Phison Electronics Adopts ARC's Configurable 605 Core for Next Generation Flash NAND Drives

28 Mar 2007 07:04

ARC International (LSE:ARK) today announced that PhisonElectronics Corp., one of Taiwan's top fabless semiconductor companiesand winner of the "Gold Medal" Award by Taiwan's Ministry of EconomicAffairs, has adopted the configurable ARC(R) 605 core for developmentof Phison's next-generation NAND devices. Phison selected it after athorough evaluation showed the configurable ARC 605 core offers asmaller gate count and lower power consumption compared to competitiveofferings, and because of ARC's leadership position in the flashstorage market for memory devices incorporating a 32-bitmicroprocessor. This announcement is part of a series of new licensingagreements with semiconductor companies throughout Asia made today byARC International. See companion news release dated March 28, 2007 formore details. £ ARC's configurable processor architecture is widely recognized asa standard for flash memory products because of its ability to providecustomers a competitive advantage through the creation of low powerdevices that are unique and clone resistant. Phison's adoption ofARC's configurable 605 core strengthens ARC's leadership position inthe flash market where tens of millions of ARC-Based(TM) products areshipped annually from ARC customers. £ Ayck AW Yong, vice president of R&D at Phison Electronics Corp.,said, "Phison has maintained the leading edge in USB and NAND flashapplications by providing advanced technology. ARC's configurableprocessor brings our next-generation devices the benefits of a moreadvanced 32-bit solution, which will help us maintain a competitiveadvantage and increase our share of this rapidly growing market." £ Derek Meyer, senior vice president of sales and marketing at ARCInternational, said, "This is another milestone for ARC as we continueto experience rapid adoption of our patented configurable processortechnology within Taiwan's fabless semiconductor industry.Furthermore, Phison's adoption underscores the ongoing trend ofindustry leaders that are using ARC to develop innovative and uniquesolutions for high-growth applications. We welcome Phison to the ARCcommunity and look forward to their success with ARC-Based solutionsin the coming years." £ The Configurable ARC(R) 605 Core £ The ARC 605 processor core is an ultra low power, ultra smallconfigurable 32-bit core. In a 0.13 micron process, it offers amaximum clock frequency of 400 MHz, power consumption of 0.06 mW/MHzand a die size of 0.31mm2. The configurable ARC 605 core is ideal fora wide range of embedded control and computing functions within SoCs.The core is designed for hard real-time processing, where high speedand deterministic response are required. £ All of ARC's cores are created with ARChitect(TM) -- ARC'srevolutionary patented configuration tool. ARChitect's GUI-baseddevelopment environment offers SoC designers a simple drag-and-dropmenu from which they can select from up to 20,000+ pre-configuredoptions or create custom instruction extensions that are optimized tothe ARCompact(TM) ISA. In minutes, customers can use ARChitect tocreate a highly differentiated, proprietary ARC-Based(TM) processorthat provides a competitive advantage while consuming less power andcontaining fewer transistors than fixed architecture alternatives. £ About ARC International plc £ ARC International is the world leader in configurable subsystemsand CPU/DSP processors that are used by semiconductor companiesworldwide to create system-on-chip (SoC) designs that provide astrategic competitive advantage. ARC's patented configurable productsare smaller, consume less power, are less expensive to manufacture,and provide a higher degree of differentiation over what can becreated using "fixed architecture" core alternatives. £ ARC International maintains a worldwide presence with corporateand research and development offices in California and Elstree, UK.For more information visit www.ARC.com. ARC International is listed onthe London Stock Exchange as ARC International plc (LSE:ARK). £ ARC, ARCompact, ARC-Based, ARChitect, and the ARC logo aretrademarks or registered trademarks of ARC International. All otherbrands or product names contained herein are the property of theirrespective owners. This press release may contain certain"forward-looking statements" that involve risks and uncertainties,including the development, implementation, and release of featuresdescribed herein. These are at the sole discretion of ARCInternational. For other factors that could cause actual results todiffer, visit the company's Website as well as the listing particularsfiled with the United Kingdom Listing Authority and the Registrar ofCompanies in England and Wales. Copyright Business Wire 2007