STMicroelectronics Launches Lowest Cost Integrated SoC Solution Targeting Wireless-Infrastructure Signal-Processing Applications

GreenSIDE chip combines 2x Quad MAC 600MHz DSP Cores, ARM 926 300MHz RISC Core, 16-Mbit embedded SRAM, and dedicated coprocessors for 2.5G and 3G standards

GENEVA, Feb. 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- STMicroelectronics today announced availability of a cost-effective, System-on-Chip device that targets applications in wireless infrastructure equipment. Called GreenSIDE, the new chip combines two quad-MAC ST140 DSP cores, a standard ARM926-EJS RISC processor core providing a total of 29000 Mops, 7500 Mips, 4800MMacs/s, 16Mb of embedded SRAM memory, dedicated Turbo Decoding Engine (TDE) for Data error correction, and Convolutional Decoding Engine (CDE) for Voice error correction for 2.5G and 3G standards, with a complete set of high-performance peripherals. GreenSIDE was defined in co-operation with leading wireless-infrastructure manufacturers to outperform the existing 2.5G and 3G baseband modem solutions. The new IC represents a major initiative by ST to reduce costs and increase performance in the wireless infrastructure market.

The challenges faced by the original-equipment manufacturers providing solutions for the 2.5G and 3G base-stations are to implement the latest releases of the third-generation partnership program (3GPP) standard while offering a dramatic cost reduction of the complete system.

The combination of introducing new functions and providing aggressive cost reduction can only be achieved through the super integration of DSP Cores, MCU Cores, memories, and other specific modules into a single chip (System-on-Chip or SoC). Modularity, IP design reuse, aggressive time-to-market, and software re-usability are key to getting successful SoC platforms roadmaps.

Fabricated using ST's 130nm high-performance CMOS technology, GreenSIDE architecture being fully modular, can be easily and quickly customized with the addition or removal of peripherals or logic blocks to increase its efficiency in certain specific customer applications.

As a highly-integrated baseband modem solution, GreenSIDE offers a unique opportunity to significantly reduce the overall cost/channel and cost/MIPS. Indeed, GreenSIDE is demonstrating an outstanding channel density at the industry's lowest cost/channel.

The Turbo Decoder Engine (TDE) and the Convolutional Decoder Engine (CDE) are fully-compliant hardware accelerators of the required channel-decoding algorithms specified in the 3GPP and 3GPP2 specifications. Capable of decoding voice and data channels for the WCDMA, CDMA2000 and EDGE standards, both coprocessors are tightly coupled to the on chip direct memory access (DMA) to accelerate the data transfer. The CDE can decode up to 256 AMR (Adaptive Multi-Rate) voice channels. The TDE can decode up to eight 384Kbps data channels.

STMicroelectronics provides a full set of libraries that implements the EDGE modem as well as the WCDMA modem up to release 6. The CDMA2000 modem will be available shortly.

STMicroelectronics also provides a complete set of development tools around the GreenSIDE product, to evaluate the performance, and to develop, debug, and integrate Application Code on the chip via an ARM/DSP environment, providing multi-Core Development/Debug capabilities.

Sample devices and evaluation boards are available today. Volume production will start mid-2005. With pricing in the range of $1 per channel, the Greenside platform is expected to outperform any existing solution on the market.

About STMicroelectronics

STMicroelectronics is a global leader in developing and delivering semiconductor solutions across the spectrum of microelectronics applications. An unrivalled combination of silicon and system expertise, manufacturing strength, Intellectual Property (IP) portfolio and strategic partners positions the Company at the forefront of System-on-Chip (SoC) technology and its products play a key role in enabling today's convergence markets. The Company's shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange, on Euronext Paris and on the Milan Stock Exchange. In 2004, the Company's net revenues were $8.76 billion and net earnings were $601 million. Further information on ST can be found at http://www.st.com.