SimpLight Achieves First LTE Modem Silicon Success Using Tensilica's Complete ATLAS Reference Platform

Update: Cadence Completes Acquisition of Tensilica (Apr 24, 2013)

Chip Ideal for Low Power Handsets and Tablets

SANTA CLARA, Calif. – February 21, 2013 –  Tensilica, Inc. today announced that SimpLight Nanoelectronics, Ltd. of China, has achieved first silicon success for their LTE modem chip SL3000 for low-power handsets and tablets. SimpLight used Tensilica’s ATLAS reference platform, which implements a complete, fully programmable modem subsystem for the LTE Layer 1 PHY.

“By using Tensilica’s LTE ATLAS reference platform, we were able to dramatically reduce our time to market and product development cost,” stated Min Liang, SimpLight’s vice president of R&D. “SL3000 is a multi-mode, multi-core SoC that could support 2G, 3G, 4G and other customized broadband baseband processing. This multi-core programmable platform, combined with Tensilica’s powerful vector DSPs and SimpLight’s proprietary high-performance, multi-threaded microprocessors, is the best balance between performance and power consumption. Our LTE solution based on SL3000 is ready for the IoT test organized by China’s MTNET, the official testing lab in China for mobile wireless communication.”

The ATLAS LTE reference platform is the first complete software-programmable solution for the 3GPP LTE layer 1 PHY. It uses Tensilica’s ConnX BBE16 DSP coupled with the ConnX SSP16 and ConnX BSP3 dataplane processors (DPUs) for efficient and programmable offload signal processing acceleration. ATLAS also benefits from Tensilica’s efficient implementation of the complex forward error correction algorithms in the ConnX Turbo16MS, a programmable offload accelerator that can handle multiple standards (3G, LTE, and WiMAX).

“SimpLight has been an excellent customer and partner and was able to produce this modem chip in record time,” stated Eric Dewannain, Tensilica’s vice president and general manager, baseband business unit. “Our LTE ATLAS Platform was instrumental in providing this low-power, dual-mode (CDMA/LTE) solution that should appeal to handset and tablet manufacturers.”

About SimpLight

Simplight Nanoelectronics, Ltd. is a fabless IC design company founded in Beijing, China, in 2006. SimpLight develops low-power programmable wireless communication baseband chips based on its proprietary 32-bit multi-threading RISC+DSP processors. The current available chip solutions are: the single chip solution for GSM/GPRS + GPS and the multi-mode LTE baseband modem solution. More information is available at simplnano.com.

About Tensilica

Tensilica, Inc. is the leader in dataplane processor IP cores, with over 200 licensees. Dataplane processors (DPUs) combine the best capabilities of DSPs and CPUs while delivering 10 to 100x the performance because they can be optimized using Tensilica’s automated design tools to meet specific and demanding signal processing performance targets. Tensilica’s DPUs power SOC designs at system OEMs and seven out of the top 10 semiconductor companies for designs in mobile wireless, telecom and network infrastructure, computing and storage, and home and auto entertainment. Tensilica offers standard cores and hardware/software solutions that can be used as is or easily customized by semiconductor companies and OEMs for added differentiation. For more information on Tensilica’s patented, benchmark-proven DPUs visit www.tensilica.com.