Arteris IP FlexNoC Interconnect Licensed for Use in SK Telecom SAPEON AI Chips

Network-on-Chip interconnect IP optimizes on-chip dataflow and power consumption for flagship Korean artificial intelligence and machine learning processing platform

CAMPBELL, CALIF. -- September 07, 2021 -- Arteris IP, a leading provider of network-on-chip (NoC) interconnect and other intellectual property (IP) technology that manages the on-chip communications in system-on-chip (SoC) semiconductor devices, today announced that South Korean telecommunications operator SK Telecom will use the Arteris IP FlexNoC interconnect IP in its next-generation SAPEON artificial intelligence (AI) systems-on-chip (SoCs).

SK Telecom’s SAPEON chips are designed to process artificial intelligence tasks at least 2 times faster than that of graphics processing units (GPUs) while consuming 50% less power than a GPU. The SAPEON products meet these performance and power goals at half the price of a GPU.

“Arteris IP is a critical ingredient in the success of our chip design not only for their state-of-the-art semiconductor IP but also for their insightful and professional local engineering support,” said Moo-Kyoung Chung, the head of SAPEON development team, at SK Telecom. “The FlexNoC interconnect IP has been essential to our ability to more quickly innovate for the next-generation SAPEON design. In addition to providing the industry-leading NoC interconnect IP with optimizations targeted at artificial intelligence and machine learning workloads, the local Arteris IP engineering team was able to provide significant guidance on how the NoC could be configured to meet our architectural requirements. This allowed us to create a more performant system in less time than we expected.”

“We are honored that SK Telecom chose Arteris IP interconnect technology as the on-chip communications backbone of its SAPEON artificial intelligence chips,” said K. Charles Janac, president and CEO of Arteris IP. “SK Telecom’s decision to choose Arteris IP is a strong testament to the technology and engineering support advantages that Arteris IP employs for our customers.”

About SK Telecom

SK Telecom (NYSE:SKM) is Korea’s leading ICT company, driving innovations in the areas of mobile communications, media, security, commerce and mobility. Armed with cutting-edge ICT including AI and 5G, the company is ushering in a new level of convergence to deliver unprecedented value to customers. As the global 5G pioneer, SKT is committed to realizing the full potential of 5G through ground-breaking services that can improve people's lives, transform businesses, and lead to a better society.

SKT boasts unrivaled leadership in the Korean mobile market with over 30 million subscribers, which account for nearly 50 percent of the market. The company now has 49 ICT subsidiaries and annual revenues approaching KRW 18.6 trillion.

About Arteris IP

Arteris IP provides network-on-chip (NoC) interconnect IP and IP deployment technology to accelerate system-on-chip (SoC) semiconductor development and integration for a wide range of applications from AI to automobiles, mobile phones, IoT, cameras, SSD controllers, and servers for customers such as Bosch, Baidu, Mobileye, Samsung, Toshiba and NXP. Arteris IP products include the Ncore® cache coherent and FlexNoC® non-coherent interconnect IP, the CodaCache® standalone last level cache, and optional Resilience Package (ISO 26262 functional safety), FlexNoC AI Package, and PIANO® automated timing closure capabilities. Customer results obtained by using Arteris IP products include lower power, higher performance, more efficient design reuse and faster SoC development, leading to lower development and production costs. For more information, visit http://www.arteris.com