Buy SoC IP Like MP3s

摘要

In tech lingo, "IP" is an overloaded acronym that can mean "intellectual property" or "Internet Protocol." Now there may be a third definition: "impulse purchase." Intellectual-property vendor IPextreme has opened a retail website called the Core Store that makes buying IP for system-on-chip (SoC) development almost as easy as buying digital music. The Core Store sells synthesizable processor- and peripheral-IP cores at fixed, published prices. With a few mouse clicks, chip developers can review online documentation for the IP they want, submit their purchasing information, and receive by email a standard-form license. After approving and returning the license, developers receive an invoice. After submitting their payment (Visa, MasterCard, and PayPal accepted), developers can download files for the soft IP and begin working with it immediately. Although competing websites allow developers to shop for licensable IP online, those sites rarely disclose pricing, and developers usually must negotiate a licensing contract with the IP provider to close a sale. IPextreme's Core Store is more like Amazon.com or iTunes.