to Feb 2010

NXP to ship sub-dollar Cortex-M0 MCUs through distribution: NXP has said its Cortex based MCU will be available from distributors in Dec. Cortex-M0 is a 12,000 gate-count core stripped down for low power consumption developed by ARM under the codename Swift. The LPC1100 will target battery applications, e-metering, consumer peripherals, remote sensors, and virtually all 16-bit applications. NXP has claimed that its LPC1100 is the lowest priced 32-bit microcontroller in the market and easier to use than existing 8- and 16-bit MCUs. The recommended pricing in 10,000 piece quantities for 33-pin packaged devices is between $0.65 and $0.95 flash memory sizes of between 8-kbytes and 32-kbytes. (EE Times)


Infineon takes ARM inside security chips: Infineon and ARM announced a long-term strategic collaboration in the field of security controllers (MCU) for chip card and security applications. Based on the agreement, Infineon will receive an ARMv6M and ARMv7M architecture license. Infineon will become the only ARM partner to have an ARM architecture license specifically for security applications. Infineon aims to have the first products in volume production by 2H11, initially targeting the Multimedia SIM cards mkt. (Reuters, EE Times)


Chungbuk Technopark Chooses ARM Cortex-M0 Processor SoC R&D Center in Chungbuk Technopark (CBTP) a non-profit local government foundation in Chungbuk Province, today announced that they have licensed the ARM Cortex-M0 processor. The licensing agreement will enable CBTP to accelerate innovation based on the Cortex-M0 processor for Korean start-up companies, and fabless companies currently designing MCUs based on 8- or 16-bit architectures (ARM).


ARM, Chartered, IBM, Samsung, and Synopsys Collaborate to Deliver Vertically Optimized Solution for 32/28nm Mobile SoC Designs In a move that addresses fundamental challenges in creating advanced SoCs, ARM today announced at the Design Automation Conference (DAC) an agreement to develop a comprehensive technology enablement solution for the design and manufacture of mobile Internet-optimized devices. The objective of this collaboration is to leverage innovations in material science, mobile multimedia implementation and SoC design to lower risk and improve time-to-market for advanced mobile products (ARM).


32-bit processor pushes deeper into 8-bit territory NXP’s 50-MHz ARM Cortex-M0-based LPC1100 microcontroller family represents the latest 32-bit challenge to 8- and 16-bit processors. The parts are available now with prices starting at 65 to 95 cents (10,000). The company claims that the EEMBC (Embedded Microprocessor Benchmark Consortium) CoreMark Benchmark measures 40 to 50% better code density for the LPC1100 than that of 8- and 16-bit microcontrollers. The 32-bit device’s improved code density may signal another round of refinement of the 8-bit-processing sweet spot; however, it may also reflect a 16- or 32-bit bias in the benchmark code (eetimes).


Renesas samples 45-nm ARM-based mobile apps processor Renesas Technology Europe has begun sampling the SH-Mobile APE4, a Cortex-A8 based application processor targeted at mobile phone and mobile device implementations. The processor is implemented in a 45-nm process and can be operated at a clock frequency in excess of 1-GHz, Renesas said. It includes the ability to process 1080 progressive-scan high-definition video recording and playback at 30 frames per second. To support 3-D graphics the device is equipped with a PowerVR SGX2 graphics engine, licensed from Imagination Technologies (eetimes).


ARM CEO says Intel unlikely to win major share of phone mkt: “I’m sure that Intel are going to get their Atom designed into a few handsets, it’s an inevitability,” ARM CEO Warren East said yesterday, adding that too many device manufacturers have invested in ARM technology used by chipmakers such as Qualcomm, TI and STM for them to be persuaded by Intel. In the same way, the attempts of Qualcomm and other chipmakers to get ARM designs into computers will likely fail to unseat Intel’s hold on that mkt, he said. “I don’t think ARM is going to take over the PC world from Intel, and I don’t think Intel is going to take the smart-phone world from ARM,” he said. The two chip designs are more likely to compete directly for orders from makers of other devices, such as TVs and cars, as they add internet connections to their products, East said. (Bloomberg


Cortex-M0 is fastest ARM sign-up: The Cortex-M0 which has just become the fastest licensed ARM core in history. The core which offers 32-bit performance in the footprint of a 16-bit processor, has been licensed by 15 companies since its launch in February this year. According to Dominic Pajak, product manager of the ARM Cortex-M0, almost half of the licensees are new to ARM. Of the 15 only five have so far been named: NXP, Triad Semiconductor, Melfas, Austriamicrosystems and the latest sign-up Chungbuk Technopark. Pajak said that there are more companies in the pipeline to sign licenses can some could be confirmed before the end of the year. NXP was lead partner on the development of Cortex-M0. (EE Times)


Qualcomm and ARM invest in interconnect IP solutions provider: Arteris, a interconnect IP solutions provider, announced today that it has raised the first tranche of a strategic investment round totalling $9.7m from a group of investors led by Qualcomm and including ARM. Keith Clarke, General Manager, Fabric IP, ARM said “We will work with Arteris to ensure that ARM® silicon partners have access to the broadest range of AMBA and multi-standard interconnect solutions. Our goal is to have the Arteris technology interoperate with AMBA protocol-based IP and so accelerate deployment of ARM processors in SoC designs.” (Bloomberg)


STM unveils ARM-based 3D-Ready STB IC: The new STi7108 is the first set-top box IC in the market to combine 3D graphics, Ethernet, USB and e-SATA interfaces to connect Internet devices, DVR storage or external Flash or hard-disk (HDD) drives. The STi7108 utilizes the ARM Mali-400 graphics processor, and is ble to decode video in industry-standard formats, including H.264, MPEG2, VC-1 or WMV9 Internet video, and MPEG4 part 2, up to high-definition resolutions 1080p 50/60 simultaneously with 1080i/720p picture-in-picture or mosaic formats. (STM, Bloomberg)


Marvell claims first quad-core ARM processor: Marvell Technology claims to have developed the world's first "quadruple" core processor based on the ARM architecture. Marvell's quad-core implementation can operate at above 1-GHz and has been designed for "high volume gaming applications" and other mass consumer applications. The quad-core is based on the same CPU architecture as Marvell's recently launched ARMada 500 and 600 processors. These are declared to be ARMv7 instruction set architecture processors but it has not been revealed whether they are based on Marvell designs from the ground up or on a core supplied as IP by ARM, such as the Cortex-A8 or Cortex-A9. The Cortex-A9 is an ARMv7 processor designed to support up to four-way multiprocessing. (EE Times)


CES: Lenovo shows hybrid x86/ARM notebook: Lenovo is launching a hybrid x86/ARM-based notebook just one day after announcing an ARM-based smartbook. The IdeaPad U1 supports both an X86/Windows 7 and a separate Linux environment running on an ARM processor. The Lenovo U1 is essentially a standard 3.8-pound notebook PC with a detachable 11.6-inch multi-touch screen that can act as a tablet using the ARM environment. Users will be able to switch between the Windows and Linux environments. They share common resources including the system's battery, 3G cellular modem, data and documents. (EE Times)


Intel on ARM/Atom “Pine Trail”: Intel VP Tom Kilroy in an interview didn’t seem too concerned with the threat to Atom-processor based netbooks by “smart books” built on the Snapdragon processor or ARM-based processors and running Linux. He notes that the early generation of netbooks were Linux based, but what people have mostly purchased were Windows-based hardware. He also notes that Intel has an improved 2nd-generation Atom processor, dubbed Pine Trail, launched in December, offering more competitive performance with the rival chips (TechTrader).


ARM-based CPUs will overtake x86 in ultra-mobiles in 2013, says ABI Research: While an estimated 90% of ultra-mobile Devices (UMDs) shipped in 2009 were based on an x86 processor architecture, the introduction of ARM-based systems introduces greater choice and differentiation for system vendors, according to ABI Research, which has forecast annual UMD shipments of netbooks, MIDs, smartbooks and UMPCs based on ARM instruction sets will overtake x86-based devices in 2013. The important netbook segment of the UMD market is now moving into its second generation, and a growing number of netbooks based on ARM platforms are now appearing in the market, helped by the perception that ARM-based systems are heavily oriented towards an "always connected" mode of operation. (Digitimes)