LSI Logic introduces ZSP500 - the ultimate open architecture DSP engine for multimedia and communication applications

• Now available for licensing, ZSP500 packs the best-in-class combination of performance, code-density and debug capabilities 
• Offers highest level of signal processing performance among licensable DSP cores available today
• Solution partners provide tools and application software to speed time-to-market

MILPITAS, Calif., September 23, 2002 – Extending the portfolio of its popular open architecture ZSP™ digital signal processor (DSP) cores, LSI Logic Corporation (NYSE: LSI) today introduced the ZSP500 (www.zsp.com/zsp500.html) the industry's highest performance DSP for consumer multimedia and mobile applications. Based on the ZSP second-generation G2 superscalar architecture, the ZSP500 provides designers a powerful DSP platform with the best power and cost over performance combination in its class. 

"The current market requirements in consumer and wireless applications call for a low power and low cost DSP solution, yet maintaining the highest level of performance possible," said Will Strauss, president of market research firm Forward Concepts. "Code density is an important design criterion in the selection of embedded processors since memory size directly drives system cost that is critical in high-volume applications. LSI Logic hits the market sweet spot with the ZSP500 and raises the bar in this application space."

Architectural innovations of the ZSP500 include an eight-stage pipeline, scalable program and data paths, and user-configurable memory architecture, enabling clock speeds of up to 400 MHz in 0.11-micron technology. The addition of a richer instruction set produces better code density and a more efficient execution of key algorithms, resulting in the highest level of signal processing performance among licensable DSP cores available today. 

The ZSP500 provides customers with unprecedented customization, time-to-market and cost advantages compared to conventional digital signal processors. It includes the most extensive embedded debugging capabilities for a DSP processor in its class, plus real-time profiling and an optional Embedded Trace Module (ETM) for advanced in-system multiprocessor hardware and software debugging. The ZSP500 core also allows designers to incorporate customized instructions for their target application. Customers can differentiate by adding their own acceleration logic onto a highly programmable, multi-processor platform for advanced multimedia and communications applications such as GPRS, CDMA2000, MPEG-4 and WLAN 802.11. The ZSP500 is available for use in LSI Logic's exciting new RapidChip™ (www.rapidchip.lsilogic.com), semiconductor platform for fast SoC designs. 

"We've had tremendous success with the original ZSP superscalar architecture, licensed by Broadcom, IBM, Conexant and other market leaders," said Tuan Dao, vice president of the LSI Logic DSP Products Division. "This core further strengthens the ZSP family and extends our offering to cover applications from low-end audio, voice-over-IP to high-end wireless and telecommunications infrastructure. The ZSP DSP family is the only solution in the market available as licensable IP cores, ASIC cores and standard products. The ZSP digital signal processor is a mature and proven technology. Customers can be confident they're on the path to winning in the market."

The ZSP500 has been recently profiled in a detailed technical report available from Berkeley Design Technologies Inc. (BDTI), a leading independent provider of DSP processor analysis and consulting services. Based on the results of their industry-standard BDTI Benchmarks™, BDTI has given the ZSP500 a BDTIsimMark2000™ score of 2570 at 325 MHz. [1] Their evaluation shows that the ZSP500 has class-leading speed. The BDTI report credits the ZSP500's speed to its remarkable flexibility:

"The ZSP500 is a remarkably flexible architecture; for example, most ALU operations can execute on any of three ALUs, and can use any data registers as operands. In addition, most ZSP500 operations support both 16- and 32-bit data, which gives the ZSP500 better support for 32-bit precision than most DSP processors. The C-style operations are also notable, as they should improve compiler performance." [2]

The complete report on the ZSP500 is available now directly from Berkeley Design Technologies at http://www.BDTI.com/products/reports_zsp500.html.

LSI Logic's leading ZSP Solution Partners program supports the ZSP500, comprising the broadest third party application and software portfolio in the licensable DSP market, as well as by the LSI Logic ZOpen™ development framework, simplifying code development and integration. In support of the ZSP500, Green Hills Software, First Silicon Solution and a number of application software providers will be offering a suite of tools and application-specific solutions to speed time-to-market. 

About LSI Logic Corporation
LSI Logic Corporation (NYSE: LSI) is a leading designer and manufacturer of communications, consumer and storage semiconductors for applications that access, interconnect and store data, voice and video. In addition, the company supplies storage network solutions for the enterprise. LSI Logic is headquartered at 1621 Barber Lane, Milpitas, CA 95035, http://www.lsilogic.com.

[1] The BDTIsimMark2000™; is a summary measures of DSP speed distilled from a suite of DSP benchmarks developed and independently verified by BDTI. Visit http://www.BDTI.com/bdtimark/BDTImark2000.htm for more information.

[2] Excerpted from Inside the LSI Logic ZSP500, published in 2002 by BDTI. This excerpt should not be construed as an endorsement of any product. Contact info@BDTI.com for more information.

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