Imagination and TSMC collaborate on simplifying IoT IP platform design
These IP platforms, complemented by highly optimized reference design flows, bring together the breadth of Imagination’s IP with TSMC’s advanced process technologies from 55 nm down to 10 nm.
Studies claim to show that it costs 2x to 3x more to design a 16nm FinFET-based chip versus 28nm whether it is wearable, mobile, IoT, or automotive. This is a huge increase in costs, leaving many new and established chip makers struggling to compete. The collaboration between Imagination and TSMC brings into play a family of subsystems designed to reduce costs and accelerate time to market.
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The IoT IP subsystems in development include small, highly-integrated connected solutions for simple sensors which combine an entry-level M-class MIPS CPU with an ultra-low power Ensigma Whisper RPU for low-power Wi-Fi, Bluetooth Smart and 6LowPan, as well as OmniShield multi-domain hardware enforced security, and on-chip RAM and flash. The advanced RF and embedded flash capabilities from TSMC enable Imagination to push the boundaries of IoT integration.
At the higher end, highly-integrated and sophisticated audio and vision sensors will be a key component of future mutual customers’ SoCs for a wide range of IoT applications such as smart surveillance, retail analytics and autonomous vehicles. As part of the collaboration, Imagination and TSMC are working together to realize reference IP subsystems that bring together Imagination’s PowerVR multimedia IP, MIPS CPUs, Ensigma RPUs and OmniShield technology to create highly-integrated, highly-intelligent connected audio and vision sensor IP platforms. These IP subsystems will leverage advanced features such as GPU compute, power-managed CPU clusters and on-chip high-bandwidth communications, demonstrating that high-performance local processing and connectivity can be integrated efficiently and cost-effectively.
Tony King-Smith, EVP marketing, Imagination, says: “We have been working with TSMC for more than two years on advanced IP subsystems for IoT and other connected products. Many of our licensees rely on TSMC to provide them with leading-edge, low-power, high-performance silicon foundry capabilities.”
Suk Lee, TSMC senior director, Design Infrastructure Marketing Division, says: “In order to simplify our customers’ designs and shorten their time-to-market, TSMC and our ecosystem partners are transitioning from chip-design enablers to subsystem enablers. We are working closely with Imagination, an established IP leader, as part of our new IoT Subsystem Enablement initiative to help companies get their IoT and connected products to market more quickly and easily.”
Imagination’s IP families include:
- OmniShield-enabled PowerVR multimedia IP, which continues to extend its leadership in both GPU and video decode/encode, complemented by innovative camera imaging processors;
- OmniShield-enabled MIPS CPUs, which power billions of products around the globe from 32-bit microcontrollers for wearables and IoT to high-end 64-bit networking systems;
- Ensigma RPUs (radio connectivity processors), including high-performance Explorer Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on-chip IP and Whisper ultra-low power sensor IP to enable the IoT era;
- Other technologies, including FlowCloud device-to-cloud connectivity systems, Caskeid multiroom streaming audio platform, and extensive FlowTalk and ClearCall VoIP technologies.
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