Over the last three years, IMEC has built up extensive expertise in design technology for embedded computing platforms containing instruction set processors in combination with reconfigurable hardware. The mission of this new IIAP is to build design technology which enables the programming of heterogeneous reconfigurable platforms with the same ease of use as current technology allows for general purpose processors. Key activities will include the development of an operating system that enables true hardware/software multitasking and the integration of interconnect networks on silicon for task-level reconfiguration in reconfigurable hardware.

The new IIAP will focus on reconfigurable systems technology targeted for networked portable multimedia appliances but the results will be much more generic and useful in other application domains. Multimedia applications such as MP3 players, internet browsers and games running on portable devices such as PDAs and phones are computationally intensive and have a lot of parallelism. This prevents them being implemented on general purpose embedded processors. Reconfigurable computing not only provides a solution to this problem but also addresses flexibility and computational power issues.

Within this program, IMEC and Xilinx will collaborate to develop a reconfigurable system environment for the VIRTEX-II Pro™ devices and future devices. Other potential members are providers of technology for reconfigurable systems and system houses targeting reconfigurable platforms. The program is intended to run over 3 years.

“We are very pleased that we can launch our program on reconfigurable systems with Xilinx as the first member. This proves the market potential of reconfigurable platforms and demonstrates the industrial interest in developing an ease-of-use design technology for the programmation of heterogeneous reconfigurable platforms,” said Dr. Rudy Lauwereins, vice president of IMEC’s division on design technology for integrated information and communications systems.

To support the launch of the IIAP, a demonstrator will be shown at the Design Automation Conference (DAC) in New Orleans from 10th -14th June. The demonstrator is a portable multimedia device based on a reconfigurable platform that is able to run computationally intensive applications and currently features a video decoder and a 3D game. (See separate news release)

The IMEC Industrial Affiliation Programs (IIAP)

IMEC's industrial affiliation program (IIAP) formula is recognized worldwide as one of the most successful partnership schemes in research and development. The collaborations are based on shared costs and risks and are built on sound intellectual property rules.

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About IMEC

IMEC was founded in 1984 and today is Europe's largest independent research center in the field of microelectronics, nanotechnology, enabling design methods and technologies for ICT systems. IMEC's activities concentrate on the design technology for integrated information and communication systems; silicon process technology; silicon technology and device integration; nanotechnology, microsystems, components and packaging; solar cells; and advanced training in microelectronics. IMEC is headquartered in Leuven, Belgium, and has a staff of more than 1200 people including over 350 industrial residents and guest researchers. IMEC has a 0.13µm 200mm pilot line and is ISO9001 certified. Its revenue of more than 120Meuro is derived from agreements and contracts with the Flemish government and companies, the EC, MEDEA+, the European Space Agency, equipment and material suppliers, and semiconductor and system-oriented companies worldwide. News from IMEC is located at www.imec.be 

For more information:

Katrien Marent

Corporate Communication Manager

IMEC, Kapeldreef 75

B- 3001 Leuven, Belgium

Tel +32 16 28 18 80 Fax +32 16 28 16 37

Email: Katrien.Marent@imec.be

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