Newest Licenses Give KME Access to the Complete Line of MIPS Technologies’ 32- and 64-bit Industry-Standard Technology
TOKYO, Japan June 28, 2004 – MIPS Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: MIPS) and Kawasaki Microelectronics, Inc., a leader in advanced, affordable ASICs, announced today that Kawasaki Microelectronics (KME) has taken a license for the MIPS32® 24Kâ„¢ core family, the industry’s highest performing line of synthesizable processor cores for embedded applications.
KME will use its new licenses to develop a wide range of system-on-chip (SOC) solutions for the digital consumer, networking and office automation markets, where high performance is critical for systems companies looking to differentiate their end products. This new license adds to KME’s growing stable of MIPS-Basedâ„¢ processor cores. In February 2004, KME announced that it had licensed the 4Kâ„¢ and 4KEâ„¢ core families along with the M4Kâ„¢, 5Kc® and 5Kfâ„¢ cores and SOC-itâ„¢ system controller.
“The synthesizable 24K core with the enhanced MIPS32 architecture enables superior performance, including better interrupt processing that is required for high end embedded devices,†says Kyoichi Kissei, executive vice president of sales, marketing and logistics of Kawasaki Microelectronics. “Our customers can design high performance SOCs in short periods of time by leveraging our memory controller, security engine and PCI-Express with the 24K core. We’re looking forward to seeing results with our 24K-based products, which enhance our IP performance.â€
“By standardizing upon the MIPS architecture for advanced ASIC design, KME can leverage the industry’s most advanced microprocessor cores to develop highly differentiated SOC solutions,†said Jack Browne, vice president of worldwide sales at MIPS Technologies. “And, by taking a license for our latest product line – the 24K family – KME joins the growing list of industry leaders who are using the industry’s highest performing microprocessor cores. Our relationship with KME is growing quickly and we look forward to helping ensure the success of their MIPS-Based product lines within the Japanese semiconductor market.â€
About the MIPS32 24K Family
The 24K core family, which includes the 24Kcâ„¢, 24Kc Pro, 24Kfâ„¢ and 24Kf Pro versions, offers performance from 400 to 550 MHz (worst case) in a 0.13 micron process, the highest frequency available in 32-bit synthesizable cores for embedded markets, while minimizing design time and reducing product costs. Tailored SOC design methodologies, an Open Core Protocol (OCP) interconnect structure, standard libraries and on-chip memories from industry-leading companies help speed time-to-market, an important advantage for a processor core suited to embedded consumer applications such as digital and interactive TVs, set-top boxes and DVD players.
About Kawasaki Microelectronics
Kawasaki Microelectronics is the leader in advanced yet affordable ASIC semiconductor technology solutions. The company’s innovative core technologies and world-class design support are used in the consumer electronics, computer, office-automation, networking, wireless, and electronic-storage markets. Deployed worldwide, Kawasaki’s products enable customers to quickly introduce highly competitive solutions. The company is an active participant in industry standards organizations, including the Network Processing Forum (NPF), Optical Internetworking Forum (OIF), PCI Special Interest Group (PCI-SIG), USB Implementers Forum, MPEG Industry Forum (MPEGIF), Mobile Computing Promotion Consortium (MCPC), and the Digital Display Working Group (DDWG). Kawasaki has design centers in Boston, San Jose, Taipei, and Tokyo. For more information, contact the company at 408-570-0555, or visit its English-language web site at http://www.klsi.com/, its Japanese-language web site at http://www.k-micro.com/.
About MIPS Technologies
MIPS Technologies, Inc. is a leading provider of industry-standard processor architectures and cores for digital consumer and business applications. The company drives the broadest architectural alliance that is delivering 32- and 64-bit embedded RISC solutions. The company licenses its intellectual property to semiconductor companies, ASIC developers and system OEMs. MIPS Technologies and its licensees offer the widest range of robust, scalable processors in standard, custom, semi-custom and application-specific products. The company is based in Mountain View, Calif., and can be reached at +1 (650) 567-5000 or www.mips.com.
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MIPS, MIPS32 and 5Kc are registered trademarks in the United States and other countries, and 4K, 4KE, 5Kf, 24K, 24Kc, 24Kf and SOC-it are trademarks of MIPS Technologies, Inc. All other trademarks referred to herein are the property of their respective owners.