Reviewed by Lexie CornerMay 25 2024
Weebit Nano Limited (ASX:WBT), a leading developer and licensor of advanced memory technologies for the global semiconductor industry, and Efabless Corporation, the creator platform for chips, announce their collaboration to enable fast and easy prototyping of intelligent devices using Weebit’s technology. Under this agreement, Efabless chipIgnite customers have access to Weebit’s Resistive RAM (ReRAM) IP, an innovative non-volatile memory (NVM), which they can incorporate into their designs manufactured using SkyWater Technology Foundry’s 130nm CMOS (S130) process.
chipIgnite is an innovative open-source chip design platform that makes it easy and affordable to design and fabricate chips for prototyping or small production programs in areas such as IoT, artificial intelligence and other burgeoning applications. As chipIgnite users prototype and test their next-generation designs, they can now take advantage of Weebit ReRAM to embed more system capabilities in their products.
Weebit ReRAM is an advanced NVM technology that enables companies to create systems on chip (SoC) designs that are more energy efficient, more reliable, more secure and lower cost than those using flash or other emerging NVMs. Weebit ReRAM technology in SkyWater S130 is an ultra-low power, fast, radiation tolerant and secure NVM with excellent reliability even at high temperatures. The technology is qualified for automotive-grade temperatures, and ready for production.
As part of the collaboration, Efabless customers will pay a small fee to use Weebit ReRAM in their designs. If the customer decides to move to commercial production with their design, they will license the Weebit ReRAM IP directly from Weebit.
Coby Hanoch, CEO of Weebit Nano, said: “The Efabless chipIgnite program is exciting, as it enables academics, researchers, startups and even groups within large OEMs to quickly and cost-effectively develop and test new designs. As we embark on this collaboration, we anticipate that it will broaden industry awareness of Weebit ReRAM and grow the community of designers using our technology. Some of these users will ultimately want to license our product for commercial production, and we’re working with Efabless to accelerate this process.”
Mohamed Kassem, CTO of Efabless, said: “Efabless makes chip design and prototyping easy and affordable. We are seeing increased interest in creating designs with integrated NVM. We’re delighted to add Weebit’s innovative ReRAM IP to our portfolio, enabling our users to build more capabilities and intelligence for applications such as TinyML. By embedding NVM on-chip in their prototypes, designers can better understand the real-life behavior of their devices.”