Toshiba Selects ARM Cortex-M3 Processor For Automotive Applications

July 16, 2007 -- ARM today announced Toshiba Corporation has licensed the high-performance, low-cost ARM® Cortex™-M3 processor. Through licensing the ARM Cortex-M3 processor, Toshiba will expand its portfolio of microcontrollers and solutions for the automotive controller market, where low power consumption and exceptional system response to interrupts, combined with computational performance and excellent code density are vital.

Increasingly, developers are migrating to 32-bit microcontrollers for high-response, critical control applications, such as those used in the automotive market. Additionally cost demands are forcing the consolidation of multiple applications onto a single device requiring higher performance than 8- or 16-bit platforms can offer, through automotive standard infrastructures such as AutoSAR (Automotive Open System Architecture) or JasPar (Japan Automotive Software Platform Architecture). The ARM Cortex-M3 processor with its high system performance, exceptional interrupt handling, integrated application security and full tools support is an ideal platform on which to develop a wide array of deeply embedded applications.

“The automotive controller market is deploying increasingly complex applications on microcontrollers while demanding increased safety certification and improved code reuse. The open nature of the ARM platform and tools, coupled with specific safety-robust IP, enables us to deliver the solutions our customers are demanding for the next generation of vehicles.” said Yutaka Murao, Senior Fellow, System LSI Division, Semiconductor Company, Toshiba Corporation. “The performance, interrupt handling, and application security capabilities of the Cortex-M3 processor makes it the ideal platform on the numerous other changing demands of the automotive marketplace.”

“Our latest agreement with Toshiba demonstrates the continued momentum the ARM Cortex-M3 processor is having in the automotive market as our top silicon Partners accelerate the delivery of microcontrollers based on the ARM architecture to meet the demands of leading automotive manufacturers and OEMs,” said Graham Budd, executive VP and general manager, Processor Division, ARM. “Our Partners are looking to accelerate the delivery of highly competitive, 32-bit ARM processor-based products into the volume automotive and microcontroller markets. The Cortex-M3 processor, along with the industry’s leading tools ecosystem, makes this transition to higher performance and more safety-critical applications more efficient and cost-effective.”

The ARM Cortex-M3 processor, which significantly improves memory utilization while delivering industry-leading power and performance in a small RISC core, delivers the means to accelerate the migration of thousands of applications around the globe from legacy components to 32-bit microcontrollers. The ARM Cortex-M3 processor combines multiple breakthrough technologies that enable chip vendors to deliver devices at extremely low costs, while achieving outstanding performance of up to 1.25DMIPS/MHz in a complete processor of fewer than 40,000 gates. This design also integrates a number of tightly-coupled system peripherals to achieve the exceptional system response needed to manage future generations of critical control tasks.

About ARM

ARM designs the technology that lies at the heart of advanced digital products, from wireless, networking and consumer entertainment solutions to imaging, automotive, security and storage devices. ARM’s comprehensive product offering includes 16/32-bit RISC microprocessors, data engines, graphics processors, digital libraries, embedded memories, peripherals, software and development tools, as well as analog functions and high-speed connectivity products. Combined with the company’s broad Partner community, they provide a total system solution that offers a fast, reliable path to market for leading electronics companies. More information on ARM is available at http://www.arm.com.