Lucent adds TriMedia core for ICs in set-top boxes, home gateways

Lucent adds TriMedia core for ICs in set-top boxes, home gateways
By Semiconductor Business News
October 11, 2000 (8:55 a.m. EST)
URL: http://www.eetimes.com/story/OEG20001011S0004

ALLENTOWN, Pa. -- Lucent Technologies Inc.'s Microelectronics Group here today announced it has licensed a 32-bit very-long instruction word (VILW) processor core from TriMedia Technologies Inc. for use in system-on-chip designs. Lucent plans to offer the TM32 VLIW processor for embedded use in ICs aimed at residential gateways and set-top box applications.

"By licensing the TM32 VLIW core, we demonstrate our commitment to provide customers with the latest portfolio of high-performance embedded processor technologies to match their product needs," said Dave Favreau, director of client access products in Lucent Microelectronics.

Lucent said the TriMedia core expands its capability to support next-generation communications systems with programmable embedded processor technology. The company has also licensed RISC cores from Arm Ltd. of Cambridge, England, and it is using digital signal processor (DSP) engines jointly developed with Motorola I nc. under the StarCore alliance in Atlanta.

TriMedia, based in San Jose, will work with Lucent to implement the TM32 VLIW processor core in the company's COM2 0.18-micron process technology for system-on-chip designs. The offering will "help TriMedia-embedded system designers bring to market high performance, next-generation systems solutions more quickly," said Cees Hartgring, president and chief executive officer of TriMedia, which was spun out of Philips Semiconductors four months ago as an independent company.