Core-integration scheme builds on emerging interface standard

-- EDN, 1/6/2000

To help with your core-based chip designs, inSilicon offers the Tymeware VCI chip-integration architecture (Figure). The company, Phoenix Technologies' new core-development spin-off, designed the architecture to conform to the Virtual Component Interface (VCI) standard proposed by the Virtual Socket Interface Alliance (VSIA, www.vsi.org). You use the Tymeware VCI to integrate diverse VCI-compliant communication cores, such as Universal Serial Bus (USB), PCI, and IrDA, into a complete chip-I/O subsystem. Silicon overhead is low-approximately 700 gates for each silicon core.

VSIA developed the VCI standard to let designers use various processors and I/O blocks with their choice of on-chip system bus. The SmartBridge and distributed-DMA VCI components of Tymeware aid this interconnectivity. SmartBridge is a configurable system-bus bridge that integrates the I/O subsystem into the composite processor-based system-on-chip (SOC). The company plans initially have interfaces to the ARM Advanced System Bus and Advanced High-Speed Bus and can work with you to develop other bus interfaces with about a one- to two-man-month effort for a new interface. Instead of using a multichannel DMA for all communication cores, distributed DMA puts a single-channel VCI-to-VCI DMA controller with each communications protocol. This approach results in a common firmware-driver register interface across multiple communication protocols, simplifying firmware-driver development.

VCI-compliant cores are available for 10/100 Ethernet, USB-host, and PCI applications. The company expects to have additional VCI-compliant cores for IrDA, IEEE 1394, and USB device-controller applications by the end of first quarter. You can download and evaluate sample cores from inSilicon's Web site.

inSilicon, 1-408-894-1900, www.in-silicon.com.

-by Jim Lipman