M31 Technology (M31), a leading global developer of Silicon Intellectual Property (SIP), recently has successfully developed Arm®-based processor IP for machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) applications, including the Arm® Cortex®-M55 processor and the Ethos™-U55 micro neural processing unit (microNPU) to optimize the implementation of on-chip processor IP hardcore that can help advanced processor cores achieve maximum performance, area reduction, and power efficiency while reducing self-integration time by 50%. In response to the different AI application scenarios arising from products such as wearable devices, home appliances, and even high-end cell phones, M31 has launched the M31 Processor Hardcore Service to meet customers’ needs for special processor specifications and performance optimization as well as extremely low power consumption. The M31 Processor Hardcore Service, launched this year, is an IP integration service provided by the M31 Foundation and Application IP integration team, together with a series of M31 Optimized PPA library developed on the Arm-based architecture processor. It includes customized high-speed and ultra-low leakage memory instances and optimized cell libraries to help customers’ chip design teams achieve their processor and SoC design goals in the shortest possible time.
The physical IP used for processor hardcore implementation has a significant impact on the power, performance and area of the chip design. M31 provides optimized processes, comprehensive methodologies, and professional services to help customers achieve specific system configurations and performance specifications through critical integration solutions to meet growing market demands. It also minimizes SoC integration risk by shortening the chip integration and time-to-market. In order to enhance the AI computing capability of low-power IoT and embedded devices, M31 cooperated with Arm technology and adopted TSMC’s 22nm Ultra-Low Leakage (22ULL) technology to realize the optimized design of three Arm® Cortex®-M55/Ethos™-U55 processor cores. The Cortex-M55 high-performance optimized design can achieve a computing speed of more than 400MHz, the low-power optimized design can effectively save energy up to 0.01 mW in standby mode, and the Ethos-U55 high-performance optimized design with M31 OPPA UDTP SRAM can achieve an extremely small area effectiveness of 0.30mm². In order to meet the different Arm-based AI application scenarios, the M31 processor hardcore implementation service can be customized to meet the needs of the customers. The M31 Optimization Design Kit-OPPA Library includes the standard cell and memory needed to optimize performance, area, and power in the process of achieving optimal implementation of the processor hardcore, or to achieve the optimal balance of all three depending on the application.
The team responsible for the development of M31 Optimized Design Kit-OPPA Library is the fundamental IP design team which has been involved in the field for many years. The fundamental IPs developed by the team have been validated by the foundry and have been developed for various foundry-specific processes, including SRAM Compiler, Standard Cell Library, and General Purpose Input/ Output Library (GPIO) to meet various customization needs. The fundamental IP solutions are currently available for technology nodes between 12nm and 180nm and have successfully helped numerous customers achieve performance, power, and area optimization.
Scott Chang, CEO of M31, said, “We are pleased to work with Arm to offer our customers the ability to use M31 processor hardcore implementation IP solutions in their Arm-based chip designs to quickly realize power and area saving in the shortest possible time while reducing R&D risks, thereby giving our partners the confidence to develop Arm-based mobile devices in the era of AI. The M31 team will continue to help our customers differentiate their products in terms of chip design, while effectively accelerating time-to-market and giving their IC products a competitive edge.”
M31 is committed to providing customers with the highest quality IP and services, and has served more than 210 IC design companies and completed more than 380 IP developments to date. This year, M31 has reached its 10th year milestone and will continue to advance the next generation of 5nm and 3nm IP development for advanced manufacturing processes and expand the recruitment of top-notch talents. In addition to offering competitive salaries and benefits, M31’s unique corporate culture is characterized by an open and growth-oriented team atmosphere, and an artistic and humanistic work environment. M31 also actively encourages employees to recommend outstanding talents and offers a special year-end recommendation bonus campaign, where all recommended candidates will be given double time-limited recommendation bonuses according to their approved titles before December 31 of the year, with bonuses as high as $60,000 to $300,000, and the total recommendation bonuses will be above the industry average.