Xi'An Huaxun Licenses ARM7TDMI Processor

ARM DesignStart Program enables emerging Chinese fabless company to bring advanced SoC design for promising consumer segment into production

CAMBRIDGE, UK – Aug. 22, 2007 – ARM today announced that Xi’An Huaxun, an emerging Chinese fabless semiconductor company, has licensed the ARM7TDMI® processor via the ARM® Processor Foundry Program. This licensing agreement enables Xi’An Huaxun to develop advanced SoCs for GPS navigation systems, which are now being widely adopted by Chinese consumers. Xi’An Huaxun started its ARM technology-based design through the ARM DesignStart™ Program and is now ready to bring its proven design success into production. It also becomes the first ARM processor licensee in Xi’An, an economic and technology center in northwest China. Xi’An Huaxun’s ARM technology-based SoCs will be available in Q3 2007.

The ARM DesignStart Program is designed to help startups, as well as small and medium-sized fabless companies, leverage industry-leading ARM processor technologies. The program enables SoC designers to reduce financial risk by postponing the full commercial license of ARM processors until they have almost completed and tested their designs, and are ready to bring their products to the mass market. Silicon-proven on specific foundry processes, the ARM7TDMI and ARM926EJ™ processors available through the ARM DesignStart Program enable fabless companies with limited budgets to develop innovative SoCs for emerging applications and achieve success in promising new segments of the consumer electronics market.

“The popular ARM7TDMI processor  can provide SoC designers with the advantages of high performance, low power and low cost, and is ideal for small form-factor devices such as GPS navigation systems,” said Dr Peter Zhou, CEO, Xi’An Huaxun. “Through the ARM DesignStart Program, we have been able to focus on developing innovative SoCs at an early stage with minimized financial burden and pressure. Furthermore, the well-established ARM ecosystem in China has also enabled us to obtain the necessary talent, tools and foundry support to expedite our design cycle and time-to-market.”

China has the fastest growing automotive market in the world today. With improved performance, reduced power consumption, smaller size and lower cost, in-car GPS navigation systems are now widely adopted by Chinese consumers seeking a more convenient and comfortable driving experience. With a strong track record in designing SoCs for GPS applications, Xi’An Huaxun is well positioned to offer advanced ARM Powered® solutions to address the significant market demand in China.

“ARM is dedicated to helping our Partners succeed regardless of company size, offering flexible licensing models to meet their needs. The ARM DesignStart Program  is one of our efforts to enable fabless companies, especially Chinese companies with limited up-front capital, to innovate with ARM technologies,” said Dr. Jun Tan, president, ARM China. “Through the ARM DesignStart Program, which now features two of the most popular ARM processors, as well as the ARM Processor Foundry Program, we are able to help our Partners bring innovative designs to market faster while minimizing risk.”

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.