SonicsWM Simplifies SoC Designs for WiMax

Sonics' SMART Interconnect Solution Improves WiMax Design Performance, Flexibility and Improves Time-to-Market

MILPITAS, Calif. -- February 7, 2008 -- Sonics Inc., a premier supplier of system-on-chip (SoC) SMART Interconnect solutions, today announced SonicsWM, a family of integrated SMART Interconnect solutions ideally suited for SoC designs that incorporate WiMax. SonicsWM enables customers to leverage a configurable platform to meet the rapidly-changing requirements of the WiMax market while reducing SoC development costs and improving time-to-market. Resulting SoCs offer numerous advantages including higher performance, lower power, IP re-use and simplified software architecture.

This unified interconnect platform targeted at WiMax applications provides SoC developers the ability to guarantee data flow behavior for critical components like the MAC, PHY and memory. Sonics’ multi-threaded, non-blocking architecture delivers predictable low-latency data flow that improves overall system performance. Advanced data flow services, including quality of service (QoS), enables software developers to easily manage complex real-time data burst traffic. This is especially true when SoCs combine WiMax with other technologies such as WLAN or Cellular.

“SonicsWM offers a way to shorten both hardware and software development time by facilitating a standard platform approach. This eases the integration issues associated with incorporating multiple technologies on a single SoC, as well as providing superior performance and ultra-low power for less complex SoCs,” said Phil Casini, vice president of marketing at Sonics.

Utilizing Sonics’ industry-leading SonicsMX and Sonics3220 interconnects, SonicsWM provides configurable interconnect solutions for WiMax. Sonics will offer three products as part of the SonicsWM family: SonicsWMsp, a streamlined SMART Interconnect solution designed for support of low-cost single function applications such as a WiMax handset; SonicsWMmp, which enables seamless plug and play integration of multiple IP cores such as WiFi and WiMax MACs; and SonicsWMturbo, which supports full integration of multiple protocol MACs along with the application processor. The SonicsWMturbo solution allows maximum configurability and supports applications requiring the highest performance like video over WiMax.

Managing the data flow also has the benefit of overall system power reduction. Optimizing processor and memory access efficiency allows the processors to spend less time waiting for data, allowing more time in a low-power state. In addition, SonicsWM is power-efficient, consuming only mirowatts when in an idle state.

About Sonics

Sonics Inc. is a premier supplier of SMART Interconnect solutions that deliver high SoC design predictability and increased design efficiency. Major semiconductor and systems companies including Broadcom, Samsung, Texas Instruments and Toshiba have applied Sonics’ SMART Interconnect solutions in leading products in the wireless, digital multimedia and communications markets. Sonics is a privately-held company funded by Cadence Design Systems, Toshiba Corporation, Samsung Ventures and venture capital firms Investar Capital, TL Ventures, Smart Technology Ventures, and Easton Hunt Capital, among others. For more information, see www.sonicsinc.com.