Flexibility is key to core design win

Micronas has licensed the MIPS32 24K family of processor cores.

Micronas has licensed the MIPS32 24K family of processor cores.

Micronas has been a MIPS Technologies licensee since 2002, when it licensed MIPS IP to develop SoCs for digital TV applications.

The company plans to use the MIPS32 4KEc and new 24Kc and 24Kf cores in both single- and multi-core chips for high-end set-top boxes (STBs) and digital TVs (DTVs).

These applications demand high-performance, low-power, future-proof solutions that enable advanced services, content and functionality, while reducing system cost.

The MIPS architecture has long been the de facto standard for STBs and DTVs.

The 24K core family, which became available earlier this year and set a company record for early licensing, is an ideal solution for performance-driven, cost-sensitive applications, especially those subject to unpredictable changes in standards and protocols.

As synthesisable cores, the 24K core family can be targeted by customers at various process nodes.

It offers the highest frequency available in a 32bit synthesisable core, giving SoC designers the headroom to implement more features and future upgrades with software flexibility, rather than rigid hardware.

In addition, MIPS cores offer designers the broadest industry support of OS, middleware, algorithms and tools to meet the challenges of the STB and DTV development environment.

One of the primary reasons Micronas chose the 24K core family is its standard, Open Core Protocol (OCP) interconnect structure, which accelerates time-to-market by enabling easy reuse of standard SoC IP.

Designers who choose to use OCP can easily integrate memory controllers, bus interconnects and other standardised peripherals through common on-chip interfaces.

"In the set-top box and DTV markets, ever-changing standards, better security features, and more functionality and services demand the exceptional performance, configurability and support that come with MIPS cores".

"With the 24K and 4KEc cores, Micronas will offer its customers highly competitive, cost-effective solutions", said Dirk Wieberneit, Vice President Product Development for the Consumer Division of Micronas.

"With the deployment of the 24K core family, Micronas once again demonstrates technological leadership, taking advantage of the industry's highest-performance microprocessor cores", said Jack Browne, Vice President of Worldwide Sales at MIPS Technologies.

"We are delighted to expand our relationship with Micronas, whose MIPS-based solutions further strengthen the MIPS architecture's number one position in the set-top and digital TV markets".

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