ChipX Introduces Embedded Array Products as Alternatives to Standard Cell ASICs

Update: GigOptix, Inc. Announces Acquisition of ChipX (November 10, 2009)

Embedded Arrays Offer Cost Benefit of Standard Cell Devices Plus Time-to-Market Advantage of Structured ASICs

Santa Clara, CA – February 5, 2007 – Offering customers a new alternative to Standard Cell ASICs, ChipX today introduced a line of Embedded Array products built with Structured ASIC libraries, also known as a Structured ASIC fabric. ChipX Embedded Arrays in UMC 0.13u high-speed HS process technology are available for designs starting today. ChipX is the 1st company to offer Embedded Arrays in a 0.13u process.

Embedded Arrays add a powerful and cost-effective new option to the methods that ChipX customers can utilize to bring an ASIC to market. To date, the choices available to ASIC designers were based on either (1) a fully customized product (Standard Cell) or (2) a fully configurable Structured ASIC, pioneered by ChipX. The newly introduced ChipX Embedded Array products are based on the company’s patented X-Cell™ configurable logic, combined with Standard Cell IO and memory structures, and optional mixed-signal IP—all matched exactly to an application. As a result, designers can make substantial logic changes, corrections, or additions to the device using a completely standard automated tool flow.

With ChipX Embedded Array products, re-spins or logic feature changes can be implemented significantly faster, more cost effectively, and with much lower risk than manually inserted changes to metal layer masks. Such additions can be completed in as few as six weeks, a sharp contrast with a full Standard Cell device re-spin requiring a minimum of 12 weeks and potentially a full mask set.

“The time required to develop Standard Cell ASICs in advanced processes is long and costs in the tens of millions of dollars, so companies cannot afford to make mistakes,” said Elie Massabki, Vice President of Marketing at ChipX. “Furthermore, the ability to develop derivative products, no matter how small the changes are, is also an expensive and time-consuming undertaking that many companies are sometimes forced to eliminate. In price-sensitive markets, companies need to reach the lowest cost solution as quickly as possible in order to gain acceptance and win market share. Embedded Array products are designed to address and offer a compelling solution for all these issues.”

Because almost all building blocks used in an Embedded Array are from Standard Cell libraries, performance of the complete component is very similar to Standard Cell, both in terms of power and maximum speed. Achievable logic speeds are typically less than 10% below Standard Cell performance, in the same process.

ChipX Embedded Array products can embed more than 8M true ASIC gates, 10Mbits of memory, various mixed signal PHY cores such as PCI Express, USB 2.0, DDR/DDRII, as well as analog cores such as PLLs, ADCs, DACs along with 800 standard cell I/Os, including LVDS, HSTL, SSTL and LVCMOS. A broad range of packages is available for this family of products.

About ChipX

ChipX, Inc. is a pioneer and leading manufacturer of late-stage programmable application-specific integrated circuits, or Structured ASICs. The company's innovative, patented technology consolidates wafer production tooling, reduces time-to-market and minimizes the total cost to profit. ChipX Structured ASIC technology is widely used in consumer equipment, computing peripherals, communication systems, industrial control, medical equipment, instrumentation and military/aerospace systems. For more information about ChipX families of Structured ASICs, please visit www.chipx.com. Headquartered in Santa Clara, CA, ChipX is a privately held corporation, founded in the U.S. in 1989. A subsidiary, ChipX (Israel) Ltd., performs Research & Development. Investors include Elron Electronic Industries, Ltd. (NASDQ: ELRN), VantagePoint Venture Partners, Wasserstein Venture Capital, Newlight Associates, Parker Price Venture Capital, UMC, Needham Capital Partners and Insite Capital.