Product category:
Programmable Logic Devices
News Release from: QuickLogic | Subject: QL901M
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 18 October 2001
Processor and programmable logic come
together
QuickLogic's QuickMIPS ESP family combines a high-performance processor with fully characterised, application specific functionality and a field programmable fabric for flexibility.
New from QuickLogic is the QuickMIPS ESP family which combines a high-performance processor with fully characterised, application specific functionality and a field programmable fabric for flexibility and differentiation Unique built-in test features combine with an available reference design kit to deliver easy debugging and concurrent hardware and software design capabilities
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 20 Jun 2003 at 8.00am (UK)
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The first QuickMIPs device, the QL901M, is based on MIPS Technologies MIPS32 4Kc microprocessor core running at 133 to 175MHz, when built on 0.25-micron and 0.15-micron processes, respectively.
This new ESP family delivers the unique combination of guaranteed ASSP performance, an ASIC design flow and FPGA flexibility in a single system.
We expect this platform to reduce full system design times in such advanced applications as Internet routers, VoIP, access platforms for wired and wireless communications systems, telecommunications switches and industrial control applications.
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"By delivering a single chip that combines the guaranteed performance of an embedded processor system, the flexibility of our high-performance programmable logic and a complete design-support package, we believe it will give our customers a significant time-to-market advantage in an increasingly competitive marketplace", said Peter Feist, QuickLogic's vice president of worldwide marketing.
"We intend to deliver higher performance and advanced design products as we move from a 0.25-micron process on to 0.15-micron".
Completely verified and characterised functionality is key to QuickMIPS system performance.
At the heart of the embedded processor system is an optimised MIPS32 4Kc hard core with 16Kbyte of data and 16Kbyte of instruction cache.
The 32bit advanced high performance bus (AHB) with 16Kbit of SRAM allows access to and from both the processor and programmable logic to high performance functions: Two 10/100 Ethernet MACs, a 32bit 66/33MHz PCI, MMC (multifunction memory controller) and an interrupt controller.
A 32bit advanced peripheral bus (APB) gives access to four 32bit timers and two UARTs.
The high-performance programmable fabric totals 457,000 system gates, which includes 2000 logic cells, 83Kbit of dual-port SRAM and 18 embedded computational units (ECUs).
An extension of the APB and AHB on the programmable fabric gives users the freedom to customize their products, including the creation of math-intensive functions.
This allows easy instantiation of AMBA bus compliant soft IP, which saves designers time and enables them to focus on adding value.
The QuickMIPS design environment includes a reference design kit with drivers as well as the VxWorks and BlueCat Linux real-time operating systems and a QuickMIPS system model.
It also offers the first On-Chip Instrumentation (OCI) solution that makes possible integrated debug of the programmable logic fabric and the CPU.
In addition to the run control and debugging features accessible through the MIPS EJAG port, the device features a Configurable Logic Analysis Module (CLAM), which allows the user to trace and trigger on up to 128 specified internal nodes (32 at a time) within the programmable logic fabric.
Crosstriggering between CLAM and MIPS CPUs enables instructions to be stopped and traced back to the fabric, thereby speeding software-hardware codesign and coverification.
"Deciding whether to use a traditional programmable logic approach versus QuickMIPS is similar to choosing between soft IP and the preverified functionality of hard IP", said Lit Lam, senior director of marketing.
"In essence the soft IP can be compared to a 'some assembly required' tool that can take you days to finish.
Our product is delivered virtually complete so it is truly an 'out of the box' solution that requires minimal design by the user".
The QL901M is available now at $65 in quantities of 10,000.
The system design package also is available for $2500.
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