{{short description|British fabless semiconductor company}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox company | name = XMOS Limited | logo = | type = Private | industry = Semiconductors | founded = July 2005, Bristol, UK | hq_location_city = Bristol | hq_location_country = United Kingdom | key_people = Mark Lippett (CEO & President) | products = Voice controllers, Multicore microcontrollers, xCore, xCORE-200, xCORE-AUDIO, xCORE-VOICE, xCORE VocalFusion, xTIMEcomposer | website = {{URL|http://www.xmos.com/}} | brands = xCORE, VocalFusion }}
thumb|xCORE XS1-AnA processor '''XMOS''' is a fabless semiconductor company that develops generative systems-on-chips designed to integrate control, input/output, digital signal processing, and artificial intelligence functions. The company's XCORE platform enables users to generate customizable system-on-chips with real-time reconfigurability and deterministic parallel architecture, enabling developers to execute multiple tasks simultaneously.<ref>{{Cite web |title=XMOS 2025 Company Profile: Valuation, Funding & Investors {{!}} PitchBook |url=https://pitchbook.com/profiles/company/52787-35 |access-date=2025-10-08 |website=pitchbook.com |language=en}}</ref>
==History== XMOS was founded in July 2005 by Ali Dixon, James Foster, Noel Hurley, David May, and Hitesh Mehta.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2018-06-25 |title=SETsquared Bristol case study: XMOS |url=https://setsquared-bristol.co.uk/news/setsquared-bristol-case-study-xmos/ |access-date=2023-12-13 |website=SETsquared Bristol |language=en-GB}}</ref> It received seed funding from the University of Bristol enterprise fund, and Wyvern seed fund.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wiggers |first=Kyle |date=2020-02-13 |title=XMOS unveils Xcore.ai, a powerful chip designed for AI processing at the edge |url=https://venturebeat.com/ai/xmos-unveils-xcore-ai-a-powerful-chip-designed-for-ai-processing-at-the-edge/ |access-date=2023-12-13 |website=VentureBeat |language=en-US |archive-date=26 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230326131233/https://venturebeat.com/ai/xmos-unveils-xcore-ai-a-powerful-chip-designed-for-ai-processing-at-the-edge/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
The name XMOS is a loose reference to Inmos. Some concepts found in XMOS technology (such as channels and threads) are part of the Transputer legacy.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Transputer inventor gets funding for his latest semiconductor start up |url=https://sciencebusiness.net/news/73219/Transputer-inventor-gets-funding-for-his-latest-semiconductor-start-up |access-date=2023-12-13 |website=Science{{!}}Business |language=en}}</ref>
In the autumn of 2006, XMOS secured funding from Amadeus Capital Partners, DFJ Esprit, and Foundation Capital.<ref>{{cite news | title = XMOS raises $16 million in Series A funding | author = Peter Clarke | url = http://www.eetimes.eu/201804397 | newspaper = EE Times Europe | date = 2007-09-06 | access-date = 2009-02-02 }}</ref> It also has strategic investors Robert Bosch Venture Capital GmbH, Huawei Technologies, and Xilinx Inc, which in 2014 invested $26.2 million.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-07-21 |title=XMOS Adds Bosch, Huawei and Xilinx as Strategic Investors to Complete $26M Investment Round |url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20140721005474/en/XMOS-Adds-Bosch-Huawei-and-Xilinx-as-Strategic-Investors-to-Complete-26M-Investment-Round |access-date=2023-12-13 |website=www.businesswire.com |language=en}}</ref> Additionally, it received an investment through the sale of 22.3% of the Company's shares to Prelude Trust plc of Cambridge.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2006-10-02 |title=Transputer inventor gets funding for his latest semiconductor start up |url=https://sciencebusiness.net/news/73219/Transputer-inventor-gets-funding-for-his-latest-semiconductor-start-up |access-date=2024-01-26 |website=Science{{!}}Business |language=en}}</ref> In September 2017, XMOS secured $15M in an investment round led by Infineon.<ref>{{cite news | title = Funding Boost for U.K. Chip Firm Aiming at Amazon, Apple Voice-Control Market | author = Stefan Nicola | url = https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-09-07/infineon-eyes-amazon-apple-voice-control-market-with-xmos-stake | newspaper = Bloomberg | date = 2017-09-07 | access-date = 2017-09-07 }}</ref>
In July 2017, XMOS acquired SETEM,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.newelectronics.co.uk/electronics-news/xmos-acquires-setem-technologies-to-drive-the-development-of-next-generation-voice-interfaces/157333/ |title=XMOS acquires Setem Technologies to drive the development of next generation voice interfaces |publisher=new electronics |date=2017-07-10 |author=Neil Tyler |access-date=2017-07-10 |archive-date=26 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200826014923/https://www.newelectronics.co.uk/electronics-news/xmos-acquires-setem-technologies-to-drive-the-development-of-next-generation-voice-interfaces/157333 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Clive Maxfield |url=http://www.embedded.com/electronics-blogs/max-unleashed-and-unfettered/4458616/XMOS---Setem-could-be-a-game-changer-for-embedded-speech |title=XMOS + Setem could be a game-changer for embedded speech |publisher=Embedded.com |date=2017-07-12 |access-date=2017-07-14}}</ref> a company that specialises in audio algorithms for source separation.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-07-14 |title=XMOS acquires Setem Technologies, Inc., to drive the development of next generation voice interfaces |url=https://www.eejournal.com/industry_news/xmos-acquires-setem-technologies-inc-to-drive-the-development-of-next-generation-voice-interfaces/ |access-date=2023-12-13 |website=EEJournal |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-07-12 |title=XMOS + Setem could be a game-changer for embedded speech |url=https://www.embedded.com/xmos-setem-could-be-a-game-changer-for-embedded-speech/ |access-date=2023-12-13 |website=embedded.com}}</ref>
In 2019, XMOS raised $19 million in funding from Harbert European Growth Capital and existing investors.<ref>{{Cite web |title=XMOS secures $19M funding to accelerate growth |url=https://www.design-reuse.com/news/46848/xmos-funding.html |access-date=2023-12-13 |website=Design And Reuse |language=en}}</ref>
In December 2023, XMOS signed a joint development agreement with Sonical for Headphone 3.0 technology.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Flaherty |first=Nick |date=2023-12-08 |title=Sonical, XMOS team on Headphone 3.0 dongle |url=https://www.eenewseurope.com/en/sonical-xmos-team-on-headphone-3-0-dongle/ |access-date=2024-03-11 |website=eeNews Europe |language=en-US}}</ref>
==Products== Xmos designs multicore microcontrollers under the XCORE series. While the second generation launched in 2015, had dedicated audiocontroller spun off<ref>{{cite web|access-date=2024-02-07 |date=2015-03-23 |title=XMOS shipping hi-res audio |publisher=electronicsweekly.com |url=https://www.electronicsweekly.com/news/products/analog/xmos-shipping-hi-res-audio-2015-03/}}</ref> and were used in soundboards as well as headphone amplifiers,<ref>{{cite web|access-date=2024-02-07 |date=2020-02-17 |title=EVGA Nu Audio Pro Review: Who Needs a Sound Card in 2020? |publisher=tomshardware.com |url=https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/evga-nu-audio-pro-sound-card}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|access-date=2024-02-07 |date=2019-08-28 |title=miniDSP Launches IL-DSP Tiny Headphone Amplifier Based on XMOS xCORE-200 |publisher=audioxpress.com |url=https://audioxpress.com/news/minidsp-launches-il-dsp-tiny-headphone-amplifier-based-on-xmos-xcore-200}}</ref> the third generation was launched in 2020 and focused on applications within the AIoT.<ref>{{cite web|access-date=2024-02-07 |date=2020-02-10 |title=XMOS adapts Xcore into AIoT 'crossover processor' |publisher= |url=https://www.eetimes.com/xmos-adapts-xcore-into-aiot-crossover-processor/}}</ref> The fourth generation added RISC-V compatibility and was announced in December 2022.<ref>{{cite web|access-date=2024-02-07 |date=2022-12-12 |title=Brit chip company picks RISC-V for next-gen microcontrollers |publisher=theregister.com |url=https://www.theregister.com/2022/12/12/uk_chip_firm_picks_riscv/}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|access-date=2024-02-07 |date=2023-05-30 |title=XMOS Joins RISC-V Ecosystem |publisher=eetimes.com |url=https://www.eetimes.com/xmos-joins-risc-v-ecosystem/}}</ref>
In 2025, it announced a recategorisation of its XCORE hardware, defining it as a Generative System-on-Chip (GenSoC), a type of SoC that is specifically designed to accommodate generative AI-based natural language tools.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ward-Foxton |first=Sally |date=2025-10-08 |title=GenAI Can Raise Level Of Abstraction For XMOS Tools |url=https://www.eetimes.com/genai-can-raise-level-of-abstraction-for-xmos-tools/ |access-date=2025-10-08 |website=EE Times}}</ref>
==XC programming language== '''XC''' is a programming language developed by XMOS to support real-time, embedded, and parallel programming on the company's xcore processor architecture. It is designed to provide deterministic execution and fine-grained concurrency, enabling software-defined solutions for time-critical applications such as audio processing, industrial control, and communications.{{cn|date=January 2025}}
XC was introduced by XMOS in the late 2000s as part of its toolchain for programming xcore processors. It was designed to offer a high-level abstraction for expressing parallelism and hardware interaction, building on the principles of the occam programming language and the Communicating Sequential Processes (CSP) model developed by Tony Hoare.{{cn|date=January 2025}}
Over time, XMOS has shifted its development tools toward standard C and C++ compilers, but XC remains a key part of the legacy toolchain and is still supported in the XTC Tools suite.<ref name="xmos-tools">{{Cite web |title=XMOS Software Tools |url=https://www.xmos.com/software-tools/ |website=XMOS |access-date=2026-01-01 }}{{Dead link|date=January 2026 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}</ref>{{Verification failed|reason=This primary source does not verify the sentence it is against. It is a link to the C and C++ tools|date=January 2026}}
=== Design and Features ===
XC combines elements of C with concurrency and communication constructs inspired by occam. Key features include:
* Parallelism: Built-in support for concurrent tasks using the <code>par</code> construct. * Communication: Channel-based communication between tasks, enabling deterministic message passing. * Hardware Abstractions: Language-level primitives for interacting with hardware resources such as: ** <code>port</code> for I/O ** <code>timer</code> for precise timing ** <code>lock</code> for mutual exclusion * Events: A mechanism unique to xcore that enables low-latency, interrupt-free signaling between hardware and software components.<ref name="freertos">{{Cite web |title=Programming xcore using FreeRTOS – XMOS |url=https://www.xmos.com/programming-xcore-using-freertos |website=XMOS |access-date=2026-01-01 |archive-date=17 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240917225130/https://www.xmos.com/programming-xcore-using-freertos |url-status=dead }}</ref>{{bcn|reason=Primary source. Also not clear if this is meant to support the whole section (which it doesn't) or just the last bullet|date=January 2026}}
XC is supported by the XTC Tools<ref name="xmos-tools" />{{Better source needed|reason=Primary source, and it says nothing to verify the claim|date=January 2026}} suite, which includes:
* Standards-compliant C/C++ compilers * XC compiler * Simulator and symbolic debugger * Runtime instrumentation and trace libraries
=== Execution Model ===
XC programs are compiled and executed on xcore processors, which feature multiple logical cores capable of executing tasks in parallel. The language allows developers to statically assign tasks to cores and define communication topologies using channels. This model supports deterministic execution, making XC suitable for applications requiring precise timing and low-latency I/O.
=== Current Status ===
As of version 15.3 of the XTC Tools, XMOS has shifted its focus toward using standard C for xcore programming, citing broader developer familiarity and ecosystem support. However, the XC language remains available and continues to be used in legacy and specialized applications.<ref name="transition">{{Cite web |title=Transitioning from older tools releases – XTC Tools v15.3 |url=https://www.xmos.com/documentation/XM-014363-PC/html/tools-guide/tools-ref/transitioning/index.html |website=XMOS |access-date=2026-01-01 |archive-date=13 November 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251113201720/https://www.xmos.com/documentation/XM-014363-PC/html/tools-guide/tools-ref/transitioning/index.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="cheat-sheet">{{Cite web |title=XC to C cheat sheet |url=https://www.xmos.com/documentation/XM-014363-PC/html/prog-guide/prog-ref/cheat.html#cheat |website=XMOS |access-date=2026-01-01 |archive-date=13 November 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251113061625/https://www.xmos.com/documentation/XM-014363-PC/html/prog-guide/prog-ref/cheat.html#cheat |url-status=dead }}</ref>{{bcn|reason=Primary sources|date=January 2026}}
==References== {{reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Xmos}} Category:Microcontroller companies Category:Fabless semiconductor companies Category:Technology companies established in 2005 Category:Semiconductor companies of the United Kingdom Category:British brands Category:2005 establishments in England Category:British companies established in 2005