Synopsys, Fujitsu Develop SPARClite Model

Electronic News, July 19, 1999

Furthering its bid to expand its ASIC business, Fujitsu Ltd. has joined with Synopsys Inc. to develop a hardware/software co-verification model for Fujitsu's SPARClite microprocessor cores.

The companies have produced a model of Fujitsu's SPARClite MB8683x 32- bit RISC microprocessor cores for use with Synopsys' Eaglei hardware/software co-verification environment. The development of the model is intended to improve quality and reduce the development time of system-on-a-chip (SOC) products for embedded applications, including consumer devices.

Fujitsu's SPARClite products have found success in consumer products, most notably in digital still cameras. The company said the SPARClite has been designed into more than 20 digital cameras from manufacturers including Olympus, Agfa, Epson, and Sanyo. Both standalone and integrated versions of the SPARClite have been used in embedded applications.

The combination of high-performance, low-power consumption and complex software in products such as digital still cameras requires a sophisticated approach to design, according to Fujitsu.

"The SPARClite RISC processor family is used in the types of demanding applications that require the most advanced verification methodologies, including hardware/software co-verification," said Joji Murakami, vice general manager, System Micro Division, Semiconductor Group, at Fujitsu, Ltd.

"Synopsys has provided us with the model development technology and support necessary to help us efficiently meet the growing demand from our customers for access to the co-verification models they need for successful early integration of hardware and software to achieve their critical time-to-market windows."

Fujitsu hopes to build upon the success of the SPARClite to increase its presence in the market for high-value added ASICs for fast-growing applications. The company has been attempting to extricate itself from the commodity PC memory business, while at the same time finding new areas of growth.

Fujitsu, in its 1998 fiscal year ended March 31, saw worldwide semiconductor sales fall by 6 percent. However, the company said design wins for ASIC and SOC products increased by 52 percent during the fiscal year.

Fujitsu has been working to bolster its semiconductor intellectual property (SIP) business using its IPSymphony framework. IPSymphony comprises a set of services and products, including customer design, manufacturing and a SIP bank. The SIP bank now includes a large number of cores for applications ranging from digital still cameras to digital set-top boxes.

Available cores include MPEG-2 video decompression, AC-3 audio decompression, and USB and 1394 interfaces. Besides the SPARClite, Fujitsu is offering the ARM7TDMI 32-bit RISC microprocessor and the Oak DSP core.

The MB8683x line is tailored for applications requiring low price, high performance and low-power consumption. Current versions of the line support clock speeds of up to 100MHz. Features include a clock multiplier-circuit, as well as configurable instruction and data caches, and sleep-mode operation.