Imagination announces that 2016 will be "the year of MIPS"

International CES, Las Vegas – 6^th January, 2016 – Imagination Technologies (IMG.L) announces at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2016 the latest developments and progress in driving widespread adoption of its MIPS family of CPUs.

Says Jim Nicholas, VP of MIPS business operations: “Our accelerated IP core roadmap and product delivery means that 2016 will be ‘the year of MIPS’, marking a turning point in recognition and adoption for MIPS as the leading alternative CPU for automotive, consumer, IoT and more.”

The next steps are the continuing expansion of Imagination’s line of MIPS Warrior CPUs, and the growth of the already robust ecosystem of tools and software for MIPS.

A key step for MIPS’ attack on the CPU status quo includes a new end-to-end debug environment built for designs where customers want to build in MIPS as an embedded processor alongside another vendor’s processor, such as ARM cores. This development is making it easier than ever for SoC companies to choose MIPS for their designs.

MIPS Warrior CPUs are shipping now in markets including embedded, IoT and communications, and are gaining momentum as customers see them in action and recognize the differentiation they can provide for myriad applications, based on unique features such as hardware multi-threading, OmniShield multi-domain security, and more.

MIPS demonstrations at CES will include:

• IoT: The new Creator Ci40 IoT-in-a-box development kit with demos showcasing integration with Imagination’s FlowCloud device-to-cloud technology and Google’s new Brillo operating system for IoT
• IoT: New MIPS-based IoT solutions entering the market including those from Ineda, Ingenic, MediaTek, Microchip Technology, Qualcomm Atheros, Standing Egg and Vocore
• Automotive: Smart processing technologies for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) where MIPS IP is already inside a majority of deployed systems; including solutions from leading automotive chip company Mobileye
• Wearables: Solutions with Imagination’s MIPS IP from a wide range of manufacturers
• Audio: The latest multi-room audio and digital radio solutions combining Imagination’s MIPS CPUs, Ensigma RPUs for connectivity and Caskeid audio technology
• TV: MIPS based TVs using technology from companies including Realtek

Recent developments around MIPS IP include:

• New additions to the MIPS family include the embedded 32-bit M-class M6200 and M6250 CPUs and high-end P-class P6600 64-bit CPU
• Multiple customers are now shipping products with MIPS Warrior CPUs, at the high end and entry level; announced chips include those from Altair, Baikal, Mobileye, Microchip Technology and Standing Egg
• Multi-threaded CPUs continue to gain traction with I-class CPUs securing design wins in high-performance embedded processing for mobile and consumer SoCs, as well as strengthening their presence in residential and enterprise networking applications
• PEZY Computing KK, a top developer of ultra-efficient supercomputing processors, is to integrate 64-bit MIPS CPUs in next-generation devices
• MIPS On-Chip Instrumentation (MIPS OCI), plus new Codescape MIPS SDK and Codescape SysProbes, deliver a new end-to-end debug environment that simplifies integration and debugging of MIPS heterogeneous CPU based systems or systems that combine MIPS CPUs with other CPU architectures
• MIPS CPU architecture is fully supported by Google’s new Brillo OS for the IoT as well as Android Wear for wearables

Very significantly, Microchip Technology is now shipping the industry’s richest portfolio of MCUs, including their PIC32MZ EF family based on the MIPS M5150 Warrior M-class processor core.

• PIC32MZ EF MCUs integrate several vital security features, including a crypto engine with RNG for data encryption/decryption and authentication, and advanced memory protection.
• Multiple low-cost development boards using the new PIC32MZ EF MCUs are in production from Microchip and leading partners, including the new version of the Arduino-compatible chipKIT^TM Wi-FIRE development board from Digilent.
• Over 180 MIPS-based, 32-bit PIC32 MCUs are now available from Microchip Technology.

Education
Imagination has made major strides in the education of future CPU engineers using the MIPS architecture. Imagination received the Educational Support Award 2015 in the prestigious Elektra European Electronics Industry Awards for MIPSfpga. MIPSfpga is the company’s program that transforms CPU architecture education in universities around the globe by offering them free and open access to a fully-validated, current generation MIPS CPU in a complete teaching package.

A pioneering partnership with EUROPRACTICE will enable over 670 universities and research institutions in 44 countries to access a fully supported MIPS Warrior M-class CPU with optional hardware virtualization that can provide the basis for multi-domain security solutions.

Quotes
Tony King-Smith, EVP marketing, Imagination says: “MIPS is entering 2016 with exciting momentum. Building on strong delivery of new cores, new tools, robust security technology, and new devices from our partners, Imagination will take MIPS forward with a compelling roadmap from 32-bit MCUs to 64-bit high-end processor clusters. We will be bringing Heterogeneous Systems Architecture (HSA) support to Warrior, expanding our portfolio of Codescape SysProbes, adding new partner tools, growing our ecosystem as well as building stronger alignment and synergies with PowerVR multimedia and Ensigma communications core families.

This is making tier-one semiconductor companies think again as they see the value of MIPS as a strategic choice across many segments.”

Daniel Mandell, IoT & embedded technology market research analyst at VDC Research says: “Imagination’s new debug environment for MIPS is a significant development in that it enables companies to more quickly integrate and debug a MIPS CPU in their SoC design – whether as a management controller or a cluster of data processors in heterogeneous CPU designs. This debug advantage in combination with Imagination’s developer ecosystem puts MIPS in a unique position among CPU architectures.”

Motoaki Saito, M.D., Ph.D., PEZY founder, president and CEO, says: “To address important emerging opportunities in areas such as supercomputing and artificial intelligence, we are building a long-term strategic alliance with Imagination that we believe will change the HPC world and offer disruptive solutions in many other application areas as well. PEZY-SC2 powered by Imagination’s 64-bit MIPS Warrior CPUs will be more than a game changing processor in many ways and we are looking forward to propelling the technology advancements in the HPC world.”

Jongsung Lee, CEO, Standing Egg, says: “When it came to selecting a CPU, we chose MIPS for its outstanding performance efficiency and features. Its ability to handle sophisticated algorithms as well as its signal processing capability make the MIPS M5100 ideal for our next-generation sensor hubs, and we already have interest in these products from several customers.”

Svetlana Legostaeva, CEO, Baikal Electronics, says: “Our new MIPS-based communications processor, with its versatility, high-performance and energy efficiency, will rival the industry’s most advanced 32-bit communications chips.”

Dr. John A. McLean, head of the EUROPRACTICE design tool service, says: “Our partnership with Imagination is historic since for the first time it provides students with access to the world-class MIPS architecture so they can learn how to design and build cutting-edge products for tomorrow.”

Imagination is also continuing to fill out its ecosystems around MIPS CPUs. Recent developments include the launch by the prpl Foundation of prpl.works, an online community by and for open source developers and users. Active for just a few weeks, the community had already reached over 40,000 MIPS developers from around the world by mid-Dec 2015.

To access Imagination’s press kit for International CES 2016, please visit: https://imgtec.com/press-kit/. Email tradeshows@imgtec.com to arrange a personal meeting in Imagination’s suite at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

About MIPS CPUs
MIPS CPUs comprise a comprehensive portfolio of low-power, high-performance microprocessor IP cores and architectures, ranging from solutions for high-end applications processing down to solutions for extremely small, deeply embedded microcontrollers. MIPS CPUs power billions of products around the globe. The 64-bit MIPS architecture is widely deployed in a large number of products, and is supported by a vibrant and growing ecosystem built over more than 20 years.

About Imagination Technologies
Imagination is a global technology leader whose products touch the lives of billions of people across the globe. The company’s broad range of silicon IP (intellectual property) includes the key processing blocks needed to create the SoCs (Systems on Chips) that power all mobile, consumer and embedded electronics. Its unique software IP, infrastructure technologies and system solutions enable its customers to get to market quickly with complete and highly differentiated SoC platforms. Imagination’s licensees include many of the world’s leading semiconductor manufacturers, network operators and OEMs/ODMs who are creating some of the world’s most iconic products. See: www.imgtec.com.