PHY cores cut design work on Flash management SoCs

Edited by the Electronicstalk editorial team May 5, 2006

Bitmicro Networks has chosen Synopsys' DesignWare physical layer cores for PCI Express and Serial-ATA (SATA) high-speed serial interfaces.

Bitmicro Networks has chosen Synopsys' DesignWare physical layer (PHY) cores for PCI Express and Serial-ATA (SATA) high-speed serial interfaces.

DesignWare PHYs are a part of Synopsys' industry-leading portfolio of connectivity intellectual property (IP).

These will be used by Bitmicro for the development of the company's Flash solid state disk drives.

Bitmicro's system-on-chip (SoC) designs will take advantage of the DesignWare PHYs' very low bit error rate and ultralow power consumption to help provide system OEMs and enterprise storage end-users with high performance, reliability and robustness for their mission-critical applications.

In order to get to volume production quickly with lower risk of integration errors, Bitmicro chose the silicon-proven DesignWare PHY cores for PCI Express and SATA interfaces.

Architected specifically for reuse in standard CMOS processes, these DesignWare PHYs are extensively validated through third-party compliance labs and plugfests and include the complete set of deliverables required for fast and easy integration.

The DesignWare PHYs tolerate process, voltage and temperature variations without compromising performance such as bit error rate, power and area.

This performance is backed by detailed silicon characterisation reports and PCI-SIG and SATA-IO compliance certification, giving companies like Bitmicro confidence that their end-products will properly interoperate with these industry standard interfaces.

"Bitmicro recognises the importance of working with a leading connectivity IP provider such as Synopsys, who can provide a broad portfolio of proven and compliant PHYs to help us achieve our time to market goals in the most cost-effective manner", said Rudy Bruce, Executive Vice President of Marketing and Sales at Bitmicro Networks.

"We expect this collaboration to result in the rapid development of reliable and ultra-low-power SoC solutions for our customers".

"The silicon-proven Synopsys PCI Express and SATA PHYs will help ensure that Bitmicro will be able to meet tight schedules for their Flash memory management products with PCI Express and SATA interfaces", said Guri Stark, Vice President of Marketing for the Solutions Group at Synopsys.

"DesignWare PHY IP helps to lower integration risk and give SoC designers predictable results in demanding, mission-critical applications like Bitmicro's in the industrial, embedded computing, medical, and aerospace industries".