Ceva-PentaG2 Empowers Sharp’s ASUKA SoC for Next-Gen IoT Connectivity

Ceva, Inc. (NASDAQ: CEVA), the leading licensor of silicon and software IP that enables Smart Edge devices to connect, sense and infer data more reliably and efficiently, today announced that Sharp Semiconductor Innovation Corporation (SSIC), a subsidiary of Sharp Corporation, has developed “ASUKA”, a System-on-Chip (SoC) for Beyond 5G (6G) IoT terminals, based on scalable 5G modem platform IP , the Ceva-PentaG2. Sharp will showcase a demo board “ASUKA Board” based on the ASUKA SoC at the Japan Pavillion at MWC25, March 3-6, in Hall 6, Stand E54.

The ASUKA SoC was developed to fill a gap in the market for specialized 5G IoT communication chips. To democratize cellular IoT, the ASUKA SoC offers a customizable alternative to traditional “black box” 5G SoCs. Leveraging a powerful software-defined radio (SDR) architecture enabled by the Ceva-PentaG platform, this innovative chip ensures future-proof flexibility, allowing for customized communication functions and seamless support for emerging 6G standards.

Our goal with the ASUKA SoC is to make 5G and beyond cellular IoT communications more accessible and widespread. By partnering with Ceva and leveraging their renowned expertise in cellular processing, we have realized a cutting-edge SoC that is customizable to address any cellular IoT terminal application or standard, today and in the future.

– Toyofumi Horikawa, Sharp Semiconductor Innovation Corporation

We are proud to collaborate with Sharp on their innovative ‘Beyond 5G’ IoT terminal project. Our Ceva-PentaG2 provides customers like Sharp with the industry’s most advanced 5G platform IP, reducing risk and time-to-market for the development of cutting-edge cellular modems that support the most advanced applications with industry-leading efficiency and performance.

– Michael Boukaya, Chief Operation Officer, Ceva

ASUKA is a software-defined SoC, for IoT user equipment (UE) to promote the spread of IoT UE in the Beyond 5G (6G) era. It features a scalable architecture that allows for functional modifications, enabling it to keep pace with the continuous evolution of communication standards. It includes various expansion interfaces such as PCIe (Gen4), JESD204B, and USB 3.0, allowing users to customize functions via PC connections. For developers, the ASUKA board provides a customizable development environment that enables coordination between base stations and terminals. Users can customize the UE alongside base stations, allowing for simultaneous customization of both. This facilitates the construction of IoT solutions, implementation of new features, and verification in an SDR development environment.

The Ceva-PentaG2 IP platform is a comprehensive solution for implementing 5G modems, specifically designed for lower-throughput applications such as RedCap, and other optimized cellular IoT applications. It is highly efficient, requiring minimal power consumption, making it suitable for IoT and other battery-powered devices. The platform integrates advanced DSPs and accelerators to enable optimal signal chain processing and includes a complete 5G PHY software implementation. With its scalable and flexible architecture, the Ceva-PentaG2 IP platform supports a wide range of applications, from high-performance mobile broadband to low-power IoT devices. For more information, visit https://www.ceva-ip.com/product/ceva-pentag2/