|
Tensilica Unveils Comprehensive Third Party Customer Support Network
SANTA CLARA, Calif.----Oct. 9, 2000--Tensilica®
Inc., the leading supplier of configurable microprocessor core
intellectual property (IP), announced today the establishment of the
third-party ``Tensilica Xtensions(TM) Network,'' a broad and
comprehensive web of resources that Tensilica licensees can access.
The new network is composed of seven resource categories: Design
Centers, Real Time Operating System (RTOS) suppliers, Applications
Software/Middleware vendors, Peripheral and On-Chip Bus IP suppliers,
Electronic Design Automation (EDA) partners, Semiconductor Library and
Memory Model suppliers and Silicon Sources.
According to Bernie Rosenthal, Tensilica's vice president of
marketing and business development, the Xtensions Network is designed
to ensure system-on-chip (``SOC'') success for the company's current and
future customers. ``We recognized the growing, critical need for many
types and levels of support as configurable processor cores gain
acceptance from a broader user base. Tensilica's Xtensions Network
will provide substantial benefits for both our customers and
ourselves.''
Tensilica Xtensions Network charter associates and their
categories are:
Organization Category Location/Service Area/Specialty
Intrinsix Design Center Westboro, Mass. -- NA, Europe
Global UniChip " Hsinchu, Taiwan -- Taiwan
Silicon Media " Tokyo -- Japan
Tonbu " San Jose, Calif. -- worldwide
Virtual IP Group " Sunnyvale, Calif. -- North America
Organization Category Location/Service Area/Specialty
Wind River Systems RTOS Supplier Alameda, Calif. -- worldwide
Accelerated
Technology " Mobile, Ala. -- worldwide
Virtual IP Group Peripherals & Sunnyvale, Calif. -- AMBA Bridge
Bus Partner
Sonics " Mtn. View, Calif. -- MicroNetwork
supplier
Dolby Laboratories Application San Francisco -- Dolby Digital
Software
Virtual IP Group " Sunnyvale, Calif. -- MP3 decoder
Avant! EDA Partner San Jose, Calif. -- worldwide
Cadence " San Jose, Calif. -- worldwide
Mentor Graphics " Wilsonville, Ore. -- worldwide
Synopsys " Mountain View, Calif. -- worldwide
Artisan Libraries/ Sunnyvale, Calif. -- worldwide
Memories
Avant! " San Jose, Calif. -- worldwide
Nurlogic " San Diego, Calif. -- worldwide
Virage " Fremont, Calif. -- worldwide
Virtual Silicon
Technology " Sunnyvale, Calif. -- worldwide
Altera Silicon Source San Jose, Calif. -- FPGA
TSMC " Hsinchu, Taiwan -- ASIC SOC
Larry Przywara, manager of the Tensilica Xtensions Network
program, said, ``We have assembled a world-class partnership team under
the common charter to provide Xtensa(TM) users best-of-breed resources
across a broad spectrum of requirements. And this is just the start of
our program; within two years, the Xtensions Network will have a
substantial presence across the globe.''
Tensilica's Xtensa IP provides embedded systems designers with a
configurable processor technology for system-on-chip (SOC)
applications. Now, with the availability of Xtensa III, designers are
able to accommodate their requirements with a single core
microprocessor incorporating specific instruction extensions to
accelerate their applications.
About Tensilica
Tensilica was founded in July 1997 to address the fast-growing
market for configurable microprocessor cores and software development
tools for high volume, embedded systems.
Using the company's proprietary Xtensa Processor Generator,
system-on-chip (SOC) designers can develop a processor subsystem
hardware design and a complete software development tool environment
tailored to their specific requirements in hours.
Tensilica's solutions provide a proven, easy-to-use, methodology
that enables designers to achieve optimum application performance in
minimum design time. The Company has over 100 engineers engaged in
research, development, and customer support from its offices in Santa
Clara; Waltham, Mass; Princeton, N.J.; Houston; Oxford, U.K.; and
Yokohama, Japan.
Tensilica is headquartered in Santa Clara, CA (95054) at 3255-6
Scott Blvd., and can be reached at 408/986-8000 or via
www.tensilica.com on the World Wide Web.
Editors Notes
1. ``Tensilica'' is a registered trademark and ``Xtensa'' and
``Xtensions'' are trademarks belonging to Tensilica Inc.
2. Partner Roles:
Design Centers are independent third-party organizations that
Tensilica has trained and authorized to assist Xtensa licensees with
the configuration, implementation and evaluation of System-on-Chip
(SOC) designs. The design centers offer a broad spectrum of services
that can be tapped in whole or in part, depending upon customer needs.
In the most comprehensive instance, a design center assignment would
start with receipt of a high-level block diagram of the customer's
system. From this, the organization would create an RTL (Register
Transfer Level) representation. Next, the RTL is synthesized to gates,
which are then placed and routed, and finally, taped out and handed
off to a foundry for silicon fabrication.
Design centers can provide substantial benefits to Tensilica
customers among which are faster time to market, a telescoped learning
curve for customers lacking appropriate engineering resources, and
more effective use of existing customer resources.
Tensilica will develop design center resources on a global basis,
achieving a strong presence in all major market areas. The company
expects there will eventually be 10 to 15 firms on its design center
roster, with facilities in North America, Europe, Japan and Southeast
Asia.
Tensilica's charter Design Center appointments and their operating
areas are: Intrinsix, North America and Europe; Global UniChip,
Taiwan; Silicon Media, Japan; Tonbu, worldwide, and Virtual IP Group,
North America.
Peripheral and On-Chip Bus IP Partners
Peripherals and on-chip buses provide the critical link between
the processor and the rest of the chip and system. Tensilica's
partners provide solutions that will accelerate the development
process by promoting design reuse with existing buses, peripherals and
software.
The Company anticipates adding new resources to this category in
the next two years as new requirements are developed and find usage.
Real Time Operating System (RTOS) and Integrated Development
Environment (IDE) Vendors
Real Time Operating Systems and their Integrated Development
Environments provide control and task management functions while
speeding the development and bring up of system software. Using
Tensilica's OSKit(TM) porting technology, commercially available RTOS
and IDE solutions can be fully supported on application-optimized
Xtensa configurations, accelerating system development and reducing
schedule and technical risk.
Tensilica's charter RTOS and IDE partners Wind River and
Accelerated Technology today supply the most popular systems currently
available. The OSKit guarantees that all customer configured
extensions, registers and data types are automatically defined in the
RTOS and the integrated development environments generated in the
Xtensa configuration process.
Application Software
Applications often have requirements that are standard in nature
and also lend themselves well to optimization through the creation of
unique instructions that accelerate underlying algorithms. Tensilica
has partnered with key suppliers to provide optimized, pre-configured
and validated solutions to support specific vertical segment
requirements including digital audio, communications and data
security.
Electronic Design Automation
Since EDA tools lie at the center of all SOC development,
Tensilica has verified the Xtensa processor is fully supported by the
major synthesis, simulation, co-verification and physical design tools
to ensure compatibility with standard ASIC design methodology. We are
working with new partners in areas such as formal verification and
Lint testing. They will be announced shortly.
Libraries/Memories
Standard cell libraries and memories are fundamental building
blocks required to take an SOC design from concept to silicon.
Tensilica works with the leading library and memory suppliers to
validate compatibility and performance of the Xtensa processor RTL,
design and implementation flows, ensuring seamless support within
common SOC design flows.
Silicon Sources
Our customers' ultimate success is determined by their ability to
implement designs in silicon. Tensilica has partnered with leading
foundries and programmable logic suppliers to validate its RTL, design
and implementation flows. We continue to work with these semiconductor
partners as process geometries shrink and higher performance levels
become achievable, and new foundries and partners will be added to
this category as they are qualified by the company.
Contact:
Tensilica Inc.
Bernie Rosenthal, 408/327-7302
bernier@tensilica.com
or
The Leapfrog Group
Kim Alfaro, 415/563-4769
kimpr@holonet.net
|
