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....Enables Better Handwriting Recognition and True Speech
Recognition for PDAs, Sizzling 3D Games, Interactive Home
Shopping, Fast Web Terminals....
MAYNARD, Mass., February 5, 1996 -- Digital Equipment Corporation
today introduced the much anticipated SA-110 StrongARM
microprocessor, the first processor to combine the performance of a
supercomputer with power dissipation low enough to run on AA
batteries, and pricing which is geared toward mass-market, consumer
electronics products.
"The StrongARM microprocessor family is one of the cornerstones
of our merchant vendor strategy," said Ed Caldwell, vice president,
Digital Semiconductor, a business of Digital Equipment Corporation.
"We see tremendous opportunity to deploy this technology across many
mass-market application areas." According to industry analysts,
the potential microprocessor volume for the StrongARM target markets
-- personal digital assistants (PDAs), electronic organizers,
set-top boxes, and video games -- will exceed 29 billion units by
1999.
The SA-110 microprocessor is the first member of the StrongARM
family resulting from the architecture license agreement between
Digital and Advanced RISC Machines Ltd. (ARM), developer of the ARM
32-bit RISC architecture. "Combining ARM's low-power architecture
with Digital's high-performance processor design expertise and CMOS
process leadership has created a new paradigm for embedded consumer
electronics products -- supercomputer class performance on AA
batteries," said Robin Saxby, president and CEO, Advanced RISC
Machines Ltd.
MARKET OPPORTUNITIES
Industry watchers see a bright future for the StrongARM
technology. According to Jim Turley, senior analyst, Microprocessor
Report, "The SA-110 StrongARM processor is a technical tour de force
and a milestone for both Digital Semiconductor and the ARM
architecture. It offers a nearly unbeatable combination of
performance, price and power consumption."
Tim Bajarin, president, Creative Strategies International
commented, "The design of the SA-110 StrongARM chip has clearly
involved PDA developers, smart phone manufacturers, set-top box
suppliers, and even companies exploring the internet computer. This
type of foresight heralds a new wave of mobile products which meet
consumers' real needs."
INTERNET TERMINALS
The huge market potential for an instant access, low-cost
product to 'surf the net' has grabbed the attention of both the
computer and consumer electronics industries. The SA-110 StrongARM
chip is well-positioned to make this concept a reality.
According to Andy Laursen, vice president of Network Computing
at Oracle Corporation, "The explosive consumer demand for
inexpensive, high-performance internet access will fuel the need for
a low-cost web terminal. StrongARM represents the kind of
technology that will put this product within reach of the mass
consumer market."
PDAs AND ORGANIZERS
The SA-110 StrongARM processor will greatly enhance the
functionality of next generation PDAs and electronic organizers.
"Apple's Newton team and the StrongARM design team have worked
closely together during the past eighteen months," said Michael
Culbert, system architect, Apple Computer, Inc. "We are very
excited about this new technology and its potential to carry the
next generation of Newton PDAs to a new level. Our customers and
licensees will be delighted by the new applications and human
interface capabilities this chip can enable."
In addition, application developers targeting mobile workers
are porting key applications to the StrongARM platform. Papyrus
Associates Inc., a leader in handwriting recognition software has
endorsed the StrongARM technology. "The excellent computational
capabilities will enable us to offer improved handwriting
recognition software," said Bill Kania, president, Papyrus
Associates Inc. "Thanks to a mature compiler environment, our
software was easily ported to StrongARM." Dragon Systems, Inc., the
industry leader in speech recognition technology, is also
enthusiastic about the StrongARM technology. "The performance
delivered by the SA-110 will enable Dragon Systems to provide advanced
speech recognition capabilities for handheld portable products," said
Stephen Breit, manager of special projects, Dragon Systems.
SET-TOP BOXES AND VIDEO GAMES
Second generation set-top boxes will drive the movement to real
interactive TV and hyper-realistic 3D video games in the $200-$400
range. "Interactive set-top boxes are a demanding product to build
-- you need twice the performance of a desktop PC at one third the
cost," said Malcolm Bird, chief executive, Online Media, Ltd., a
leading supplier of set-top box technology and products. "While the
performance of these StrongARM processors is impressive, what sold
us on this technology is the price points at which the performance
is delivered. This technology will help make interactive TV a
reality."
INDUSTRY LEADING MIPS/WATT AND MIPS/DOLLAR
The SA-110, available in 100 MHz, 160 MHz, and 200 MHz internal
clock speeds, has set new industry benchmarks in terms of both
power- and cost-efficiency, as well as overall processor
performance.
The 100 MHz part operating at 1.65 volts, delivers 115
Dhrystone 2.1 MIPS while dissipating less than 300 mW of power. The
160 MHz version delivers 185 Dhrystone 2.1 MIPS at only 450 mW of
power dissipation, giving a performance/power ratio (MIPS-per-watt)
of over 400. This makes it the most power-efficient processor
available today.
The 200 MHz part operates at 2.0 volts and performs 230
Dhrystone 2.1 MIPS while still running on under a watt of power.
This device, priced at under $50, achieves the industry's best
performance/price ratio at almost 5 MIPS/$ (MIPS-per-dollar).
Pricing for the 100 MHz part is less than $29 in 10k unit
quantities, while the 160 MHz part is available for $49 in the
same quantities.
Cost reduction is a primary focus for the SA-110 product. All
three versions are packaged in a low-cost, small footprint, plastic
package (144-pin plastic TQFP). The SA-110 can accommodate 3.3 volt
input/output levels, allowing system designers to utilize off-the-
shelf 3.3 volt memories and other commodity components.
The SA-110 is produced on eight-inch wafers on a 0.35 micron
CMOS process at Digital's state-of-the-art Fab 6 facility in Hudson,
Mass. Samples are available now, with production scheduled to begin
in the spring. Software development tools (compilers, assemblers,
debuggers), operating systems, and applications are available
through Digital and other third party companies supporting the ARM
architecture.
Digital Semiconductor, a Digital Equipment Corporation business
headquartered in Hudson, Massachusetts, designs, manufactures and
markets industry-leading semiconductor products including Alpha
microprocessors and PCI chips for networking, bridging, and
graphics/multimedia, as well as low-power StrongARM microprocessors
under license from Advanced RISC Machines Ltd. Mitsubishi Electric
Company is a second source for Alpha microprocessors. World Wide
Web site: http://www.digital.com/info/semiconductor.
Digital Equipment Corporation is the world's leader in open
client/server solutions from personal computing to integrated
worldwide information systems. Digital's scalable Alpha platforms,
storage, networking, software and services, together with industry-
focused solutions from business partners, help organizations compete
and win in today's global marketplace.