InterDigital Inc (IDCC)

[nieves]

picoChip Samples "Software System On Chip" -SSoC- to Cut the Cost of 3G


BATH, England, Feb 3, 2003 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Massively Parallel Processor
Array Delivers 30 GigaMACS At 160MHz: Dramatically Out-performs Legacy DSPs

picoChip Designs Ltd, the 3G wireless "Software System on Chip" (SSoC) provider,
today announced it has sampled its first device, the PC101, which delivers a
massive computational power of 30 Giga-MACs per second, twenty times more than
traditional devices despite needing only a fraction of the clock rate (160MHz).
Shipped with a complete toolchain and a comprehensive UMTS systems library, the
PC101 SSoC dramatically cuts the cost of third generation mobile infrastructure
and enables the strategic advantage of in-the-field flexibility - a
reprogrammable basestation.

The PC101 has a heterogeneous array of 430 16-bit processors on a single die
interconnected by a fast deterministic fabric, delivering 200 Giga-instructions
per second. The SSoC delivers the performance and efficiency of a conventional
fixed function System on Chip but is completely programmable from standard C or
assembler. The architecture was developed with a strong emphasis on ease of
design/verification and deterministic performance for embedded signal processing
- especially wireless and 3G. Complementing the device is a complete development
tool-chain and a comprehensive systems library, providing a complete baseband
platform for 3G infrastructure.

Co-Founder and CTO, Doug Pulley, said, "picoChip has overcome the design
challenges of 0.13 um through architectural innovation and given our customers a
viable alternative to the pains of SoC design. With the introduction of the
picoArray, systems companies can place their own algorithms onto groups of
processors in the same way as they would like to be able to place hardware IP
blocks onto silicon in an ASIC - the Software System on Chip, or SSoC. In one
device, users can integrate different processing tasks and algorithms, including
DSP, protocol handling and control all using one consistent design environment
and toolchain."

CEO, Dr. Rodger Sykes, added," We are proud of the PC101 - right first time
0.13um working silicon. We've implemented redundancy that provides very good
yield despite the PC101's massive processing power. This provides our customers
with a truly dramatic cost advantage compared to traditional approaches,
delivering a compelling roadmap to the lowest cost/channel. As importantly, the
tools and system library reduce development time and risk, accelerating
time-to-market. Developing a 3G basestation can cost well over $100M - using our
solution can reduce that significantly."

The PC101 is optimized for wireless communications tasks in two principal ways.
At one level, the structure of the array and the arrangement of the different
element types across the chip reflects the balance of requirements of a wireless
system. Secondly, the characteristics and instruction set within processing
elements varies according to their role, to include specialist operations or
larger memory complements for control type operations.

Sean Lavey, an analyst from IDC, concludes, "Current WCDMA basestation designs
are still not economic enough for mass deployment in the market. The need for
flexibility in this evolving standard has made costly FPGAs the choice of most
designs shipped over the past year, but we are now finding OEMs shifting most if
not all of their baseband architectures to more cost effective flexible ASSP
approaches. We expect this change will result in lower costs to the OEM sparking
further cuts in pricing making WCDMA a more mainstream build-out issue for
service providers over the next few years."


(Photograph available upon request from [e-mail])

About picoChip:

picoChip, located in Bath, England, is dedicated to providing innovative,
flexible wireless solutions to help equipment makers minimize time-to-market,
costs, and system power consumption.

At the heart of the company's offering is a scaleable, multi-processor baseband
IC that combines the computational density of a dedicated ASIC with the
programmability of a traditional high end

Digital Signal Processor. The picoChip technology platform includes tools,
development boards and reference designs, and proven IP for seamless integration
with the radio frequency elements of a base station. Equipment based on picoChip
technology will enable telecom operators to remotely re-configure and upgrade
their equipment without the high costs of replacing obsolete hardware.

picoChip currently has a development team with a balanced mix of hardware and
software engineers of outstanding ability and experience; spanning such diverse
fields as communications system design, software development, computer
architecture, digital signal processing, RF design, and silicon design.

The company was founded in September 2000 and is backed by both Atlas Venture
and Pond Venture Partners Ltd.


CONTACT: picoChip Designs Limited
Rupert Baines
Tel: [phone]
E-mail: [e-mail]
Web: www.picoChip.com
or
Publitek Marketing Communications
Oliver Davies
Tel: [phone]
E-mail: [e-mail]
Web: www.publitek.com

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-0-


KEYWORD: UNITED KINGDOM INTERNATIONAL EUROPE
INDUSTRY KEYWORD: COMPUTERS/ELECTRONICS
HARDWARE
SOFTWARE
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
SOURCE:
picoChip
Designs
Limited

(Wall Street)





Daniel Nieves