Software Development

Xilinx Unveils “Zynq” Extensible Processing Platform Chips

In early 2010, Xilinx previewed its vision for what it calls an “extensible processing platform”—a highly integrated combination of a high-performance embedded processor subsystem and an FPGA.  Earlier this month, that vision came one step closer to reality with Xilinx’s disclosure of details of its first extensible processing platform product family.  The family, named Zynq-7000, initially comprises four chips.  Xilinx says Zynq samples will become generally available in the first half of Read more...

Jeff Bier’s Impulse Response—The Rise of Licensable Cores

Ten years ago, I wrote about how licensable processor cores were beginning to play a more important role in the industry.  Among other trends, I observed that large chip companies were beginning to adopt licensable cores for application-specific chips such as cellphone baseband SoCs, rather than using proprietary cores that they developed in-house.  This trend has certainly strengthened over the past ten years. It’s one thing for a company making application-specific SoCs—which often Read more...

MimoOn Fields LTE Software for Multiple Processor Vendors

With the growth in mobile data traffic, there is increasing interest in fourth-generation (4G) cellular technologies, especially the Long Term Evolution (LTE) of the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) – the successor to GSM/EDGE and UMTS/HSxPA technologies.  LTE has gained a decided momentum advantage over WiMax and is expected to be the most important 4G technology.  BDTI recently spoke with mimoOn, a company headquartered in Duisburg, Germany that licenses LTE software for both Read more...

Texas Instruments’ Graphical Programming Tool Generates Prototyping Code

Texas Instruments (TI) recently introduced C6EZFlo, a graphical programming tool for its C6000 and DaVinci DSP families.  C6EZFlo is a prototyping tool to help users quickly develop initial software implementations of their applications.  In particular, C6EZFlo is designed to help programmers develop initialization, configuration, and framework code for their applications.  C6EZFlo generates C code and project files intended to be loaded into TI’s C language Code Composer Studio tool suite Read more...

ARM Introduces Cortex-M4 Core for Digital Signal Controllers

This spring, ARM added the Cortex-M4 digital signal controller (DSC) to its processor core line-up.  This product brings digital signal processing capabilities to ARM’s microcontroller core line (the Cortex-M family).  At the Embedded Systems Conference in San Jose in April, NXP demonstrated a prototype Cortex-M4-based chip running at approximately 150 MHz.  In June, Freescale announced its Kinetis line, also based on the Cortex-M4.  ST Micro and Texas Instruments have also announced their Read more...

Xilinx Unveils High-Performance ARM-based CPU-FPGA Hybrid Platform

Xilinx recently unveiled a new chip architecture integrating an ARM processor with an FPGA fabric. This platform centers around a dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 processor complex, including hardened memory interfaces and peripherals.  The platform architecture, shown in Figure 1, is intended to behave like a CPU first and an FPGA second.  Specifically, the CPU will boot independently—without requiring that the FPGA first be configured.  Xilinx is targeting markets that require both complex software Read more...

AutoESL’s AutoPilot High-Level Synthesis Tool Achieves BDTI Certification

BDTI recently completed an in-depth analysis of AutoESL’s AutoPilot high-level synthesis tool via the BDTI High-Level Synthesis Tool Certification Program™. BDTI evaluated the process of implementing applications on a Xilinx FPGA using AutoPilot, comparing it with traditional FPGA design based on hand-written RTL code, and with DSP processor software development. Overall, AutoPilot demonstrated a strong ability to generate high-quality RTL code—with equivalent resource utilization to hand- Read more...

Microchip Offers High-Performance DSP Library for PIC32

This month Microchip announced a “high-performance” software library of common DSP functions for its 32-bit microcontroller family, the PIC32. This library replaces Microchip’s earlier DSP library for the PIC32, which was quietly released last October. The library includes 16- and 32-bit vector math routines, 16-bit filters, and 16- and 32-bit FFTs.  Library components are implemented as C-callable assembly and are free of charge; support for the new functions has been added to the MPLAB C Read more...

Case Study: Improving Products and Product Announcements—Cost-Effectively

We all know that test marketing is the best way to see if a product meets buyers’ needs.  Household and consumer product manufacturers test their products with a select test market as a matter of course.  They use test marketing as a rehearsal for product introduction and to avoid disasters.  For technology developers and vendors, test marketing can be just as valuable, but finding the right test market can be tricky.  After all, the right test market is the target market—and when this is the Read more...

ST Offers DSP Software Components for STM32

ST Microelectronics recently announced a new library of digital signal processing software components for its low-cost microcontroller family, the STM32. STM32 chips are based on ARM’s Cortex-M3 core, and they target low-cost embedded applications, particularly motor control.  The software component library includes a speech codec and variety of DSP and control-oriented functions, such as FIR and IIR filters, a PID controller, and an FFT. The PID controller is available in both C and assembly Read more...