CEVA introduces lightweight multi-function processors for iot applications

     CEVA announces a new lightweight multi-function processor IP core that simplifies the design of low-data rate industrial and consumer IoT devices with cellular capabilities. The CEVA-X1 IoT processor uses a single-core DSP+CPU architecture and has been specifically designed to meet the latest LTE Cat-M1 (previously eMTC) and Cat-NB1 (previously NB-IoT), as well as future FeMTC and 5G cellular IoT communication standards. Meet the major challenges of IoT system design in terms of size, energy consumption, and cost.

     The cellular IoT market is expected to explode in the coming years, with ABI Research predicting that Cat-NB1 will account for more than a third of all cellular IoT devices, surpassing traditional M2M or existing Cat-1 standards. End markets and applications where these technologies will be deployed include smart homes, smart utilities, asset tracking, wearable products, health, security and environment, industrial and agricultural monitoring and control.

     The CEVA-X1 also serves as a multi-purpose, multi-mode processing hub for a range of closely related IoT workloads, including Wi-Fi 802.11n, 802.11ac, Bluetooth/Bluetooth Low Energy, Zigbee/Thread, LoRa, SIGFOX, narrowband voice, GNSS, and sensor fusion. Most importantly, the CEVA-X1 is able to handle multiple processing workloads simultaneously, allowing developers to customize their systems for full flexibility to meet the needs of any IoT use case.

     Will Strauss, president of market research firm Forward Concept, commented, "3GPP's recent release of Cat-M1 and Cat-NB1 standards sets the stage for billions of IoT devices to be connected via cellular networks in the coming years. The CEVA-X1 IoT processor is an attractive solution to meet the demanding power, cost and performance challenges of this new wave of low-data rate devices to develop multimodal IoT products in this emerging market."

     The latest CEVA-X1 kernel evolved from the new CEVA-X architecture framework and uses the Extended Instruction Set Architecture (ISA) in addition to DSP processing to efficiently handle CPU software workloads such as protocol stacks and system control. In the benchmark EEMBC® CoreMark® test, which is commonly used to measure CPU processing performance in embedded systems, CEVA-X1 scored 3.3 CoreMark/MHz, It competes with the 3.4 CoreMark/MHz of ARM® Cortex™-M4, the most commonly used IoT stack CPU. In systems using CEVA-X1, no additional CPU is required, and systems using a single core have significant advantages in terms of cost, power consumption, and ease of programming.

     Ceva-x1 Advanced system control interface CEVA-Connect implements an automatic scheduling mechanism between the processor and external hardware accelerators, including control signal transmission, data transmission and priority scheduling of task queues to drive CEVA or the customer's hardware accelerators. Customers can design unique and efficient systems based on the mechanism of CEVA-Connect and achieve differentiation.

     Michael Boukaya, vice president and general manager of CEVA's Wireless business unit, said: "The CEVA-X1 is the first processor product of its kind, custom-designed to meet the unique and diverse needs of the connected IoT ecosystem. Our deep knowledge in cellular and wireless connectivity allows us to develop the industry's lowest-power processor products for cellular IoT and ensure superior performance for any other IoT-related standard."

     CEVA demonstrated the uniqueness and flexibility of CEVA-X1 for low-data rate, multi-purpose IoT devices in a single-wear smartwatch use case, with its complete Cat-NB1 modulator including a protocol stack and PHY running in parallel with GPS, and required performance below 150MHz. This already includes ample expenses for handling additional functions such as sensor fusion. Using CEVA-X1 and optional dedicated Cat-NB1 instructions, optimization software libraries, protocol stacks, and peripheral subsystems, the power consumption of the Cat-NB1 modulator can be further reduced by up to 30% in addition to RF.