Everyone Needs IP With rising transistor budgets and the trend toward system-on-a-chip design, designing an entire complex ASIC or ASSP in house has become increasingly impractical. As a result, the market for licensed function blocks, known as intellectual property (IP), is growing rapidly. The most popular IP blocks are programmable processors such as CPUs and DSPs. As system designers place more emphasis on differentiation through sophisticated user interfaces, we have seen surging interest in graphics processor units (GPUs) as well. Several suppliers provide CPU IP, each offering unique advantages. Some CPUs are easily customized, others are superscalar, while still others support multiprocessor implementations. The realm of DSP IP is similarly complex. Driven by market requirements for high-definition audio and 3G/4G cellular, suppliers have developed several different approaches to handling these demanding signal-processing tasks. GPUs can accelerate 2D, 3D, and/or vector graphics using fixed or programmable engines. Video engines encode or decode digital video; some support a single codec (e.g. H.264) and others support multiple codecs. For all types of IP, the available options range widely in performance, die area, and power. "A Guide to CPU Cores and Processor IP" sorts through these options, evaluating the high-performance designs available from the leading IP vendors. The report covers CPU, DSP, GPU and video-engine IP vendors, including ARM, Ceva, Imagination Technologies, MIPS, NXP, On2 (Hantro), Tensilica, VeriSilicon (ZSP), Virage Logic (ARC), Vivante, and several other suppliers. Make the Right Choice For each vendor, we describe each IP core offered, provide key metrics such as performance and die area, discuss important topics such as development tools and support, outline the future roadmap, and summarize the strengths and weaknesses of the offering. The report also provides background on how IP is used, an overview of common end markets such as consumer electronics and networking equipment, and market share and forecast data for the types of IP covered. We conclude with a side-by-side comparison of IP cores and our long-term views on the industry. As the leading vendor of technology analysis for mobile and communications chips, The Linley Group has the expertise to deliver a comprehensive look at this burgeoning market. Analysts Joseph Byrne and Linley Gwennap use their extensive experience in the semiconductor market to deliver the technical and strategic information you need to make informed business decisions. Whether you are looking for an innovative solution for your design, a vendor to partner with, or a rising company to invest in, this report will cut your research time and save you money. Get the inside scoop on this major market. Order “A Guide to CPU Cores and Processor IP" today. This report is written for:
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