MIPS' silicon footprint suits inexpensive LTE design

Altair’s chipsets with MIPS CPUs inside are designed to support a range of applications, and are deployed commercially on LTE networks around the world. Altair's MIPS-based products include the Verizon Ellipsis 7 tablet, available exclusively from Verizon for its 4G LTE network, the HP 11” and ASUS 13.3” LTE Chromebooks and the D-Link LTE eMBMS-enabled HDMI dongle, the first such product that is compatible with a leading U.S. carrier’s 4G LTE network. First International Computer's (FIC) Elija TF9300 9.7” Android tablet, a 3.5GHz LTE-enabled tablet, also uses MIPS, as do SoftBank BB devices used for its wireless Internet service in Japan.

In addition, the FourGee-3800/6300 Category 4 chipset, the successor of the Category 3 FourGee-3100/6200 chipset, recently achieved Verizon Wireless chipset certification. The 3800/6300 chipset features download speeds of 150Mb/s and upload speeds of 50Mb/s, and supports advanced features such as VoLTE and eMBMS. It is already designed into multiple modules and end-user devices and is deployed commercially in leading carrier markets.

Altair’s chipsets leverage multiple MIPS CPUs controlling various functions, including the network processor subsystems. The multi-threading capability in the MIPS CPUs can be a particularly advantageous in balancing cost, performance and power, and can boost performance where multiple latency-sensitive tasks must be handled simultaneously.

Eran Eshed, Co-Founder and Vice President, Marketing and Business Development, Altair, said: “MIPS CPUs are a key component of our FourGee LTE chipsets. The small silicon area of MIPS is key for highly cost-sensitive applications such as LTE, and its efficiency means we can achieve the highest levels of performance in the smallest silicon area and with the lowest power consumption. Imagination is a key partner for Altair to ensure the best possible solutions for next-gen LTE devices for mobile devices, IoT applications and beyond.”

“MIPS CPUs are an ideal fit for LTE chipsets, and MIPS multi-threading technology offers a compelling value proposition for these devices,” added Tony King-Smith, Executive Vice President of Marketing, ImgTec. “We are delighted that Altair recognises this. The market clearly acknowledges the value of LTE-only devices, and we are delighted to continue our long-standing relationship with Altair as they continue to drive the MIPS architecture into a generation of exciting LTE enabled products.”