April 23, 2012 -- ARM today announced that MStar Semiconductor, Inc. has licensed the ARM Cortex-A9 MPCore and ARM926EJ-S processors, in addition to a range of ARM system IP for use in smart-TVs, set-top boxes (STBs) and smartphones. MStar is already a licensee of the ARM Mali-400 MP Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), which is used in mass production for MStar smart-TV system-on-chip (SOC) solutions.

The agreement includes a license for the ARM CoreSight Design Kit. CoreSight System IP will allow MStar designers to optimize their high-performance SOC designs using ARM debug and trace technology.

"MStar has an in-depth understanding of what the present and future requirements are for key markets, such as smart-TVs and smartphones," commented WK Chia, Vice President of R&D, MStar. "Our deepening relationship with ARM, through this new license for the Cortex-A9 processor and other advanced IP, will enable us to provide our customers with high-performance, energy-efficient solutions. MStar SOC solutions based on a wide range of ARM processor, GPU and system IP will be available soon and address consumer demand for advanced user experiences."