Queensland Incubator delivering results

The system directly links street cables to carry multiple communications devices simultaneously, from television and video-on-demand to phones and broadband Internet. A spokesman claims there is no other single device that has the same functionalities and capabilities that Spiderbox offers over a single cable. The network links VoIP phones, voice phones and video phones, all controlled by a server. Installed as standard is an Internet and email server, a firewall and a router, allowing information to be exchanged over the same cable. Broadband Internet is also provided at speeds and prices comparable to ISPs such as Telstra and Optus.

According to Spiderbox's CEO, John Hundy, it is “the simplest way of providing services to residences with one box, and for under $1,000”. “Electricity meters can be checked remotely and homeowners can be in charge of their own security and fire security,” he says. “For the first time, property developers can become providers of lucrative communication services in their own buildings. Also, doctors can use the Spiderbox to monitor patients and perform 'remote treatment' over vast distances using the available video links.”

Chip design success

Other success stories from the AMC are in chip design, which have helped the Centre gain a reputation as “one of the best places to do chip design in Australia,” according to its general manager, Mark Smith.

At the forefront is Nano Silicon, an R&D hub or “satellite design centre”set up by Singaporean chip design company FTD Technology. Nano Silicon specialises in the development of high-performance analogue and mixed-signal chips for high-speed transmission. Among its intellectual property (IP) are Digital Visual Interface (DVI) and High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) for gigabit data rate digital video and audio transmission.

According to its designers, HDMI is the first superior, industry-supported, uncompressed, all-digital audio/video interface. It provides a link between any audio/video source (set-top box or DVD player) and an audio/video monitor (digital TV or A/V receiver). “Its simple, user-friendly connector replaces the maze of cabling behind an entertainment centre,” explains Nano Silicon's chief designer, Ding Yong.

“The HDMI transmitter and receiver provide a very short time-to-market and cost effective solution for multimedia controllers and vendors.” HDMI performs all the necessary operations defined in HDMI specification 1.0, such as Transition Minimised Differential Signal (TMDS) encoding, High Definition Content Protection (HDCP), various packet management for audio samples, audio clock regeneration and InfoFrame, as well as TERC4 encoding and BCH ECC for error detection and correction.

It also handles high-speed parallel-to-serial, serial-to-parallel conversion and clock data recovery (CDR) up to a maximum 165 MHz pixel clock for each channel (1.65 Gbit/s data rate).

In addition to HDMI, various CDR architectures on CMOS technology for 5 Gbit/s data rate have been studied by a research team formed jointly by Nano Silicon and the University of Queensland. The team has developed CDR as a core for all very high-speed serial data transmission device ICs which will be used for future-generation Internet, data storage and fibre-optic communication.

Crucial to success

Spiderbox and Nano Silicon agree that incubation by, and support from, the AMC was crucial to the success of their developments, mainly because of the Centre's one-stop-shop capability.

“We were attracted from Sydney by the benefits of the Queensland's Smart State Initiative and we realise it was a great move. This is simply the best place to do business in the microelectronics industry,” says Spiderbox's John Hundy.

“The AMC is one of the most complete chip-and-board level design facilities available in Australia,” adds Smith.

“Start-ups and established companies bring their ideas to the table and the AMC and its existing member companies employ our trademark 'design for manufacturability' approach.

“We provide the microchip and board-level design, engineering experience, software knowledge and application, function optimisation, ergonomic and aesthetic styling and rapid prototyping.

“Centre's comprehensive in-house expertise offers a crucial safety net by minimising the common mistakes that can catch out many firms,” says Smith.

The AMC has secured deals with industry EDA giants Synopsys, Cadence and Magma for access to commercial licenses for design software. These arrangements allow the AMC to offer these expensive licenses at far more reasonable rates.

Another recent deal brought on board Hewlett-Packard as a key hardware provider.

A programme with the University of Queensland has been established and is now operational, which will result in 100 students being trained at the Centre each year at undergraduate and postgraduate level, many with industrial scholarships. All courses have an industry focus and are delivered using leading edge industry standard hardware and software. This should go some way to solving the lack of suitably trained engineers in the industry.

The AMC is a Queensland Government initiative, established in 2000. The Centre has received $2.6 million funding over the past five years.

Minister for State Development and Innovation Tony McGrady says the Centre was set up “as a growth accelerator to boost Queensland's pioneering—and now highly successful—efforts at uniting research, industry and education to create a microelectronics industry made up of start-ups and existing companies”.

“The success of these companies at the AMC, and the new joint education programme with the University of Queensland to train chip designers, are clear signs that Queensland is at the forefront of microelectronic research and industry for the whole of Australia,” he says.

Further information: Matthew Brace writes for AMC. AMC (07) 3364 0666