Conexant becomes fifth licensees of LSI Logic's DSP core

Conexant becomes fifth licensees of LSI Logic's DSP core
By Semiconductor Business News
March 16, 2001 (8:34 a.m. EST)
URL: http://www.eetimes.com/story/OEG20010316S0002

PHOENIX -- During a briefing session here with analysts and the press, LSI Logic Corp. today announced it has licensed its ZSP400 digital signal processor core to Conexant Systems Inc., which will use the DSP in ICs for wireless and communications applications.

The licensing pact is part of LSI Logic's campaign to establish the ZSP digital signal processor as an "open" DSP architecture available from a number of fabless chip suppliers and integrated device manufacturers (IDMs). Conexant, based in Newport Beach, Calif., joins IBM, Broadcom, Virata, and Brecis Communications as a licensee of the DSP core.

According to LSI Logic, the ZSP digital signal processor architecture is RISC-based and designed for high-code density and high performance with a unique superscalar DSP technology. The core has four processing units and as five-stage pipeline, enabling the core to sustains up to two multiply/accumulate (MAC) and two arithmetic logic unit (A LU) instructions per cycle, said Milpitas, Calif.-based LSI Logic.

Conexant has opted to license the LSI Logic core to gain access to third-party tools and software, which will help shorten product development cycles, said Murthy Renduchintala, vice president and business director of Cellular Systems for Conexant. "This agreement strengthens our product portfolio as we move towards 3G systems," he said, referring to third-generation digital cellular phones.