QuickLogic CSSP adds additional capability to Icera’s Espresso 300 3G soft modem

SUNNYVALE, USA: QuickLogic Corp., the lowest power programmable solutions leader, announced the selection of its Customer Specific Standard Product (CSSP), based on the ArcticLink solution platform, for the Icera Espresso 300 3G soft modem platform, that is now entering production.

Icera is a leader in software-defined wireless chipsets and is the only company to deliver software-based cellular modems for broadband data cards, USB sticks, and mobile internet devices.

Icera’s reference design uses a wafer-level chip scale (WLCSP) version of the ArcticLink solution platform to compliment its second-generation baseband chip design. QuickLogic provides higher speed, smart data transfers between USB and SD/SDHC memory via QuickLogic’s innovative Smart Programmable Integrated Data Aggregator (SPIDA) system block.

Mobile data service providers anticipate customer demand for USB-based broadband data cards to reach nearly 40 million units in 2009, according to the market research firm ABI Research. By working with QuickLogic, Icera was able to rapidly address the emerging market for USB data cards that incorporate a micro SD/SDHC memory card interface.

By using the QuickLogic CSSP, based on the ArcticLink solution platform, Icera was able to quickly adapt their leading edge USB data card reference design, without compromising power consumption or impacting performance –- in terms of both the modem and the USB-to-SD/SDHC memory transfers.

As a result, consumers can now have one USB device plugged into their PC, incorporating both a cellular modem and removable memory function.

“QuickLogic’s technology and capabilities were key to our ability to quickly respond to the shifting market requirements without compromises,” said Rick Dingle, vice president of Customer Engineering at Icera.

“The CSSP approach and the use of QuickLogic’s SPIDA-proven system block embedded within the ArcticLink solution platform provided us with the opportunity to work with QuickLogic on architecting and adapting the solution for power and performance efficiencies. By working directly with QuickLogic’s architecture and development teams, Icera was able to go from specification to first samples in less than eight weeks.”

“QuickLogic’s CSSP solutions provide innovative companies such as Icera with the flexibility to implement custom designs optimized for power consumption and performance while saving them the time, expense and effort of spinning base platform silicon,” said Andrew J. Pease, QuickLogic’s president.

“Because CSSPs are not customized until after fabrication and test, we have an appropriate die bank awaiting the needs of many different customers, giving them customized solutions at standard product pricing and availability.”

The ArcticLink-based CSSP that Icera chose belongs to a family of solution platforms that embed a unique combination of QuickLogic’s patented ViaLink programmable fabric technology and hard-wired logic for commonly requested functions to maximize speed, and minimize power consumption and cost.

QuickLogic implemented additional proven system blocks (PSBs) with state-of-the-art power consumption and performance characteristics in the programmable fabric to meet specific customer requirements.

This breadth of functions gives customers the ability to quickly receive a customer specific design with the right combination of functionality, performance, size, and cost without the delays and expense that characterize other custom design approaches.