The design of semiconductors has been undergoing a dramatic change. System-on-chip (SoC) design is becoming the only approach available to effectively take advantage of the capacity and characteristics of deep-submicron technology.

Improv Systems, Inc. was founded in 1997, by veterans and executives of the semiconductor and EDA industries, to empower the new generation of SoC designs. The key to these designs is the effective merger of advanced IP, tools and domain expertise into an integrated methodology and solution.

The central component of the Improv methodology is a highly configurable, multiprocessor architecture called the Jazz PSA platform including the Jazz DSP processor. Rather than a fixed processor and instruction set, the Jazz DSP is used to create designer-defined DSP cores - Jazz DSPs that are customized by the designer for their specific product or application domain. The Jazz DSP is a very long instruction word (VLIW) architecture that provides high performance through parallel execution of operations.

Supporting the Jazz PSA platform is a robust set of tools. The Jazz PSA Standard Tool Suite provides a complete development environment for creating optimized DSP software. Central to this environment is the Jazz PSA Compiler, specifically designed for VLIW and DSP optimization. The Jazz PSA Standard Tool Suite is completely retargetable to any configuration of the Jazz PSA Platform. These configurations are created using the Jazz PSA Composer Tool Suite, a graphical environment for creating designer-defined DSP cores.

Improv Application Solution Kits are complete solutions for the DSP needs of products in high-growth emerging markets. The Acappella Solution Kit addresses the needs of the voice-over-packet market including all points of the voice network. For media processing in 3G handsets, PDAs, internet appliances and imaging devices, Improv provides the Rhapsody Solution Kit. Finally, the Tempo Solution Kit enables rapid product development in the broadband connectivity market for both wired and wireless devices.

Moving forward, Improv will continue to deliver a comprehensive methodology that enables the rapid development of complete SoC platforms. The interlocking relationship between IP, tools and domain expertise will define the future of chip design. Improv will continue to push the level of configurability to enable designer-defined SoC design.

For information please contact:

sales@improvsys.com

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