SGS-Thomson Microelectronics NV has announced the first product in a new ST20 microprocessor family, the ST20C4, based on its 32-bit micro core technology done in 0.5 micron CMOS – and it appears that it really is an original part and has only a nodding acquaintanceship with the Transputer, which is now owned by SGS. The ST20C4 is targeted at embedded applications in anything from peripherals to high-volume computer appliances. The ST20 technology is part of Thomson’s collections of VHDL Verilog Hardware Description Language macrocells and support software tools, debug tools and models including complex, RISC and signal processor cores combined with memory blocks, peripherals and glue logic in a single chip. The micro core is designed to offer standard products with specific options for targeted applications. The ST20 offers a real-time kernel and the macrocell library, plus connections to standard peripherals, input-output, embedded memory and dedicated ASICs. The ST20 bus has a two machine cycle latency, and 200Mbps bandwidth access to on-chip and off-chip memory. Thomson says the ST20 core has already been used in designs for Asynchronous Transfer Mode, Global Positioning Systems and television set-top box applications. Thomson will shrink the ST20 to an 0.35 micron design in future. The first deliverable part, the ST20450 delivers 40 MIPS at 50MHz, with 16Kb of static RAM, and up to 16 vectored interrupts (enabling the processor to interrogate the device it needs to service), task switching of 500nS (the scheduling of processor tasks) and a Programmable Memory Interface handling up to four mixed memory banks. The ST20450 has a processor core and Transputer-like elements that will offer an upgrade path for the company’s Inmos T425 and T805 parts. It includes a C4 core for software compatibility. The ST20450 samples in September, with volume set for the fourth quarter at from $35. Further ST20 products designed specifically for the set-top box applications and Global Positioning Systems are set for the fourth quarter.
