ETC CX50211

DATASHEET
CX5000
0.18um Structured ASIC
Product Description
The 0.18um CX5000 is an ASIC that utilizes the combination of an
advanced metal programmable gate array and optimized EDA system to
implement high performance ASIC designs while reducing application
tooling costs and design turnaround time. ASIC designers using the
CX5000 are able to meet or exceed their design schedules and budgets
without compromising technical objectives.
The CX5000 comprises a family of pre-configured platform masterslices that
contain varying amounts of general-purpose logic, fast memory, advanced
I/Os, clock synthesis and phase management macrocells. When combined with a mix of popular thirdparty tools and custom designed point EDA solutions, the CX5000 provides not just gate array hardware,
but also a complete ASIC Platform from which to develop today’s advanced SoC ASICs.
Manufactured in UMC’s 0.18um, 6-layer metal CMOS process, the CX5000 combines the reliability and
quality of an industry-leading silicon foundry, with the high performance, low power consumption and fast
design turnaround time of ChipX Structured ASIC technology. The CX5000 family is very applicable to
cost reduction projects, replacing expensive FPGA devices with low-cost metal programmable
technology. The CX5000 is the first viable “standard cell alternative” ASIC technology, developed in
response to the growing need for cost-effective ASIC implementation capability.
The CX5000 Structured ASIC technology uses just two of the six available metal layers to program the
logic, memory, I/O and clocking of an ASIC design and so eliminates the large costs of the remaining
“fixed” masks. Wafers are manufactured up to Metal 4, where they are held pending completion of the
customer application. Completed chips can be delivered to the customer less than three weeks after signoff of the finished design.
ChipX Structured ASIC technology is very similar in concept to FPGA, which makes it easy to use and
familiar to most ASIC and system designers. Using metal interconnect segments rather than SRAM cells
to program the ASIC, CX5000 technology reduces the area of the chip by between 5x and 10x over the
equivalent FPGA and brings performance up to 90% of standard cell design speeds.
Key Features and Benefits
♦
Structured ASIC architecture
♦
Low NRE and start-up costs
♦
Fast time to production
♦
♦
30K to 1.2M usable ASIC gates
Up to 2.6M bits of fast block memory
♦
2ns access time single-port SRAM, dual-port SRAM and ROM
♦
Low power consumption (0.06uW/MHz/Gate)
♦
200MHz general core logic operation, 650MHz in constrained clock domains
 ChipX Inc.
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CEC034 (9/20/05)
CX5000:
0.18um Structured ASIC Product Family
♦
♦
PCI, PCI-X, SSTL, HSTL, USB1.1, RSDS, LVPECL and LVDS up to 622Mbps
1.5V or 1.8V or mixed supply voltage operation
♦
Up to 1100 total pads
♦
Low-jitter analog PLL macros with internal loop filter
♦
♦
Delay Lock Loop (DLL) macros for clock de-skewing
Wide range of synthesizable IP cores such as CPUs and interface controllers
♦
Vast packaging library
♦
Standard ASIC tool flow
♦
Available front-end and FPGA conversion design services
♦
♦
BIST and Scan synthesis test options
Seamless migration to Standard Cell in high volume
♦
Excellent for SoC designs, new ASICs, and FPGA conversion
The CX5000 Structured ASIC “System Slice”
The CX5000 System Slice product line is designed to incorporate a mix of gates and memory optimized
for a wide range of today’s advanced SoCs. With a ratio of approximately 160% memory to gates, each
slice contains enough memory to support CPU cache, network rate-matching FIFOs, multiple video line
buffers and various other single- or dual-port applications.
The CX5000 System-Slice arrays shown in Table 1 have a variety of gate and memory counts. The
maximum usable gates in each array is design dependent and refers to the actual size of a customer
design prior to test insertion or timing closure.
BASE
ARRAY
CX50041
CX50101
CX50211
CX50331
CX50561
CX50841
CX51191
CX51761
TABLE 1.
CX5000 SYSTEM SLICE
M AX USABLE
FAST BLOCK
ASIC G ATES (K)
SRAM (K)
30-40
64
91-101
160
131-144
364
207-228
518
336-369
880
526-578
1264
716-787
1774
1108-1219
2582
LOW JITTER
APLL/DLL
4/2
4/8
4/8
4/8
4/12
4/12
4/12
4/12
BOND
PADS
128
256
384
448
640
768
896
1152
There are a fixed number of block memories on each masterslice for speed, and for logic and memory
efficiency. Each slice has a total available memory count, which can be split into either 18K, 16K or 8K
blocks in a variety of widths and depths, or double-pumped to create smaller memories. The memory can
be configured as single- or dual-port RAM/ROM, as required.
ChipX uses the latest clock synthesis techniques during layout of the Structured ASIC. We provide the
user with four complete analog PLL units for clock phase alignment (when needed), frequency synthesis,
or stabilization. These PLL macros have excellent jitter performance and incorporate all of the analog
components needed for supply and loop filtering on board the masterslice. A DLL macro generator is
available for clock-edge alignment in timing-critical applications.
 ChipX Inc.
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CEC034 (9/20/05)
CX5000:
0.18um Structured ASIC Product Family
The CX5000 family has a flexible I/O structure. Each metal-programmable I/O driver cell supports one or
two pads, depending on the I/O configuration chosen. The CX5000 product line can be packaged in
conventional IC packaging, provided as bare die or processed with an extra layer of metal, bumped and
then mounted into a flip-chip package. ChipX has a vast library of standard packages, large pin count
FPGA packages, military and hermetic packages. Custom package development services are reasonably
priced and include multi-chip modules as well as exotic, ultra-fine pitch and very small outline package
types.
CX5000 Architecture: Core, Memory, Corner, I/O Ring
Core
The CX5000 core logic is divided into logic modules each with a closely packed, optimized transistor
layout separated by routing channels. The placer software configures the logic modules using pre-defined
templates in the top two metal layers to perform the 400 or so library elements supported by the CX5000
technology. Via stacks are used to bring module internal signals up to the programming layers, where
they are connected to form the logic function.
The library of logic components described in the CX5000 Data Book uses variously one, two, and
sometimes three logic modules. The Synthesis Engine is instructed to use the most complex
combinatorial logic components possible to ensure best utilization of each logic module. The router is
used to wire up the global routing resources and make short distance connections between the logic
modules in the routing channels. The routing channels contain lengthwise and crosswise metal wires of
various fetches connected to each other and to the logic modules using the top two metal layers.
The CX5000 core logic operates at clock speeds in excess of 200MHz. The applications targeted for
standard cell generally operate at 90% of the standard cell performance and considerably faster than
FPGAs. A two input NAND gate in CX5000 technology typically contributes just 180ps of delay to a logic
path.
TABLE 2.
CX5000 CORE COMPONENTS POWER BUDGET
The CX5000 is optimized for low power
consumption. Table 2 outlines the power budget
of the CX5000 core components.
Flip Flop Constant Data (uW/MHz) Typical
Flip Flop Toggling Data (uW/MHz) Typical
Logic Cell (uW/MHz) Typical
0.076
0.49
0.25
Memory
The CX5000 has two memory types. Flexible CX-Memory blocks are arranged at the bottom of the
masterslice and extend across the entire width of the chip. Each memory represents 16K bits of available
2ns block SRAM or ROM with two address decoders, two input ports, and two output ports. As shown in
Figure 1 (next page), the address decoders can be used to address two separate 8K bit memory
instances or one 8K bit dual-port memory instance. Each memory may be as narrow as 2 bits or as wide
as 64 bits, with corresponding depth.
In addition, each CX5000 masterslice contains multiple blocks of 18Kbit fast dual port SRAM arranged as
36bits x 512 locations with bitwise-write-enables. This memory is spread around the core logic of the
masterslice and is convenient for matching with Xilinx/Altera block SRAM or for combining into larger
memories for processor cache or scratchpad memory.
 ChipX Inc.
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CEC034 (9/20/05)
CX5000:
0.18um Structured ASIC Product Family
1, Dual Port SRAM
Metal programmable
Interconnect
Up To 11
Metal Programmable
Address Decoder A
R/W
256
Port A
4 To 64
4-64
32
32
4 To 64
SRAM Cell Array
2, Single Port RAM/ROMs
1 or 2 Memory Instances
256 Addresses x 64 Bits
4-64
Port B
R/W
256
Up To 11
Metal Programmable
Address Decoder B
Figure 1. CX5000 CX-Memory Configurations
The memories can be surrounded by a BIST shell for convenient and comprehensive production testing.
The number of permutations and combinations of memory options prevents easy distribution of predefined macros, therefore, ChipX maintains an automatic memory macro generation utility that can email
memory models automatically upon request. For instructions on how to use this feature, please check the
CX5000 Design Manual.
Corner
Figure 2 (next page) illustrates the CX5000 die corner that contains a number of important analog
components. Each corner contains an accurate bandgap device, which is then used to provide reference
and bias voltages to other components in the pad ring. Also contained in each corner is a complete,
programmable analog PLL.
The PLL may be configured to operate at frequencies between 7.5MHz and 500MHz given certain input
clock criterion and loop filter choices. ChipX provides an automatic response server that will reply with
simulation and synthesis macros for a specific frequency PLL based on the input frequency, desired
output frequency, and phase relationship. The PLL models may be easily disabled and bypassed to
reduce simulation time.
ChipX CX5000 logic is fast when compared to standard FPGA logic, so it is possible to create all of the
counters, dividers, and clock phase taps from synthesized logic rather than relying on custom macros.
The corner also contains an ESD structure that is used in concert with the ESD structures adjacent to the
pads to provide 2.5KV of ESD protection to the devices.
 ChipX Inc.
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CEC034 (9/20/05)
CX5000:
0.18um Structured ASIC Product Family
I/O Ring
As shown in Figure 3, the CX5000 I/O ring is comprised of blocks of 8 metal programmable I/O drivers,
16 pads and ESD structures.
Each I/O structure may be split into one simple
input (CMOS or TTL) and one simple output
(CMOS or TTL) to maximize the chip’s signal I/O. In
cases where the cell is configured as a bidirectional or an advanced single-ended I/O (e.g.,
PCI), the cell supports one signal only; the other
pad can be left unconnected or used for power.
Differential I/Os require two I/O structures per
channel and use two pads; the remaining two pads
are power or no-connect.
PLL,
Vb & Vref
I/O
Driver
I/O
Driver
I/O
Driver
Output
Input
Bidir
LVDS
VCC
GND
&
Output
I/O
Driver
I/O
Driver
LVDS#
Customer
Core
Figure 3. CX5000 I/O Structure
Supported I/O
As shown in Table 4, the CX5000 family supports 676 simple I/O macrocells in addition to a number of
advanced I/Os based on popular industry standards.
 ChipX Inc.
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CEC034 (9/20/05)
CX5000:
0.18um Structured ASIC Product Family
I/O STANDARD
LVTTL25/33
LVCMOS25/33
PCI
PCI-X
USB
LVDS
LVPECL
SSTL2/3
HSTL
RSDS
VDD
2.5V/3.3V
2.5V/3.3V
3.3V
3.3V
3.3V
3.3V
3.3V
2.5V/3.3V
1.5V
TABLE 4: CX5000 SUPPORTED I/O
NOTES
Selectable drive strength, pull-up/down, slew-rate, hysteresis, Bidir
Selectable drive strength, pull-up/down, slew-rate, hysteresis, Bidir
PCI Standard 2.2 at up to 66MHz
PCI-X standard at up to 133MHz
USB Standard 1.1 at 4Mbps and 12Mbps
IEEE 1596.3-1996, ANSI/TIA/EIA-644-1995
Support for Class I and II
Support for Class I, II and IV
RSDS V1.0
Electrical Specifications
ABSOLUTE M AXIMUM RATINGS
SYMBOL
P ARAMETER
VDDCore
Core Supply Voltage
VDDI/O
I/O Supply Voltage
Vin/Vout
DC Input and Output
TJ
Junction Temperature
MIN
-0.25
-0.25
-0.25
-55
M AX
2.25
4.0
4.0
155
UNITS
V
V
V
°C
NORMAL OPERATING CONDITIONS
SYMBOL
P ARAMETER
VDD1.8v
Core and I/O Supply Voltage
VDD 2.5v
I/O Supply Voltage
VDD 3.3v
I/O Supply Voltage
MIN
1.5
2.25
3.0
M AX
1.98
2.75
3.6
UNITS
V
V
V
Design Flow
ChipX spends considerable development effort to ensure that taping out a design to a CX5000 Structured
ASIC is a simple, painless, and risk-free endeavor. ChipX provides on-line downloadable libraries for both
Synopsys and Synplify ASIC synthesis tools.
RTL or Netlist Handoff
Many customers prefer to handoff their RTL designs early and let ChipX perform the entire timing closure
loop, including synthesis and final simulations. ChipX can also convert obsolete design netlists and even
well specified concept designs into prototypes rapidly and reliably.
Packaging and Test
ChipX uses world-class external packaging and test facilities in the United States and Taiwan to
assemble and complete commercial, industrial, or military testing and qualification of products. A vast
standard packaging library that includes the most popular DIP, QFP, BGA, fine-pitch BGA, and PGA
package sizes supports the CX5000 product line. The CX5000 is guaranteed to match any standard
FPGA device with a pin-for-pin replacement package. For specialist applications, multi-chip modules or
hard-to-find hermetic or BGA package sizes, ChipX experienced custom package design staff can create
a package or pinout to your specifications. ChipX offers SCAN insertion and ATPG as well as fault
grading, at speed test, Mil 883 test flows and a variety of additional test and QA services to match every
product requirement.
For more information, please visit our website: www.chipx.com
 ChipX Inc.
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CEC034 (9/20/05)