Silvaco Launches MIPI I3C℠ Sensor Connectivity IP Family

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Dec. 01, 2016 -- Silvaco, Inc. today announced an expanded collaboration with NXP® Semiconductors to bring MIPI I3C semiconductor intellectual property (IP) developed with NXP to market.  As a result of this effort, a set of MIPI specification-compliant IP cores and support will be available to customers directly from Silvaco as part of its IPextreme IP portfolio.

The MIPI I3C℠ sensor specification is a flexible, high performance method for interconnect and control of a wide variety of sensors including environmental sensing, mechanical and motion, biometrics, haptic feedback, and many more.  It drastically reduces the device pin count and signal paths needed compared to prior approaches, enabling many more sensors to be incorporated into a design.  By also offering advanced power management capabilities, I3C provides a powerful approach for many emerging applications in automotive and IoT sectors.  

The new I3C controller IP cores provide customers with the ability to rapidly add silicon-proven I3C functionality into silicon designs.  Initially, Silvaco will offer three I3C products:

• I3C Advanced Slave core with optional I3C features and advanced power management capabilities
• I3C Dual Role Master core that incorporates master mode functionality along with the same slave features as the I3C Advanced Slave core
• I3C Autonomous Slave core, offering all the I3C features of the Advanced Slave and the ability to provide I3C capabilities to simple sensors without a microprocessor, saving cost and power

All cores are available under standard license agreement with Silvaco, which includes full warranties and direct technical support from Silvaco.

Silvaco recently entered the semiconductor IP market with the acquisition of IPextreme, a leader in IP commercialization and management. Silvaco’s IPextreme portfolio of IP cores are developed in conjunction with major semiconductor companies based on the same designs used in their own products.  By working with Silvaco, IP owners monetize their captive assets and bring high quality, production-proven IP to the global semiconductor market. 

“Our collaboration with NXP for the I3C IP builds upon a long successful relationship that also recently produced advanced CAN FD IP for the automotive market,” stated Warren Savage, General Manager of the IP Division at Silvaco. “This new family of controllers enable customers to rapidly take advantage of the tremendous benefits of MIPI I3C to integrate multiple sensors into their designs.”

“Having shown strong leadership at the MIPI I3C specification committee, NXP now also plans to incorporate this important new standard into our chip products,” said Ho Wai Wong-Lam, VP Strategy of the Security and Connectivity Business Unit at NXP Semiconductors. “Making these IP blocks widely available through Silvaco will be very helpful for swift industry adoption of MIPI I3C.”

ABOUT SILVACO
Silvaco, Inc. is a leading EDA provider of software tools used for process and device development and for analog/mixed-signal, power IC and memory design. Silvaco delivers a full TCAD-to-signoff flow for vertical markets including: displays, power electronics, optical devices, radiation and soft error reliability and advanced CMOS process and IP development. For over 30 years, Silvaco has enabled its customers to bring superior products to market with reduced cost and in the shortest time. The company is headquartered in Santa Clara, California and has a global presence with offices located in North America, Europe, Japan and Asia. www.silvaco.com.

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