ARM wireless platform out, license in

ARM wireless platform out, license in
By Nicolas Mokhoff, EE Times
September 6, 2001 (3:43 p.m. EST)
URL: http://www.eetimes.com/story/OEG20010905S0072

BOSTON — ARM Ltd. introduced the first of its new family of PrimeXsys development platforms for wireless applications at the Embedded Systems Conference in Boston this week. The platforms incorporate all the hardware, software and integration tools necessary to enable ARM partners to develop a wide range of ARM926EJ-S-based ASICs. STMicroelectronics is the first licensee for the PrimeXsys wireless platform.

Using PrimeXsys platforms, third parties can use the tools and methodologies to enable end-product differentiation by focusing their resources on integrating additional differentiating intellectual property (IP) to produce highly complex, market-ready devices. ARM (Cambridge, England) is also working closely with additional hardware and software developers to ensure that their IP is available for PrimeXsys platforms. No partners have been announced.

The PrimeXsys wireless platform supports the development of applications including third- generation mobile phones and personal digital assistants, and it is getting operating system support from Lineo, Microsoft, Palm, Sun and Symbian. "The new platform integrates all the components necessary to boot a major operating system and run applications such as multimedia software and Java applets, while leaving plenty of room for our licensees to add on additional IP such as a DSP, video acceleration hardware, a USB and their own software applications," said Ian Thornton, PrimeXsys product manager.

The PrimeXsys wireless platform is based around the ARM926EJ-S microprocessor core, which includes ARM's Jazelle Java acceleration technology. It incorporates ARM PrimeCell peripherals (LCD controller, UARTS, etc.), the ARM Move co-processor for video encoding, and the Amba multilayer AHB system bus.

The PrimeXsys wireless platform is available now, and the first PrimeXsys wireless platform samples will be available from key ARM partners in the first half of 2002.