IBM adds 32-bit ARM processor cores to ASIC portfolio

IBM adds 32-bit ARM processor cores to ASIC portfolio
By Semiconductor Business News
November 14, 2000 (12:24 p.m. EST)
URL: http://www.eetimes.com/story/OEG20001114S0018

EAST FISHKILL, N.Y. -- IBM Corp.'s Microelectronics Division today announced it was expanding its relationship with ARM Ltd. and licensing the company's 32-bit ARM9ETM series of RISC processor cores for custom ASICs in communications and other applications.

" We're committed to offering a comprehensive set of cores in order to reach the broadest possible set of customers and applications," said James Dickerson, director of ASIC development at IBM Microelectronics in East Fishkill. "If customers require a particular core for their application, we want to provide it as part of a total chip solution."

IBM and ARM, in Cambridge, England, first began collaboration in March 1998. IBM licensed the ARM7TDMI core and implemented several unique features to make it easier to integrate the RISC core with its processes and ASIC logic blocks, said company officials.

With the ARM9E cores, IBM plans to initially offer the RISC functions in a 0.18-micro n process, but it also plans fully-synthesizeable cores in 0.13-micron and below feature sizes. IBM said it expects to optimize performance similar to its existing offering of ARM7 TDMI cores, which are available with 250-MHz nominal speeds in 0.18-micron technology. IBM said it has also implemented a low-power version of the core running at 0.27 mW per megahertz at 1.65 volts.