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Tensilica Introduces Fastest, Lowest Power Linux Processor Core

Posted on: Tuesday, 21 February 2006, 09:00 CST

Tensilica(R), Inc. today introduced the Diamond Standard 232L processor core, the lowest power processor capable of running the Linux operating system on the market. With more features, better performance and lower power dissipation than the ARM926EJ-S, Tensilica's Diamond Standard 232L stands ready to take over new system-on-chip (SOC) designs requiring Linux support.

"Linux has quickly become one of the most popular operating systems for embedded applications," stated Steve Roddy, Tensilica's vice president of marketing. "With our Diamond Standard 232L processor core, we enable designers to develop new systems with significantly reduced power requirements -- essential for handheld mobile applications."

With MontaVista Linux Support

Tensilica has teamed with MontaVista Software to provide a version of MontaVista Linux Professional Edition optimized for the Diamond Standard 232L core. This industry-leading, comprehensive embedded operating system and cross development environment provides modern OS real-time functionality, multi-processing and multi-threaded execution with extensive bundled software components including rich networking and graphics. For more details, see www.mvista.com/products/pro/.

Linux Ready MMU Combined With Strong DSP Support

The Diamond Standard 232L was designed specifically for Linux applications, with a fully functioned MMU (memory-management unit), and includes dual 16K, 4-way associative instruction and data caches. The Diamond 232L also includes a strong basic set of digital signal processing instructions including MAC16, MUL16, min/max, sign extend, and NSA (normalized shift amount) instructions. This combination makes the Diamond 232L a very versatile CPU capable of running both complex control applications and mid-range signal processing workloads.

Superior Power-Performance Balance

Compared to the ARM926EJ-S processor core, the Diamond 232L consumes less power (delivering longer battery life in handheld applications), while delivering superior general purpose performance (1.3 Dhrystone MIPS per MHz). And with a physical size less than half that of the ARM926EJ-S, the Diamond 232L costs much less to fabricate.

Based on Proven Xtensa ISA

The entire Diamond Standard family is based on Tensilica's proven Xtensa processor architecture, which is poised to become the number two licensable processor core architecture in the market based on 2006 volume shipments. The Xtensa architecture is a post-RISC-style architecture with native 32-bit data types (operands and ALUs) for the baseline 80+ instructions. Compact 24-bit/16-bit instruction encodings and the ability to do modeless switching between them reduces power consumption and produces 25% to 50% higher code density than standard 32-bit architectures. Register windows for efficient procedure switches provide high performance with low power. The base Xtensa ISA also provides powerful branch instructions and complex bit manipulations.

AMBA AHB Interface Available

All Tensilica Diamond Series cores are available with either the native high-performance Tensilica PIF processor interface, suitable for bridging to any on-chip bus (e.g. OCP, CoreConnect) or with an AMBA AHB-Lite interface. SOC designers therefore can choose any common on-chip bus and leverage existing infrastructure and peripheral component sets.

Availability

Tensilica's new Diamond Standard family of processors is available now either direct from Tensilica, or from a roster of ASIC and foundry partners also announced today. See separate news release, or see www.tensilica.com for more details.

About Tensilica

Tensilica offers the broadest line of processor cores on the market today, with the six new members of the Diamond Standard processor family plus an infinite number of Xtensa configurable processor possibilities for customers requiring optimized, application-specific solutions. Tensilica's low-power, benchmark-proven processors have been designed into high-volume products at industry leaders in the digital consumer, networking and telecommunications markets. Tensilica also provides industry leading automated tool support for its processor families. For more information, visit www.tensilica.com.

Editors' Notes:

-- Tensilica and Xtensa are registered trademarks belonging to

Tensilica Inc. All other company and product names are

trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective

owners.

-- Tensilica's announced licensees include Agilent, ALPS, AMCC

(JNI Corporation), Astute Networks, Atheros, ATI, Avision, Bay

Microsystems, Berkeley Wireless Research Center, Broadcom,

Cisco Systems, Conexant Systems, Cypress, Crimson

Microsystems, ETRI, FUJIFILM Microdevices, Fujitsu Ltd.,

Hudson Soft, Hughes Network Systems, Ikanos Communications, LG

Electronics, Marvell, MediaWorks, NEC Laboratories America,

NEC Corporation, NetEffect, Neterion, Nippon Telephone and

Telegraph (NTT), NVIDIA, Olympus Optical Co. Ltd., sci-worx,

Seiko Epson, Solid State Systems, Sony, STMicroelectronics,

Stretch, TranSwitch Corporation, u-Nav Microelectronics and

Victor Company of Japan (JVC).

Source: Business Wire

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