CMC - Canadian Microsystems

Research Using Tensilica's Tools

CMC Microsystems builds partnerships among government, industry and universities to enable and accelerate Canada's global competitiveness in microsystems. CMC provides leading-edge tools and technologies for world-class research in Canadian universities, leading to innovation and the commercialization of microsystems. This research enables the development of highly qualified people, new products and companies, helping to fuel all sectors of the Canadian economy.

As a non-profit corporation, CMC provides over 2,900 faculty members and graduate students at more than 40 Canadian universities with access to industry-caliber design resources, access to state-of-the-art manufacturing technologies, and support services for microsystems research and development. CMC offers products and services that include photonics/optoelectronics, microelectronics, micromechanics (usually implemented in the form of microelectromechanical systems or MEMS), microfluidics, and embedded software. As part of its national program, CMC manages Canada's System-on-Chip Research Network (SOCRN) which allows university researchers to meet the challenge of the global shift from discrete chip-based electronics products to those that implement complete systems on a single chip. Tensilica is proud to contribute its FPGA Xtensa technology to this Canadian university program.

CMS has recently upgraded its license for Tensilica's Xtensa LX2 processor generator, boosting the prototyping capability available to university researchers through the SOCRN. This technology, which helps optimize designs by reducing the power and increasing the efficiency of the chip, will enable engineers at 36 participating SOCRN universities to create FPGA-based hardware prototypes for designs that include customized versions of the Xtensa LX2 processor. The agreement will enable wider use and application of system-on-chip (SOC) designs with Tensilica's Xtensa-based configurable processor technology.

CMC's URL link:

http://www.cmc.ca/