1. The demand for embedded deep learning chips soars, and Zhongtian Micro and Shenjian Technology jointly create an artificial intelligence SoC
Original title: The demand for embedded deep learning chips soared, and Zhongtian Micro and Shenjian Technology jointly created an artificial intelligence SoC
Gathering micro-network news, Hangzhou Zhongtian Microsystems Co., Ltd. ('Zhongtian Micro') announced today that it has entered into an intellectual property cooperation framework agreement with Beijing Shenjian Technology Co., Ltd. ('Zhenjian Technology'), both parties will use their respective embedded General-purpose processor and deep learning processor technology advantages, cooperation to build an artificial intelligence SoC platform with China's independent intellectual property rights and solutions.
Shen Jian Technology, as a technology leader with artificial intelligence, especially deep learning hardware and software acceleration solutions, is committed to providing leading solutions and SoC platform for artificial intelligence. With deep experience in AI technology and mature productization experience, Shen Jian Technology will make Science and technology have become one of the most important AI chip guides in China. FPGAs and acceleration programs developed with deep-seated technology have been used in many fields.
Zhongtian Micro actively deploys and develops the embedded CPU IP in the field of artificial intelligence. Its next-generation CPU core series for the AI sector will be launched in the near future, and will provide supporting software reference solutions and hardware SoC platform licenses. Zhongtian Micro continues to expand. Technology accumulation and eco-cooperation in the AI field and deep-seated technology in-depth integration in the AI field, aiming at increasing the demand for embedded deep-learning SoC chips in the current domestic market, and creating a self-reliance for customers Controlled high-performance embedded artificial intelligence SoC solutions have positive significance for promoting the development of artificial intelligence industry in China.
In this cooperation, Zhongtian Micro will incorporate the Aristotle architecture DPU deep learning processor IP in the SoC platform with its high-performance embedded CPU IP, providing customers with high-performance and low-power embedded labor. Smart SoC solutions. At the same time, Shenzhen Shenjian Technology will provide Zhongtianwei's customers with comprehensive DPU IP hardware and software integration, software development tool chain, and artificial intelligence algorithm optimization and other comprehensive technical support to shorten the customer chip's launch time. , Reduce customer chip R&D risk.
About Zhongtian Micro: Zhongtianwei is a leading embedded CPU IP provider in China. It has developed 32-bit C-SKY series embedded CPU cores with independent intellectual property rights, featuring low power consumption, high performance, and high code density. , And easy to use features, performance indicators have reached the international advanced, is widely used in Internet of things intelligent hardware, digital audio and video, information security, networking and communications, industrial control, and automotive electronics and other fields. As the only one with a large domestic Mass production of CPU IP company, so far, based on C-SKY CPU SoC chip cumulative shipments have exceeded 700 million.
About Shenzhen Science and Technology: Shenjian Technology was established in 2016 to provide advanced neural network deep compression technology and an efficient deep learning accelerator full-stack solution based on its self-developed Aristotle architecture and Descartes architecture for extremely low power consumption The ability to provide deep learning processing close to high-end GPUs has already been applied to a wide range of FPGA and SoC products developed by Shenzhen Institute of Technology. Shen Jian Technology also provides IP authorization based on these two architectures to promote energy-efficient embedded technology. The popularity of artificial intelligence products.
2. Zhang Huaidong: Let 'China Core' be no longer subject to people
'Making the gap a driving force will ultimately create miracles, and China Core will no longer be controlled by others.' Shenyang Core Microelectronics Equipment Co., Ltd. is a rising star in the field of domestic IC equipment, and the company's design department led by Zhang Huaidong is the 'brain' of this rising star. .
Under the control of the 'brain', the core source created a series of miracles: Domestic IC equipment companies supply bulk quantities to the world's top foundries for the first time, forcing international giants to adjust their product models, lowering the domestic package equipment purchase price...
Two setbacks inspired Zhang Huaidong’s fighting spirit.
In 2005, Zhang Huaidong went to Shanghai to participate in the bidding. At that time, the price and quality of domestically-made equipment were very different from those of foreign companies. Zhang Huaidong’s bid was eliminated in the first round.
'At that time, the foreign delegates’ eyes kept me unforgettable. I don't believe that Chinese people can do it.' Back in Shenyang, Zhang Huaidong led the team to work hard to overcome difficulties. Once to obtain a set of data, they day and night, often Too busy to eat only one meal a day.
In 2013, Zhang Huaidong and his team finally developed a star-type, uniform development equipment with a capacity 1.5 times that of foreign equipment and a 10% lower price. Star equipment rapidly occupied the market and prompted international leading companies to adjust the selling price in China. , Lowered the purchase price of domestic chip packaging equipment. Today, the star three generations of glue development equipment has successfully occupied more than 80% of the domestic LED market share.
In 2015, the industry’s prestigious core source sent the world’s No. 1 IC foundry company, Taiwan IC Manufacturing Co., Ltd. the first prototype. However, the conference’s site presented nearly 50 suggestions for improvement. Let Zhang Huaidong sit on the felt.
Zhang Huaidong frankly stated that the products do have some deficiencies, but the individual proposals in the list also have tentative components. They want to see if our companies can meet such a high demand. 'I will not only have to do it, I will also give out a full answer.' After making up his mind, Zhang Huaidong was busy again.
In the following seven months, Zhang Huaidong had almost no holidays. In the same year, Shenyang Xinyuan issued 20 packages of developing equipment to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd., achieving the first batch of domestic products of similar products to international first-class companies, forcing the field. The world's No. 1 company, Tokyo Electron, had to adjust its product model in order to keep orders.
At the end of 2017, an innovative studio named after Zhang Huaidong was established. More and more young people are joining in, injecting new energy into the development of domestic IC equipment.
'Reviews'
After working for 16 years, Zhang Huaidong led the team to complete dozens of technical projects and has authorized 7 patents. None of the products have been returned by customers due to quality problems. Keep improving, is the rigorous attitude of equipment manufacturers; be brave to play, is a new era of struggle. Sense of responsibility; Filling in the gaps is the sense of mission of the builders of the old industrial base. Perseverance can be accomplished to accomplish tasks that seem impossible. The meticulous attitude is the attitude each developer should take. Liaoning Daily
3.Hangzhou Silicon Lijie achieved high revenues last year, consumer electronics and industrial applications are still the main force
According to the micro-message message, Hangzhou Silicon Li Jie, a power management chip manufacturer, held a law meeting yesterday and announced the annual financial report at the Law Conference. The financial report shows that Si Lijie’s revenue for the whole year last year was 8.599 billion yuan, after-tax net profit. 1.808 billion yuan, an increase of 23% year-on-year, hit a record high, with a surplus of 21.2 yuan per share.
From the perspective of IC design companies, the current 2017 profit-per-share king is still 29.23 yuan for the memory control chip factory group, followed by the company's 25.49 yuan, and Silicon Lijie ranked third, leading 15.5. yuan.
Chairman of Silicon Lijie Chen Wei said that consumer electronics and industrial applications are still the main products of SiLi, which accounted for 43% and 40% respectively.
After Silicon Lijie merged with Meixin smart meter and NXP LED lighting department one year ago, after a one-year adjustment period, operations gradually took off. Last year, revenue jumped three-fold to NT$8.608 billion, an increase of 20.58% year-on-year.
Looking forward to 2018, Chen Wei expects that the sales volume of various product lines such as consumer electronics, industrial, information and network communication products can be expected to grow. Among them, consumer electronics products are growing faster, industrial and information products are relatively stable, and communication products are It is relatively weak, but it is still expected to grow through the increase in market share.
It is worth mentioning that driven by the demand for the Internet of Things, products such as fans and lamps will be redesigned and connected with the network. This will be the main driving force for the growth of the consumer electronics market this year. However, resistance and capacitance are zero. The shortage of components is still a major market variable.
In addition, since automotive electronics needs hundreds of chips, Chen Wei believes that automotive electronics is a long-term development market, and the Asian market has great potential and may even surpass the mature market. Automotive electronics will be the main battlefield for the future of electronics and semiconductors. .
According to Chen Wei, Silicon Lijie has begun to lay out the automotive market, starting with applications such as infotainment, LED lighting, ADAS systems, etc. Currently, the aftermarket has been shipping one after another, and the front loading market takes a relatively long time. It is expected to be 2021. Began to show benefits.
In the LED lighting segment, after Silicon Silicon acquired NXP, it extended its tentacles from indoor LED lighting to high-priced outdoor LED lighting. NXP's patent for special outdoor lighting complements Silicon Lijie's indoor LED lighting technology. In addition, silicon Li Jie received NXP's existing European and American market customers, and expanded the source of the emerging market customers, so Si Li Jie's first quarter shipments performed dazzlingly.
In solid-state drives and IP CAMs in the industrial sector, solid-state drive control ICs benefited from the dominance of Samsung, a major customer, and their shipments continued to increase, driving 20% revenue growth to 20% in 2018. TV products in China And the penetration rate of the Korean market has gradually increased, and the market share of AC/DC new products continues to expand. (Proofreading/Ruby)
4. China Mobile New Generation 4G Smart Rearview Mirror Mounted
On March 20th, China Mobile announced in Xi'an a new generation of 4G smart rearview mirror, the Lutong X2, equipped with Ziguang Zoom LTE Smart Car Rearview Mirror Platform Solutions Spreadtrum SL8541C, in chip configuration, manual Intelligent, screen design and other aspects have been upgraded to fully support China Mobile's car networking strategy.
China Mobile and Lutong X2 are equipped with the Ziguang Galaxy Smart Car Rearview Mirror Platform Solutions Spreadtrum SL8541C, adopting an accurate speech recognition system and full voice control; built-in ADAS safety assisted driving system to provide intelligent imagery for advanced users The front car collision warning and lane departure warning provide safe driving. At the same time, it is equipped with a high-definition wide-angle camera that can achieve high-quality shooting and low-light night vision. In addition, the X2 uses a new split-screen UI design and support. Online music network radio, Bluetooth phone, let users enjoy the smart driving on the way.
Spreadtrum SL8541C is the first LTE smart car mirror platform solution from Ziguang Zhanrui. It has a built-in quad-core ARM Cortex-A7 central processor, clocked at 1.5GHz, and can support LTE band communication between China Mobile Network and global carriers, achieving 4G. High-speed full-network connection. By adopting advanced ISP algorithm, Spreadtrum's SL8541C supports 1080P HD video recording, enabling up to 3 cameras to be connected, and it uses a higher-sensitivity image sensing technology to achieve high-performance starlight. The night vision function can also perform high-definition video shooting under night-lit conditions. In addition, it supports Beidou, GPS, Glonass multi-mode satellite system positioning, and can access Chihiro ground enhanced assisted positioning, which can achieve high-precision positioning and provide terminal meters. Level navigation function, to solve the pain points near the end of the navigation needs the user's human eye search.
In terms of stability, Spreadtrum's SL8541C has passed high-strength stress tests, which can fully meet the requirements of different automotive environments and scenarios, and realize the overall optimization of the original software and hardware from the bottom layer to the application layer. In addition, the platform adopts core system modularization. Through independent research and development of ISP technology, joint dedicated Sensor manufacturers realize cost-effective starlight night vision function, no external ISP chip, no need for customers to spend ISP debugging time, can achieve rapid product.
'With the rapid development of the Internet, intelligence has become ubiquitous, and mobile smart terminals have expanded from mobile phones, tablet computers, and wearable devices to the automotive sector. Smart cars have become an important development direction for the future of automobiles. ' Ziguang Group, Global Executive Vice President, Ziguang Zeng Rui CEO Zeng Xuezhong stated, 'Since 2016, Ziguang Zeng Rui has started to invest in the research and development of intelligent vehicle-mounted terminal solutions. In just over a year's time, it launched the first LTE vehicle rearview mirror solution Spreadtrum SL8541C and cooperated with China Mobile to achieve it. Mass production, which fully embodies the technical advantages of Ziguang Zengrui and the determination to invest in the field of car networking. In the automotive field, Ziguang Zengrui focuses on differentiated market demands and strives to provide customers with quality solutions and services to help customers shorten Time-to-market, cost savings. Future Ziguang Zengru will continue to innovate and work with industry partners to launch more chip platform solutions for automotive applications.
5. Research results of Shanghai Jiaotong University were selected for the Top Ten Progress of 2017 China Optical
Professor Chen Jianping of Shanghai Jiaotong University's research group's research results 'Silicon-based integrated wide-range continuously adjustable light buffer/delay chip' was recently selected as '2017 China Optical Top Ten Progress (Applied Research Category)'. 'China's Optical Top Ten Progress'. Launched by China Laser Magazine, it aims to introduce domestic academic researchers who have published academic papers in academic journals in the field of optics with important academic and applied value, and promoted the dissemination of optical achievements. So far it has been held for 13 sessions.
Silicon-based optoelectronic integration is a new technology developed at the beginning of this century. It is one of the most promising mainstream technologies in today's integrated optics. It uses microelectronic CMOS technology to fabricate optoelectronic devices on silicon materials with low-cost mass production. Advantages, and the potential for building on-chip optoelectronic subsystems with microelectronics fusion. Optical buffers, optical delay chips are important applications in optical communications and photonic information processing. In all-optical switching networks and broadband photonic information processing systems, they are used to resolve data contention conflicts. Accurate synchronization with the channel; In systems such as light-controlled phased array radars, used to achieve true optical delay, overcome the phenomenon of aperture transition caused by the limited bandwidth of the electronic phase shifter, and ensure that microwave signals with different frequencies have the same direction angle.
Professor Chen Jianping from Shanghai Jiaotong University, under the support of the National 973 Program, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, and the Excellent Youth Fund Project, has adopted silicon-based integration technology to achieve nanosecond (ns) optical delay for the first time in the world. Digital adjustable chip, research results have been reported by Nature Photonics as a research highlight (Vol. 8, Nov. 2014). This scheme can be used to implement a wide range of adjustable delay lines, but it cannot achieve continuous adjustment and on-chip loss Large. In response to these problems, Professor Zhou Linjie, the core member of the research group, led the students to carry out in-depth research from the new mechanism and new process, and proposed a solution that combines a cascaded ring resonator with a reconfigurable optical switch delay network, using 60nm. The thickness of the ultra-thin silicon-based optical waveguide and the new optical switch structure break through the loss, device performance limitations, developed a 0~1.28 ns programmable optical delay universal chip, which can achieve continuous delay adjustment of broadband optical signals, and can pass Programmable optical time-division multiplexing, arbitrary waveform generation and filtering functions. This achievement was published in the flagship of the American Optical Society (OSA). Optica '4(5): 507-515, 2017'. Compared with the highest level in the world, the chip has the advantages of low loss, large range of continuous adjustment, high stability, high resolution and high adjustment efficiency. Professor Zhou Linjie is a winner of the National Excellent Youth Fund. He was selected as one of the first batch of young Changjiang scholars. He won the title of senior Newton scholar of the Royal Society in 2016. Shanghai Jiaotong University