also wager in favor of the "goodwill" of the Intel and Analog Devices brand names. This could translate into market share that an unknown startup could not access "out of the starting gate."
Also to be considered is the focus on a specific market segment—the deeply embedded mobile device—that is growing rapidly and has "room" for a new "player." The requirements in this arena (low power consumption coupled with a high-output processor) are clear, and the joint development is concentrated squarely on these necessities.
What Is It?
The Micro Signal Architecture, at its heart, consists of a 16-bit fixed-point DSP core, with Dynamic Power Management capabilities and advanced programming tools that enable as much as 80% of the code to be done in C/C++. Dynamic Power Management, which alters the core speed and voltage, appears similar to Intel's advanced features for mobile processors in the laptop PC market. In addition, the instruction set of this new DSP architecture is tuned to manipulate multimedia data.
Conclusion
Both Intel and Analog Devices will be developing products independently with this architecture, and these products will be compatible at the assembly and binary levels. These manufacturers are working to gain support of many third-party developers with regard to RTOS software and other tools and accessories, and the "pay-off" should be a good one, measured in market share and product sales.
However, the results of this joint development effort show a crucial point about the technology industry as a whole. What we can learn from the existence of this joint development is that small startup companies are not the only ones responsible for innovation and bold ideas. Sometimes the "establishment" can bring something new to the table.
chipcenter.com
+++++++++++++++++=
No happy times around here anymore:( Thanks for the posts Scrapps. I ran across an interview with Josenthan (SSB) in the Feb. '01 issue of Ind. Investor mag. Basicially, why he turned sour on semi stocks before everyone else. He did mention that he was "lukewarm" on ADI (no other semi stocks were even being considered). Will try to post a better summary later today, when I'm home.
Jim |
