Product category:
Intellectual Property Cores
News Release from: MIPS Technologies
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 21 February 2002
MIPS and Toshiba team up to develop
64bit core
Toshiba and MIPS Technologies are to jointly develop a next generation 64bit microprocessor (the TX 99) based on an enhanced MIPS core (codenamed Amethyst).
Toshiba and MIPS Technologies are to jointly develop a next generation 64bit microprocessor (the TX 99) based on an enhanced MIPS core (codenamed "Amethyst") Toshiba's TX99 is intended to be the highest performance standard for 64bit embedded microprocessor products and will give semiconductor and system OEMs the highest performance available for cost- and power-sensitive embedded applications, such as automotive telematics, office automation, multimedia home gateways, digital consumer products and networking
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 23 Feb 2001 at 8.00am (UK)
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"We are delighted to undertake this joint-development project with MIPS Technologies", said Katsuji Fujita, corporate vice president of Toshiba Corporation and executive vice president of the System LSI Division at Toshiba's Semiconductor Company.
"The opportunities offered by this joint development will allow us to realise the earliest introduction of the industry's highest performing embedded microprocessor and provide our customers with differentiated technical support in the RISC microprocessor and RISC embedded SoC businesses.
In response to increased demand for system support from customers, Toshiba, as a system solution provider, will further reinforce its system and software support capabilities.
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As the result of Toshiba's and MIPS Technologies' strong commitment to promote this microprocessor, we have already seen two TX99-based SoC design wins, for automotive telematics and office automation applications.
We expect to cement our leadership in the SoC business by providing state-of-the-art TX99 products as well as platform and software support".
"The TX99 products will feature the MIPS-3D ASE (application specific extension) for efficient execution of multimedia tasks by future digital consumer products.
This will allow Toshiba to offer the best solutions in the emerging digital consumer market.
We plan to advance the operating frequency to over 1GHz", said Toshinori Moriyasu, general manager of Microprocessor Division at Toshiba's Semiconductor Company.
ArTile Microsystems, a wholly owned subsidiary of Toshiba America Electronic Components, will also join this programme.
Tomohisa Shigematsu, CEO of ArTile, said: "ArTile already develops application specific standard products and SoCs based on the TX79 core, and TX99 is positioned to succeed this as an enhanced microprocessor core.
Using our scalable design methodology, we will provide our customers in the USA with standard products and custom SoC solutions based on TX99 core with full-scale technical support".
"The joint development effort with Toshiba and MIPS Technologies will leverage the strengths of each company to develop industry-leading products", said John Bourgoin, chairman and CEO of MIPS Technologies.
"All of Toshiba's and MIPS Technologies' customers will benefit from the result of this collaboration, and we anticipate this venture will open up new markets for our respective companies".
"The Amethyst core will give systems designers the highest performance available in licensable IP for 0.10-micron process technology and beyond, while offering low-power characteristics and low overall product cost", said Derek Meyer, vice president of worldwide field operations at MIPS Technologies.
"It will meet the requirements of the most demanding embedded applications and be fully compatible with our 32bit architecture and cores, giving customers a seamless migration path to 64bit processing".
Development tools and applications software will be available from numerous third-party suppliers, including Algorithmics, Green Hills Software, Mentor Graphics, Microsoft, MontaVista, Red Hat and Wind River.
In addition, the MIPS Alliance Programme (MAP) supports the availability of critical hardware and software such as 802.11, Bluetooth, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, audio algorithms, ATM (asynchronous transfer mode), VoIP and networking protocol stacks.
Toshiba will support development of custom RISC embedded SoCs for applications in such areas as automotive, networking, office automation and digital consumer products, fully using technology knowhow cultivated in the joint development of the TX99 microprocessor.
Toshiba will launch its initial product in the first quarter of 2003 and bring a TX99-based general microprocessor to market by the end of 2003.
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