ARM Expands Foundry Program With Addition Of Core and PrimeXsys Platform
TSMC and UMC license the ARM926EJ core into ARM Foundry Program
CAMBRIDGE, UK – Oct. 9, 2003 –ARM, [(LSE:ARM);(Nasdaq:ARMHY)], the industry's leading provider of 16/32-bit embedded RISC microprocessor solutions, today announced at the FSA Expo, San Jose, Calif., that is has expanded the offerings available through the ARM® Foundry Program to include the ARM926EJ™ core, the ARM926EJ PrimeXsys™ Platform and the Embedded Trace Macrocell™ module. These products are combined into the ARM926EJ Prime Starter Kit which OEMs and fabless semiconductor companies can license directly from ARM. By establishing this combined licensing model for the first time, ARM is now able to offer OEMs and fabless design houses access to the first Jazelle® technology-enabled ARM core along with a platform for accelerating designs to market.
Leading semiconductor foundries Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) and United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC), (NYSE: UMC) will be the first two foundries to offer the ARM926EJ core through the ARM Foundry Program.
The ARM926EJ core features ARM Jazelle technology providing optimum Java byte code execution performance with low-power consumption. The core has an MMU feature for enhanced virtual memory support to run popular, complex Open operating systems, such as Symbian OS, Windows CE, Linux, Palm OS and QNX. The core also includes advanced system architecture features such as fixed 16K instruction and data caches, interfaces to configurable instruction and data Tightly Coupled Memory (TCM) and an integral AMBA™ 2.0 AHB interface with separate instruction and data AHB masters for optimum performance in a multi-layer AHB system. The ARM926EJ core is ideally suited to support designs in the wireless, portable, broadband, networking, storage, and automotive telematics and infotainment markets.
The Embedded Trace Macrocell (ETM9) real-time trace module, is capable of instruction and data tracing inside a core and is an integral part of the ARM RealView® development tools.
The ARM926EJ PrimeXsys Platform is the best possible starting point for any ARM926EJ core-based design and will reduce the development time cost and risk of any first-time design.
Through the combined licensing of the ARM926EJ core, the PrimeXsys Platform and the Embedded Trace Macrocell module, fabless design houses and OEMs will be able to shorten their design cycles and have the flexibility to achieve end-product differentiation.
"Today's announcement demonstrates our continued commitment to the Foundry Program as it marks the first time we have combined the licensing of a core with the PrimeXsys Platform to fabless Partners," said Kevin Smith, Foundry Program manager at ARM. "The availability of the PrimeXsys Platform integrated with the Foundry Program core deliverables enables fabless design houses to accelerate their design time through a channel that fits their needs. It also means our fabless Partners will have access to a greater level of ARM Intellectual Property (IP) at an appropriate entry point while having a manufacturing route offered through two of the world's leading pure-play foundries."
With the combination of the ARM926EJ core, the PrimeXsys Platform and the Embedded Trace Macrocell module, ARM is able to offer OEMs a new level of choice and support when designing ARM core-based devices for a wide range of applications. By licensing the ARM926EJ core as part of its Foundry Program, TSMC and UMC are able to provide a valuable channel to designers targeting products based on one of ARM's most successful cores, the ARM926EJ microprocessor, which has been licensed to more than 26 Partners since its launch in June 2001. |
