Reconfigurable processor spawns three specialists

Imsys Technologies has released a new family of its single-chip-system architecture at the Microprocessor Forum in San Jose.

Imsys Technologies has released a new family of its single-chip-system architecture at the Microprocessor Forum in San Jose.

Making use of the reconfigurability of the IM3000.x architecture, the company launched three new versions optimised for different applications.

Each version has application specific soft peripherals, optimised for the wired and wireless network applications.

The Imsys technology has three distinct advantages.

Its reconfigurable architecture allows new peripheral functions to be synthesised and downloaded as microcode.

Its field programmable microcoded architecture, allows the creation of custom instruction sets well suited for the mobile and data communications applications.

This results in very efficient, low power operation.

One version has been configured to execute Java byte code and does so with unprecedented efficiency.

TCP/IP acceleration and encryption acceleration are included in the existing configuration libraries.

The IM3100 addresses the 802.11 wireless VoIP handset and terminal market with an integrated narrowband baseband controller, Skype voice codec, LCD controller, media and touch screen user interfaces.

The IM3300 enables the design of an optimised GPS positioning unit for fleet management applications.

The GPS baseband processor is implemented along with a number or serial and parallel I/O ports for communication to local sensors and the communications unit.

The unit also incorporates an Ethernet controller.

The IM3900 is a general purpose version that brings connectivity and Java together for embedded applications.

This configuration constitutes a very efficient platform for program execution in assembly code, C and especially for Java.

Ethernet and a multitude of other serial channels are available to provide a platform for communications protocol conversions.

The IM3900 implements a full Sun Microsystems certified Java ME-CLDC configuration.

"Configurability offers huge benefits for many embedded systems", says Jim Turley, the owner and Principal Analyst of Silicon Insider.

"I think that customers will be pleasantly surprised at the advantages of these chips".

The processors will begin sampling November.

Prices range from $12 to $15 in 10,000-unit quantities.

The pricing includes licences for software included in the basic chip configurations.

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