Flex Logix Technologies Inc. has entered into an agreement with Socionext, who will use Flex Logix’s field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) in a major communication company’s 5G platform.
Flex Logix’s EFLX 4K eFPGA will be integrated into a 7 nm ASIC that can be reconfigured after tape-out to adapt to new requirements, changing standards and new protocols as needed.
With integration of the FPGA, a base station can reduce power by eliminating one chip while delivering personalization benefits to carriers that no longer need to share software with the ASIC provider to add it to the FPGA.
"While wireless base stations have always used FPGAs to provide carrier personalization and upgradability, the demands of 5G require higher performance while reducing system power and cost," said Yutaka Hayashi, vice president of Socionext's data center and networking business unit, in a statement. "This can be achieved by using an ASIC solution and by leveraging Flex Logix's eFPGA in that design. Now that the ASIC becomes reconfigurable, it enables our wireless customers to deliver a flexible 5G platform that can support carrier specific requirements today and in the future."
The EFLX FPGA architecture is designed for integration into system-on-chips (SoCs), ASICs and microcontrollers of a wide range of sizes. The EFLX4K logic IP core includes:
- 4 K four-input LUTs
- 632 inputs and 632 outputs
- DSP IP core with 40 multiplier-accumulators for DSP and AI
- Two EFLX4K cores to make larger arrays
