On November 21, 2012, major national “core-chip-software” project--“IP Core of Embedded Programmable Logic Array” passed the acceptance, which was spearheaded by the Institute of Electronics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IECAS).It marked China’s innovation, breakthrough and significant improvement in independently developing the high-performance and mass IP core of embedded programmable logic array. It’s an important milestone in the exploration of marketization and industrialization of domestic programmable logic chips and IP cores, and of great significance for China to occupy the strategic high point of emerging integrated circuit industries.

The project targeted the need of the country for the strategic development of high technologies, accomplished all tasks specified in this national major project plan, independently developed “Enhanced Comet01” IP core product and its corresponding software design system, achieved new and periodic major breakthrough in the key technology of the top-down design of embedded IP core software and hardware, applied for several patents for invention, and was applied and validated in engineering radar data encryption systems of national key projects.

Meanwhile, the project made full use of the experience of the partner SMIC in many respects of basic IP development, including integrated circuit manufacturing, device model circuit design suite and standard cell library, provided technical and design environment for developing IP core of embedded programmable logic array, and attempted to push forward the marketization and commercial application of IP cores by virtue of SMIC’s mode of semiconductor OEM.

In the project, IECAS had made a great leap in development condition support platform and talent building, and had built a versatile talent innovation team capable of chip design, reliability reinforcement, software development, device test and application development.

(Huang Zhihong from Laboratory of Programmable Chips and System)