eVaderis, a semiconductor IP start-up that provides design solutions to improve the functionality, power efficiency and performance of its customers’ semiconductor chips, has successfully demonstrated a fully functioning design platform through an ultra-low-power microcontroller (MCU) in Beyond Semiconductor‘s BA2X product line. The software, system and memory IP developed by eVaderis make Beyond Semiconductor’s new MCU ideally suited for battery-powered applications in IoT and wearable electronics.
By incorporating the latest perpendicular, spin-transfer-torque magnetoresistive random-access memory (STT-MRAM) technology from international R&D institute Imec, Beyond Semiconductor’s new MCU can achieve non-volatile operation with high-speed read/write and low voltage. In addition, the device is designed for manufacturability using GLOBALFOUNDRIES’ 40-nm low-power CMOS production process.
“The tape-out of this innovative MRAM-based, memory-centric MCU demonstrates our proficiency in disruptive, non-volatile embedded IP design and flow for low-power, digital devices,” said Virgile Javerliac, deputy CEO and head of technology and marketing at eVaderis. “We now plan to license the underlying IP to semiconductor manufacturers making sub-40-nm chips.”
“Power consumption is still the key challenge for any battery-powered device,” said Matjaz Breskvar, Beyond Semiconductor’s CEO. “We have been working with eVaderis since the company’s inception to jointly realize a vision of battery-powered, always-on devices with unprecedented energy efficiencies.”
Three megabits (3 Mb) of on-chip memory are fully distributed across the system though different instances, covering different functions such as working memory, configuration, state retention, code execution and data storage. eVaderis’ memory IP architectures are built to be compiler-friendly, helping chip makers to achieve faster time to market.
eVaderis’ innovative memory-centric architecture based on embedded MRAM technology allows a MCU to achieve power, performance and functional gains at the system and software levels. These gains include for instance energy-efficient, non-volatile checkpointing or normally-off/instant-on operation with near zero latency boot.