Oki Semiconductor Announces µPLAT[tm] Integration Platform

IP News Oki Semiconductor Announces µPLAT[tm] Integration Platform

January 31, 2000, Sunnyvale, Ca - Oki Semiconductor today becomes the first company to offer a true ARM-based System-on-a-Chip (SOC) solution with the introduction of its µPLAT[tm] ("Micro-plat") integration platform. µPLAT[tm], which offers an ARM processor and a pre-verified peripheral sub-system, can be combined with embedded DRAM core, to enable telecomm and datacomm equipment manufacturers to develop custom ICs in up to 50% percent less time than with conventional ASICs. With this announcement, Oki also becomes the first company to incorporate ARM's new higher-speed Advanced High Performance Bus (AHB) in its platform design.

Ideal for communication applications, including W-LANs, cable modems, xDSL, VoIP and Internet appliances, µPLAT[tm] contains an ARM processor, cache RAM, memory controller, and other standard functions on an integration platform. It is packaged with hardware and software design tools, prototyping aids and services to streamline the design effort. In addition, Oki has established a corporate wide IP infrastructure based on a multi-million dollar corporate partnership with Cadence Design Systems to extend µPLAT[tm]'s value to meet market demands.

The system-level integration (SLI) ICs opportunity is huge. Major ASIC vendors are looking for ways to simplify the SLI design cycle. As forecasted by market research firm Dataquest Inc., SLI designs - either in ASIC or in application-specific standard product (ASSP) form - will grow world-wide from about $17 billion this year to $45 billion by 2003. Jordan Selburn, principal analyst of Dataquest's ASIC/SLI and Semiconductor IP service, predicted SLI will fuel the growth of the cell-based IC market as MPUs, DRAMs, and other intellectual property (IP) blocks are integrated on-chip.

"As the industry progresses into the very deep-submicron era, the current re-usable IP core approach has not solved the requirement for faster time-to-market," said Shusaku Sumida, Vice President, Integration marketing, Oki Semiconductor. "Offering an existing pre-designed logic sub-system and concurrent software debug and development tools, µPLAT[tm] radically streamlines the system design and development process. µPLAT[tm], the first in a family of integration platforms for the communications industry, highlights Oki's ability to deliver reliable, leading-edge telecomm and datacomm products that enhance our customer's technological leadership and provides a competitive edge in their markets."

The announcement of µPLAT[tm] demonstrates Oki Semiconductor's ongoing commitment to deliver advanced IC solutions to support the era of "converged networks" - evolving digital network systems that transmit data, voice and video.

µPLAT[tm] Product Specifics

µPLAT is a framework for system development based upon a silicon logic platform and a hardware support platform. The silicon platform consists of a high-speed ARM7TDMI 32b RISC CPU core typically running at 110MHz, the AMBA-AHB bus interface, 8KB of unified cache, external memory controller, and functions for timer, interrupt controller, and serial I/O.

Oki will support software / middleware service routines that are ported to the platform, such as device drivers, power management software, interrupt manager, resource manager, debug monitor and real time operating systems (RTOS). The hardware support platform provides an ARM-compliant software development toolkit, including a complete emulation and debug environment using a hardware development system.

Additional features and benefits of µPLAT[tm] include:

Simple test interface - Eliminates complicated internal platform verification process
Flexible external memory controller - Supports ROM/flash, external or embedded SDRAM
8KB-unified cache - Improves execution time for critical real-time code
0.25µm 5LM-CMOS - Low power, high performance process including embedded SDRAM
Power control - Place in power down mode, is suitable for hand-held applications
Interrupt Controller - Takes advantage of ARM and allows fast interrupts
Support for ARM's Advanced High-Speed bus or AMBA Peripheral bus for external IP plug-and-play
Extensive IP Core Library - Oki will offers a large family of external AHB-compliant IP cores, including USB1.1, 10/100 Ethernet IEEE802.3 MAC and PCI, IEEE1394, and Bluetooth
Prototype development system - Enables concurrent software development with an on-board FPGA

Oki will continue to expand the µPLAT[tm] ASIC platform for further high-end performance application. The µPLAT[tm] roadmap includes ROM based and ARM9 based versions in a variety of Oki leading-edge process technologies.

Development Support System Pricing and Availability

Oki is currently accepting µPLAT[tm]-7C based ASIC designs.

µPLAT[tm]-7C test bench, chip model, and 7C core simulation model (HDL/VHDL) are available now.
µPLAT[tm]-7C evaluation chip in 420BGA will be available in April 2000 for $100.00.
µPLAT[tm]-7C prototype evaluation board will be available in April 2000 for $3000.00.
ARM Development Interface Board is available now for $2000.00.
SDT2.5 Software Development Tool Kit is available now for $2000.00.

Click here for a block diagram which illustrates a Modem application combining Oki's µPLAT[tm] with user's logic via the AMBA AHB bus to create a System-on-a-Chip (SOC).

Oki's ASIC Products

Oki Semiconductor's family of very deep submicron (VDSM) ASICs meets the industry's need for high-performance, low-cost system-level solutions, fueling the transition to system-on-a-chip (SOC) designs. Oki's ASICs are developed using a innovative platform-based approach, which enables higher levels of productivity, reduced cycle time and lower development risk through the sharing and re-use of intellectual property (IP) blocks. Oki's ASIC devices are ideal for a wide range of next-generation applications, including networking/wireless communications, multimedia and computer peripherals. The company offers Embedded DRAM, Sea of Gates (SOG), Customer Structured Array (CSA), and Cell Based product families in leading-edge Si-gate CMOS processes.

About Oki Semiconductor
Building on Oki's century-long commitment to communications technologies and markets, Oki Semiconductor designs and markets a broad line of advanced integrated circuits for telecommunications, network, automotive, computer, and consumer products. Oki's product lines include telecommunications, RF, laser, networking, speech synthesis, ASIC, microcontroller, and memory devices, offered in a variety of creative packages. Founded in 1977 and headquartered in Sunnyvale, Calif., Oki Semiconductor is a division of Oki America Inc., which is a subsidiary of Oki Electric Industry Co, Ltd. Oki has ISO-9000-certified manufacturing facilities in Japan and Thailand. Information on Oki Semiconductor and its products is available through its Web site at http://www.okisemi.com.

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ARM[tm] is registered trademark of ARM Ltd., 2000.