LONDON — Event-driven processor startup XMOS Semiconductor Ltd. (Bristol, England) has launched a second family of products by migrating designs to 65-nm process technology from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. As a result the company is taking the price for 10,000 units below $5.

The XS1-L family has dual and single core versions aimed at systems combining interface, DSP and control functions entirely in software. The G family, implemented on a 90-nm process, offers two and four core versions.

The XS1-L1 is sampling with customers now. It is available in easy-to-use packages and any number of devices can easily be linked together with XMOS links, scaling to larger systems, as required. The dual-core XS1-L2 will sample in Q3 2009, XMOS said.

XMOS is attempting to attack the low-end market with price-reduced parts, where it believes demand remains robust despite the global downturn, and companies are eager for innovative products. Nonetheless the geometry shrink will also allow more complex multicore devices to be introduced, CEO James Foster acknowledged. Demand for the XS1-L range is strong in audio DSP, USB peripherals, networked LED displays and robotics, Foster said.

"It is widely recognized that developers are dissatisfied with the high NREs and six-month turn-around associated with the ASICs they are currently using. Implementing complete systems with FPGAs is just not cost-effective. Developers are crying out for a programmable solution at the right price point. XMOS event-driven processors meet this market need, providing rapid programmability in C together with tools that are easy to use," said Foster in a statement.