Low-end DSP extension proves its valid challenge to highly priced celebrities: Flip8051 Whirl executes code 25 times faster than a standard 80C51, enabling it to easily handle Domosys' advanced PowerBus(TM) power line control networking protocol stack.
Grenoble, France and Quebec, Canada, June 10th, 2001 - Domosys Corporation of Sainte Foy, Quebec and DOLPHIN Integration SA of Meylan, France are announcing at DAC-2002 in New-Orleans, the integration of Digital Signal Processing functions in a System-on-Chip (SoC) using an enhanced 8051 Virtual Component.
It is not a total surprise that such a technical field be driven by fashions: it is thus the more likely that marketing driven innovators will buck the trends and introduce welcome disruptions.
Digital Signal Processing as a coprocessor for a controller Domosys is proud to announce that it is using Dolphin Integration's Whirl 8051 core as the foundation of its U-Chip, an ASIC used to embed Domosys' PowerBus technology. Running at a speed of 30 MHz, the Whirl core executes code 25 times faster than a legacy 12 MHz 8051 microcontroller.This speed allows the U-Chip to run the entire PowerBus protocol stack, from the physical layer right up to the user's application code.
The U-Chip is a highly integrated SoC transceiver specialized for low cost power line control networking. Dolphin's 8051 Whirl core is associated with 64 kb of embedded flash code memory, 6 kb of embedded RAM, a host of digital and analog peripherals, and a dedicated DSP transceiver optimized for power line communications. When combined with Domosys' PowerBus control networking protocol stack, it is a very low cost and reliable solution for networking a wide variety of devices. Domosys' PowerBus ICs are already being used in applications as diverse as street lamp control and monitoring, industrial automation, automated meter reading, and home automation.
Dolphin's Whirl 8051 microcontroller Virtual Component uses state of the art RISC design techniques in order to minimize gate count, while
running the standard 8051 instruction set nine times faster than a legacy 8051 device. It also adds fifteen new 16-bit DSP instructions that
can save code space, and provide a factor 50 in speed gain for some calculations, as for the MAC instruction. Its configurable peripherals
keep silicon cost to a minimum, and a full suite of simulation testbenches and development tools make the integration of this module into your
SoC a snap. The core can be delivered as VHDL or Verilog source, as a hard level macrocell, or embedded in an FPGA.
"We are very happy with the performance and quality of Dolphin's core," said Domosys VP of R&D Pierre Longtin. "The Whirl 8051's powerful features have helped make our vision of a low cost, powerful control networking technology a reality. Dolphin's excellent post-sales engineering support ensured that our silicon worked properly on the very first tape-out using a deep sub-micron, mixed signal embedded flash process."
Dolphin's COO, Jean-Fançois Pollet adds, "We greatly enjoy working with technology visionaries such as Domosys; they are continually finding new and innovative ways to use our products. We believe that power line control networking is an ideal market for our advanced 8051 microcontroller, as a high level of performance must be squeezed out of as little silicon as possible."
A roadmap forever
Neither party intends to stop there, but obviously new releases of the Flip8051 will make innovation even smoother for Domosys' developers
The Flip8051 microcontroller family was just renewed by introducing the capability for optimizing at will either density, or speed or else power
consumption.
Aging "Flip8051-CR Storm" actually sired false twins:
Flip8051 Thunder, accelerated 6-times on average, is optimized for the best ratio Performance/ Complexity; since Flip8051 Cyclone, accelerated 9-times on average, is optimized for the highest speed of any application program.
Flip8051 Whirl, the high-end option offering a DSP coprocessor, has also been renewed by false Twins: Whirl-Thunder and Whirl-Cyclone, both enriched with a DSP co-processor.
Innovative add-ons have been developed for all options to enable a real product differentiation on the market like the "Clock & Power
Management Unit" to enable power savings by 30%, 50% or more... and other new features and peripherals...
Pricing and Availability
The U-Chip is available today in production quantities, at a price of $8.00 (10k-unit quantities) in either a 48-LQFP or 80-LQFP
package. When embedding the PowerBus protocol stack, the pricing is $8.00 for the U-521 48-pin device (10k-unit quantities).
All chips run at 30 MHz over an industrial temperature range (from -40°C to +85°C). Technical documentation can be found at:
http://www.domosys.com/products/chips/
About Domosys
Founded in 1994, Domosys Corporation is a leading provider of control networking technology to the residential, utility and commercial markets.
The company provides a complete portfolio of products and services, such as transceivers and development software, required by Original Equipment Manufacturers ("OEMs") to successfully develop and market products for control networks. Domosys' communication technology transforms any stand-alone product into a device that can be controlled or monitored either locally or remotely over the Internet. Utilizing narrow-band transceivers, signals are sent and received over existing power lines or twisted pair wires, reducing the need for new wires or infrastructure to be built.
Domosys Corporation is a privately held corporation based in Quebec City, Canada. To learn more about Domosys and its products and services, visit the company's Web site at www.domosys.com
For more information contact:
Adrian Dunn
Marketing Director
adunn@domosys.com
Telephone: +1 (418) 681-8022 ext. 227
About DOLPHIN Integration
DOLPHIN Integration, provider of "Service Empowered IP" for Logic, Analog and Memory Virtual Components, offers a wide range of design
products with support services; from turnkey design to consulting support for customers wanting efficient insertion of FLIP virtual components from kits into their SoC development. DOLPHIN is a member of the Virtual Socket Interface Alliance (VSIA) and of the Virtual Component exchange (VCX). Their mission statement is to supply worldwide customers with fault-free, high yield and reliable sets of CMOS Virtual Components together with engineering assistance and product evolution customized to their needs. Flip8051 has been sold to experienced customers since 1998 and has been improved constantly by a dedicated team specialized in support and development of innovations.
For more information on Flip8051 Virtual Components:
http://www.dolphin-ip.com/flip/logic/logic_8051_overview.html
or contact:
Yann RICHARD
Product Marketing Manager
logic@dolphin-ip.com
Telephone: +33 4 76 41 10 96
A joint publication emphasizing the benefits of this option enriched with the DSP instructions was presented at DSP 2000 by the SoC Development Manager at Dolphin Integration and the VP Engineering at Domosys Corporation:
"Integrating DSP functions in a SoC using an enhanced RISC 8051 IP core" can be viewed at:
< http://www.dolphin.fr/flip/logic/8051/logic_8051_download.html>
