Fall Processor Forum Presentation

Tensilica's Fall Processor Forum presentation is now posted on our web site. Sure, it's not the same as actually being there, but you can see " High-Performance Multicore Video DecoderTechnology Preview" at http://www.tensilica.com/pdf/FPF_05.pdf.

New Ultra-low-power Xtensa 6 Processor

Tensilica's new Xtensa 6 configurable and extensible processor core for system-on-chip (SOC) design replaces Tensilica's workhorse Xtensa V processor. Xtensa 6 adds three major enhancements: the ability to automatically customize it from a C/C++ based algorithm using Tensilica's proven XPRES Compiler; approximately 30 percent lower power than Xtensa V; and advanced security provisions in MMU-enabled configurations through a "no execute" bit that provides enhanced protection against malicious code.

"Xtensa 6 provides SOC designers with the fastest, most cost-effective SOC block design tool in the industry," stated Steve Roddy, vice president of marketing, Tensilica. "By using our popular XPRES Compiler, in less than an hour designers can create application-specific building blocks that can serve as either conventional control processors or as a suitable alternative to RTL-based hardware block design, but in a fraction of the time and without the verification headaches. We expect this product to significantly widen our customer base because it fully automates time-and-resource intensive IC design steps and adds programmability to the post-silicon design, a crucial value-add enabler in fast-moving, high-volume SOC markets."

Read more at http://www.tensilica.com/news_events/pr_2005_10_24.htm and see the Products section of our web site.

New Xtensa HiFi 2 Audio Engine Announced

Tensilica, Inc., today announced the Xtensa HiFi 2 Audio Engine, an add-on package for Tensilica’s proven Xtensa LX processor, optimized specifically for today’s consumer audio functions. Tensilica also announced a comprehensive set of software encoders and decoders for all popular audio standards, including Dolby Digital AC-3, microQ from QSound Labs, MP3, MPEG-2/4 AAC LC and aacPlusTM, WMA (Windows Media Audio), and AMR (Adaptive Multi-Rate speech). As a low-power turnkey solution, the Xtensa HiFi 2 Audio Engine enables system-on-chip (SOC) designers to quickly design audio-enabled devices such as cellular phones, portable music players, DVD drives, and set-top boxes.

“By the end of 2005, our customers will have shipped tens of millions of units that include our first-generation Xtensa HiFi Audio Engine,” said Chris Rowen, president and CEO of Tensilica. “This new generation product supports additional audio standards and is based on our leading-edge Xtensa LX processor, so it’s faster, lower power, smaller and more flexible.”

See http://www.tensilica.com/news_events/pr_2005_10_06.htm for more information

QSound Labs' microQ Technology Licensed

QSound’s microQ audio components have been ported to run on Tensilica’s new Xtensa HiFi2 Audio Engine. microQ is a compact, hardware-independent and highly efficient software audio engine providing functions such as polyphonic ringtones, video game sounds, music playback, digital effects and recording for portable applications, including Internet appliances, hand-held and mobile devices. For more information, see http://www.tensilica.com/news_events/pr_2005_10_06a.htm .

QSound Labs' microQ Technology Licensed

QSound’s microQ audio components have been ported to run on Tensilica’s new Xtensa HiFi2 Audio Engine. microQ is a compact, hardware-independent and highly efficient software audio engine providing functions such as polyphonic ringtones, video game sounds, music playback, digital effects and recording for portable applications, including Internet appliances, hand-held and mobile devices. For more information, see http://www.tensilica.com/news_events/pr_2005_10_06a.htm .

Coding Technologies' aacPlus Licensed

Tensilica has selected Coding Technologies’ aacPlus codec for its Xtensa HiFi 2 Audio Engine. Coding Technologies’ is a recognized innovator in digital audio technology and their well executed aacPlus implementation greatly simplified the development of a highly optimized port for our Xtensa HiFi 2 Audio Engine. For more information, read http://www.tensilica.com/news_events/pr_2005_10_06b.htm

Do You Believe Tensilica's Marketing Claims?

This question was posed on John Cooley's Deepchip web site (see http://www.deepchip.com/items/0447-06.html). A reader posted, "TenSilica is closer to ARC than ARM, but when I last looked, TenSilica was miles ahead of ARC. ARC give you more flexibility in that you writethe entire extension in Verilog, and you are allowed to do pretty muchwhatever you want, while TenSilica is more constraining, but TenSilica'sstuff is far more polished, with everything being automated. I was very impressed with what I saw from TenSilica, and I wouldn'thesitate to recommend them. In my experience, it's rare to find a companywhose products actually live up to the marketing claims, especially in IP. " Read the full story.

Atheros Licenses Xtensa Processor

Atheros, a leading provider of wireless solutions, has licensed the Xtensa processor for use in future designs. "We selected Tensilica's Xtensa processor because of its high-performance, low power and small size which are ideal for a wide range of very compact wireless applications," said Rick Bahr, VP of Engineering for Atheros Communications. "Xtensa's configurable and extensible microprocessor core provides Atheros and our customers with a high level of design flexibility required to satisfy the growing array of end-product application requirements."

See the press release at http://www.tensilica.com/news_events/pr_2005_09_26.htm

Congratulation Ikanos

Congratulations to Ikanos Communications on their successful initial public offering. [NASDAQ symbol: IKAN]. Tensilica is proud to be a key ingredient in their success. Ikanos uses the Xtensa processor as the heart of its Burst Mode Engine (BME) chip, which is in the SmartLeap 8100, SmartLeap 8800 and CleverConnect 150 chip sets.

Chris Rowen to Keynote EMSOFT Conference

Tensilica's president and CEO, Chris Rowen, will be the keynote speaker at tomorrow's EMSOFT conference. His speech will discuss "Multiprocessor SOC Design: Revolution Now!" Already, Tensilica's customers use, on average, 6 processors per SOC design, so the multiple processor revolution certainly is occuring. One customer used almost 200 processors in a recent networking design.

EMSOFT is the leading conference for research in embedded systems software. Embedded computing pervades everyday life. Embedded software must meet demanding criteria for correctness, performance, power consumption, and development cost. EMSOFT is the flagship conference of the ACM Special Interest Group on Embedded Computing (SIGBED).

Chris' talk is at 8:30 am on Wednesday, September 21, in Jersey City, New Jersey. See http://www.princeton.edu/%7Ewolf/EMSOFT-2005/index.htm for more information on this conference.