Download Imsys launches Cjip for embedded Micro Java

Editorial Contact:
Roger Sundman
Imsys AB
+468-59411076
+46708-676219 cellular
email: [email protected]
Web: www.cjip.net
Embargoed to June 5
@JavaOne Booth #506
IMSYS launches Cjip – the ‘Java System on a Chip’ at JavaOne
UPPLANDS VÄSBY, Sweden, and SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., USA, June 5, 2000.
Imsys today launched the Cjip at the JavaOne 2000 Conference. The Cjip is an
embedded microprocessor which provides Java System on a Chip functionality,
including native execution of Java bytecodes, and garbage collection as a firmware
process and deterministic Virtual Peripherals (“Veripherals”).
The Cjip is targeted at applications such as handheld devices, internet appliances,
display and keyboard subsystems and automotive electronics. “The Cjip is the world’s
first complete Java 2 Micro Edition solution. Developers can use the Cjip as a standard
platform for all their embedded Java products.”, said Stefan Blixt, Imsys’ CEO and
chief architect.
The Cjip has excellent Java credentials. It complies fully with Sun’s J2ME
specification and runs garbage collection, thread scheduling, and TCP/IP as firmware
processes. Furthermore, it allows other interrupt driven deterministic tasks to run
alongside the Java programs.
Because the Cjip executes Java bytecodes directly, users avoid JVM and RTOS licence
fees, which can exceed the cost of the silicon in conventional embedded solutions. The
Cjip’s performance also benefits. In several benchmarks such as the Java Bubble-sort,
the Cjip was 5 times faster than a 486 DX4 120 MHz.
The Cjip is designed to reduce the need for external silicon such as ASICs or FPGA by
using Veripherals and reconfigurable firmware. The Cjip runs Veripherals at machine
level, and can also execute processes written in assembler, C/C++ or Forth alongside
Java. Frequently-used tasks such as compression and image handling can be encoded
into custom instructions, thereby further improving performance relative to power
consumption. Imsys has developed a library of instructions, processes and preprepared Veripherals including a graphics library, TCP/IP stack, flash file system,
timers, display controllers, keyboard controllers, IEEE-1284, UART, I2C, MMC, fax
compression/decompression, tone signal generator, and FIR filters.
Additional Veripherals can be added by the developer or by Imsys on a service basis.
The Cjip is supported by Imsys’ sophisticated development environment which
includes a Visual Studio-like IDE, a source code debugger, virtual memory monitor
interface, PCI development boards, compilers and run time support for Java and C,
with C++ following in Q4. Developer materials include a technical reference manual,
application notes and a programmers guide.
The combination of the quality development environment, the use of the Cjip as a
standard product platform, and the reduction in the need for external components
ensures that Cjip based solutions provide significantly faster time to market and are
much more cost effective than solutions based on other platforms.
The Cjip is set to reduce systems costs. In quantities of 10,000 The Cjip is supplied at
$19. Unlike other implementations, RTOS and JVM licence fees of up to $25 are not
incurred. “Due to its excellent feature set, the Cjip reduces costs from development
through to deployment and support. Total implementation savings of 50% are
possible.”, said Roger Sundman, Business Development Director.
Imsys is backed by its first customer, Swedish printer and displays company, Array
AB. The Cjip is manufactured in Sweden by Ericsson Microelectronics.
About Imsys
Imsys is a Swedish fabless semiconductor company founded 1992 and dedicated to
develop reconfigurable Java enabled processors, Integrated Development Systems, and
compilers. Imsys is also a member of the Embedded Microprocessor Benchmarking
Consortium, EEMBC. Imsys is owned by its personell and Array AB of Sweden.
Array AB is the innovator of the new TonerJet™ color printing technology.
Continued on next page
NOTES TO EDITORS (I)
At the JavaOne conference Imsys will show a Java demonstrator featuring a color TFT
display. The display has a resolution of 320*240 pixels and shows 65536 different
colors. A virtual, touch-pad, keyboard is also supported and a CMOS color digital
camera is attached to the demonstrator.
NOTES TO EDITORS (II)
Java is particularly well suited to embedded applications because it has built-in
networking, abstracted GUI and portable code. The use of embedded Java is forecast
to rise dramatically from 2 million devices shipped in 2000 to 24 million devices in
2003 (Source: Venture Development Corp, 1999).
Most current implementations of Java require a Java Virtual Machine to run on top of
a real time operating system. This is inefficient in the use of processor power, and
expensive in terms of additional licence fees for the RTOS and JVM.