Core and memory combine for budget processing

MIPS Technologies and Virage Logic Corp have produced a fully routed design that they believe provides the lowest cost, lowest power processor available today at 333MHz.

MIPS Technologies and Virage Logic Corp have produced a fully routed design that they believe provides the lowest cost, lowest power processor available today at 333MHz.

The combination of the MIPS32 24Kc core's high performance and low power with Virage Logic's small footprint standard cell logic and memory IP results in an excellent choice for portable consumer and communication devices.

Using a MIPS32 24Kc core plus Virage Logic's Area, Speed and Power (ASAP) Logic High-Density (HD) libraries and ASAP Memory HD memories in a TSMC 0.13um process, the companies have produced a tape-out ready design for a 333MHz processor in 3.7mm2, consuming 166.5mW and delivering 480DMIPS performance - a 34% smaller core consuming 37% less power and delivering 20% higher performance than an ARM 1136J-S running at 333MHz.

Portable consumer applications - for which this combination is particularly well suited - will increasingly rely on Java-based applications.

The fully routed 24Kc core with Virage Logic libraries and memories delivers 2664 CaffeineMarks at 333MHz.

"The MIPS32 24Kc core delivers, we believe, the most outstanding combination of high performance, low cost, and low power of any core in the market", said John Bourgoin, MIPS Technologies' President and CEO.

"Virage Logic's memories and standard cells are the smallest, highest performance, lowest power available".

"With this combined technical advantage, designers benefit from the high performance while minimising power consumption and die size, extending battery life and reducing manufacturing costs".

"We think this is the best value proposition in the market today for portable consumer applications".

"We're very pleased with the impressive results of this collaborative effort", said Adam Kablanian, Virage Logic's President and Chief Executive Officer.

"Consumer devices now make up over half of the $1.3 trillion global electronics market, with portable consumer and communication products making up a growing part of that".

"The combination of MIPS cores and Virage Logic IP enables engineers to greatly reduce development and system costs, power consumption, design uncertainty and time-to-market".

"They come out ahead in the three areas that matter most - price, performance and power - and that provides a key competitive advantage".

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