Processor Foundry Program

The ARM Processor Foundry Program is an innovative business model that enables fabless semiconductor companies in emerging markets to gain access to ARM processor technology, for use in the design and manufacture of advanced system-on-chip (SoC) solutions.

The Foundry Program builds a three-way partnership between ARM, an approved silicon foundry, and a fabless semiconductor company that accelerates the time-to-market for ARM processor-based designs and enables OEMs without access to fabrication facilities, to work directly with an approved ARM semiconductor foundry.

Foundry Program Design License

The Foundry Program Design License provides a design kit that contains the elements required to develop a complete ARM processor-based SoC design, plus access to supporting services that may be required during the implementation. The license is a cost-effective route to producing an SoC design, offering designers an affordable solution to new ARM processor-based product development on a per-use basis.

Design Kit

Provided with the Design License are a variety of components to help the OEM get to market as quickly as possible. The complete kit includes:

Design Flow Guide
ARM processor deliverables
Design Sign-off Models (DSMs) and Test Vectors
AMBA Design Kit
RealView Development Suite
Powerful JTAG-based run control device for non-intrusive debug of embedded processors
RealView Integrator^® Development Platform Training, support and maintenance

Foundry License

The Foundry License is granted to the semiconductor foundry. Approved ARM foundries which offer a full range of process technologies, from 0.18 micron down to 0.09 micron, can be viewed in the Processor Foundry Program Product Schedule.

Products

There are three processors currently available in the ARM Foundry Program, the ARM922, the ARM946, and the ARM926EJ processors. All the processors are provided as hard macrocells, to ensure ease of integration and the fastest time to market. Performance characteristics and process availability for each processor are listed in the table below. In addition to the five processors, Design Kits for the ETM9TM Embedded Trace Macrocell™ is also available.