ARM has licensed an interconnect patent portfolio from Sonics, consisting of 138 properties for use in ARM products and specifications. Sonics patent portfolio, several of which are fundamental to the development and implementation of on-chip interconnect products used in SoCs, is powering many of today's connected devices. The licensing agreement between Sonics and ARM also signals the closer cooperation between the two companies on Sonics' next generation power management and on-chip interconnect technologies for advanced SoCs.

Sonics and ARM also announced cooperation to support Sonics' next generation advanced power management technologies, which are intended to deliver disruptive levels of power savings through dark silicon techniques. Close interaction between system processors, on-chip networks, and the attached IP subsystems and cores are important to minimizing overall system power. The ability to keep cores switched off for much longer periods of time, along with the ability to turn devices on and off much more rapidly, will enable significant power savings over current solutions.

"A broad IP ecosystem is critical for the successful deployment of SoCs," said Tom Cronk, executive vice president and general manager, Processor Division, ARM. "The agreement to license Sonics' interconnect patents and to support Sonics on their next-generation interconnect and low power management is an important step in strengthening the ecosystem. Sonics and ARM have a clear vision for the future of IP technology, which we look forward to realizing together."