QuickSilver Technology Unveils Comprehensive Adaptive Computing System Platform for Developing Custom-Silicon Capability in Software.Business Editors/High-Tech Writers SAN JOSE San Jose, city, United States San Jose (sănəzā`, săn hōzā`), city (1990 pop. 782,248), seat of Santa Clara co., W central Calif.; founded 1777, inc. 1850. , Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 26, 2004 First Time Access to IC Source Code and RTL (Register Transfer Level) A high-level hardware description language (HDL) for defining digital circuits. The circuits are described as a collection of registers, Boolean equations, control logic such as "if-then-else" statements as well as complex event sequences; Via Technology Pool Faster Time to Market; Lower Development Costs For the first time, OEM/ODM designers of high-performance computing High-speed computing, which typically refers to supercomputers used in scientific research. products, including handheld, mobile, and wireless, will be able to simplify their system-on-chip (SoC) design process in a complete and unified design environment that enables the development of custom-silicon capability in weeks or months versus years, as compared to conventional integrated circuit integrated circuit (IC), electronic circuit built on a semiconductor substrate, usually one of single-crystal silicon. The circuit, often called a chip, is packaged in a hermetically sealed case or a nonhermetic plastic capsule, with leads extending from it for (IC) technologies. QuickSilver quicksilver: see mercury. (1) (QuickSilver Technology, Inc., San Jose, CA, www.qstech.com) A mobile communications company that specializes in a reconfigurable logic chip for cellphones and PDAs. See adaptive computing. Technology(TM), the leader in adaptive computing Also known as "reconfigurable computing," it refers to a logic chip that can change its physical circuitry on the fly. Evolved from programmable architectures such as CPLD and FPGA, adaptive computing is an order of magnitude faster in rate of reuse (ROR) and can reconfigure itself in technology, today announced an unprecedented, comprehensive design program that includes four components. First, the Adapt2000(TM) ACM (Association for Computing Machinery, New York, www.acm.org) A membership organization founded in 1947 dedicated to advancing the arts and sciences of information processing. In addition to awards and publications, ACM also maintains special interest groups (SIGs) in the computer field. System Platform (Adapt2000) is a revolutionary, all-software approach to incorporating the silicon capability of disparate, conventional integrated circuit (IC) technologies -- ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) Pronounced "a-sick." A chip that is custom designed for a specific application rather than a general-purpose chip such as a microprocessor. , DSP (1) (Digital Signal Processor) A special-purpose CPU used for digital signal processing applications (see definition #2 below). It provides ultra-fast instruction sequences, such as shift and add, and multiply and add, which are commonly used in math-intensive , FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) A type of gate array that is programmed in the field rather than in a semiconductor fab. Containing up to hundreds of thousands of gates, there are a variety of FPGA architectures on the market. , and microprocessor -- within a single IC, an Adaptive Computing Machine (ACM). Also announced today is QuickSilver's Adapt2000 ACM Cooperative License that empowers designers with access to an Adapt2000 ACM Technology Pool. For the first time, developers have access to IC technology at the detailed source code and RTL levels, as well as all the necessary elements to complete an ACM-based system, from concept to production. Thirdly, included in the Adapt2000 Platform is the Adapt2400(TM) ACM Architecture, the foundation for a new class of software-programmable IC that offers the best attributes of conventional ICs in a single chip -- high performance, small silicon area, low power consumption, low cost, and architecture scalability and flexibility. The Adapt2400 ACM is the only IC technology that dynamically changes at run time to create the exact hardware needed for that moment in time. Fourth, the Adapt2000 Platform also includes the InSpire(TM) SDK (Software Developer's Kit) See developer's toolkit and Windows SDK. SDK - Software Developers Kit (or "Software Development Kit"). Tool Set, a new, all-software development system for hardware design. Designers gain powerful and unprecedented advantages by designing high-performance systems completely in software -- immediate changes and updates, dramatically reduced development costs, and faster time-to-market, with the ability to focus more on innovating and developing value-added IP. Dr. Nick Tredennick Nick Tredennick is an IEEE fellow and a prominent American manager, inventor and VLSI design engineer. In 1968 he obtained the BSEE degree, and in 1970 the MSEE at Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, and, in 1976 the Ph.D. at Electrical Engineering, University of Texas, Austin, TX. , analysts and editor of the Gilder gild 1 tr.v. gild·ed or gilt , gild·ing, gilds 1. To cover with or as if with a thin layer of gold. 2. To give an often deceptively attractive or improved appearance to. 3. Technology Report, stated, "QuickSilver's approach to developing custom-silicon capability in software is a sea change in how silicon will be designed and used in the future. The ACM combines the flexibility of programming with the efficiency of application-specific hardware. With QuickSilver's Adapt2000 development suite, programmers and chip designers can exploit this breakthrough in a way that complements and enhances standard engineering design methods, substantially reducing design time and cost." Jim Turley, principal analyst for Silicon Insider, stated, "QuickSilver's Adapt2000 ACM System Platform gets two thumbs up for its performance and completeness. While other companies have created new types of hardware or software tools, QuickSilver has developed the entire package, a whole design ecosystem that allows engineers and developers to solve thorny technical problems. QuickSilver's adaptive computing has moved reconfigurable computing See adaptive computing. from an interesting technology into a usable product." "The cost of developing ASICs alone has moved beyond the point of viability for many companies. We're offering a comprehensive design platform that changes the dynamics of how ICs have been developed for the past 30 years. With the Adapt2000 developers are still able to design custom-performance ICs, but with more efficiency and the ability to rapidly modify and update designs," stated Jaime Cummins, co-founder and chairman of the board, QuickSilver Technology. "Now with ACM technology, both large and small companies can afford to develop products with custom-silicon capability." ACM Cooperative License -- Immediate Access to the ACM Technology Pool An Adapt2000 Cooperative License is the mechanism that grants licensees immediate access to the ACM Technology Pool, which includes ACM RTL, verification suites and documentation, and the source code to compilers, assemblers, and other software tool modules and documentation. Licensees can use, enhance, and extend the ACM technology and IP. This unique licensing program also allows licensees to share and exploit a broad pool of common components, yet safely embed their proprietary IP without compromise or disclosure. Additionally, three pay-as-you-go phases enable developers to work at their own pace to evaluate and benchmark; explore, analyze and design; and finally move to completed product and production. Jim Lipman, President of SemiView, stated, "The Adapt2000 license and technology pool is a unique way of achieving widespread use -- an unprecedented and welcomed means to adopt new IC technology and design methodology in the semiconductor market." Customer Applications Dr. Peter Athanas, professor of electrical and computer engineering at Virginia Tech, stated, "Within our Configurable Computing Lab, we explore high-performance IC technologies that are programmable at run time for use in multi-mode radios. QuickSilver's ACM architecture far exceeds the performance and capabilities of other ICs in this category. Their new design tool suite offers unprecedented features to eliminate the difficulties associated with hardware/software co-design." Shantanu Jha, vice president, Ittiam Systems Ittiam Systems is a Venture Capital funded company founded by ex-Managing Director of Texas Instruments' India Srini Rajam in 2001, developing Digital Signal Processing (DSP) Systems. It is headquartered in Bangalore, India and has marketing offices in the US, UK, France and Taiwan. , Ltd., stated, "We believe there is a significant market for ACM-based ICs since designing custom-silicon capability in software offers a high level of design flexibility. We're very impressed with the architecture and the technical support from QuickSilver in the development of our ACM-based applications." Ittiam Systems Private Limited, headquartered in Bangalore, India, is a technology product company singularly focused on digital signal processing See DSP. Digital Signal Processing - (DSP) Computer manipulation of analog signals (commonly sound or image) which have been converted to digital form (sampled). systems in media and communication. www.ittiam.com Gordon A. Campbell, president and CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. for CHIPS ag, stated, "QuickSilver's ACM technology is revolutionizing IC computing, not only by changing the way we communicate and do business today, but also by enabling a whole new industry of products, applications, and services to give end users a highly efficient and more pleasurable computing experience. The advantage of receiving ASIC-class benefits by designing in software, enables tremendous flexibility and time-to-market advantages to hit key product cycles with the right feature set, thereby supporting a business model of higher margins for OEMs/ODMs." Headquartered in Mountain View, CA, CHIPS ag, a QuickSilver licensee, develops ACM-based products initially focused in the high-growth multimedia market. Adapt2000 ACM System Platform Components The Adapt2000 provides a unique, all-software, unified design environment as an alternative to conventional IC design methodologies that require a complex hardware/software co-design process to develop high-performance SoCs, which have been traditionally assembled from a mix of RISC RISC in full Reduced Instruction Set Computing Computer architecture that uses a limited number of instructions. RISC became popular in microprocessors in the 1980s. , DSP and custom ASIC A redundant reference to an ASIC chip. ASICs are already customized for a specific use. See ASIC. technologies. Developers now have the ability to scale both hardware and software, based on proven and tested heterogeneous nodes that are connected by a homogeneous Matrix Interconnect Network (MIN Min (mĭn). 1 Chief river of Fujian prov., SE China, c.350 mi (560 km) long, rising in Wuyi shan and flowing SE to the South China Sea near Fuzhou; it receives several tributaries near Nanping. ). The software-programmable Adapt2400 ACM Architecture, which is dynamically configured at run time, currently includes four distinct node types that are scalable up to 32 nodes of computing power; the MIN; the node wrapper for embedding IP; a system controller and several external interfaces. SilverC is a high-level design The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. Please help [ improve the introduction] to meet Wikipedia's layout standards. You can discuss the issue on the talk page. language that abstracts away well over 60 percent of the overhead tasks, significantly reducing development time and costs. Max Baron, principal analyst at InStat/MDR, stated, "Hardwired accelerators play an important role in today's ASSP (Application Specific Standard Part) An ASIC chip that is designed as a generic device for a particular market. Whereas an ASIC is typically used only by its creator, ASSPs are used by many different companies in the design of their products. See ASIC. chip designs, trading off reusability and development time to gain speed and reduce silicon real estate. QuickSilver's ACM promises to reduce design time and risk by combining control processors with blocks of run-time configurable accelerator cores which can be used to fix bugs, upgrade functions, and extend a chip's reuse in additional products." Will Strauss, president and principal analyst of Forward Concepts, stated, "High-performance computing products of the future require a new breed of IC that changes its architecture on demand to perform numerous functions at high speeds, with low power consumption, and at low cost. QuickSilver's ACM is one of the most innovative and intriguing technologies I have seen in years, and promises to deliver these needed attributes. It could well be the disruptive technology A new technology that has a serious impact on the status quo and changes the way people have been dealing with something, perhaps for decades. Music CDs all but wiped out the phonograph industry within a few years, and digital cameras are destined to eliminate the film industry. that causes a true paradigm shift A dramatic change in methodology or practice. It often refers to a major change in thinking and planning, which ultimately changes the way projects are implemented. For example, accessing applications and data from the Web instead of from local servers is a paradigm shift. See paradigm. in processing technology and the way in which next-generation handheld devices will be designed." Price and Availability Available immediately, an Adapt2000 ACM Cooperative License that includes the Adapt2400 ACM Architecture core and grants access to the Adapt2400 ACM Technology Pool is $300,000, USD USD In currencies, this is the abbreviation for the U.S. Dollar. Notes: The currency market, also known as the Foreign Exchange market, is the largest financial market in the world, with a daily average volume of over US $1 trillion. . The InSpire SDK Tool Set is $50,000 per seat, USD. Detailed specifications and pricing are available from your regional sales office. QuickSilver Technology has a sales and technical support office in Shin-Yokohama, Japan. In the U.S and Europe, QuickSilver sells direct to OEMs/ODMs from the San Jose, CA headquarters. For product information, see www.quicksilvertech.com. Backgrounder QuickSilver Technology is the leading developer of adaptive computing technologies for products requiring low cost, high performance and low power consumption such as handheld, mobile, and wireless products. QuickSilver offers an adaptive computing system platform, which includes the adaptive computing machine (ACM) architecture and a complete suite of development tools, that allows hardware to be programmed and updated using software. This comprehensive ACM platform enables designers to develop custom-silicon capability ICs in weeks or months versus years as compared to using conventional, point-product ICs. Ideal for any electronics product that requires high performance and low power consumption, adaptive computing provides OEMs and service providers with enhanced product development and business models for greater profitability. Founded in 1998 with headquarters in San Jose, CA, the company has development facilities in San Diego, CA; Seattle, WA; and an office in Shin-Yokohama, Japan. For more information, visit the company's website at www.quicksilvertech.com; in Japan, www.quicksilvertech.co.jp. Also see QuickSilver in Q1 and Q2 at ACM workshops at DesignCon, Electronica USA, and the Wireless Systems Design Conference. QuickSilver Technology, the QuickSilver Technology logo, InSpire SDK, Adapt2000, Adapt2400, SilverC, and SilverWare, are trademarks of QuickSilver Technology, Inc. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners. |
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