MIPS Technologies

{{short description|American fabless semiconductor design company}}

{{Infobox company

| name = MIPS Tech LLC

| logo = MIPS Logo v2.0 Final Primary.svg

| image = MIPS Technologies building.jpg

| image_caption = Former MIPS Technologies building in Santa Clara

| type = Private

| former_names = {{unbulleted list

| MIPS Computer Systems, Inc. (1984–1992)

| MIPS Technologies, Inc. (1992–2021)

}}

| traded_as = {{NASDAQ was|MIPS}} (1998–2013)

| foundation = {{start date and age|1984}}

| founders = {{unbulleted list

| John L. Hennessy

| Chris Rowen

}}

| hq_location = San Jose, California, U.S.

| key_people = {{unbulleted list

| Sameer Wasson (CEO)

}}

| industry = RISC microprocessors

| products = Semiconductor intellectual property

| num_employees = up to 50 (according to LinkedIn in May 2018), previously 146 (September 2010)

| website = {{URL|mips.com}}

| parent = {{unbulleted list

| Silicon Graphics (1992–1998)

| Imagination Technologies (2013–2017)

| Wave Computing (2018–2021)

}}

MIPS Tech LLC,{{cite web | date=2024 | url=https://mips.com/privacy-policy/ | title=Privacy Policy | work=MIPS.com | publisher=MIPS Tech | accessdate=March 15, 2024}} formerly MIPS Computer Systems, Inc. and MIPS Technologies, Inc., is an American fabless semiconductor design company that is most widely known for developing the MIPS architecture and a series of RISC CPU chips based on it.{{cite magazine| first=John |last=Gantz |date=14 October 1991 |title=MIPS will have a tough time in a crowded market |magazine=InfoWorld |page=137 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1T0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA137 |volume=13 |issue=41 }}Computer History Museum. "[http://www.computerhistory.org/fellowawards/hall/bios/John,Hennessy/ John Hennessy: 2007 Fellow Awards Recipient] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121003054212/http://www.computerhistory.org/fellowawards/hall/bios/John,Hennessy/ |date=October 3, 2012 }}." 2007. Retrieved September 16, 2011. MIPS provides processor architectures and cores for digital home, networking, embedded, Internet of things and mobile applications.Agam Shah, IDG. "[http://www.pcworld.com/article/226355/mips_porting_googles_android_30_os_for_its_processors.html MIPS Porting Google's Android 3.0 OS for Its Processors]." April 26, 2011. Retrieved September 16, 2011.Sam Dean, Ostatic. "[http://ostatic.com/blog/mips-advances-its-android-plans-outside-of-phones MIPS Advances its Android Plans – Outside of Phones] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110916050316/http://ostatic.com/blog/mips-advances-its-android-plans-outside-of-phones |date=September 16, 2011 }}." August 3, 2009. Retrieved September 16, 2011.

MIPS was founded in 1984 to commercialize the work being carried out at Stanford University on the MIPS architecture, a pioneering RISC design. The company generated intense interest in the late 1980s, seeing design wins with Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) and Silicon Graphics (SGI), among others. By the early 1990s the market was crowded with new RISC designs and further design wins were limited. The company was purchased by SGI in 1992, by that time its only major customer, and won several new designs in the game console space. In 1998, SGI announced they would be transitioning off MIPS and spun off the company.

After several years operating as an independent design house, in 2013 the company was purchased by Imagination Technologies, best known for their PowerVR graphics processor family.{{cite press release|url=https://www.imgtec.com/news/press-release/completion-of-sale-of-mips/|title=Completion of sale of MIPS|date=October 25, 2017}} They were sold to Tallwood Venture Capital in 2017 and then purchased soon after by Wave Computing in 2018.{{Cite news|url=https://www.anandtech.com/show/12989/mips-acquired-by-wave-computing|title=MIPS Acquired by AI Hardware Vendor Wave Computing|website=Anand Tech|last=Smith|first=Ryan|access-date=June 16, 2018}} Wave declared bankruptcy in 2020, emerging in 2021 as MIPS and announcing that the MIPS architecture was being abandoned in favor of RISC-V designs.{{Cite web|date=2021-03-08|title=Wait, What? MIPS Becomes RISC-V|url=https://www.eejournal.com/article/wait-what-mips-becomes-risc-v/|access-date=2021-03-24|website=EEJournal|language=en-US}}

In May 2022, MIPS previewed its first RISC-V CPU IP cores, the eVocore P8700 and I8500 multiprocessors.{{Cite web |last=Dahad |first=Nitin |date=2022-05-12 |title=MIPS pivots to RISC-V, targets high performance processing |url=https://www.embedded.com/mips-pivots-to-risc-v-targets-high-performance-processing/ |access-date=2023-08-08 |website=Embedded.com |language=en-US}} In December 2022, MIPS announced availability of the P8700.{{Cite web |last=Leibson |first=Steven |title=MIPS Joins The RISC-V Gang |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/tiriasresearch/2022/12/13/mips-technologies-joins-the-risc-v-gang/ |access-date=2023-08-08 |website=Forbes |language=en}}

History

{{plain image with caption|MIPS Computer Systems logo color.svg|Logo of MIPS Computer Systems}}

MIPS Computer Systems Inc. was founded in 1984Junko Yoshida, EE Times. "[https://web.archive.org/web/20160822230314/http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1172974 New CEO Sandeep Vij forms 'Team MIPS']." February 7, 2010. Retrieved June 2, 2020. by a group of researchers from Stanford University including John L. Hennessy and Chris Rowen. These researchers had worked on a project called MIPS (for Microprocessor without Interlocked Pipeline Stages), one of the projects that pioneered the RISC concept. Other principal founders were Skip Stritter, formerly a Motorola technologist, and John Moussouris, formerly of IBM.James DeTar, Investors Business Daily. "[http://blogs.investors.com/click/index.php/home/60-tech/2037-panel-information-technology-still-early-stage Panel: Information Technology Still Early Stage] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120401051611/http://blogs.investors.com/click/index.php/home/60-tech/2037-panel-information-technology-still-early-stage |date=April 1, 2012 }}." October 6, 2010. Retrieved September 16, 2011.

The initial CEO was Vaemond Crane, formerly President and CEO of Computer Consoles Inc., who arrived in February 1985 and departed in June 1989. He was replaced by Bob Miller, a former senior IBM and Data General executive. Miller ran the company through its IPO and subsequent sale to Silicon Graphics.

In 1986, MIPS Computer Systems designs were noticed by companies such as Cadnetix, Prime Computer and Silicon Graphics (SGI), these adopting the R2000 for new products, with SGI adopting the MIPS architecture for its computers having noted that the Motorola 68000 series of processors was "at the end of its price-performance curve".{{ cite magazine | url=https://archive.org/details/sim_electronic-business_1986-11-15_12_22/page/110/mode/2up | title=MIPS Computer targets RISC chips for workstations | magazine=Electronic Business | last1=Hayashi | first1=Alden M. | date=15 November 1986 | access-date=22 June 2022 | pages=110–111 }} Identifying the "time-to-market issues" of companies introducing workstation products, MIPS introduced a range of component kits, processor boards and memory boards, intended as "building blocks" for such companies to build into systems. Additionally, development systems such as the M/500 were sold, intended to support software development at systems vendors building MIPS-based hardware products.{{ cite magazine | url=https://archive.org/details/sim_unix-review_1986-05_4_5/page/6/mode/1up | title=The Monthly Report | magazine=UNIX Review | date=May 1986 | access-date=25 June 2022 | last1=Chandler | first1=David | pages=6, 9, 11–15 }} In December 1989, MIPS held its first IPO. That year, Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) released a Unix workstation based on the MIPS design.

After developing the R2000 and R3000 microprocessors, a management change brought along the larger dreams of being a computer vendor. The company found itself unable to compete in the computer market against much larger companies and was struggling to support the costs of developing both the chips and the systems (MIPS Magnum). To secure the supply of future generations of MIPS microprocessors (the 64-bit R4000), SGI acquired the company in 1992PC Magazine. "[https://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia_term/0,2542,t=SGI&i=51221,00.asp SGI]." Retrieved September 19, 2011. for $333 millionComputer History Museum. "[http://www.computerhistory.org/revolution/story/219 Silicon Graphics Professional IRIS 4D/50GT]." Retrieved September 19, 2011.{{cite magazine|first=Cate |last=Corcoran |date=March 16, 1992 |title=MIPS, Silicon merger could kill ACE/ARC |magazine=InfoWorld |pages=1,107 |access-date=September 19, 2011 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3D0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA1 |volume=14 |issue=11}} and renamed it as MIPS Technologies Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of SGI.

{{plain image with caption|MIPS RISC Certified Power logo.svg|upright=0.5|caption=MIPS RISC Certified Power emblem}}

During SGI's ownership of MIPS, the company introduced the R8000 in 1994 and the R10000Linley Gwenapp, Microprocessor Report. "[https://www.cs.cmu.edu/afs/cs.cmu.edu/academic/class/15740-f97/public/platform/r10000.pdf MIPS R10000 Uses Decoupled Architecture]." Vol. 8, No. 14, October 24, 1994. Retrieved September 19, 2011. in 1996 and a follow-up the R12000 in 1997.Linley Gwenapp, Microprocessor Report. "[http://studies.ac.upc.edu/ETSETB/SEGPAR/microprocessors/r12000%20(mpr).pdf MIPS R12000 to Hit 300 MHz]." Vol. 11, No. 13, October 6, 1997. Retrieved September 19, 2011. During this time, two future microprocessors code-named The Beast and Capitan were in development; these were cancelled after SGI decided to migrate to the Itanium architectureStephen Shankland, ZDNet. "[https://web.archive.org/web/20080209211056/http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9584-5984747.html Itanium: A cautionary tale]." December 7, 2005. Retrieved September 19, 2011. in 1998.Michael Kanellos and Dawn Kawamoto, CNET. "[http://news.cnet.com/Silicon-Graphics-scraps-MIPS-plans/2100-1001_3-210024.html Silicon Graphics scraps MIPS plans]." April 9, 1998. Retrieved September 19, 2011. As a result, MIPS was spun out as an intellectual property licensing company, offering licences to the MIPS architecture as well as microprocessor core designs.

On June 30, 1998, MIPS held an IPO after raising about {{US$|long=no|16.3 million}} with an offering price of {{US$|long=no|14}} a share.{{cite news|first=Om |last=Malik |newspaper=Forbes |url=https://www.forbes.com/1998/12/02/feat.html |title=Can MIPS beat ARM? |date=December 2, 1998 |access-date=September 19, 2011}}Debora Vrana, Los Angeles Times. "[https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-jul-06-fi-1209-story.html June IPOs Were Not so Hot, but Summer Is Still Young]." July 6, 1998. Retrieved September 20, 2011.Crag Bicknell, WIRED. "[https://www.wired.com/techbiz/media/news/1998/07/13376 MIPS Slips in IPO]." July 1, 1998. Retrieved September 19, 2011. In 1999, SGI announced it would overhaul its operations; it planned to continue introducing new MIPS processors until 2002, but its server business would include Intel's processor architectures as well.Margaret Quan, EE Times. "[http://www.eetimes.com/electronics-news/4038666/SGI-to-shed-Cray-shift-OS-focus-to-Linux SGI to shed Cray, shift OS focus to Linux]." August 10, 1999. Retrieved September 20, 2011. SGI spun MIPS out completely on June 20, 2000, by distributing all its interest as stock dividend to the stockholders.

In early 2008 MIPS laid off 28 employees from its processor business group. On August 13, 2008, MIPS announced a loss of $108.5 million for their fiscal fourth-quarter and that they would lay off another 15% of their workforce. At the time MIPS had 512 employees.Suzanne Deffree, EDN News, "[https://archive.today/20130121210558/http://www.edn.com/article/472148-MIPS_plans_15_layoff_on_108_5M_loss.php MIPS plans 15% layoff on $108.5M loss]." August 14, 2008. Retrieved March 4, 2012. In May 2018, according to the company's presence on LinkedIn, there may be less than 50 employees.

= Notable Contributors =

Notable people who have worked at MIPS include James Billmaier,VentureBeat Profiles. "{{usurped|1=[https://archive.today/20120716122828/http://venturebeatprofiles.com/person/profile/jim-billmaier Jim Billmaier]}}." Retrieved September 20, 2011. Steve Blank,UC Berkeley Haas School of Business. "[http://www2.haas.berkeley.edu/Faculty/blank_steve.aspx Steve G. Blank] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110904152650/http://www2.haas.berkeley.edu/Faculty/blank_steve.aspx |date=September 4, 2011 }}." Retrieved September 20, 2011. Joseph DiNucci,VentureBeat Profiles. "{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20100603035702/http://widget.venturebeatprofiles.com/person/profile/joe-dinucci Joe DiNucci]}}." Retrieved September 20, 2011. John L. Hennessy,IEEE Computer Society. "[http://www.computer.org/portal/web/awards/eckerthennesy John L. Hennessy: 2001 Eckert-Mauchly Award Recipient] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110815212900/http://www.computer.org/portal/web/awards/eckerthennesy |date=August 15, 2011 }}." Retrieved September 20, 2011.

Todd Bezenek,ARM Finance Overseas Ltd. "[https://patents.google.com/patent/US20080222580A1/en System and method for managing the design and configuration of an integrated circuit semiconductor design]" 2017.

David Hitz,Joe Kovar, CRN. "[http://www.crn.com/news/storage/225700751/2010-storage-superstars.htm;jsessionid=eV3HAPom6qv7wkAid6EACg**.ecappj03?pgno=2 2010 Storage Superstars] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120922010817/http://www.crn.com/news/storage/225700751/2010-storage-superstars.htm;jsessionid=eV3HAPom6qv7wkAid6EACg**.ecappj03?pgno=2 |date=September 22, 2012 }}." June 21, 2010. Retrieved September 20, 2011. Earl Killian,{{cite news|url=http://www.paravirtual.com/content/company/advisory_board.htm|title=Earl Killian|date=November 26, 2010|access-date=November 26, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120213131715/http://www.paravirtual.com/content/company/advisory_board.htm|archive-date=February 13, 2012|publisher=Paravirtual}}{{cite news|url=http://www.cs.clemson.edu/~mark/s1_alumni.html|title=S-1 Supercomputer Alumni: Earl Killian|date=June 28, 2005|access-date=November 26, 2010|publisher=Clemson University|quote=Earl Killian's ... MIPS's Director of Architecture ...}} Dan Levin,BusinessWeek Profiles. "[https://web.archive.org/web/20121015221051/http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=591174&privcapId=127144850&previousCapId=127144850&previousTitle=Campus%20Sponsorship,%20Inc. Dan Levin]." Retrieved September 20, 2011. John Mashey,Computer History Museum. "[http://www.computerhistory.org/trustee/John,Mashey/ John Mashey] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111113021428/http://www.computerhistory.org/trustee/John,Mashey/ |date=November 13, 2011 }}." Retrieved September 20, 2011. John P. McCaskey, Bob Miller,Computer History Museum. "[http://www.computerhistory.org/events/bio/Bob,Miller Bob Miller]." Retrieved September 20, 2011. Stratton Sclavos,Forbes. "[https://web.archive.org/web/20111102160930/http://people.forbes.com/profile/stratton-d-sclavos/45146 Stratton D. Sclavos]." Retrieved September 20, 2011. and Skip Stritter.Computer History Museum. "[http://www.computerhistory.org/events/bio/Skip,Stritter Skip Stritter]." Retrieved September 20, 2011.

In 2010, Sandeep Vij was named CEO of MIPS Technologies.Junko Yoshida, EE Times. "[http://www.eetimes.com/electronics-news/4087512/New-CEO-Sandeep-Vij-forms-Team-MIPS- New CEO Sandeep Vij forms ‘Team MIPS’]." February 7, 2010. Retrieved September 20, 2011. Vij studied under John Hennessy as a Stanford University graduate student. Prior to taking over at MIPS, Vij was an executive at Cavium Networks, Xilinx and Altera.Peter Clarke, EE Times. "[http://www.eetimes.com/electronics-news/4087161/MIPS-appoints-former-Cavium-exec-as-CEO MIPS Appoints Former Cavium Exec as CEO MIPS]." January 25, 2010. Retrieved September 20, 2011.

EE Times reported that MIPS had 150 employees as of November 1, 2010.Junko Yoshida, EE Times, "[http://www.eetimes.com/electronics-news/4210278/MIPS-CEO---Companies-need-to-have-a-soul- MIPS CEO: Companies need to have a soul]". November 1, 2010. Retrieved March 4, 2012. If the August 14, 2008 EDN article was accurate about MIPS having over 500 employees at the time, then MIPS reduced their total workforce by 70% between 2008 and 2010.

{{plain image with caption|MIPS by Imagination logo.jpg|upright=0.5|MIPS branding as used by Imagination Technologies}}

In addition to its main R&D center in Sunnyvale, California,Hoovers. "[http://www.hoovers.com/company/MIPS_Technologies_Inc/hjxfci-1.html MIPS Technologies]." Retrieved September 20, 2011. MIPS has engineering facilities in Shanghai, China, Beaverton, Oregon, Bristol and Kings Langley, both in England.Colleen Taylor, EDN. "[https://archive.today/20120728122159/http://www.edn.com/article/459759-MIPS_plans_HQ_in_Silicon_Forest.php MIPS plans HQ in Silicon Forest]." March 13, 2007. Retrieved September 20, 2011. It also has offices in Hsin-chu, Taiwan; Tokyo, Japan; Remscheid, Germany and Haifa, Israel.Company Press Release. "[http://news.prnewswire.com/DisplayReleaseContent.aspx?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/05-08-2009/0005022377 Synopsys Acquires Analog Business Group of MIPS Technologies]." May 8, 2009. Retrieved May 8, 2009.

During the first quarter of 2013, 498 out of 580 of MIPS patents were sold to Bridge Crossing which was created by Allied Security Trust, with all processor-specific patents and the other parts of the company sold to Imagination Technologies.[https://www.forbes.com/sites/ericsavitz/2012/11/06/mips-selling-all-assets-for-combined-7-31shr-in-cash/ MIPS Selling All Assets For Combined $7.31/Shr In Cash]. Forbes. Retrieved on May 23, 2014. Imagination had outbid Ceva Inc to buy MIPS with an offer of $100 million,{{cite news|url=http://www.businessweek.com/ap/2012-12-17/imagination-tech-to-buy-mips-tech-for-100m|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121222005943/http://www.businessweek.com/ap/2012-12-17/imagination-tech-to-buy-mips-tech-for-100m|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 22, 2012|title=Imagination Tech to buy MIPS Tech for $100M|agency=Associated Press|date=December 17, 2012|access-date=December 18, 2012}} and was investing to develop the architecture for the embedded processor market.

In 2017, under financial pressure itself, Imagination Technologies sold the MIPS processor business to a California-based investment company, Tallwood Venture Capital. Tallwood in turn sold the business to Wave Computing in 2018, both of these companies reportedly having their origins with, or ownership links to, a co-founder of Chips and Technologies and S3 Graphics.{{ cite web | url=https://www.eejournal.com/article/loose-lips-sink-mips/ | title=Loose Lips Sink MIPS | website=Electronic Engineering Journal | date=7 September 2020 | access-date=5 September 2022 }} Despite the regulatory obstacles that had forced Imagination to divest itself of the MIPS business prior to its own acquisition by Canyon Bridge, bankruptcy proceedings for Wave Computing indicated that the company had in 2018 and 2019 transferred full licensing rights for the MIPS architecture for China, Hong Kong and Macau to CIP United, a Shanghai-based company.{{ cite news | url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-china-tech-insight/tech-war-chronicles-how-a-silicon-valley-chip-pioneer-landed-in-china-idUSKBN25L15U | title=Tech war chronicles: How a Silicon Valley chip pioneer landed in China | date=15 August 2020 | access-date=5 September 2022 | last1=Lee | first1=Jane Lanhee }}

In 2021, MIPS announced it would begin making chips based on the RISC-V architecture.{{Cite web |date=2021-03-08 |title=Wait, What? MIPS Becomes RISC-V |url=https://www.eejournal.com/article/wait-what-mips-becomes-risc-v/ |access-date=2023-08-08 |website=EEJournal |language=en-US}} In 2022, the company announced availability of its first RISC-V CPU IP core, the eVocore P8700.

In September 2023, MIPS named former Texas Instruments (TI) executive Sameer Wasson CEO. Wasson spent 18 years at TI, most recently as vice president, Business Unit (BU) Manager, Processors.{{Cite web |last=Hettinga |first=Wisse |date=2023-09-07 |title=MIPS to Drive RISC-V Market Penetration and Innovation |url=https://www.eenewseurope.com/en/mips-to-drive-risc-v-market-penetration-and-innovation/ |access-date=2023-09-08 |website=eeNews Europe |language=en-US}}

=Company timeline=

style="width:9em"\| Year
class="wikitable sortable"
1981	Dr. John Hennessy at Stanford University founds and leads Stanford MIPS, a research program aimed at building a microprocessor using RISC principles.
1984	MIPS Computer Systems, Inc. co-founded by Dr. John Hennessy, Skip Stritter, and Dr. John Moussouris{{Cite web \|url=http://silicongenesis.stanford.edu/transcripts/hennessy.htm \|title=John Hennessy \|access-date=April 15, 2008 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120211143447/http://silicongenesis.stanford.edu/transcripts/hennessy.htm \|archive-date=February 11, 2012 \|url-status=dead }}
1986	First product ships: R2000 microprocessor, Unix workstation, and optimizing compilers
1988	R3000 microprocessor
1989	First IPO in November as MIPS Computer Systems with Bob Miller as CEO
1991	R4000 microprocessor
1992	SGI acquires MIPS Computer Systems. Transforms it into internal MIPS Group, and then incorporates and renames it to MIPS Technologies, Inc. (a wholly owned subsidiary of SGI)
1994	R8000 microprocessor
1994	Sony PlayStation released, using an R3000 CPU with custom GTE coprocessor
1996	R10000 microprocessor; Nintendo 64 released, incorporating a R4300i processor and coprocessor from MIPS
1998	Re-IPO as MIPS Technologies, Inc.
1999	Sony PlayStation 2 released, using an R5900 CPU with custom vector co-processors
2002	Acquires Algorithmics Ltd, a UK-based MIPS development hardware/software and consultancy company.
September 6, 2005	Acquires First Silicon Solutions (FS2), a Lake Oswego, Oregon company as a wholly owned subsidiary. FS2 specializes in silicon IP, design services and OCI (On-Chip Instrumentation) development tools for programming, testing, debug and trace of embedded systems in SoC, SOPC, FPGA, ASSP and ASIC devices.
2007	MIPS Technologies acquires Portugal-based mixed-signal intellectual property company Chipidea
February 2009	MIPS Joins Linux FoundationTheLinuxFoundation.org. "[http://www.linuxfoundation.org/news-media/announcements/2009/02/mips-technologies-joins-linux-foundation MIPS Technologies Joins Linux Foundation] {{webarchive\|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101228111414/http://www.linuxfoundation.org/news-media/announcements/2009/02/mips-technologies-joins-linux-foundation \|date=December 28, 2010 }}." Retrieved August 12, 2011.
May 8, 2009	Chipidea is sold to Synopsys.
June 2009	Android is ported to MIPSSteve Bush, ElectronicsWeekly.com. "[https://archive.today/20130123171000/http://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2010/08/13/46204/googles-android-marches-onto-mips-processors.htm Google's Android marches onto MIPS processors]." Retrieved August 12, 2011.
September 30, 2009	MIPS Technologies joins the Open Handset Alliance{{cite web\|url=http://www.mips.com/news-events/newsroom/release-archive-2009/9_30_09.dot\|title=MIPS Technologies Joins the Open Handset Alliance\|date=September 30, 2009\|publisher=MIPS Technologies, Inc.}}
January 2010	Sandeep Vij appointed as CEOPeter Clarke, EE Times. "[http://www.eetimes.com/electronics-news/4087161/MIPS-appoints-former-Cavium-exec-as-CEO MIPS Appoints Former Cavium Exec as CEO MIPS]." January 25, 2010. Retrieved August 12, 2011.
January 2011	MIPS introduces the first Android-MIPS based Set top box at CES.Raphael Savina, AndroidGuys. "[http://www.androidguys.com/2010/01/06/ces-2010-first-android-set-top-boxes/ CES 2010: First Android Set Top Boxes]." January 6, 2010. Retrieved September 21, 2011.
April 2011	MIPS Technologies ports Google's Android 3.0, "Honeycomb", to the MIPS architectureMark LaPedus, EE Times. "[http://www.eetimes.com/electronics-news/4215490/MIPS-gets-sweet-with-Honeycomb Update: MIPS gets sweet with Honeycomb]." April 26, 2011. Retrieved November 4, 2011.Peter Clarke, EE Times. "[http://www.eetimes.com/electronics-news/4214677/Android-remains-processor-neutral--says-MIPS MIPS: Android remains processor neutral]." April 1, 2011. Retrieved November 4, 2011.
August 2012	MIPS Technologies ports Google's Android 4.1, "Jelly Bean". With Indian company Karbonn Mobiles announces world's second tablet running Android 4.1.{{cite web \|website=PC World \|url=http://www.pcworld.com/article/260181/second_tablet_with_googles_android_41_ships_for_around_125.html \|title=New Google Jelly Bean 7-inch Tablet Sells for $125 Overseas \|first=Agam \|last=Shah \|date=1 August 2012}}
February 8, 2013	MIPS Technologies is sold to Imagination Technologies for $100 million.Imagination Technologies "[http://www.imgtec.com/news/release/index.asp?NewsID=724 Acquisition of MIPS Technologies completed] {{Webarchive\|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131002214436/http://www.imgtec.com/news/Release/index.asp?NewsID=724 \|date=October 2, 2013 }}." February 8, 2013. Retrieved October 25, 2013.
September 22, 2017	MIPS business is sold by Imagination Technologies to Tallwood Venture Capital as Tallwood MIPS Inc. for $65 million.{{ cite news \| url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-09-22/imagination-technologies-agrees-to-takeover-by-canyon-bridge \| title=Imagination Technologies Agrees to Takeover by Canyon Bridge \| date=22 September 2017 \| access-date=3 October 2017 }}
June 2018	MIPS Tech Inc. is acquired by Wave Computing.{{ cite web \| url=https://www.top500.org/news/mips-acquired-by-ai-startup-wave-computing/ \| title=MIPS Acquired by AI Startup Wave Computing \| date=16 June 2018 \| access-date=4 August 2019 }}
May 2019	Art Swift is appointed CEO of Wave Computing.{{Cite web\|last=Computing\|first=Wave\|date=2019-05-08\|title=Wave Computing® Appoints Industry Veteran Art Swift as CEO\|url=https://www.globenewswire.com/en/news-release/2019/05/08/1819603/0/en/Wave-Computing-Appoints-Industry-Veteran-Art-Swift-as-CEO.html\|access-date=2021-12-31\|website=GlobeNewswire News Room\|language=en}}
September 2019	After Swift quietly leaves Wave Computing after four months, Sanjai Kohli is appointed as the new CEO.{{Cite web\|date=2019-10-01\|title=MIPS' Future in Doubt After CEO Leaves Wave\|url=https://www.eetindia.co.in/mips-future-in-doubt-after-ceo-leaves-wave/\|access-date=2021-12-31\|website=EE Times India\|language=en}}
April 2020	Wave Computing files for bankruptcy.[https://semiwiki.com/ip/284876-wave-computing-and-mips-waves-goodbye/ Wave Computing and MIPS waves goodbye] April 19, 2020. Retrieved March 11, 2021.
March 2021	Wave Computing emerges from bankruptcy, renames itself as "MIPS" and joins RISC-V International. Development of the MIPS architecture ceases. All future designs are announced to be based on the RISC-V architecture.[https://www.eejournal.com/article/wait-what-mips-becomes-risc-v/ MIPS becomes RISC-V] March 8, 2021. Retrieved March 11, 2021.{{ cite press release \| url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/wave-computing-and-mips-emerge-from-chapter-11-bankruptcy-301237051.html \| title=Wave Computing and MIPS emerge from chapter 11 bankruptcy \| date=1 March 2021 \| access-date=11 March 2021 }} Sanjai Kohli continues as MIPS CEO.
May 2022 \|MIPS announced its first RISC-V CPU IP cores, the eVocore P8700 and I8500 multiprocessors.
September 2023 \|Sameer Wasson is appointed MIPS CEO.
January 2024 \|MIPS adds two former SiFive executives to its executive team, appointing Drew Barbier as VP of products and Brad Burgess as chief architect.{{Cite web \|last=Robinson \|first=Dan \|title=MIPS picks up former SiFive execs in RISC-V drive \|url=https://www.theregister.com/2024/01/03/mips_sifive_hires/ \|access-date=2024-01-04 \|website=www.theregister.com \|language=en}}

Products

MIPS Technologies created the processor architecture that is licensed to chip makers.Agam Shah, IDG. "[http://www.pcworld.com/article/226355/mips_porting_googles_android_30_os_for_its_processors.html MIPS Porting Google's Android 3.0 OS for Its Processors]." April 26, 2011. Retrieved October 3, 2011.Dean Takahashi, VentureBeat. "[https://venturebeat.com/2011/01/04/mips-breaks-into-android-mobile-phones-with-latest-chips/ MIPS breaks into Android mobile phones with latest chips]." January 4, 2011. Retrieved October 5, 2011. Before the acquisition, the company had 125+ licensees who ship more than 500 million MIPS-based processors each year.Brian Caufield, Forbes. "[https://archive.today/20120918193811/http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2011/0509/technology-mips-sandeep-vij-dvd-micro-chips-less-more.html For MIPS, Less is More]." April 20, 2011. Retrieved September 26, 2011.

MIPS processor architectures and cores are used in home entertainment,Dean Takahashi, VentureBeat. "[https://venturebeat.com/2010/01/05/mips-bets-big-on-google-android-systems-for-the-digital-home/ MIPS bets big on Google Android systems for the digital home]." January 5, 2010. Retrieved September 30, 2011. networkingJunko Yoshida, EE Times. "[http://www.eetimes.com/electronics-news/4205942/Blow-out-quarter-highlights-MIPS-comeback ‘Blow-out quarter’ highlights MIPS comeback]." August 5, 2010. Retrieved October 1, 2011. and communications products. The company licensed its 32- and 64-bit architectures as well as 32-bit cores.John Spooner, CNET. "[http://news.cnet.com/MIPS-nips-new-licenses-for-chips/2100-1040_3-255785.html MIPS nips new licenses for chips]." April 12, 2001. Retrieved October 3, 2011.

The MIPS32 architecture is a high-performance 32-bit instruction set architecture (ISA) that is used in applications such as 32-bit microcontrollers, home entertainment, home networking devices and mobile designs.Robert Cravotta, Embedded Insights. "[http://www.embeddedinsights.com/epd/mips/mips-m14k.php M14K]." Retrieved October 3, 2011. MIPS customers license the architecture to develop their own processors or license off-the-shelf cores from MIPS that are based on the architecture.Zewde Yeraswork, CRN. "[http://www.crn.com/news/components-peripherals/229400564/mips-prepares-64-bit-prodigy-cpu-core-architecture.htm;jsessionid=SA1gndox1OEtiWTx6V9Eig**.ecappj01 MIPS Prepares 64-Bit Prodigy CPU Core Architecture]." March 29, 2011. Retrieved October 2, 2011.

The MIPS64 architecture is a high performance 64-bit instruction set architecture that is widely used in networking infrastructure equipment through MIPS licensees such as Cavium NetworksDoug Mohney, The Inquirer. "[https://web.archive.org/web/20110121015142/http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/1048558/cavium-hotrods-mips-architecture Cavium Hotrods MIPS architecture]." June 25, 2007. Retrieved October 5, 2011. and Broadcom.Eric Brown, LinuxForDevices. "{{cite web|url=http://www.linuxfordevices.com/c/a/News/Enea-and-NetLogic-Microsystems-Linux-development-build-system/ |title=Enea, NetLogic ship Linux development platform for MIPS |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130104014216/http://www.linuxfordevices.com/c/a/News/Enea-and-NetLogic-Microsystems-Linux-development-build-system/ |archive-date=January 4, 2013 |url-status=dead }}." September 20, 2010. Retrieved September 30, 2011.

SmartCE (Connected Entertainment) is a reference platform that integrates Android, Adobe Flash platform for TV, Skype, the Home Jinni ConnecTV application and other applications.Dean Takahashi, VentureBeat. "[https://venturebeat.com/2011/01/05/mips-aims-to-drive-android-into-consumer-electronics-gear/ MIPS aims to drive into consumer electronics gear]."January 5, 2010. Retrieved October 5, 2011.Janko Roettgers, GigaOm. "[http://gigaom.com/video/next-up-for-android-your-cable-box/ Next Up for Android: Your Cable Box?] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110918081942/http://gigaom.com/video/next-up-for-android-your-cable-box/ |date=September 18, 2011 }}." January 5, 2011. Retrieved September 30, 2011. SmartCE lets OEM customers create integrated products more quickly.

=MIPS processor core families=

The MIPS processor cores are divided by Imagination into three major families:Imagination Technologies. "[http://www.imgtec.com/mips/ MIPS Processors]." Retrieved June 20, 2015.

Warrior: hardware virtualization, hardware multi-threading, and SIMDImagination Technologies. "[http://www.imgtec.com/mips/warrior/ MIPS Warrior Processor Cores]." Retrieved June 20, 2015.
M-class: M5100 and M5150,{{Cite web|url=https://imgtec.com/mips/warrior/m-class-m51xx-core-family/|title=M-Class M51xx Core Family - Imagination Technologies|website=Imagination Technologies|language=en-GB|access-date=June 22, 2016}} M6200 and M6250{{Cite web|url=https://imgtec.com/mips/warrior/m-class-m6200-and-m6250-processor-cores/|title=M-Class M6200 and M6250 Processor Cores - Imagination Technologies|website=Imagination Technologies|language=en-GB|access-date=June 22, 2016}}
I-class: I6400,{{Cite web|url=https://imgtec.com/mips/warrior/i-class-i6400-multiprocessor-core/|title=I-Class I6400 Multiprocessor Core - Imagination Technologies|website=Imagination Technologies|language=en-GB|access-date=June 22, 2016}} I7200{{Cite web|url=https://www.anandtech.com/show/12699/mips-announces-i7200-32bit-cpu-with-new-nanomips-isa|title=MIPS Announces I7200 32-bit CPU With New nanoMIPS ISA}}
P-class: P5600,{{Cite web|url=https://imgtec.com/mips/warrior/p-class-p5600-multiprocessor-core/|title=P-Class P5600 Multiprocessor Core - Imagination Technologies|website=Imagination Technologies|language=en-GB|access-date=June 22, 2016}} P6600
Aptiv: microAptiv (compact, real-time embedded processor core), interAptiv (multiprocessor, multi-threaded core with a nine-stage pipeline), proAptiv (super-scalar, deeply out-of-order processor core with high CoreMark/MHz score)Imagination Technologies. "[http://www.imgtec.com/mips/aptiv/ MIPS Aptiv Processor Cores]." Retrieved June 20, 2015.
Classic. 4K, M14K, 24K,Robert Cravotta, Embedded Insights. "[http://www.embeddedinsights.com/epd/mips/mips-24k.php 24K]." Retrieved October 6, 2011. 34K,Robert Cravotta, Embedded Insights. "[http://www.embeddedinsights.com/epd/mips/mips-34k.php 34K]." Retrieved October 6, 2011. 74K,Robert Cravotta, Embedded Insights. "[http://www.embeddedinsights.com/epd/mips/mips-74k.php 74K]." Retrieved October 2, 2011. 1004KRobert Cravotta, Embedded Insights. "[http://www.embeddedinsights.com/epd/mips/mips-1004k.php 1004K]." Retrieved October 2, 2011. (multicore and multithreaded) and 1074K (superscalar and multithreaded) families.

= MIPS eVocore RISC-V CPU IP cores =

The MIPS eVocore CPUs are the first RISC-V CPU IP cores from MIPS. Both cores provide support for privileged hardware virtualization, user defined custom extensions, multi-threading, hybrid debug, and functional safety. They include:

eVocore P8700: multiprocessing system combining a deep pipeline with multi-issue out-of-order (OOO) execution and multi-threading. It can scale up to 64 clusters, 512 cores and 1,024 harts/threads.
eVocore I8500: in-order multiprocessing system. Each core combines multi-threading and a triple-issue pipeline.

Licensees

MIPS Technologies had a strong customer licensee base in home electronics and portable media players; for example, 75 percent of Blu-ray Disc players were running on MIPS Technologies processors.Owen Fletcher, PC World. "[https://www.pcworld.com/article/166014/mips_ports_android_shows_embedded_gadgets.html MIPS Ports Android, Shows Embedded Gadgets]," June 3, 2010. Retrieved September 23, 2011. In the digital home, the company's processors were predominantly found in digital TVs and set-top boxes. The Sony PlayStation Portable used two processors based on the MIPS32 4K processor.

Within the networking segment, licensees include Cavium Networks and Broadcom. Cavium has used up to 48 MIPS cores for its OCTEON family network reference designs.Doug Mohney, The Inquirer. "[https://web.archive.org/web/20110121015142/http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/1048558/cavium-hotrods-mips-architecture Cavium Hotrods MIPS architecture]." June 25, 2007. Retrieved September 28, 2011. Broadcom ships Linux-ready MIPS64-based XLP, XLR, and XLS multicore, multithreaded processors.Eric Brown, LinuxForDevices. "{{cite web|url=http://www.linuxfordevices.com/c/a/News/Enea-and-NetLogic-Microsystems-Linux-development-build-system/ |title=Enea, NetLogic ship Linux development platform for MIPS |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130104014216/http://www.linuxfordevices.com/c/a/News/Enea-and-NetLogic-Microsystems-Linux-development-build-system/ |archive-date=January 4, 2013 |url-status=dead }}." September 20, 2010. Retrieved October 5, 2011. Licensees using MIPS to build smartphones and tablets include Actions Semiconductor and Ingenic Semiconductor.Brian Caufield, Forbes. "[https://blogs.forbes.com/briancaulfield/2011/01/06/ces-mips-inside/ CES: MIPS Inside]." January 6, 2011. Retrieved October 3, 2011. Tablets based on MIPS include the Cruz tablets from Velocity Micro.Junko Yoshida, EE Times. "[http://www.eetimes.com/electronics-news/4211852/China-link-helps-MIPS-go-mobile- China Link Helps MIPS Go Mobile]." January 4, 2011. Retrieved October 5, 2011. TCL Corporation is using MIPS processors for the development of smartphones.Mads Olholm, SemmiAccurate. "[http://semiaccurate.com/2011/06/02/tablets-to-benefit-from-3-new-chinese-mips-cores/ Tablets to Benefit from 3 New Chinese MIPS Cores]." June 2, 2011. Retrieved September 20, 2011.

Companies can also obtain an MIPS architectural licence for designing their own CPU cores using the MIPS architecture. Distinct MIPS architecture implementations by licensees include Broadcom's BRCM 5000.

Other licensees include Broadcom, which has developed MIPS-based CPUs for over a decade,Linley Gwennap, EE Times. "[http://www.eetimes.com/electronics-news/4210983/Broadcom-reveals-CPU-development Broadcom reveals CPU development]." November 23, 2010. Retrieved October 2, 2011. Microchip Technology, which leverages MIPS processors for its 32-bit PIC32 microcontrollers,Jim Turley, Electronic Engineering Journal. "[http://www.eejournal.com/archives/articles/20091124-microchip/ Kicking the CAN with Microchip MIPS]." November 24, 2009. Retrieved October 1, 2011. Qualcomm Atheros, MediaTek and Mobileye, whose EyeQ chips are based on cores licensed from MIPS.Peter Clarke, EE Times. "[http://www.eetimes.com/electronics-news/4218910/Mobileye-silicon-clarification Mobileye silicon: A clarification]." August 19, 2011. Retrieved September 22, 2011.

The first announced licensee for MIPS' RISC-V CPUs is Mobileye, who adopted the MIPS eVocore P8700 for autonomous driving SoCs.{{Cite web |date=2023-01-09 |title=MIPS Rolls Out Its First RISC-V Processor Core – It’s a Big ‘Un |url=https://www.eejournal.com/article/mips-rolls-out-its-first-risc-v-processor-core-its-a-big-un/ |access-date=2023-08-08 |website=EEJournal |language=en-US}}

Operating systems

MIPS is widely supported by Unix-like systems, including Linux,{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=debian-mips|url=https://www.debian.org/ports/mips/index.en.html|access-date=2021-01-06|website=www.debian.org}} FreeBSD, NetBSD,The NetBSD foundation. "[http://www.netbsd.org/ports/#ports-by-cpu Platforms supported by NetBSD], July 19, 2011. " and OpenBSD.

Google's processor-agnostic Android operating system is built on the Linux kernel.Ryan Paul, Ars Technica. "[https://arstechnica.com/open-source/news/2009/08/mips-android-port-arrives-aimed-at-the-digital-home.ars MIPS Android port arrives, aimed at the digital home]." August 2009. Retrieved September 28, 2011. MIPS originally ported Android to its architecture for embedded products beyond the mobile handset, where it was originally targeted by Google but MIPS support was dropped in 2018.Owen Fletcher, PC World. "[https://www.pcworld.com/article/166014/mips_ports_android_shows_embedded_gadgets.html MIPS Ports Android, Shows Embedded Gadgets]," June 3, 2010. Retrieved October 5, 2011. In 2010, MIPS and its licensee Sigma Designs announced the world's first Android set-top boxes. By porting to Android, MIPS processors power smartphones and tablets running on the Android operating system.Dusan Belic, IntoMobile.com. "[http://www.intomobile.com/2011/04/29/mips-porting-android-30-honeycomb-platform/ MIPS porting Android 3.0 Honeycomb platform] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130522233604/http://www.intomobile.com/2011/04/29/mips-porting-android-30-honeycomb-platform/ |date=May 22, 2013 }}". April 29, 2011. Retrieved September 25, 2011.

OpenWrt is an embedded operating system based on the Linux kernel.

While it currently runs on a variety of processor architectures,

it was originally developed for the Linksys WRT54G, which used a 32-bit MIPS processor from Broadcom.

The OpenWrt Table of Hardware now includes MIPS-based devices from Atheros, Broadcom, Cavium, Lantiq, MediaTek, etc.{{cite web| url=http://wiki.openwrt.org/toh/start |title=OpenWrt Table of Hardware}}

Real-time operating systems that run on MIPS include CMX Systems, eCosCentric's eCos,Colin Holland, EE Times Europe. "[http://www.eetimes.com/electronics-products/processors/4216033/eCosPro-developer-s-kit-for-microMIPS eCosPro developer's kit for microMIPS]." May 16, 2011. Retrieved October 5, 2011. ENEA OSE,Eric Brown, LinuxForDevices. "{{cite web|url=http://www.linuxfordevices.com/c/a/News/Enea-and-NetLogic-Microsystems-Linux-development-build-system/ |title=Enea, NetLogic ship Linux development platform for MIPS |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130104014216/http://www.linuxfordevices.com/c/a/News/Enea-and-NetLogic-Microsystems-Linux-development-build-system/ |archive-date=January 4, 2013 |url-status=dead }}." September 20, 2010. Retrieved October 1, 2011. Express Logic's ThreadX,Edward Lamie, EE Times. "[http://www.eetimes.com/electrical-engineers/education-training/tech-papers/4129275/Real-Time-Embedded-Multithreading-Using-ThreadX-and-MIPS Real-Time Embedded Multithreading: Using ThreadX and MIPS]." February 2009. Retrieved October 2, 2011. FreeRTOS, Green Hills Software's Integrity, LynuxWorks' LynxOS, Mentor Graphics, Micrium's Micro-Controller Operating Systems (μC/OS), QNX Software Systems' QNX, Quadros Systems Inc.'s RTXC Quadros RTOS, Segger's embOS and Wind River's VxWorks.

HPE NonStop Guardian OS has a version running on MIPS.