Product category:
Programmable Logic Devices
News Release from: XMOS Semiconductors | Subject: Software Defined Silicon
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 12 July 2007
Programmable silicon is made for
consumer designs
Software Defined Silicon aims to provide consumer electronics system designers with the unit cost advantage of SoCs and the flexibility of FPGAs.
XMOS Semiconductor is set to introduce an all-new type of programmable semiconductor technology The UK startup's "Software Defined Silicon" (SDS) aims to provide consumer electronics system designers with the unit cost advantage of SoCs and the flexibility of FPGAs
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 29 Nov 2007 at 8.00am (UK)
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Programmable devices sport 32bit RISC processors
XS1-G devices suit products requiring programmable flexibility and differentiation but which cannot support the relatively high cost of traditional programmable logic solutions.
Based on arrays of processors, SDS devices will allow system functions that would normally be implemented in hardware to be defined in software, unifying the design flow for software and hardware.
XMOS Semiconductor will be offering chips, software IP and development tools and its first product will be announced during Q1 2008.
According to James Foster, XMOS Semiconductor CEO: "There's a technology gap waiting to be filled in consumer electronic system design".
"Designers need to more strongly differentiate their products and react more quickly to rapid changes in technology standards or fashion".
"Existing SoC and FPGA solutions simply don't offer the right combination of flexibility and cost".
David May, XMOS Semiconductor CTO adds: "What are the options today?".
"An ASIC's NRE cost means it's too risky and expensive in all but the highest volumes".
"The rigidity of ASSP means design freedom is limited and real creativity is effectively strangled".
"Finally, FPGAs' high complexity in programming and cost of silicon prohibits their use in high-volume consumer electronics".
XMOS Semiconductor's event driven, multithreaded processor engine called XCore has been developed to deliver fast real time response and low silicon cost.
The integration of pin control within Xcore coupled with an intercore communication link named XLink will allow complete systems, including interfaces, to be implemented in software.
Product development uses a unified embedded software flow using C-based programming languages.
Headquartered in Bristol, UK, XMOS Semiconductor was founded in July 2005.
The founders include David May, Professor of Computer Science at Bristol University and James Foster, the former CEO of Oxford Semiconductor.
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