D&R Headline News (June 2012)

Headlines for Friday Jun. 29, 2012

• Marvell aims to be China chip leader
• UMC Aligns With IBM on 20nm Process with FinFET 3D Transistors
• CAST Signs Picosem Technologies as IP Cores Partner in India

Headlines for Thursday Jun. 28, 2012

Top Story

Digital Core Design introduces the newest version of the Motorola's 68000 16/32-bit microprocessor with Linux, MAC & debugger

Digital Core Design have introduced the newest version of the Motorola’s 68000 16/32-bit microprocessor. D68000 is the industry’s low cost 32-bit MCU, offering not only a low cost entry point but also effective performance. Improved architecture enables this IP Core to run with uCLinux, so it can be easily used as HTTP server or FTP client.

• Elliptic Technologies Joins ARM TrustZone Ready Program
• Gilles Delfassy joins Board of Sequans
• New Xilinx Kintex-7 FPGA Connectivity Kit Dramatically Increases Productivity for Designing High Bandwidth Applications
• Report: Qualcomm wafer fab not ruled out
• Acquisition of Cognovo gives u-blox own 4G chip technology

Headlines for Wednesday Jun. 27, 2012

• MOSAID and NOVACHIPS Announce HLNAND SSD Controller Joint Development
• VESA Enables Mobile Devices to Share Full HD Video and 3D Content on Any Display With Release of MyDP Standard
• Consortium to Accelerate Dramatic Advances in Memory Technology Announces New Members
• Integre Technologies Announces HyperLink DSP Interface FPGA Core
• Xilinx Integrated Block for the PCI Express Gen3 Standard Accelerates Productivity and Increases System Performance
• MPEG LA Announces Call for Patents Essential to High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC)
• Innotech represents Cosmic Circuits in TSMC Symposium in Yokohama, Japan on 29th June 2012

Headlines for Tuesday Jun. 26, 2012

Top Story

PLDA Announces XpressGX5LP Low Profile PCIe FPGA Design Kit, Based on Altera Stratix V GX FPGA

PLDA today announced a new board to its suite of FPGA Design Kit solutions. The PLDA XpressGX5LP is the first FPGA-based low-profile PCI Express form factor card incorporating 40Gb of Ethernet connectivity and 8 GBytes of DDR3 SDRAM.

• STMicroelectronics Delivers New 32-Bit ARM Cortex Microcontrollers for Projects Needing Digital Signal Control at Competitive Cost
• Synopsys' Virtualizer Speeds Software Development and Enhances Design Enablement for Systems Based on the Infineon AURIX Microcontroller Family
• SMIC and Synopsys Extend 40nm Low Power Capabilities with Reference Flow 5.0
• Javelin Semiconductor chooses Kilopass Non Volatile Memory Intellectual Property Core for MIPI RFFE Digital Interface in Next-Generation CMOS Power Amplifiers
• Murata Joins imec's Research Platform on Reconfigurable radios
• CEVA and eyeSight Announce Availability of Software-based Gesture Recognition Solution for the CEVA-MM3101 Imaging and Vision Platform
• JEDEC Updates Universal Flash Storage (UFS) Standard
• Ittiam Systems Strengthens Investment in Automotive Infotainment Sector
• GUC Announces 10GBase-KR, Multi-Standard SerDes IP

Headlines for Monday Jun. 25, 2012

Top Story

Patent snafus could delay new video codec

The H.265 High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) standard is about to be ratified, promising a new generation of higher resolution and more compact digital video products. The bad news is chip makers are afraid to design products using it.

• Gartner Says Worldwide Wafer Fab Equipment Spending to Decline 8.9 Percent in 2012
• Intel may see $2B non-x86 growth in 2013
• Rambus Names Ronald Black as President and Chief Executive Officer
• Senseg Names Paul Costigan CEO
• Radiation Hardened SRAM Designed by RedCat Devices and Fabricated in TowerJazz's 0.18um Process Flow Withstands 15 Mrad Total Ionization Dose
• Discretix Content Protection Solutions Incorporated in Qualcomm's Snapdragon StudioAccess Technology

Headlines for Friday Jun. 22, 2012

Top Story

MediaTek Inc. Announces Tender Offer for MStar Semiconductor, Inc.

MediaTek announced today that its Board of Directors has approved a tender offer to acquire shares of MStar Semiconductor, Inc..

• Dolphin Integration celebrates the grand opening of its Chinese center for transfer of know-how
• Cosmic Circuits is attending TSMC Symposium in Tel Aviv, Israel on 25th June 2012

Headlines for Thursday Jun. 21, 2012

Top Story

Is China's fabless model sustainable?

Let’s face it. China’s IC industry still lacks its own superstars – equivalent to Intel, Qualcomm or Broadcom in the West – in terms of the scale, reach and quality these brands possess on the global market.

• SingMai Electronics Announces New Altera FPGA Video Development platform
• GSA Reports An Increase in Funding Activity
• SENSIO 3D Decoder integrated in Christie SKA-3D processor
• Analog Devices and TSMC Collaborate on New Analog Process Technology Platform
• SK Hynix to Acquire Link_A_Media Devices
• u-blox Launches GPS SoC Using GLOBALFOUNDRIES 65nm-LPe RF Process Technology
• Cypress, Nuvation and Arrow Electronics Introduce New USB 3.0 SuperSpeed Interface Board for Altera FPGAs

Headlines for Wednesday Jun. 20, 2012

• Atrenta Accelerates Growth in Front End Design with Acquisition of NextOp Software, Inc.
• OptiumIP.com with turnkey DSP accelerator IP cores launched by Recore Systems
• Tensilica Doubles DSP Shipments, Ranks Second in DSP IP Market According to The Linley Group
• Rightware Collaborates with Freescale and Vivante to Enable Highly Advanced Automotive In-Vehicle Infotainment and Instrument Cluster Systems
• Tiempo Announces Silicon Validation of TESIC, Tiempo Secured Platform
• SMIC and Brite Semiconductor's 40LL Dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 Processor-based Test Chip Achieves 1.3GHz
• MIPI Alliance and USB 3.0 Promoter Group Announce Availability of SuperSpeed USB Inter-Chip Specification
• Panel: ARM to dominate consumer apps

Headlines for Tuesday Jun. 19, 2012

Top Story

Microsoft picks both ARM and Intel for tablet

Microsoft has unveiled a 10.6-inch tablet in a 16:9 aspect ratio, dubbed the Surface, to be available in two options, one powered by Intel's 22-nm Ivy Bridge processor running Windows 8, and another Surface powered by an ARM chipset and Windows RT.

• New Freescale 28-nm QorIQ AMP Series Processors Deliver High-End Features and Ultra-Low-Power Operation
• Report: Renesas Mobile up for sale in re-org
• SMIC and AlgolTek Announce the Availability of digniPHY for USB 3.0 on SMIC's 0.13um Technology
• Dresden fab could host 20-nm process, 450-mm wafers
• InterDigital Agrees to $375 Million Patent Transaction with Intel
• S3 Group and Amimon Collaborate on Latest Nesher Chipset
• Imagination Technologies Group plc - Full Year Results Statement June 2012

Headlines for Monday Jun. 18, 2012

Top Story

Sonics Selected by Toshiba for Next-Generation Product Development

Sonics today announced it collaborated with Toshiba Corporation Semiconductor & Storage Products Company for next-generation product development in embedded multimedia and automotive SoC designs.

• Altera and TI make RF design fast and easy with complete development kit for Arria V FPGAs
• New ARM Mali-450 MP Graphics Processor Provides Next-generation Graphics Performance for Smart-TV and Smartphone Applications
• Xilinx Targets Reduced OpEx and CapEx for Network Operators with Expanded FEC IP Core Offering
• Noesis Technologies first Greek company to achieve Xilinx Alliance Membership
• The fabless-foundry model will survive (at least through 14-nm)
• Apple and Samsung Garner 50% of Global Smartphone Market and 90% of Its Profits
• D2 Technologies and Sequans Communications Showcase New Reference Solution for Mobile 4G VoLTE

Headlines for Friday Jun. 15, 2012

Top Story

Dolphin Integration sRAM compiler completes TSMC IP9000 Level 1 qualification at 85 nm Ultra Low Power process

Dolphin Integration announces that the new memory architecture RHEA has now passed the Level 1 criteria of TSMC’s stringent IP9000 qualification program.

• SILICONGATE is attending TSMC Symposium in Israel on 25th June 2012
• ChipStart and Digital Core Design Partner to Bring the Power of Innovation to the Market
• Imagination Meta processor delivers Dolby MS11 multistream for premium audio
• Imagination Optimizes its IP Capabilities with TSMC on Latest Silicon Process Technologies
• Imagination achieves Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Wi-Fi Direct certification for its Ensigma IP
• Imagination announces new generation PowerVR D4500MP video decoder and E4500MP video encoder
• Imagination adds to PowerVR Series6 'Rogue' family

Headlines for Thursday Jun. 14, 2012

• Nationz Technologies Licenses MIPS Technologies' Processor Cores for Mobile Payment Solutions
• ST first to bridge DisplayPort and HDMI for seamless connectivity
• Nokia job cuts don't and won't impress anyone
• Nokia to cut 10,000 jobs, divest assets
• Lattice Semiconductor Updates 2Q12 Guidance
• Xylon announces New FPGA Development Kits for Vision-Based Embedded Applications
• Microsemi FPGAs and cSoCs Available for Extreme Temperature Environments
• Interview: JEDEC on LPDDR3

Headlines for Wednesday Jun. 13, 2012

• AMD Strengthens Security Solutions Through Technology Partnership With ARM
• Green Hills Software Announces Support for Xilinx Zynq-7000 EPP
• Dolphin Integration announces a break-through in logic design drastically improving performances
• Intilop's 76-nanosecond full TCP Offload (TOE) establishes yet another System Latency record with Altera Stratix-V FPGA board from BittWare
• ARM improves its image in graphics
• AMD, ARM, Imagination, MediaTek and Texas Instruments Unleash the Next Era of Computing Innovation

Headlines for Tuesday Jun. 12, 2012

Top Story

NTT-AT and intoPIX sign an agreement on 4K interoperability based on the JPEG 2000 Broadcast Profile (15444-1:2004/Amd.3:2010[E])

Following the recent adoption of intoPIX JPEG 2000 compression solution by NTT-AT, intoPIX and NTT-AT signed today an agreement on 4K interoperability based on the new JPEG 2000 Broadcast Profile to ease the 4K adoption in the Broadcast & Video Production market.

• Renesas Electronics and Renesas Mobile License ARM Processor IP for Next Generation Communications Processors and Application Processors
• Altera's Industry-proven Quartus II Software Delivers Up To 4X Faster Compile Times; Expands Support for 28-nm FPGAs
• ARM fills in GPU line with Mali-450
• AMD Strengthens Commitment to Embedded Solutions With Appointment of Arun Iyengar as General Manager of Newly-Formed Embedded Solutions Group
• Micron Boosts DDR3 Offering With 2Gb and 4Gb, 1GHz/DDR3-2133, Delivering Power Efficiency and Speed for High-Performance Networking and Graphics Segments
• CEVA Announces Availability of TD-SCDMA Software IP for its CEVA-XC DSP Family
• SEMI Reports First Quarter 2012 Worldwide Semiconductor Equipment Figures; Billings US$ 10.6 Billion
• ARM still struggling with Win 8 devices

Headlines for Monday Jun. 11, 2012

Top Story

Report: Taiwan approves TSMC's 450-mm fab plan

The Taiwan government has a approved a proposal from foundry chip company Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. to build a 450-mm wafer fab in central Taiwan early in 2014, according to a Reuters report.

• STMicroelectronics Secures Additional Sourcing for its Leading-Edge 28nm and 20nm FD-SOI Technology with GLOBALFOUNDRIES
• IAR Systems provides unmatched complete support for ARM Cortex cores
• Newport Media Introduces World's Smallest, Lowest Power 802.11n Wi-Fi SoC
• Sequans Delivers 150 Mbps Category 4 LTE Throughput
• Mindspeed Announces High-Performance, Multi-Core ARM Cortex-A CPU-Based Communications Processor Family
• Dolphin Integration selects LFoundry for defense and industrial markets
• Lattice Programmable Power Manager Device Reduces Cost of Power Failure Protection for Solid State Drives
• Ensphere 10 Gbps Optical Transceiver Silicon Supports New Thunderbolt Active Optical Cables
• Room for IC industry expansion, analyst says

Headlines for Friday Jun. 08, 2012

• TSMC May 2012 Sales Report
• UMC Reports Sales for May 2012
• Altera Updates Second Quarter Revenue Guidance
• Elliptic Technologies to Participate and Showcase its Security Solutions at ARM Mobile and Home Applications Events in Asia

Headlines for Thursday Jun. 07, 2012

Top Story

DAC panel spotlights rise of IP subsystems

Intellectual property (IP) reuse in SoC design is increasing, creating challenges in compatibility and complexity, according to executives on a Design Automation Conference (DAC) panel. To minimize this complexity, panelists said, the semiconductor industry will increasingly turn to IP subsystems—larger chunks of IP that have been stitched together from many smaller blocks and pre-verified to ensure performance.

• IAR Systems delivers outstanding speed optimizations for ARM Cortex
• Samsung to spend $1.9 billion on logic fab, says report
• AuthenTec Joins ARM Connected Community
• CSR Adds High Performance Media Processor to its Market Leading Audio Platform with Purchase of MAP-X Product Line
• EuroFab450 is an ambitious dream

Headlines for Wednesday Jun. 06, 2012

Top Story

Global Semiconductor Sales Grow at Fastest Rate in Almost Two Years on Sequential Monthly Basis, Top $24 Billion for First Time in 2012

The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) today announced that worldwide sales of semiconductors reached $24.1 billion for the month of April 2012, a 3.4 percent increase from the prior month when sales were $23.3 billion. This marks the largest month-over-month growth for the industry since May 2010.

• Intel makes flow processor with ARM inside
• European report considers 450-mm More-than-Moore fab
• videantis announces membership in the Embedded Vision Alliance
• Quadros RTXC RTOS Now Available for Market-Leading DSP Cores from CEVA
• Lattice Ships First Samples of Low Cost, Low Power LatticeECP4 FPGAs
• Fab Equipment Spending: Positive Growth for 2012 and 2013; All-Time Record for 2013
• Rising Semiconductor Inventories in Q1 Signal Potential Recovery in Demand
• Four reasons why its 'game over' for foreign chip firms in China
• Administrative Law Judge in ITC Investigation Issues Initial Determination Granting LG's Motion to Terminate Investigation as to LG

Headlines for Tuesday Jun. 05, 2012

Top Story

Sonics and Arasan Collaborate On End-to-End IP Subsystems for Mobile Market

Sonics and Arasan will partner to offer optimized MIPI® Low Latency Interface (LLI) and Universal Flash Storage (UFS) subsystems, coupled with on-chip network and memory subsystems so that semiconductor and system companies can significantly streamline their IP integration process while increasing the performance of the resulting SoCs.

• BiTMICRO Acquires QualCore's Intellectual Property
• Posedge standardizes on EnSilica's eSi-3250 processor for wired/wireless networking IP solutions
• Cosmic Circuits' MIPI M-PHY reference cards used in Agilent Technologies' transmitter test solution
• Target Compiler Technologies Releases New Multicore Debugger for its MP Designer Product Line
• Netronome Unveils 200 Gbps Flow Processor
• Synopsys exec sees whole new ball game at 20 nm
• GloFo, TSMC report process tech progress
• DMP Delivers New Platform IP Offering for Optimized SoC Integration with Graphics and Media Cores
• EVE and Spirent to Integrate ZeBu SoC Emulation System With Spirent Ethernet Test Solutions
• Synopsys and Samsung Deliver a Complete Solution for 20-Nanometer Node
• Altera Names Industry Veteran Scott Bibaud Senior Vice President and General Manager
• Target's IP Designer Tool-Suite Adopted by Dialog Semiconductor to Create OpenVG Graphics Processor Core
• Huawei Adopts Target's IP Designer Tool-Suite to Build Next-Generation Baseband DSP
• Samsung Electronics Announces Acquisition of Nanoradio

Headlines for Monday Jun. 04, 2012

Top Story

Open-Silicon Announces Industry's First Hybrid Memory Cube Controller IP

Open-Silicon announced today the industry's first Hybrid Memory Cube (HMC) controller IP core - the industry's highest-performance and most flexible solution for integrating the many benefits of HMC technology into next-generation systems.

• SiliconGate Debuts High Performance Power Management Cores at the 49th DAC
• Intrinsic-ID Launches Quiddikey-FLEX: Flexible Key Management IP Core
• Synopsys Launches Industry's First Integrated Hybrid Prototyping Solution
• Gary Smith hails multi-platform design methodology
• New Reference Designs Enhance Embedded Function Block Of Lattice MachXO2 PLD Family
• CEVA and VWorks Announce Availability of Virtual Prototyping Platforms featuring CEVA DSPs
• JPEG Encoder IP Core from CAST gets Rate Control Options, Faster FPGAs
• True Circuits Attends Design Automation Conference
• Calxeda Establishes Subsidiary and Distributor Network In Asia
• Accellera Systems Initiative Rolls Out the Unified Coverage Interoperability Standard (UCIS)
• Cadence Collaborates on 3D-IC Design Infrastructure with TSMC
• DMP and III Collaborate to Promote DMP's Graphics Offering and GPU Integration Services to Taiwanese Customers
• Atrenta Introduces Fast Lint for SpyGlass
• Cadence Physical Verification System Qualified for TSMC 28nm, 20nm Process
• Cadence Encounter and Virtuoso Design Platforms Receive TSMC 20nm Phase I Certification

Headlines for Friday Jun. 01, 2012

Top Story

PLDA Announces Live PCI Express Gen3 x8 Demo Running on Xilinx Kintex-7 FPGA

PLDA today announced it will be debuting a live PCIe(R) x8 Gen3 demo featuring PLDA's leading PCIe Gen3 soft IP core and running on a Xilinx Kintex-7 FPGA during the DAC Conference

• GLOBALFOUNDRIES Silicon Validates 28nm AMS Production Design; Reveals Digital and AMS Support for Double Patterning at 20nm
• S2C Releases New Prototype Ready ARM11 and ARM9 Modules for FPGA-Based Prototypes
• Northwest Logic Uses Blue Pearl Software's Analyze to Maximize IP Core Quality
• Imagination Technologies Group plc: Gilles Delfassy appointed a non-executive director
• Azini Capital Funds OneSpin Solutions to Accelerate Growth
• Tiempo, Working with STMicroelectronics, Unveils First 32nm Clockless Test Chip