Virage puts NXP's IP to work

LONDON – After acquiring significant amount of intellectual property from NXP, IP licensor Virage Logic Corp. has announced the expansion of its portfolio with the introduction of SiANA, Integra and a dual-core ARC processor for the implementation of audio systems targeting Blu-ray Disc 7.1 channel 192kHz/24-bit output.

SiANA is an offering of analog IP components essential for building multimedia consumer electronics devices comprising clock sources, data converters, and sensor circuits. Integra is based on the acquisition of technology that Virage Logic acquired from NXP in November 2009 and includes multi-layer and control networks, embedded quality of service (QoS) functionality and memory controllers for embedded SRAMs/ROMs.

SiANA, which has origins within Philips Electronics later transferred to NXP, is designed for use with TSMC's 40, 65, and 90-nm process nodes. The portfolio provides building blocks for general purpose system-on-chip (SoC) implementations, with specific subsystems for multimedia and communications.

SiANA blocks are optimized for consumer applications, such as digital TV,set-top boxes, MP3 players; computer applications such as add-in TV tuner cards, and communications such as application and baseband processors for 2.5G, 3G, GPS, BT, DECT, TVoM, WiMax, and WLAN.

The SiANA analog IP portfolio has been proven in silicon through test qualification programs and/or in volume production in Philips' or NXP's products. The same IP implementations are portable, as they have been ported over different technology nodes.

The SiANA data conversion IP portfolio can serve a large number of applications utilizing the advantages of successive approximation register (SAR), pipeline and sigma-delta architectures. The most commonly supported application domains are: audio input, intermediate frequency systems, video streaming and control applications, such as touch screens.

The SiANA sensor IP portfolio can provide the SoC with data regarding temperature and supply voltage, to allow a chip to be self-regulating for the best performance within the current operating conditions.

"With the new SiANA analog IP portfolio, Virage Logic can now provide the essential building blocks in a wide range of multimedia and communications analog systems," said Joshua Rom, vice president and general manager of Virage Logic’s Analog Solutions business unit, in a statement. "Because these IP components were initially developed by Research and Development teams at NXP and Philips Electronics, the offering is product proven in a wide range of process nodes." Rom concluded.

"We named Virage Logic as our early development partner on the 40-nm process node in 2007 and worked closely with them to ensure early adopter customers had access to quality IP when we first introduced our 40nm process," said Shauh-Teh Juang, senior director of Design Infrastructure Marketing Division at TSMC, in the same statement.