GPU developments of 2020
This is a summary of GPU developments for 2020 and includes announcements by the leading GPU suppliers.
Imagination Technologies new B-series multi-core GPU IP
Late last year, Imagination Technologies introduced its IMG A-Series. At the time, they said it was their most important GPU launch since the mobile PowerVR GPU, 15 years ago. Now, 11 months later, the company says it has topped itself and announced the IMG B-Series—a new expanded range of GPU IP. Imagination says the B-series multi-core lets customers reduce … Read more
Imagination under UK government scrutiny
When Canyon Bridge Partners, which is owned by China Reforma Chinese state-owned investment fund, sought to buy Imagination Technologies in 2017, Theresa May's government approved the acquisition on the basis that Canyon Bridge was licensed and regulated by US law. When the Trump administration blocked Canyon Bridge’s attempted acquisition of Lattice Semiconductor in September 2017, Canyon Bridge moved its headquarters … Read more
Imagination under UK government scrutiny
Canyon Bridge violated the deal
UNISOC and Imagination strategic cooperation on AI
Imagination Technologies announced that the fabless semiconductor company UNISOC has licensed Imagination’s latest generation of neural-network accelerator (NNA)
Imagination Technologies ups its cadence and product breadth
Ranging from semi-custom to mass market
Imagination: Back in Black
Imagination Technologies is on its fourth CEO in three years, is in the process of losing its major customer, and is still dealing with the aftermath of the disastrous acquisition and subsequent fire-sale disposal of MIPS. A job like that seems nearer the nightmare than the dream job end of the spectrum so I took advantage of the whole world … Read more
New/old hand at the helm at Imagination
Seeing an opportunity to develop a chip company using Imagination IP and not wanting to do it as a spin-off because it would annoy their customers, Imagination’s CEO Leo Li decided he would launch a company to do it independently. As a result, the company now has a new CEO, Ron Black, ex Rambus. Ron Black, new CEO of Imagination … Read more
First look at the Arm Machine Learning Processor
Arm chose this year’s IEEE Hot Chips Symposium to show off their first-generation Machine Learning Processor claiming a design that delivers ‘massive’ efficiency improvements over GPU, CPU, or DSP implementations as well as the ability to scale from IoT to server applications. Being an English design, it probably serves tea in a porcelain cup, as well. Leaving aside the issue … Read more
Talent Wars
The revolving doors in Silicon Valley are nothing new, but within the last two or so years the migration at the superstar techno level has been particularly intense—especially in the GPU and CPU space. Some recent examples: Martin Ashton served as EVP of PowerVR Multimedia IP at Imagination Technologies Group Plc until December 1, 2016 where he was instrumental in … Read more
New boss at Imagination Technologies
Sends a strong message about the company’s future. Imagination Technologies announced this week that Dr. Leo Li will be the company’s Chief Executive Officer. That is very good news for Imagination, its suppliers, shareholders, employees, and friends. Dr. Li is Chairman of the Global Semiconductor Alliance and a well-known and respected figure in the semiconductor industry. He has over 30 … Read more
Imagination introduces its own VPU
New NNA steps up to compete in ML Citing the burgeoning intelligent vision market, Imagination Technologies announced on September 21st that it has joined the ever-growing list of companies with hardware acceleration for deep learning. Up to now, they have relied on their PowerVR GPUs running in GPU compute mode to provide an ad hoc solution for inferencing but with … Read more