Toshiba licenses ARM Cortex-M3 32-bit RISC processor for ASIC and ASSP applications

Synthesisable processor core enables leading power efficiencies for advanced industrial and consumer CMOS SoCs

January 14, 2008 -- Toshiba Electronics Europe (TEE) is now offering the synthesisable ARM Cortex™-M3 32-bit RISC processor for use across the company’s full range of ASIC technologies. Based on the license agreement with Toshiba Corporation, TEE can deploy the ARM Cortex–M3 core in high-performance, low power consumption, minimum pin count ASICs, ASSPs and other system on chip (SoC) solutions. Potential applications will include real-time industrial systems, wireless communications and portable consumer products.

The ARM Cortex–M3 32-bit RISC processor is the first ARM processor based on the ARMv7-M architecture and has been specifically developed as a high-performance, low-cost, highefficiency platform. The Cortex-M3 processor combines high levels of computational and interrupt response performance with a number of enhanced energy features that support low power operation.

A small core footprint and the industry leading code density provided by Thumb®-2 enables the use of smaller internal and external memories, which helps to reduce chip and board space and cost. Combined with Toshibas world-leading technology and methodology for low power consumption and cost effective ASIC and ASSP products, this allows TEE to deliver some of the industry’s most compact, energy efficient and cost competitive SoC designs.

Toshiba offers the new ARM core across its technology and service portfolio. This includes cell-based ICs, embedded arrays, Toshiba’s proprietary Universal Array™, custom SoC (ASIC) development and foundry services. In Europe, local technical development and support expertise for the technology including ARM subsystem development based on the Cortex-M3 core is available via the European LSI Design and Engineering Centre (ELDEC) in Düsseldorf.

Toshiba’s ASIC and Foundry business encompasses a wide range of CMOS technologies including the latest 90nm and 65nm processes. Other CMOS platforms offer process technologies ranging from 0.6ìm to 0.13ìm. In addition to the new Cortex-M3 core, the company has licensed the fully synthesisable and configurable ARM7TDMI-S™, ARM946E-S™, ARM926EJ-S™, ARM1026EJ-S™, ARM1136J-S™ and ARM1176JZ(F)-S™ cores. The full range of ARM processor cores is available across Toshiba CMOS ASIC technology platforms.

For more information on Toshiba’s ASIC and Foundry business, please visit www.toshiba-components.com/ASIC.

Toshiba Corporation is a leader in information and communications systems, electronic components, consumer products and power systems. The company’s integration of these wide-ranging capabilities assures its position as an innovator in advanced components, products and systems. Toshiba has more than 172,000 employees worldwide and annual sales of over US$54 billion (FY2005).

Toshiba Electronics Europe (TEE) is the European Headquarters for the electronic components business of Toshiba Corporation, which is the world's fourth largest semiconductor vendor according to estimates by Dataquest. Providing design, manufacturing, marketing and sales, TEE was formed in 1973 in Neuss, Germany. The company now has headquarters in Düsseldorf, Germany and subsidiaries in France, Italy, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Company president is Mr Shikama and the total number of personnel in Europe is around 400.

Toshiba Electronics Europe offers one of the industry's broadest IC and discrete product lines including high-end memory, microcontrollers, ASICs, ASSPs and display products for automotive, multimedia, consumer, telecoms and networking applications. The company also has a wide range of power semiconductor solutions.

For more company information visit Toshiba's web site at www.toshibacomponents.com