Speed Pixel Licenses ARM7TDMI Processor for New Digital Wireless Video SoC

Hong Kong-based fabless company benefits from ARM DesignStart Program

CAMBRIDGE, UK – Aug. 13, 2007 – ARM today announced that Speed Pixel Technology Ltd. (Speed Pixel), an emerging fabless company based in Hong Kong with a strong background in end-product systems design, has licensed the ARM7TDMI® processor through the ARM® Processor Foundry Program. Following this agreement with ARM, Speed Pixel will be able to develop advanced SoC solutions for short- to mid-range digital wireless video applications. The company started its ARM technology-based design through the ARM DesignStart™ Program. Now backed by venture capital funding, Speed Pixel are in the process of completing their designs which will be available in Q3 2007.

Already well-known for its manufacturing capacity, Hong Kong is now home to a growing base of fabless semiconductor design companies. Although they are supported by the government, these startups typically have few employees and little initial capital, and thus face the challenge of obtaining leading SoC technologies on a tight budget. To help address these problems, ARM launched the DesignStart Program in 2005, enabling startup companies to evaluate ARM processors in their designs prior to obtaining a full commercial license. In addition, the ARM ecosystem, which is well established in China, provides the necessary third-party resources to accelerate their ARM Powered® designs. The ARM DesignStart Program now features the ARM7TDMI processor and ARM926EJ™ processor design kits at various process nodes.

“As we sought to develop SoC solutions providing excellent performance, long battery life and support for low-cost wireless video applications, the ARM7TDMI processor available via the ARM DesignStart Program stood out as the obvious choice,” said Michael Chan, CTO, Speed Pixel. “The fact that the ARM7TDMI processor was available through the ARM DesignStart Program has significantly reduced our financial burden and enabled us to focus on developing innovative products. Silicon-proven ARM technology, foundry support and the comprehensive ARM ecosystem all contributed to our rapid design cycle and tapeout.”

“Many Chinese fabless startups enter the market with small teams and a low level of initial capital, but would like to access ARM processor technology to develop their SoC designs. The ARM DesignStart Program fully addresses their needs,” said Dr. Jun Tan, president, ARM China. “Speed Pixel has completed the cycle from concept and design to validation and tapeout within a very short time. With the DesignStart Program, ARM has reaffirmed its commitment to enabling startups worldwide, as well as small- and medium-sized fabless companies, to leverage our leading technologies. This benefits the entire ARM ecosystem and helps to bring innovative products to market quickly.”

Speed Pixel’s SoC solution will enable OEMs to develop mobile wireless video products with high performance, long battery life, low cost and reduced interference. These products can be widely used in applications such as infant monitoring, home/office surveillance, law enforcement, rescue and toys.

About ARM

ARM designs the technology that lies at the heart of advanced digital products, from mobile, home and enterprise solutions to embedded and emerging applications. ARM’s comprehensive product offering includes 16/32-bit RISC microprocessors, data engines, graphics processors, digital libraries, embedded memories, peripherals, software and development tools, as well as analog functions and high-speed connectivity products. Combined with the company’s broad Partner community, they provide a total system solution that offers a fast, reliable path to market for leading electronics companies. More information on ARM is available at http://www.arm.com.

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