Microprocessor Summit Successfully Kicks Off First Day of 2006 Embedded Systems Conference Silicon Valley, April 3

The Microprocessor Summit returned to the Embedded Systems Conference (ESC) yesterday for the second year, setting the stage for major semiconductor companies to introduce new embedded processors, microcontrollers, digital signal processors, and to debate the pros and cons of today's hottest products. The one-day Summit attracted the electronics industry's leading embedded designers, chip architects, chip industry executives, analysts, press, and venture capitalists, who heard juried announcements of the industry's most innovative new products and were the first to hear the results of the ESD Embedded Survey, CMP Media's annual examination of the state of the embedded technology market.

"The Microprocessor Summit was a huge hit, and kicked off the Embedded Systems Conference with a full day of new product debuts, exciting breakout sessions, and a sneak peek at the 2006 ESD Embedded Survey -- giving all attendees an in-depth look into the current state of the embedded market," Jim Turley, editor-in-chief of Embedded Systems Design. "Based on the overwhelming response and enthusiasm this year, we'll be sure to bring it back bigger and better in 2007."

The Summit, sponsored by Xilinx, BDTI, and The Linley Group, took place at the San Jose Fairmont Hotel, and marked the opening day of the Embedded Systems Conference, which returns to the heart of Silicon Valley, April 3-7. The day included world premieres of new products in the morning, and an afternoon of breakout sessions where the industry's top companies showcased their latest processors, while editorial moderators led discussions on the key distinctions among the competition.

Program Chair Jim Turley moderated a New Products Announcements presentation where companies Altera, AMCC, Intelasys, and Luminary Micro premiered their latest innovations. Attendees heard real-time analysis by an independent staff of editors and analysts, and learned what each of these new chips mean to customers and to the industry. Audience members were able to ask questions of company representatives, while speakers were challenged to defend their products and strategies.

The new announcements spanned the high end and the low end of the technology spectrum. Altera unveiled a new technology that allows chips to be automatically designed from their software, while startup Luminary Micro set a new low price point of just $1 for a 32-bit microprocessor. In between, Intelasys showed off its 24-processor multi-core design and AMCC pulled the wraps off a new chip for industrial systems. Taken all together, the announcements showed that innovation is alive and well outside of the mainstream PC business.

The day included breakout sessions with head-to-head competition among leading vendors. Session highlights include:

   --   Media Processors: Analog Devices, Atmel Norway and Texas Instruments
        discussed the latest processors and applications for digital video.
   --   Low End Processors: Rabbit Semiconductors, Texas Instruments and
        Dallas Semiconductor/Maxim presented on 8- and 16-bit processors,
        and what these leading vendors are doing to protect their positions.
   --   Digital Signal Controllers: presentations by Freescale
        Semiconductor, Microchip Technology, Inc. and Texas Instruments on
        digital signal controllers (DSC), targeting motor control and other
        computationally demanding control-loop applications.
   --   High End Processors: Examining processors that deliver enough
        performance for the most demanding embedded applications -- such as
        security, networking, and communications infrastructure, with
        presentations by Cavium Networks, Freescale Semiconductor, and P.A.
        Semi.

Attendees to the Microprocessor Summit also heard the first release of results of the 2006 ESD Embedded Survey -- a detailed insider's look into the current state of the embedded market, including operating systems, languages, chips, and vendors working engineers prefer, and which ones they dislike. CMP Media's extensive research covers topics and developers spanning international trends, and this was the first opportunity for attendees to see how the numbers add up before the results are officially released.

"Now in its 15th year the annual survey is a highlight of the conference and a much-anticipated look into the hearts and minds of engineers across North America," added Turley. "This year's results showed that software, not hardware, is the first thing on engineers' minds when they're evaluating competitive chips. Even hardware engineers admit that software features like compilers and debuggers have a big influence on their buying decisions -- eclipsing price, performance, and power consumption. The survey also showed, to no one's great surprise, that most engineering projects are late but also quantified the schedule slip at four months for the average 14-month project."

The Embedded Systems Conference (ESC) is North America's largest electronic systems design event, and will welcome thousands of the world's electronics engineering elite, gathered in one place to showcase their latest innovations and technological achievements. Conference highlights include a comprehensive technical program and design seminars, an exhibit show floor featuring the industry's top players, a keynote address by inventor and entrepreneur Dean Kamen, and the co-location of the D2M conference. For the complete Embedded Systems Conference program, visit: www.embedded.com/esc/sv.

About CMP Media's Electronics Group

The CMP Media Electronics Group is the premier technology and business media brand serving the information needs of the creators of technology worldwide through print, online and conferences.

As the most comprehensive and integrated source of electronics technology information, the CMP Media Electronics Group offers a full suite of products and services to reach electronics systems design professionals throughout the world. With its combination of media properties, the CMP Media Electronics Group focuses on delivering a targeted audience and actionable information to marketers in the electronics technology community.

Each month, CMP Media's Electronics Group delivers more than 1 million copies of its publications in five languages to subscribers in 55 countries. Online visitors from more than 100 countries view more than 7.5 million pages on its Web sites in six languages and in a year, more than 35,000 decision makers from 48 countries attend its conferences in North America, China, Taiwan and Europe.

  CMP Media's Electronics Group properties include:

   *    Print -- EE Times, Embedded Systems Design, Electronics Supply &
        Manufacturing
   *    Online -- EE Times Online, DesignLines, PlanetAnalog.com,
        Embedded.com, my-esm.com, CommsDesign.com, and SupplyLines
   *    Conferences -- Embedded Systems Conferences, Embedded Connect and
        Design Seminars

  About CMP Media (www.cmp.com)

Through its market-leading portfolio of trusted information brands in the technology, healthcare and lifestyles industries, CMP Media has earned the confidence of more professionals and enthusiasts in these fields than any other media company. As a result, CMP is the premier provider of access, insight and actionable programs designed to connect sellers and buyers in each of these industries in ways that yield superior return on investment. CMP Media is a subsidiary of United Business Media ( http://www.unitedbusinessmedia.com/ ), a global provider of news distribution and specialist information services with a market capitalization of more than $3 billion.

   Contact:
   Julia Konstantinovsky
   Atomic Public Relations for CMP Media
   julia@atomicpr.com
   415-402-0230

SOURCE: CMP Media's Electronics Group

CONTACT: Julia Konstantinovsky of Atomic Public Relations,
+1-415-402-0230, or julia@atomicpr.com, for CMP Media

Web site: http://www.embedded.com/
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