VIA has expanded its licensing agreement with ARM to include two ARM9-based processors, the companies have announced. The ARM926EJ-S and ARM968E-S processors will help VIA and its subsidiaries improve products aimed at mobile phones, while driving expansion into set-top boxes, telematics, and personal media players, VIA says.

Previously, VIA has licensed ARM7 cores, ARM confirmed.

VIA is best known for x86-compatible processors developed by its Austin, Texas-based Centaur division. However, the company says ARM9 offers flexible processing performance, low power consumption, and low cost complementary to its line of power-efficient x86-compatible processors.

The ARM926EJ-S and ARM968E-S belong to ARM's ARM9E family of DSP-enhanced 32-bit RISC processors targeting applications requiring a mix of DSP and microcontroller performance. The ARM926EJ-S has been used in several SoCs targeting mobile phone applications processing, such as Freescale's i.MX21 and Qualcomm's MSM6300. The ARM968E-S is the newest, smallest, and most energy efficient ARM9E product to date, ARM says.

VIA SVP Tzumu Lin stated, “As VIA looked to enhance existing product lines and move into new digitally intelligent device markets, the ARM family of processors stood out. The licensing of these ARM processors will enable VIA to increase the functionality and performance of our solutions aimed at the mobile phone markets, and drive our expansion in areas such as set-top boxes, telematics, and personal media players, where we see tremendous potential for growth.”

Roger Kay, lead analyst at Endpoint Technologies, stated, “These processors will enable VIA to leverage its existing IP in connectivity, storage, and graphics to address exciting new products in the mobility and personal entertainment areas.”

VIA's recent x86-based processors and chipsets for the mobile and embedded markets include the Eden and Eden ULV, C7-M ULV, CX700 single-chip chipset, and high-integration CoreFusion chips. A discussion of the relative merits of ARM and x86 processors in embedded and mobile devices can be found in our 2004 interview with Glenn Henry, founder of VIA's processor division.

 
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