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Synopsys DesignWare DDR multiPHY IP supports six DDR standards in a single PHY

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., April 7, 2010 — Synopsys, Inc. (Nasdaq:SNPS), a world leader in software and IP for semiconductor design, verification and manufacturing, today announced availability of the DesignWare™ DDR multiPHY which is designed to support a broad range of DDR SDRAM standards in a single PHY without sacrificing power consumption or silicon area. These standards include LPDDR2, LPDDR/Mobile DDR, DDR3, DDR3L (1.35 V), DDR3U (1.2x V), and DDR2. The DesignWare DDR multiPHY enables designers to target different DDR types for a single chip through simple software control. This capability makes it extremely flexible to integrate into an extensive array of applications such as consumer electronics, mobile, networking, server, computing, commercial/industrial and automotive applications. The DesignWare DDR multiPHY supports data rates from 0 to 1066 Mbps and offers a DFI 2.1 compliant interface to the memory controller.

“Memory interfaces continue to be one of the key IP requirements we see in chip development. New standards such as DDR3, DDR3L and LPDDR2 are designed to meet system performance requirements while utilising less power,” said Dr. Keh-Ching Huang, Head of Marketing and IP Solution Planning at Global Unichip. “By supporting all facets of the DDR standards, Synopsys’ unique DesignWare DDR multiPHY enables us to quickly incorporate the necessary functionalities into our SoC designs with less risk.”

The DesignWare DDR multiPHY is architected for extremely low power consumption and features Delay Lock Loop (DLL) bypass modes for operation below 200 MHz. It also features an I/O retention mode that allows the chip’s power supplies to be shut down completely while a small number of I/Os remain powered on to keep the external SDRAMs in self refresh mode. The DesignWare DDR multiPHY is designed to support the anticipated DDR3U standard operating at 1.2 or 1.25 V. Additionally, the DesignWare DDR multiPHY provides built-in data training circuits to enable in-system calibration, providing optimised system-level timing without material interaction with the memory controller.

The DDR multiPHY is a hard macro similar to Synopsys’ complementary DDR PHY offerings.  Hard DDR PHYs offer significant benefits over “soft” PHYs or all digital PHYs such as:

  • Quick integration. All pieces of the PHY come from one vendor and have been verified together
  • Minimal timing closure problems. Known performance, proven in silicon
  • Better performance margins. Lower jitter, better duty cycle and more supply noise rejection
  • Area optimised circuits. Each bit path is designed with matched flight times on the data buses

“It has become as important to minimise power as it has to minimise overall chip cost in portable electronics,” said John Koeter, vice president of marketing for the Solutions Group at Synopsys. “The DesignWare DDR multiPHY not only offers designers the flexibility to utilise any DDR SDRAM in the system through simple software control, it also features a power-conscious design that minimises the silicon area and cost.”

The DesignWare DDR multiPHY is a part of Synopsys’ comprehensive DesignWare DDR IP offering that consists of digital controllers and PHY IP supporting DDR, DDR2, DDR3, Mobile DDR and now LPDDR2. The comprehensive portfolio of DDR IP supports leading 130-nm, 90-nm, 65-nm, 55-nm and 45/40-nm technologies. Synopsys helps lower integration risk by providing high-quality DDR IP solutions that have been implemented in hundreds of applications and are shipping in volume production.

Availability

The DesignWare DDR multiPHY is available now. For more product information and video demonstrations of DesignWare DDR IP, visit:http://www.synopsys.com/ddr

About DesignWare IP

Synopsys is a leading provider of high-quality, silicon-proven interface and analog IP solutions for system-on-chip designs. Synopsys’ broad IP portfolio delivers complete connectivity IP solutions consisting of controllers, PHY and verification IP for widely used protocols such as USB, PCI Express, DDR, SATA, Ethernet, HDMI and MIPI IP including 3G DigRF, CSI-2 and D-PHY. The analog IP family includes Analog-to-Digital Converters, Digital-to-Analog Converters, Audio Codecs, Video Analog Front Ends, Touch Screen Controllers and more. In addition, Synopsys offers SystemC transaction-level models to build virtual platforms for rapid, pre-silicon development of software. With a robust IP development methodology, extensive investment in quality and comprehensive technical support, Synopsys enables designers to accelerate time-to-market and reduce integration risk. For more information on DesignWare IP, visit:http://www.synopsys.com/designware. Follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/designware_ip.  

About Synopsys

Synopsys, Inc. (Nasdaq:SNPS) is a world leader in electronic design automation (EDA), supplying the global electronics market with the software, intellectual property (IP) and services used in semiconductor design, verification and manufacturing. Synopsys’ comprehensive, integrated portfolio of implementation, verification, IP, manufacturing and field-programmable gate array (FPGA) solutions helps address the key challenges designers and manufacturers face today, such as power and yield management, software-to-silicon verification and time-to-results. These technology-leading solutions help give Synopsys customers a competitive edge in bringing the best products to market quickly while reducing costs and schedule risk. Synopsys is headquartered in Mountain View, California, and has more than 65 offices located throughout North America, Europe, Japan, Asia and India. Visit Synopsys online at http://www.synopsys.com/.

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Digi International Partners with Timesys to Provide Embedded Linux Solutions for Products Designed with Digi’s ConnectCore™ Wi-i.MX51 System-on-Module

PITTSBURGH, April 6 /PRNewswire/ — Timesys Corporation (http://www.timesys.com), provider of  the LinuxLink commercial software development framework and unparalleled technical support for building custom embedded Linux®-based products, announced the company has been selected by Digi International (Nasdaq: DGII) as the preferred commercial Linux solutions provider for Digi’s new ConnectCore™ Wi-i.MX51 wireless System-on-Module (SOM). 

The new design from Digi is based on the powerful Freescale™ i.MX51 processor which offers a high-performance ARM® Cortex-A8® core. The combination of the powerful SoC processor and Digi included peripherals, including pre-certified 802.11abgn WiFi support, makes the ConnectCore Wi-i.MX51 a very attractive Linux solution for markets such as medical, consumer electronics and networking, where LinuxLink has already been adopted.

“The Cortex-A8 has been rapidly gaining popularity in various embedded designs where Linux is the operating system of choice,” said Maciej Halasz, Director of Product Management at Timesys. “We are very pleased to team up with Digi International to provide our joint customers with the ability to create high-quality Linux solutions using the latest Digi ConnectCore Wi-i.MX51 JumpStart Kit.” Customers selecting Digi’s SOM and creating their custom hardware designs can leverage the ConnectCore Wi-i.MX51 LinuxLink subscription to quickly adapt Linux and design/develop their product specific middleware and value-add applications. LinuxLink for the ConnectCore Wi-i.MX51 is already being used by a number of early customers developing commercial products, including Triteq.

LinuxLink customers can start with the recent Linux kernel which supports many of the device drivers present on the Digi ConnectCore Wi-i.MX51 reference design, including Ethernet, LCD, Touchscreen, VGA, USB and more. The complete list of drivers, Linux packages/middleware and other utilities can be found by visiting the Timesys Digi ConnectCore Wi-i.MX51 Development Center, located at https://linuxlink.timesys.com/dev_center/wi-imx51.

“With a LinuxLink subscription, our customers can quickly develop products, benefiting from the latest open source code and access to a knowledgeable and responsive support team,” said Steve Ericson, Vice President of Product Management at Digi International. “We have partnered with Timesys to provide our customers with access to such open source frameworks as rich user interfaces, media playback, networking utilities and more. LinuxLink provides rich Linux component selection for all markets that we target, including medical, consumer electronics and smart networking devices.”

When compared to rolling your own Linux, LinuxLink offers many benefits, with the first and foremost being support, as well as the use of award-winning online and desktop-hosted build tools (called Factory), access to hundreds of packages and verified middleware, and access to various utilities that support Linux system and application development.

Timesys Factory automated build tools enable highly customized Linux designs on custom hardware by allowing developers to integrate third-party packages, custom applications and proprietary software.  

Application developers benefit from LinuxLink development tools which include the Eclipse-based TimeStorm IDE and commonly used debugging tools — including the integration of a number of JTAG debuggers commonly used. The application development tools are integrated with the Factory assembled development environment. This integration makes it easy to use new APIs and ensures that development and runtime environments are in sync. When needed, LinuxLink customers have immediate access to a vast suite of documentation and tutorials as well as support from Timesys’ expert engineers.

In addition to the LinuxLink subscription, Timesys also offers professional services to customers requiring access to highly experienced Linux system developers to work on specific projects in partnership with their in-house engineers.

For a limited time, developers can obtain free trial access to LinuxLink, to quickly configure, build and evaluate embedded Linux on the Digi ConnectCore Wi-i.MX51 reference kit by registering at https://linuxlink.timesys.com/register/factory. Developers should enter promotion code PRDIGI51 when completing the form.

Additional information about LinuxLink subscriptions for Digi’s ConnectCore Wi-i.MX51 Development Kit can be found at https://linuxlink.timesys.com/dev_center/wi-imx51.

About Timesys

Timesys is the provider of LinuxLink, a high-productivity software development framework for embedded Linux applications. The LinuxLink framework includes the Linux kernel, cross-toolchain, application development IDE, an award-winning build system called Factory, a vast library of middleware packages, software stacks and libraries, documentation and expert technical support. LinuxLink enables development teams to consistently build and maintain a custom, open source embedded Linux platform through regularly updated Linux sources, proven middleware packages, and a scriptable GNU-based build environment. LinuxLink reduces the time, resources, risk and cost associated with building a product based on open source Linux. For more information, visit http://www.timesys.com.

About Digi International

Digi International is making wireless M2M easy by developing reliable products and solutions to connect and securely manage local or remote electronic devices over the network or via the Web. Digi offers the highest levels of performance, flexibility and quality, and markets its products through a global network of distributors and resellers, systems integrators and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). For more information, visit Digi’s Web site at www.digi.com, or call 877-912-3444.

 

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