PR Newswire
Mar 27, 2006 04:02 ET

Industry-Leading UWB Chip Providers Incorporate ARM Processor Technology

ARM Technology to be Used in the Development of UWB Technology-Enabled Consumer Devices and Network Systems

CAMBRIDGE, England, March 27/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- ARM (LSE:ARM) (Nasdaq:ARMHY) today announced that industry-leading UWB chip and hardware companies Alereon, Focus Enhancements, Mindtree Consulting, Pulse~LINK and Staccato Communications are integrating ARM9(TM) family microprocessor technology in their upcoming networking and consumer device products. The comprehensive feature sets of the ARM9 family enables UWB developers to implement leading-edge systems, while delivering considerable savings in chip area, development costs and power consumption, making it the ideal solution for the high-volume, wireless technology demands of UWB design.

The industry momentum behind the licensing of ARM9 microprocessor technology for UWB development will provide a significant time-to-market advantage for the introduction of UWB chipsets and hardware. UWB, a high-speed, short-range wireless technology, is ideal for effortlessly transferring digital content between devices in different entertainment and computing groups in the home, such as digital video recorders, set-top boxes, televisions and personal computing (PC) peripherals.

"UWB industry activity has approached reality in the last year as some suppliers have begun sampling complete solutions, and standards-based specifications are being released," said Stan Bruederle, Research vice president for Gartner Semiconductor Research. "2006 is expected to be the year we see first volume system production with accelerating growth in 2007."

Additionally, because ARM9 family processors provide a standard programmable platform, they are the ideal solution for implementing a flexible MAC layer which can be updated to support standard changes or necessary enhancements for compliance and interoperability certification. Further, design teams must ensure their solutions are scalable with the ability to accommodate significant changes in standards and additions to functional requirements that may arise as standard and usage scenarios stabilize. The ARM9 family processors provide an easy migration path between product generations with an established ecosystem of users and third-party providers, to help ensure the seamless addition of future functionality.

"UWB is reaching a point in its development where system integrators can integrate the technology directly into their products," said Dave Steer, director of US Segment Marketing, ARM. "The ARM9 family of processors enables integrated solutions for the commercial deployment of UWB technology-based wireless connectivity in consumer electronic devices such as digital displays, DVD players, set-top boxes, as well as handheld products such as PDAs and digital cameras, to be successfully designed to meet performance, quality and cost requirements - all of which are key elements to making UWB technology a reality in the consumer marketplace."

About ARM

ARM designs the technology that lies at the heart of advanced digital products, from mobile, home and enterprise solutions to embedded and emerging applications. ARM's comprehensive product offering includes 16/32-bit RISC microprocessors, data engines, 3D processors, digital libraries, embedded memories, peripherals, software and development tools, as well as analog functions and high-speed connectivity products. Combined with the company's broad Partner community, they provide a total system solution that offers a fast, reliable path to market for leading electronics companies. More information on ARM is available at http://www.arm.com.

ARM and RealView are registered trademarks of ARM Limited. ARM9 and ARM968E-S are trademarks of ARM Limited. All other brands or product names are the property of their respective holders. "ARM" is used to represent ARM Holdings plc; its operating company ARM Limited; and the regional subsidiaries ARM INC.; ARM KK; ARM Korea Ltd.; ARM Taiwan; ARM France SAS; ARM Consulting (Shanghai) Co. Ltd.; ARM Belgium N.V.; AXYS Design Automation Inc.; AXYS GmbH; ARM Embedded Solutions Pvt. Ltd.; and ARM Physical IP, Inc.

Source: ARM Ltd