Zilog Cartezian Communications engine

IP News ZiLOG CARTEZIAN[tm] COMMUNICATIONS ENGINE

32-Bit RISC/DSP Soft-Core-Based Solution Slashes Development Time, Delivers Internet Capability For Telecommunications and Data Communications

Campbell, CA (November 1, 1999) - ZiLOG Inc. today announced the Cartezian[tm] Communications Engine, the first in a family of embedded communications microprocessors that combine the efficiency of RISC with the high-end performance of DSP processing. Targeted for the multi-billion-dollar telecommunications and data communications markets, the Cartezian solution features a synthesizable 32-bit RISC/DSP processor and RISC/DSP edge processors, a rich set of communications peripherals and software stacks.

The first two Cartezian products are the Cartezian Routers and the Cartezian Switches, which address the convergence of voice and data (Voice Over Internet Protocol). They will be available in the second half of 2000. The Cartezian family will provide scalable soft-core solutions focused primarily at Layer 2 and Layer 3 of the OSI model (with processing capability for Layer 1). Applications includes LANs, routers, switches, Central Office line cards, DSLAMs and Small Office Home Office (SOHO) applications.

"Communications, fueled by the Internet, are the heart of everything we do," said Curtis J. Crawford, ZiLOG?s Chairman of the Board, President and CEO. "Cartezian provides customers with high-performance embedded communications solutions, enabling them to link their applications in networks and through the Internet."

In an industry first, the Cartezian Communications Engine uses software to generate microprocessors and tools at the same time. This innovation slashes development time from years to months and enables customers to validate their designs before committing to silicon.

Cartezian has a unique open architecture. A soft-core main processor, based on Tensilica?s Xtensa™ technology, controls the overall system while soft-core edge processors perform tasks for the communications peripherals and software stacks. The edge processors are tuned to manage different peripheral bandwidths. One edge processor, for example, would handle HDLCs; a different edge processor would handle 10/100 Ethernet MAC; a third would manage xDSL. With this type of distributed architecture, Cartezian creates a non-blocking system that removes the bottlenecks between various peripherals and software stacks

RISC and DSP BRIDGES

The Cartezian Communications Engine bridges the traditional gap between DSP and RISC processing by combining the programming ease of RISC with the processing power of DSP. This allows the RISC capability to be used for memory and frame management and the DSP for the algorithms and Layer 1 communications.

The Cartezian Communications Engine also combines the same programmer?s model for RISC and DSP development. This new architecture will speed development time and simplify the development of new applications.

According to Will Strauss, president of market watcher Forward Concepts (Tempe, Ariz.), "The new ZiLOG is greatly expanding its DSP capabilities with the introduction of Cartezian, a new approach to providing fast OEM-specific designs. With the TCP/IP stack, Internet-specific product designs become much easier to implement with Cartezian. And DSP-intense appliances such as smart phones for VoIP over LAN, DSL or cable become quickly realizable."

COMMUNICATIONS PERIPHERALS AND SOFTWARE STACKS

The Cartezian Communications Engine includes a suite of communications peripherals and software stacks that accommodate the convergence of voice and data in network environments. These features reduce development time because the basic software stack is engineered into the solution. The peripherals include: a 10/100 Ethernet MAC to provide access to LANs; an ATM SAR with UTOPIA to re-serialize the packets; and PCI to provide access to popular system interfaces.

The software stack includes memory-mapped peripherals with API access, a wide variety of codecs, a TCP/IP stack and complementary stacks to enable VoIP and web-management capabilities.

SOFT-CORE APPROACH

The Cartezian Communications Engine deploys software to generate microprocessors in a fraction of the time it takes to develop processors in silicon. The software-based Cartezian uses an innovative design methodology that simultaneously generates soft-core processors and their supporting development tools. This revolutionary approach fully automates the design process enabling customers to:

Validate their design before committing to silicon
Reduce system and tools development from years to months

"The Cartezian is ideal for the fast-moving communications market, where speed and development time are crucial," said Didier Le Lannic, Senior Vice President and General Manager of ZiLOG's Communication Division. "Cartezian is the ultimate weapon. It delivers design flexibility with an array of tools, while dramatically reducing system-engineering costs and time to market."

CARTEZIAN PLATFORM & PRODUCT FAMILY

Cartezian is a complete embedded microprocessor development platform for communications solutions. The Cartezian Communications Engine Development Platform will begin shipping in early 2000. The Instruction Set Simulator, compiler, assembler, linker, and debugger are available now. Cartezian products will be competitively priced against other 32-bit network solutions.

The tool suite includes a C/C++ compiler, assembler, linker, cycle accurate instruction set simulator and code profiler. The simultaneous tool generation guarantees that the tool suite is optimized for the customized processor, allowing customers to generate, test, validate and optimize their application before committing to silicon. Cartezian's synthesizable processor may be ported transparently to any process geometry, such as .5, .35, .25 or .18 micron. The main processor was developed using Tensilica's Xtensa™ technology. ZiLOG was one of the first companies to license technology from Tensilica, which is based in Santa Clara.

General Cartezian Family Features

Communications Engine with 32-bit RISC/DSP main processor
RISC and DSP communication solutions in a single environment
Processor core and tools generated simultaneously enabling application development prior to silicon
Instruction widths of 24 and 16 bits for high code density
Five-stage pipeline
Full set of development tools: C compiler, assembler, linker, code profiler and Instructions Set Simulator (ISS)
Customizable instructions
Embedded TCP/IP Stack for web-management capabilities

Benefits

Design RISC and DSP communications solutions in a single environment
Reduce total system and development costs by using a single core with microprocessor and DSP capabilities
Simulate application prior to silicon
Generate core and tools simultaneously
Reduce time to market from years to months
Customize, diagnose and manage the device using web-management capabilities

Cartezian Router Features

Complete SOHO Router system on a chip with two or four Voice over IP capabilities
Two or four fully channelized HDLC links, with super-frame and sub-frame capabilities
Complete VoIP H.323 stack, including G.711, 723.1, and 729 codec algorithms
200 million instructions per second 32-bit CPU RISC/DSP main processor
Multiple edge processors with 150 million instructions per second 16-bit CPU RISC/DSP
10/100 Ethernet MAC
66 MHz - 32-bit PCI
ATM SAR with UTOPIA and serial interface

Cartezian Switch Features

Four to 21 fully channelized HDLC links, with super-frame and sub-frame capabilities
200 million instructions per second 32-bit CPU RISC/DSP main processor
Multiple edge processors with 150 million instructions per second 16-bit CPU RISC/DSP
One or two 10/100 Ethernet MAC
66 MHz - 32-bit PCI
ATM SAR with UTOPIA and serial interface

Cartezian and eZ80™

The Cartezian Communications Engine is ZiLOG's second major product announcement for networking and Internet applications. In September, ZiLOG announced the eZ80[tm] Internet Engine, which delivers high-performance embedded Internet capability to the massive Z80[tm] worldwide installed base and unifies the fragmented market under a new ZiLOG-endorsed standard. The eZ80's embedded TCP/IP capability enables a new class of products - from consumer electronics and appliances to business electronics - to connect to a network or the Internet.

With the new Cartezian Communications Engine, ZiLOG now offers end-to-end networking solutions, from Customer Premise to Central Office. While the eZ80 addresses the Internet connectivity market, the Cartezian family addresses the convergence of voice and data. Future versions will integrate video.

About ZiLOG Inc.

ZiLOG is a leading global design solutions company specializing in embedded and integrated circuits for the communications, home entertainment and integrated controls markets. Headquartered in Campbell, Calif., ZiLOG employs an estimated 1,300 people worldwide. It announced 1998 revenues of $204.7 million. Texas Pacific Group and its affiliates, a $2.5 billion private investment partnership, own a majority interest in ZiLOG. ZiLOG maintains design centers in Campbell, Calif., Austin, Texas, Nampa, Idaho, Seattle, Wash., and Bangalore, India; a worldwide customer service center in Austin; advanced manufacturing in Nampa; and test operations in Manila, Philippines. It has 27 direct sales offices and more than 120 distributor locations worldwide. www.zilog.com

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Cartezian, eZ80 and Z80 are trademarks of ZiLOG Inc., Xtensa is a trademark of Tensilica.

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of various provisions of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 as amended. Actual results could differ materially.