XAP processors

Cambridge Consultants has developed the 16- and 32-bit XAP^® processor family since 1994. These energy-efficient processors are now in over a billion chips, giving our licensees a proven competitive combination of silicon cost and processing performance. Contact us to learn about XAP’s technology and flexible IP licensing terms.

Energy-efficient ASIC computing

XAP processors are provided as soft IP cores offering a highly-evolved modern instruction set architecture that delivers high performance and industry-leading code density, thereby minimising silicon cost, program memory size and energy consumption. The latest XAP cores use a flexible Von Neumann architecture that simplifies ASIC design and brings reliability benefits, especially when programs are in Flash or OTP memory that may be re-programmed in the application.

Wireless and sensor applications

Applications for XAP include wireless communications such as Bluetooth, ZigBee, GPS, RFID and NFC, medical devices, automotive, consumer, retail, metering, energy and industrial products. When energy is at a premium, as in battery-powered systems, then a XAP processor is the ideal choice.

Low cost and low risk

On-chip memory size often determines die size, cost and profitability. XAP is designed to minimise both processor core and memory size in competitive ASIC markets. We support XAP with comprehensive development and debug tools so you can get your project right first time. The xIDE Integrated Development Environment includes an instruction set simulator and source-level debugger that connects via our patented SIF serial interface. A GNU C compiler and Binutils assembler are provided and hosted by xIDE. xEMU boards are FPGA-based prototyping platforms for software development, emulation and verification. The portfolio examples (above right) give more information on 16-bit and 32-bit XAP processor cores and their supporting products.

High reliability

XAP’s modern programming model features protected software operating modes that partition user code from privileged code for secure, deterministic, trustworthy and high-availability processing. We can engineer XAP-based solutions for aerospace and defence applications where high-reliability and specialised implementations are required.

The 16- and 32-bit XAP processor family

The XAP family includes both 16-bit and 32-bit processor cores. 16-bit XAP processors are the optimal choice in many applications when alternative 8-bit and older 16-bit architectures will have lower code density, worse performance and therefore higher memory cost and energy consumption. So, for many ASIC designs, 16-bit XAP processors offer the ideal migration path from legacy 8-bit architectures such as 8051, whilst avoiding the cost and complexity of jumping to 32-bit cores.