AHB and APB Supported by Synthesized CHAIN Fabric
SAN JOSE, Calif., Jan. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Silistix, a provider of
innovative software for on-chip communications solutions, today announced
support for the on-chip AMBA(TM) bus protocol with its synthesized self-timed
interconnect technology. The company's CHAIN solution provides
power-dissipation and design-productivity improvements over traditional
on-chip synchronous bus architectures.
The CHAIN interconnect fabric generated by Silistix' design and synthesis
tool suite, CHAINworks(TM), is a self-timed, packet-based interconnect network
that manages data flow between IP cores on a chip without being dependent on
the edges of a system clock. This results in lower power dissipation since
power is dictated by traffic load and not by a fixed clock rate. Clock
domains in the CHAIN fabric do not have to be derivatives of a system clock,
freeing IP blocks to operate at their optimal frequencies. Furthermore, the
interconnect fabric can be tuned for specific throughput, area and power
targets. Using CHAINworks, designers can synthesize a self-timed CHAIN
interconnect that interfaces with synchronous blocks of a SoC, such as
processors or peripherals, that are connected through a compliant AMBA
protocol.
"The ARM-developed AMBA bus is a market leader, having been widely adopted
for SoC use," said David Fritz, vice president of marketing at Silistix. "By
offering AMBA support to our customers, we are helping to accelerate the use
of Silistix' CHAIN interconnect while providing designers with reduced power
and less design effort compared to chips that employ only traditional bus
architectures."
"We are happy to see that Silistix is supporting AMBA, the de facto
industry standard SoC bus," adds Jonathan Morris, General Manager, Fabric IP
Division, ARM Ltd. "AMBA is widely used in many of the types of low-power
applications that Silistix is targeting with its CHAIN solution, thus
simplifying the task of designers who want to merge CHAIN interconnect with
their existing IP and chip subsystems."
CHAINworks fits within existing EDA design flows. The Silistix CHAIN
solution targets OEMs, ODMs and fabless semiconductor companies who are
developing products for power-sensitive markets such as cellular handsets,
portable multimedia devices and smart cards, as well as for companies who are
developing SoCs for complex applications such as HDTVs, set-top boxes, network
security devices and SAN/NAS (Storage Area Network/Network Attached Storage)
devices.
About CHAIN
System-on-a-Chip complexity has accelerated to the point that the on-chip
interconnection of functional blocks by conventional bus technology cannot
meet design requirements. Achieving satisfactory communication among multiple
clock domains connected by long, slow wires is the most significant SoC design
challenge facing designers. Silistix' CHAIN technology provides a solution to
the complexity problem in a manner analogous to that used by telephone systems
as they migrated from circuit-switched to packet-switched communication,
revolutionizing the industry in the process. Similarly, Silistix' solution
relegates the "Timing Closure" issue to a much simpler class of problem, and
reduces on-chip congestion and overall power consumption.
About AMBA
The AMBA on-chip bus is an established, open specification that serves as
a framework for System-on-Chip (SoC) designs. AMBA 2 comprises two system
buses: the Advanced High-performance Bus (AHB) and the Advanced Peripheral
Bus (APB). As increasing numbers of companies adopt AMBA, it is rapidly
emerging as a de facto standard for SoC construction and intellectual property
(IP) library development. AMBA provides the "digital glue" that binds IP cores
together and is a key enabler of IP reuse.
About Silistix
Silistix is a venture-funded spin-out of the University of Manchester, UK.
The company's focus is on the development and deployment of EDA tools for the
design and synthesis of self-timed CHAIN technology for complex system-on-a-
chip (SoC) communication. The company has offices in Manchester, England, San
Jose, California, and Tokyo, Japan. For more information call 408-573-6104 or
visit http://www.silistix.com.
About ARM
ARM designs the technology that lies at the heart of advanced digital
products, from wireless, networking and consumer entertainment solutions to
imaging, automotive, security and storage devices. ARM's comprehensive product
offering includes 16/32-bit RISC microprocessors, data engines, 3D processors,
digital libraries, embedded memories, peripherals, software and development
tools, as well as analog functions and high-speed connectivity products.
Combined with the company's broad Partner community, they provide a total
system solution that offers a fast, reliable path to market for leading
electronics companies. More information on ARM is available at
http://www.arm.com .
NOTE: ARM and AMBA are registered trademarks of ARM Limited.
CHAINworks is a trademark of Silistix
SOURCE Silistix
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Related links:
http://www.silistix.com
CONTACT:
David Fritz of Silistix, +1-408-573-6104, or
david.fritz@silistix.com; or Jim Lipman of Cain Communications,
+1-925-606-1370, or jlipman@caincom.com, for Silistix
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