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November 9, 2005
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ATHENA ANNOUNCES PROTOTYPE
DEVELOPMENT FOR POWERFLOW SIGNAL PROCESSOR
Dramatic reduction in program
complexity key to unlocking performance
Gainesville, FL - November
9, 2005 - The Athena Group, a provider of high-performance,
low-power signal processing and security products, today announced
that as part of its efforts in the development of PowerFlow
signal processing technology, prototype development is commencing
which would incorporate all of the fundamental technologies
required to realize the new signal processing paradigm.
While previous advances in
signal processing performance have essentially relied on parallelism
of small computing resources, the PowerFlow architecture takes
a fundamentally different approach by integrating an array
of algorithmic level accelerators in a dynamically configured
switch fabric. Previous attempts to employ parallelism to
add computational horsepower were unsuccessful because those
attempts to add horsepower also multiplied complexity. The
net result was unusable performance. PowerFlow represents
the first new signal processing paradigm in decades, an architecture
which reduces programming complexity and improves usable horsepower
by orders of magnitude.
"Software orchestrated
signal processing is key to this advancement," points
out Monica Murphy, Athena CEO. "By allowing the programmer
to simply state the organization of the algorithm, the sequential
dependencies, and coupling that with evolved signal processing
technology, we have achieved a breakthrough in realizable
performance. Now, signal processing software need only observe
and manage the hardware resources, rather than manipulate
every single data transaction. The reduction in complexity
is staggering, and the leap in realizable performance is just
as profound."
Athena has selected LSI Logic's
RapidChip Platform ASIC technology to implement PowerFlow.
This first device will target software defined radio and secure
communications applications, two high throughput applications
that are ideal for PowerFlow. As part of the development effort,
Athena is working with early adopters to include PowerFlow
technology in their own SoCs. PowerFlow IP cores, complete
with development kits and reference platforms, will be available
starting in 2006.
"We're proud of the fact
that Athena chose LSI Logic's RapidChip Platform ASIC because
it is the most cost effective Mil/Aero digital logic solution
in which to implement their PowerFlow signal processing technology,"
said John Bendekovic, director of Mil/Aero Space Marketing
and Business Development, LSI Logic Corporation. "Customers
using this technology in RapidChip will reap the benefits
of high-performance signal processing and reduced time-to-market,
with the security and power advantages of a non-volatile single-chip
solution."
Key funding for the program
has been provided by the Advanced Technology Program (www.atp.nist.gov),
which bridges the gap between the research laboratory and
the marketplace, stimulating prosperity through innovation.
Through partnerships with the private sector, ATP's early
stage investment is accelerating the development of innovative
technologies that promise significant commercial payoffs and
widespread benefits for the nation. Part of the highly regarded
National Institute of Standards and Technology, the ATP is
changing the way industry approaches R&D, providing a
mechanism for industry to extend its technological reach and
push the envelope of what can be attempted.
About The Athena Group,
Inc.
The Athena Group, Inc. of Gainesville, Florida licenses signal
processing and security technology that delivers breakthrough
performance, reduced area, and reduced power consumption in
a broad range of SoC products. Athena technology is ideal
for leading edge applications such as secure e-commerce, wireless
communications, and image processing. Athena was founded in
1986 and is privately held.
# # #
For information on Athena products,
contact:
Pat Rugg, VP Sales and Marketing
The Athena Group, Inc.
408 W. University Avenue, Suite 306
Gainesville, FL 32601
Phone: (352) 371-2567 ext. 307
Toll-free: (800) 741-7440
Email: prugg@athena-group.com
Internet: www.athena-group.com
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