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To: patrick tang who wrote (18365)	5/5/1999 3:22:00 PM
From: Moonray	Respond to of 25814

More: SandCraft, Inc. Announces Processor Core Optimized for Consumer Multimedia Applications in Post-PC Era BUSINESS WIRE - 11:02 a.m. May 05, 1999 Eastern Enhanced Floating-Point Architecture and Vector3D(TM) Media Instructions Ideal For Advanced Digital Set-Top Boxes and Game Platforms SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 5, 1999-- SandCraft, Inc. today announced the SR1-GX(TM) microprocessor core, the second product in the SR1 family of computing engines designed to power advanced consumer electronics systems. The SR1-GX core implements new floating-point instructions that can be used to accelerate three-dimensional (3D) geometry processing and delivers optimal performance in processor and system-on-chip designs for new information appliance products, including advanced digital set-tops boxes and game platforms. SandCraft announced earlier this week (May 3) that the SR1-GX core architecture has been licensed to LSI Logic Corporation. The SR1-GX core is based on a two-way, superscalar pipeline architecture and incorporates a powerful new floating-point unit. The processor is capable of 1.6 GFLOPS of floating-point performance and integer performance of 800 Dhrystone 2.1 MIPS when operating at a 400 MHz clock rate. SandCraft estimates that when implemented in a 0.18um process, the core will range in size from 21-29 mm2 in size, including 32K bytes of on-chip cache and floating point unit, with power dissipation of less than 1.4W at 1.8V supply voltage. "SandCraft's customers have set demanding requirements for next-generation electronics products, which include cable or satellite-ready set-tops with advanced interactive multimedia capability," said Norman Yeung, president and chief executive officer of SandCraft. "The SR1-GX processor provides industry-leading floating point and integer performance for compute-intensive 3D graphics geometry processing and audio decode and synthesis. We deliver this performance in a small, low-power core that can be readily integrated into feature-rich, single-chip designs." SandCraft Vector3D(TM) SandCraft's Vector3D(TM) technology implements new instructions, defined with input from 3D graphics architects and advanced set-top box system designers. These instructions are used in conjunction with IEEE 754 compliant floating-point instructions to perform Single-Instruction-Multiple-Data (SIMD)-type operations on two single-precision floating-point data values simultaneously. For example, the SR1-GX is capable of processing two floating-point multiply-add instructions per cycle, enabling up to 1.6 GFLOPs of performance at 400 MHz. The Vector3D instructions also allow efficient mixing of vector and scalar computations and the ability to stream data into and out of the caches more efficiently. Audio processing functions, such as audio decode and synthesis, can also benefit from SR1-GX's high floating-point performance. Vector3D technology and other enhancements to the SR1-GX core extend the performance leading architecture that SandCraft first introduced in October 1998. The SR1 core family is based on the MIPS IV(TM) instruction set architecture, with extensions that SandCraft develops in close cooperation with its customers. The architecture utilizes a dual-issue, superscalar pipeline that supports out-of-order instruction dispatch and execution by up to six independent functional units, resulting in improved parallel operations and faster overall throughput. The architecture also implements highly efficient dynamic branch prediction, non-blocking load/stores and cache data pre-fetches. The on-chip caches can be configured in size and set-associativity for flexibility. SandCraft processor cores implement the MediaLink(TM) Bus, a 64-bit, bi-directional on-chip interface that supports independent functional units, such as customer-defined DSP or vector units. On the SR1-GX core this bus operates at the processor pipeline frequency of 400 MHz, providing bandwidth of up to 3.2 Gbytes/sec. It is the interface to the enhanced floating-point unit that implements the Vector3D media instructions. The new core also implements 16 high-performance Integer Multiply and Multiply-Accumulate instructions, resulting in enhanced digital signal processing (DSP) capability that supports speech and image processing, soft-modem, and other functions. Access to SandCraft Cores To achieve the highest possible performance and integration, the SR1-GX and other SandCraft cores are made available as ASIC hard macros, conforming to the design rules of customer-specific process technologies. SandCraft works closely with its customers, including leading semiconductor suppliers and electronic system OEMs, to integrate the core with any customer-specific logic and other intellectual property. The SR1-GX core will be available to SandCraft customers in mid-1999. Pricing, which includes both a license fee and royalty payments, is dependent on specific configuration and integration requirements, and related to total volume of systems products shipped. SandCraft, Inc. is the developer of Engines for the Digital Age(TM), advanced RISC computing engines that are licensed as complete, verified-functionality discrete microprocessor or processor core designs to semiconductor manufacturers and other electronics firms. Founded in June 1996, the company applies its expertise in CAD tool development, microprocessor architecture and implementation, and technology integration to create and deliver microprocessor and system-on-a-chip solutions. Copyright 1999, Business Wire o~~~ O