Tensilica's Xtensa Architecture Licensed by Stretch Inc. and Integrated into Stretch's Software-Configurable Processors

– Tensilica Inc. and Stretch Inc. today announced that Stretch has licensed Tensilica Xtensa microprocessor technology and has integrated the Xtensa processor core into the industry’s first software-configurable processor chips, the Stretch™ S5000 family.  The Stretch S5000 processors leverage the Xtensa architecture’s flexibility and broaden Tensilica’s value proposition beyond Tensilica’s current community of ASIC and ASSP developers to also include developers of virtually any compute-intensive application.

The Stretch processor, the first to embed powerful programmable logic within a processor architecture, can be tailored automatically by software programmers to address any emerging compute requirements in applications as diverse as consumer, medical imaging, military and networking equipment. Through this innovative new processor design, which integrates Tensilica’s Xtensa technology, Stretch is making processor configurability available in an off-the-shelf device for the first time.

The Stretch S5000 software-configurable processors provide a new way to develop compute-intensive applications by integrating programmable logic inside the processor as uncommitted instruction logic (i.e., logic not specific to a particular application or function) and by enabling developers to automatically create application-specific instructions from their C/C++ program using easy and familiar C-based tools. With this new off-the-shelf chip, embedded system developers can achieve an unprecedented combination of high performance, efficiency, easy and rapid development, cost savings and flexibility.

“Embedded systems developers who need to achieve high compute performance have faced onerous trade-offs in development complexity, time, cost and risk,” said Gary Banta, CEO of Stretch. “Stretch is delivering the first software-configurable processor, offering a new no-compromise approach to developing compute-intensive applications. Our S5000 processor family builds on the proven configurability of the widely accepted Tensilica Xtensa core, integrating it with Stretch’s patented Instruction Set Extension Fabric (ISEF). In essence, we have created the first general-purpose Tensilica-based processor.”

“Stretch’s software-configurable processor demonstrates the power and flexibility of our Xtensa core,” said Bernie Rosenthal, senior vice president of marketing and sales for Tensilica. “Stretch’s processor chip will deliver extensibility to a host of new compute-intensive applications that have been craving the elusive combination of higher performance, greater flexibility, improved time-to-market, and significantly lower development costs and risk.  We are excited that Stretch is making Tensilica’s configurability value proposition accessible to thousands of design engineers who do not design SOCs and could not take advantage of our technology directly.”

About Tensilica
Tensilica was founded in July 1997 to address the growing need for optimized, application-specific microprocessor solutions in high-volume embedded applications. With a configurable and extensible microprocessor core called Xtensa, Tensilica is the only company that has automated and patented the time-consuming process of generating a customized microprocessor core along with a complete software development tool environment, producing new configurations in a matter of hours. For more information, visit www.tensilica.com.

About Stretch
Stretch Inc. is delivering a new kind of software-configurable processor, the first to embed programmable logic within the processor. Using only familiar C/C++ programming tools, system developers automatically configure Stretch’s off-the-shelf processors to meet the needs of their toughest compute-intensive applications, achieving extraordinary performance, easy and rapid development, significant cost savings, and flexibility to address diverse markets and changing application needs.  Founded in March 2002, Stretch has its headquarters in Mountain View, Calif., and has been funded through investments from top-tier venture capitalists Worldview Technology Partners, Oak Investment Partners and Menlo Ventures.  For more information, please visit www.stretchinc.com.

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Stretch, the Stretch logo and Extending the Possibilities are trademarks of Stretch, Inc.  Tensilica and Xtensa are registered trademarks of Tensilica, Inc.  All other brands mentioned are the properties of their respective owners.