Toshiba takes a 32bit RISC on MIPS

Edited by the Electronicstalk editorial team Feb 16, 2001

MIPS Technologies has licensed 32bit processor technologies to Toshiba for use in developing innovative solutions for the digital consumer and automotive embedded processor markets.

MIPS Technologies has licensed 32bit processor technologies to Toshiba for use in developing innovative solutions for the digital consumer and automotive embedded processor markets.

Toshiba has licensed the MIPS32 4Kc core and taken a MIPS32 instruction set architecture license upon which Toshiba will develop a new TX19 series of products, offering Toshiba's CISC customers a migration path from 16bit CISC to a 32bit RISC environment.

Toshiba will target high-performance digital consumer applications, such as digital still cameras, digital video cameras, digital video devices and CD-ROM drives.

Target applications in the automotive market include engine controls that improve performance and efficiency, air bag controls to ensure the highest levels of passenger safety and other automotive body electronics controls.

MIPS Technologies and Toshiba have been providing system solutions based on the MIPS architecture in various embedded applications for more than 10 years.

These latest licensing agreements represent a significant opportunity for Toshiba to increase its market share in large volume embedded markets.

"Toshiba already has an extensive technology licensing agreement for MIPS Technologies' market leading 64bit processor technology", said Brian Knowles, MIPS Technologies' vice-president of marketing.

"These new agreements broaden the relationship providing Toshiba with synthesisable solutions that feature complete compatibility with the MIPS32 architecture and the full spectrum of software and development tools that go along with it".

To help solve the memory shortage problems for deeply embedded applications requiring large memory to support advanced features, MIPS Technologies has enhanced the code compression features of its MIPS16 architecture.

Currently, many OEMs are using 8 and 16bit CISC microcontrollers.

However, with growing demands on processors for higher performance at low power consumption, OEMs need a migration path to 32bit processor technology.

The new MIPS-based TX19 series will provide a 32bit solution as the first step on this path, along with other processors Toshiba will develop using its MIPS Technologies architecture license.