Sharp taps Ceva for software defined 5G IoT chip
The chip arm of Sharp has used a customizable software defined modem from Ceva for a next generation 5G chip for the Internet of Things.
The Asuka system on chip developed by Sharp Semiconductor Innovation Corporation (SSIC) is aimed at Beyond 5G (6G) IoT terminals with a high speed JESD204B serial interface to an FPGA. A development board using the chip is being shown at Mobile World Congress 2025 (MWC) which starts in Barcelona, Spain, today.
The Asuka chip is based on the Ceva-PentaG2 modem block which is specifically designed for lower-throughput applications such as RedCap (reduces capacity) and other optimized cellular IoT applications with the New Radio (NR) protocol. The model includes the digital signal processors and accelerator blocks to enable optimal signal chain processing with minimal power consumption and includes a complete 5G PHY software implementation.
The resulting chip was developed as a customizable alternative to traditional fixed function “black box” 5G SoCs. It includes various expansion interfaces such as PCIe (Gen4), USB 3.0 and JESD204B for wideband interfaces to data converters. JESD204B provides up to three times the bandwidth of LVDS serial/deserialiser (SerDes) interfaces to an FGPA, which is a key factor for software defined radio designs.
The Asuka board provides a customizable development environment that enables coordination between base stations and terminals so that developers can customize the terminal alongside base stations for simultaneous optimisation via software with new features and verification in a software defined radio (SDR) development environment.
The software defined architecture is a key step as Sharp is planning three variants of the chip to cover sub-6GHz bands in IoT applications and in smart factories as well as a version for what is calls millimetre wave frequencies, expected to be from 7GHz to 29GHz (or the cm wave bands, where Keysight and Ericsson are showing an IoT testbed).
“Our goal with the Asuka SoC is to make 5G and beyond cellular IoT communications more accessible and widespread,” said Toyofumi Horikawa, Director of Development Department No.2 at SSIC. “By partnering with Ceva and leveraging their renowned expertise in cellular processing, we have realized a cutting-edge SoC that is customizable to address any cellular IoT terminal application or standard, today and in the future.”
“We are proud to collaborate with Sharp on their innovative ‘Beyond 5G’ IoT terminal project,” said Michael Boukaya, Chief Operation Officer of Ceva. “Our Ceva-PentaG2 provides customers like Sharp with the industry’s most advanced 5G platform IP, reducing risk and time-to-market for the development of cutting-edge cellular modems that support the most advanced applications with industry-leading efficiency and performance.”
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