Date: 01/03/2011

Japanese semiconductor companies going for ARM processor IP core

The leading Japanese Microcontroller vendors Renesas and Fujitsu are accepting the growth of ARM IP deployment by becoming licensees of ARM IP cores. The world's fourth largest semiconductor chip vendor Renesas is one of big customers of ARM processor cores. Fujitsu Semiconductor also has come out with range of MCUs based on ARM Cortex processors.

This week Fujitsu Semiconductor and ARM have signed a comprehensive license agreement for ARM IP products. Fujitsu Semiconductor will be using ARM's Cortex-A15 processor, Mali graphics and CoreLink systems IP in its next semiconductor chips which include high performance SoCs.

Haruyoshi Yagi, Corporate Senior Vice President of Fujitsu Semiconductor said "one of the major ways in which we are doing this is with this comprehensive license agreement we have signed with ARM. This will allow our customers to select the ARM technology most suited for their application, and use a platform that combines it with other IP provided by us. These platforms will use our proven design and authentication technology, meaning we will be able to achieve high levels of quality and functionality, as well as a dramatic reduction in LSI development time.

"In addition, we will share the Fujitsu Semiconductor product roadmap with ARM, and closely collaborate in the development of future ARM technologies, from the specification setting stage and up. As a strategic partner, we look forward to an even closer relationship with ARM."