July 21, 2011 -- Cognovo, Ltd. builds momentum with the successful tape-out of a software defined modem (SDM) device in Samsung Foundry's advanced 45-nm LP (low power) process. The device, based on Cognovo's latest MCE160 Modem Compute Engine IP core, will enable licensees to develop soft modems in all cellular and wireless standards including WiFi, 2G, 3G, HSPA+, LTE and LTEAdvanced.

Built around Cognovo's Vector Signal Processor (VSP) technology, spun out of ARM in 2009, the synthesisable MCE160 core delivers a record 250GOps (Giga Operations per second) processing power. The performance achieved is sufficient to allow UE (User Equipment) modems to be created in software for many wireless standards, including LTE-Advanced, or for other algorithmically intensive applications such as cellular infrastructure.

A development platform incorporating the baseband device will be available, and will be supported by Cognovo's Soft Modem Integrated Development Environment. The combination of a full-system software development and modeling methodology with real-time hardware for real-world validation lets Cognovo's licensees complete their Soft Modem development in parallel with the creation of production silicon.

Cognovo's Software Defined Modem Development Kit (SDM-SDK) consists of an optimizing compiler, code profiler and a real-time multi-processor design and modeling environment that lets licensees easily migrate existing hardware-centric designs to the flexible Cognovo platform. Since the platform is capable of supporting current and future wireless standards, modem evolution can be rapidly carried out in software.

"The industry has been waiting for a credible approach to SDM for many years and Cognovo is delivering a low-power, wireless-optimized architecture," commented Ian Drew, Executive Vice President of Marketing, ARM. "Harnessing this through a multicore system, including ARM Cortex processors and Physical IP, with an integrated tool chain to address design, modeling and validation will make the silicon from Samsung's advanced process an exciting proof point."

"We are already working with companies to exploit our MCE120 product in the 3G LTE market," said Gordon Aspin, CEO at Cognovo. "However, by providing the MCE160-based development platform, together with our SDM Software Development Kit, we will allow companies to create the first modem prototypes for LTE-A as soon as next year."

Cognovo's SDM platform comprises the Modem Compute Engine (MCE); a licensable processor sub-system available in a number of configurations, the SDM Operating System (SDMOS) and a fully Integrated Development Environment for SDM creation and validation.

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