Kinsner: New Systems: 1999 November 1, vol. 1.07

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1999 New Systems

Week of 99 Nov. 01

REPOSITORY OF NEW SYSTEMS:
1999 NOVEMBER 01; VOL. 1.07

A configurable 32-bit very long-instruction-word (VLIW) processor

Siroyan Technology Ltd proposed configurable 32-bit very long-instruction-word (VLIW) processor core called Rubicon for applications that require a mix of control and DSP such as set-top boxes, voice-over-Internet Protocol gateways and other multimedia applications. The architecture of thee VLIW is based on clusters, as shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 1. Siroyan's cluster-based VLIW architecture.

Each cluster includes a number of execution units, together with a register file. A Rubicon processor comprises a series of clusters. Intercluster communication is provided through a register file interface rather than a conventional bus.

It is expected to be implemented in 0.13-micron CMOS in the late 2001.

Organic-inorganic semiconductors

IBM announced their new development in organic-inorganic materials. This approach could quickly lead to a new generation of inexpensive computer displays or solar cells that are either flexible or embedded within curved plastic, glass or other materials. Wholly inorganic semiconductors require processing at high temperatures, making it impossible to embed circuits in plastic or other heat-sensitive materials. On the other hand, the new hybrid materials "self-assemble," crystallizing from a liquid solution at low temperatures to form alternating organic and inorganic layers of material with the correct semiconducting properties.

[Source: New York Times 29 Oct 99]

A Speech-Recognition Chip

Information Storage Devices (ISD) Inc. announced a speech-recognition chip suitable for consumer applications. This advanced embedded speech-recognition engine, ISD-SR3000, offers speaker-independent speech recognition with continuous speech and digit input, with up to 99% accuracy. It requires no user training, and works well across dialects and genders, according to the company. The speaker-independent commands and speaker-defined voice tags are stored in external memory. Typical applications include up to 50 commands and 50 voice tags, stored in 256 Kbytes of memory.

U of M New Electronic Collection

University of Manitoba's Engineering Library has introduced a new Electronic Collection of Journals and Newsletters.

Picture credits:

Fig.1: http://img.cmpnet.com/eet/news/99/october/1085pg73.gif

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