Xilinx intros Zynq-7000 family of extensible processing platform (EPP)

Xilinx's Zync-7000 series.

Xilinx Inc. has unveiled the Zynq-7000 family, the industry’s first Extensible Processing Platform (EPP). It is supported by an extensive ecosystem of tools and IP providers.

According to Tim Erjavec, senior director, platform soluutions and service marketing, the Zynq-7000 family tightly integrates a complete ARM Cortex-A9 MPCore processor-based system with 28nm, low-power programmable logic for system architects and embedded software developers to extend, customize, optimize, and differentiate their systems.

Back in April 2010, Xilinx had announced a new class of devices featuring an extensible processing platform and a processor-centric solution. Now, in March 2011, the first Xilinx EPP family and brand has been announced.

Embedded designers are said to be asking for more. There will be a combined market of $12,74 billion by 2014, featuring automotive driver assistance, intelligent video surveillance, industrial control, telemetry and guidance, enterprise femtocell, broadcast cameras, multifunction printers, aerospace avionics, etc.

Zynq-7000 device portfolio includes the 7010, 7020, 7030 and 7040. These have faniliar design environments, familiar software programming model, familiar hardware design flow, besides flexible accelerators and IP such as common AXI-4 interface and a broad ecosystem featuring tools, OSs and IPs.

Zynq-7000 family highlights include a complete ARM processing system, featuring a dual ARM Cortex-A9 and ontegrated memory controllers and peripherals. A tightly integrated programmable logic extends the processing system, scalable density and performance and features over 3000 internal interconnects. There is also a flexible array of I/O, featuring a wide range of external multi standard I/O, high performance integrated serial tranceivers, and ADC inputs.

Built with state-of-the-art 7 series programmable logic featuring 430K to 3.5 million equivalent ASIC gates and 30K-235K logic cells. It also enables massive parallel processing with up to 760 DSP engines delivering over 910 GMACs.

The flexible internal I/O includes 54 processor I/Os, 350 multi-standard and high performance I/Os, flexible memory interfaces and high performance untegrated serial tranceivers.

A wide range of Zync-7000 applications are supported, such as driver assistance, factory automation, broadcast camera, smart surveillance systems, consumer equipment, AVB routers, switches and cameras, and military radios and medical imaging.

The Zync-7000 software development environment includes the ARM development environment. ARM ecosystem support and other, vast off-the-shelf software and libraries. The hardware design environment includes the Xilinx ISE Development Suite, plug and play IP portfolio, hardware abstraction layer, and drivers and APIs.

The Zync program status includes the early access program open with over 200 applicants, with the ISE 13.1 Development Suite and the emulation platform. Initial devices are said to be available by 2H 2011. Some of the publically announced Zynq early access customers include Agilent, iVeia, National Instruments, etc.

Boom turned to bust? Chip industry's future!

Malcolm Penn, Future Horizons.

Malcolm Penn, chairman and CEO, Future Horizons, asked the question at the SEMI ISS2011 Europe event at Grenoble, France, early this week: Whether this is the time to rethink the industry assumptions?

For instance, fabs have no strategic value, until you haven’t got one and lost control of your business. ASPs will keep on falling, just like house prices kept on rising? The semicon industry growth rate has slowed to ‘7 percent per annum, which is only possible if ASPs keep falling 4 percent given an 11 percent unit growth.

Foundry wafers will always be cheap and freely available, just like cheap debt, right? Multiple sources will keep the foundries ‘honest’, since it is assumed that multi-sourcing at 20/22nm is going to be ‘interesting‘. It is also OK to focus on more than Moore competence, as today’s ‘More Moore’ is tomorrow’s ‘More Than Moore’.

Industry fundamental #1 – Economy: This was NOT a recession, someone turned off the lightsPre-Lehman, the chip industry was in very good shape. There was strong unit demand, and no excess inventory.There was limited wafer fab capacity, and no overspend/cutting back. Next, the ASPs were recovering, although, structurally driven. However, the strong global world economy was being deliberately slowed. The money really stopped moving in the post-Lehmann crash!

The economic coupling Is statistically weak. The economy is just one part of the equation. The chip industry marches to its own drum as well.

Industry fundamental #2: Unit demand: The Moore’s Law giveth and taketh away! Long-term average ICs/wafers grow only very slowly. There are more complex ICs counter balance die shrinks (1-2 percent productivity gain). Besides, 9-10 percent new capacity is needed to match the 11 percent average IC unit growth.

Industrial fundamental #3: Fab capacity: Let’s look at the IC manufacturing fundamentals — four quarter minimum lag from decision to impact.
* Total equipment capex = 85 percent of the total capex
* Wafer fab capex = 70 percent total equipment capex
* Order today = Wafer fab capex one quarter later* Wafer fab capex = Additional capacity two quarters later
* Additional capacity = IC units out one quarter later.

Pig cycles and cobwebs will keep happening due to long supply-side lead times (4 Months – production / 2 Years – fabs / 5+ years – design).

The fab capacity is still seriously tight. The Q4-10 status is still down 7.5 percent vs. Q3-08 peak. Also, the first relief happened in Q4-10 (from Q3/Q4-09’s spend) following six flat quarters.

The IC wafer fab capacity for Q3/Q4-09 spend, was equal to +80k ws/w In Q4-10. The 2010 spend was equal to ~400k ws/w additional by Q4-11? The wafer fab capex is still running ‘fab tight!’ Here are some more pointers:
* Not yet overheating, despite 140 percent 2010 growth.
* 2010 spend same as 2006; 10 percent lower than 2007 and 80 percent of 2000’s all time peak.
* Q1-11 book to bill <1; slowing Q2-11 sales.
* 2011 up between 5-15 percent, still within ‘safe haven’ region.
* TSMC thunders on with capex up 30 percent sales up 22 percent; the leadership gap up.