ARM Combines RISC and DSP on a Single Memory BUS, Enabling Low-Cost, High-Performance Systems-on-a-Chip Solutions.

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 7, 1996--Today at DSP World Expo, Advanced RISC Machines (ARM) introduced the ARM Signal Processing Architecture (developed under the codename, Piccolo).

ARM's first product offering to implement this new high-performance, low-cost architecture will be the ARM7TDSP.

The ARM7TDSP will integrate ARM's new DSP coprocessor with the popular ARM7TDMI RISC processor core, using a single bus. This will enable designers to build cost-effective, power-efficient systems-on-a-chip. ARM is presenting papers on the new Signal Processing Architecture at DSP World Expo and Microprocessor Forum.

The DSP coprocessor's unique design implements an additional DSP-optimized instruction set which allows both the ARM microprocessor and DSP coprocessor to share the same memory bus. The close combination of microcontroller and DSP enables integration of all system software, simplifying software development and thereby reducing time-to-market. A single development tool chain, which provides C/C++ and assembler tools for Windows 95 and Unix platforms, will further speed and ease development.

The ARM7TDSP features the exceptional performance/cost and performance/power consumption ratios of existing ARM solutions. The new architecture optimizes the use of system memory and greatly reduces total silicon area by minimizing the amount of on-chip code and data storage while efficiently using off-chip memory.

The ARM Signal Processing Architecture is highly flexible, enabling the optimum mix of microcontroller or DSP instructions to be easily executed on fully shared data, for any given task. This provides an ideal solution for price-sensitive applications requiring both a microcontroller and DSP, such as digital cellular and cordless phones, pagers, modems, disc drive controllers, automotive electronics and consumer audio products.

Jauher Zaidi, President and CEO of disk drive controller design specialists PalmChip commented: "In our business cost, time-to-market, ease of development and hassle-free long term code maintenance are very important. The ARM7TDSP offers us all this and more -- the DSP performance and flexibility we need is delivered in a tiny additional piece of silicon. Piccolo is a giant step for Disk Drive and CD-ROM/DVD Servo design. With Piccolo, Palmchip can offer single ARM processor designs covering from low- to high-end drives."

The DSP coprocessor implements DSP operations using a RISC approach, placing no restrictions on register usage and making code development easy.

Additional features include:

--32-bit instructions, allowing powerful single-cycle manipulation of data --Efficient instruction set, offering intrinsic support for tasks such as Viterbi and Bit Manipulation with no need for hardware acceleration --Four nestable zero-overhead hardware loop constructs for efficient execution of DSP algorithms --Register re-mapping, for flexibility with minimum code --Split ALU, providing flexible single-cycle dual 16-bit arithmetic and

logical operations in one instruction word for maximum performance --16*16 single-cycle multiplier for DSP performance, with built-in support for extended precision arithmetic --32-bit barrel shifter for fast, easy scaling of data --Bit exact representation of standard algorithms using saturation unit

The ARM Signal Processing Architecture is scaleable (1) with ARM processors for both silicon processes and new implementations. Initial product offerings will deliver 40 DSP MIPS on 0.6 micron and 66 DSP MIPS on 0.35 micron. Future implementations will provide 120 DSP MIPS on 0.35 micron.

The DSP coprocessor consumes less than 0.9mW/MIP (worst case)(2) on 0.35 micron process @3V. Fully static operation also aids power efficiency, and offers instant recovery from sleep modes. Die area is less than 1.5mm2 on 0.35 micron process.(3)

(1) DSP MIPS = sustained multiply-accumulate, parallel 16-bit arithmetic or add-compare-select operations (2) Estimated figure for full utilization of all DSP co-processor datapath and IO functional units (3) Includes datapath, register bank, input and output buffers and 64-word instruction cache

"ARM is creating customer driven, world-leading, power-efficient technology, said Robin Saxby, ARM President and CEO. "This new Signal Processing Architecture extends our leadership further, giving system designers maximum flexibility at the lowest power consumption and cost by building on our user and processor knowledge."

Application firmware for the ARM7TDSP's major target markets (i.e. digital cellular speech coders, modems, etc.) is being generated by ARM, its licensees and a network of third party software developers.

ARM will offer full modelling/simulation support and a standard on-chip bus (AMBA) for the ARM7TDSP, and will allow easy integration of processing cores and peripherals, access to a standard peripheral library for easy ASIC development and compatibility with industry standard RTOS environments.

Preliminary development tools are currently available for key OEM evaluation with general availability scheduled for Q1 '97. ARM's first ARM7TDSP semiconductor partner is currently working toward silicon, with the first 40 and 66 DSP MIPS systems scheduled for Q3 '97 and a 120 DSP MIPS version coming next. ARM expects to make its first partner announcements in '97.

Advanced RISC Machines (ARM)

ARM designs, licenses and markets high-performance, low-cost, low-power consumption 32-bit RISC processors, peripherals and development tools for embedded control, consumer multimedia, DSP and portable applications. ARM also provides consulting and training. ARM licenses its technology to semiconductor partner companies, who focus on manufacturing, applications and marketing. The versatility of ARM's cores, together with the unparalleled breadth of the partnership's expertise, ensures that ARM-based solutions are available to meet almost every customer's processor needs.

The ARM semiconductor partners are: AKM, Alcatel Mietec, Atmel ES2, Cirrus, Digital, GEC Plessey Semiconductors, LG Semicon, NEC, Oki, Samsung, Sharp, Symbios Logic, TI, VLSI, and Yamaha. Together they make ARM the world volume embedded RISC standard.

To learn more about ARM, please see our Web Site at http://www.arm.com -0-

Note to Editors: ARM, ARM Powered and Piccolo are trademarks of Advanced RISC Machines Ltd.

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