Xilinx Unveils ARM-Based Processing Architecture for Delivering Unrivaled Levels of Performance in Embedded Systems

press release

April 27, 2010, 5:00 p.m. EDT

Xilinx takes processor-centric approach to deliver platform that combines the best of serial and parallel processing

SAN JOSE, Calif., April 27, 2010 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Embedded Systems Conference -- Xilinx Inc. /quotes/comstock/15*!xlnx/quotes/nls/xlnx (XLNX 26.54, +0.24, +0.91%) today introduced the architecture for a new Extensible Processing Platform that will deliver unrivaled levels of system performance, flexibility and integration to developers of a wide variety of embedded systems. The ARM(R) Cortex(TM)-A9 MPCore(TM) processor-based platform enables system architects and embedded software developers to apply a combination of serial and parallel processing to address the challenging system requirements presented by the global demand for embedded systems to perform increasingly complex functions.

The Xilinx(R) Extensible Processing Platform offers embedded systems designers a processor-centric design and development approach for achieving the compute and processing horsepower required to drive tasks involving high-speed access to real-time inputs, high-performance processing and complex digital signal processing -- or any combination thereof -- needed to meet their application-specific requirements, including lower cost and power.

"Today's embedded software developer is being tasked to build complex applications that require tremendous levels of system performance, and they need to deliver that performance within tightly managed cost, schedule and power budgets," said Vin Ratford, Xilinx Senior Vice President for Worldwide Marketing and Business Development. "By creating an architecture within a familiar ARM processor-based development framework, this new Extensible Processing Platform can be the engine of innovation for many design teams held back today by performance bottlenecks."

A software-centric development flow is enabled by a processor-centric approach which presents a full processor system - including caches, memory controllers and commonly used connectivity and I/O peripherals - that boots and can run a variety of operating systems (OS) at power-up, such as Linux, Wind River's VxWorks and Micrium's uC-OSII. The ARM architecture and its Connected Community ecosystem further maximize productivity for developers of embedded systems, while unrivaled performance is achieved by Xilinx's architecting the subsystem around ARM's dual-core Cortex(TM)-A9 MPCore(TM) processors, each running at up to 800 MHz, combined with the parallel-processing capabilities of Xilinx's high-performance, low-power 28-nanometer programmable logic. The programmable logic is tightly coupled with the processor system through the high-bandwidth AMBA(R)-AXI(TM) interconnects to accelerate key system functions by up to 100x, using off-the-shelf and/or custom IP. This architectural approach addresses common performance bottlenecks between these parallel and serial computing environments, memory and I/O. It also gives the processor system configuration control of the programmable logic, including dynamic reconfiguration.

"Taking advantage of the parallelism of programmable logic is an excellent method for overcoming cost and power challenges in systems that require significant levels of high performance," said Simon Segars, President ARM Inc. "Xilinx's new architecture abstracts much of the hardware burden away from the embedded software developers' point of view, giving them an unprecedented level of control in the development process."

Software developers can leverage their existing system code based on ARM technology and utilize vast off-the-shelf open-source and commercially available software component libraries. Because the system boots an OS at reset, software development can get under way quickly within familiar development and debug environments using tools such as ARM's RealView development suite and related third-party tools, Eclipse-based IDEs, GNU, the Xilinx Software Development Kit and others.

Unrivaled Performance to Enable New Applications

Demand for higher levels of embedded system performance is being driven by end market applications that require multifunctionality and real-time responsiveness, such as automotive driver assistance, intelligent video surveillance, industrial automation, aerospace and defense, and next-generation wireless. In the automotive sector alone, with greater than 50 million cars produced each year, and an estimated 600 million motor vehicles on the road, today's $1.3-billion-dollar driver assistance market is expected to grow to $5.8 billion by in 2017(1) as manufacturers deploy more embedded systems in their vehicles to make them safer.

With statistics showing that 60 percent of front-end collisions could have been avoided with an extra .5-second response time, or that driver fatigue accounts for an estimated 30 percent of all driver fatalities, the motivation to leverage technology to save lives is clear. As developers of driver assistance systems pack more compute power into their applications, radar and infrared sensors, cameras and other system components must be installed into confined spaces within the automobile. The new Xilinx Extensible Processing Platform offers a single-chip solution for optimizing application-specific hardware/software partitioning and accelerating functions in hardware to drive complex algorithms. This enables customers to further differentiate their embedded systems to gain a competitive advantage in their markets.

In a market expected to reach $46 billion by 2013(2), developers of new intelligent video technologies need processing platforms for building applications that can automatically monitor video patterns and body language, combined with audio, to make intelligent decisions and send alerts, thus reducing the chance for errors. The technology is already moving to full high-definition video and frame rates up to 60 frames per second, but current solutions do not offer sufficient compute power for image processing and advanced analytic functions. The dual Cortex-A9MPCore-based processor system, coupled with the massive parallel-processing capabilities of the programmable logic, enables this capability. Developers also gain an opportunity for innovative algorithm design, scalability and field upgradability within a familiar ARM-based design environment.

Wireless telecommunication is being driven by the need for lower power, smaller physical form factors and reduced development costs, to support an ever-increasing number of users and data-hungry applications. New technologies such as 4G LTE (Long-Term Evolution) can address bandwidth requirements, but smaller, more efficient base stations are essential to meeting overall market requirements. The Xilinx Extensible Processing Platform will help developers of next-generation wireless base stations to meet these needs by providing high-bandwidth parallel processing of 4G signals in combination with multiuser data management on Cortex A9 processors - all in a small, power-efficient, cost-effective integrated solution. Because the platform is extensible, developers have the flexibility to implement future equipment updates and performance upgrades of both hardware and software.

The new Extensible Processing Platform is part of Xilinx's Targeted Design Platform strategy, which provides customers with market- and application-specific environments that are easy to use, enabling them to evaluate and understand technology, and finally provide application platforms that can be modified and extended to accelerate their development time and focus on differentiation. Xilinx has also engaged with ARM Services to provide detailed ARM Cortex-A9 hardware training for design teams and field application engineers who will be supporting the eventual product rollout.

Visit the Xilinx booth (#1716) at the Embedded Systems Conference to see and learn more. Pricing and availability will be announced for products based on the Extensible Processing Platform architecture in early 2011. Visit www.xilinx.com/technology/roadmaps and click the link to "Be the First to Know" for product details, as they become available.

About Xilinx

Xilinx is the world's leading provider of programmable platforms, with more than 50 percent market share in the programmable-logic device (PLD) segment of the semiconductor industry. For more information, visit www.xilinx.com.

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XILINX, the Xilinx Logo, and other designated brands included herein are trademarks of Xilinx in the United States and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

(1) Intelligent Car Initiative- Europe's Information Society; International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers; http://www.worldometers.info/cars/

(2) Multi-media Intelligence Report - April 2008

    Editorial Contact:
    ------------------
    Bruce Fienberg
    Xilinx, Inc.
    408-879-4631
    bruce.fienberg@xilinx.com

SOURCE Xilinx, Inc.

Copyright (C) 2010 PR Newswire. All rights reserved.

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출처: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/xilinx-unveils-arm-based-processing-architecture-for-delivering-unrivaled-levels-of-performance-in-embedded-systems-2010-04-27?reflink=MW_news_stmp

Xilinx hardwires Cortex-A9 MPCore processor into FPGA

Richard Wilson
Tuesday 27 April 2010 22:01

Xilinx has introduced its first FPGA design platform with an embedded ARM Cortex-A9 MPCore processor.

Xilinx has worked with ARM for over a year to allow the programmable logic elements of the FPGA, with their highly parallel architecture, to be closely coupled with the processor system through the AMBA-AXI on-chip bus.

According to the FPGA supplier, this architectural approach “addresses common performance bottlenecks between these parallel and serial computing environments, memory and I/O.”

“It also gives the processor system configuration control of the programmable logic, including dynamic reconfiguration,” said Xilinx.

“By creating an architecture within a familiar ARM processor-based development framework, this new Extensible Processing Platform can be the engine of innovation for many design teams held back today by performance bottlenecks,” said Vin Ratford, Xilinx senior v-p for worldwide marketing and business development.

The processor subsystem is based around ARM’s dual-core Cortex-A9 MPCore processors, each running at up to 800MHz.

The aim has been to offer within the FPGA a full processor system including caches, memory controllers and commonly used connectivity and I/O peripherals.

Efforts have also been made to support different operating systems such as Linux, Wind River’s VxWorks and Micrium’s uC-OSII.

The aim is to allow developers to tap into off-the-shelf open-source and commercially available software component libraries.

“Because the system boots an OS at reset, software development can get under way quickly within familiar development and debug environments using tools such as ARM’s RealView development suite and related third-party tools, Eclipse-based IDEs, GNU, the Xilinx Software Development Kit and others,” said Xilinx.

The AMBA-AXI bus protocol has been redesigned to make it compatible with highly parallel embedded FPGA design. It adds support for longer bursts which will support devices with large block transfers.

There is also quality of service (QoS) signalling to manage latency and bandwidth in complex multi-master systems.

“This will take embedded system design to performance and efficiency levels considered the exclusive domain of desktop, laptop and network equipment,” said Keith Clarke, v-p and general manager of fabric IP processor division at ARM.

The first FPGAs based on what the company is calling the Extensible Processing Platform will be available next year.

See: Xilinx brings ARM Cortex and AMBA to its FPGAs

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출처: http://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2010/04/27/48499/xilinx-hardwires-cortex-a9-mpcore-processor-into-fpga.htm

NEWS ANALYSIS - Xilinx puts ARM core into its FPGAs

New embedded systems architecture employs ARM core in processor-centric FPGAs.

By Richard Nass

Embedded.com

(04/27/10, 05:00:00 PM EDT)

My first reaction was, "It's about time." My second reaction was, "I hope they did it right." Let me explain. Xilinx, considered by many to be the market leader for FPGAs, had a hole in its lineup, at least in my eyes. For at least a couple of years, I asked the folks at Xilinx why they weren't making a serious run at ARM-based FPGAs.

I learned that it wasn't as simple as dropping the core into the company's library. There were It actually took some design issues that needed to be overcome to ensure that the ARM core could operate at its maximum efficiency. Those changes were put in place last fall, when Xilinx announced a technology agreement with ARM.

Essentially, the technology agreement revolved around changes made to the AMBA bus to keep the programmable logic tightly coupled with the processor core. Xilinx adopted ARM physical IP, and the two companies made a technical commitment to work together to define the AMBA 4 specification, which is the de-facto industry standard for on-chip communications on SoCs designed with an ARM core.

With that technology in place, it was clear where Xilinx was headed. However, there were a few details on which Xilinx remained mum. As of today at the Embedded Systems Conference Silicon Valley, that silence is broken and all questions are being answered. They're calling it their Extensible Processing Platform that takes advantage of ARM's dual-core Cortex-A9 MPCore processors, each running at up to 800 MHz. With the platform, designers can apply a combination of serial and parallel processing for applications that require high-speed access to real-time inputs, high-performance processing, and/or complex digital signal processing.

Thanks to the changes made in the architecture, a software-centric development flow is enabled by the processor-centric approach which presents a full processor system. This includes caches, memory controllers, and commonly used connectivity and I/O peripherals. It's built using Xilinx's high-performance, low-power 28-nanometer technology.

The high-bandwidth AMBA-AXI interconnects keep the programmable logic tightly coupled with the processor core. This architectural approach addresses common performance bottlenecks between these parallel and serial computing environments, memory, and I/O. It also gives the processor control of the programmable logic, including dynamic reconfiguration.

The architecture abstracts a lot of the hardware burden from software developers, who can now tap into the vast off-the-shelf open-source and commercially available software component libraries. Another key feature is the FPGA's ability to boot an operating system (OS) at reset.

Pricing and availability will be announced for products based on the Extensible Processing Platform architecture in early 2011.

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출처: http://www.embedded.com/products/integratedcircuits/224600510

Dust Networks Announces ARM Cortex-M3 Processor Based IEEE 802.15.4 SOC

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Dust Networks Announces ARM Cortex-M3 Processor Based IEEE 802.15.4 SOC

New benchmark for ultra-low power wireless sensor network performance

Hayward, CA, (April 26, 2010)--Dust Networks®, the leading supplier of wireless sensor networks (WSN), today announced that its new IEEE 802.15.4 products will include the powerful, low power ARM®Cortex™-M3 processor. Dust Networks' new family of system-on-chips (SoCs) will be the basis for a variety of upcoming standards-based WSN products, including IEC 62591 (WirelessHART™), 6LOWPAN (IP), and Zigbee ®PRO products that will provide unprecedented low power consumption while delivering a compelling set of energy saving, high performance features including:

• A 32-bit ARM Cortex M3 processor and rich interfaces enable a powerful computing platform while conserving power.
• The world's lowest power IEEE 802.15.4 radio: a new benchmark is set, with a mere 3 mA transmit at 0 dBm and 3 mA receive current, delivering 5-10 times the battery life of competing technologies, and further expanding the applicability of energy harvesting power sources.
• Extended range capabilities, with up to 8 dBm output power on-chip PA and an optional external power amplifier.
• The industry's first IEEE 802.15.4E-ready product, incorporating the emerging standard for time synchronization and channel hopping, while providing legacy support for 802.15.4-2006.

"Our new SoCs are geared to deliver the highest performance while running at a fraction of the power of competing silicon," said Dr. Kris Pister, Chief Technologist at Dust Networks. "In selecting the ARM Cortex-M3 processor for our SoC, we did not have to trade-off performance for power. Dust Networks new IEEE 802.15.4 SoCs will require less than one-tenth of the energy per operation of comparable SoCs."

The level of systems integration in the SoCs is very high, including on-chip power amplifier, DC-to-DC converter, 10 bit ADC and a built in temperature sensor. With configurations up to 512kB of flash and 72kB of RAM, these SoCs will have both the highest computational horsepower of any 802.15.4 chip on the market, and the lowest power consumption. In doze mode, with full processor state and RAM retention, current consumption is under 1uA.

"Dust Networks' adoption of the ARM Cortex architecture is a clear demonstration of the growing support for ARM Cortex-M3 processor-based for low-power applications " said Eric Schorn, VP marketing, Processor Division, ARM. "The ARM Cortex-M3 CPU is ideal for battery operated or energy harvesting designs where performance really matters and the feature-filled Dust SoC is a powerful example of what can be done with a 'green' approach to SoC design, in applications where every nanoamp counts. "

"Low power radios such as IEEE 802.15.4 and wireless mesh networking, epitomized by Dust Networks' TSMP protocol and its "Smart Dust" roots, have transformed the industrial wireless sensor network landscape" said Mareca Hatler, ON World research director. "With the introduction of ultra low power versions of SmartMesh IP (6LoWPAN) systems and ZigBee products, Dust Networks will expand the growing number of "Smart World" applications that span Smart Buildings, Cities, Government and Homes."

About Dust Networks

Dust Networks, the leader in standards-based intelligent wireless sensor networking (WSN), provides ultra low-power, highly reliable systems to OEMs. Dust Networks wireless technology enables unprecedented access to information from the physical world, in markets that range from industrial monitoring and control to emerging markets such as the Smart Grid, Smart Cities and Smart Buildings. Dust Networks' embedded products combine extremely low-power RF System-on-Chip (SoC) technology with revolutionary wireless networking capabilities, providing OEMs with a full range of standards-based WSN solutions that are flexible and easy to integrate. Dust Networks partners with industry and standards groups such as the HART Communication Foundation, IEEE, IETF, IPSO, ISA, SunSpec Alliance and the Zigbee Alliance to ensure the broad adoption of interoperable wireless sensor networking products.

About ARM:

ARM designs the technology that lies at the heart of advanced digital products, from wireless, networking and consumer entertainment solutions to imaging, automotive, security and storage devices. ARM's comprehensive product offering includes 32-bit RISC microprocessors, graphics processors, video engines, enabling software, cell libraries, embedded memories, high-speed connectivity products, peripherals and development tools. Combined with comprehensive design services, training, support and maintenance, and the company's broad Partner community, they provide a total system solution that offers a fast, reliable path to market for leading electronics companies. More information on ARM is available at http://www.arm.com

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출처: http://www.design-reuse.com/news/23242/arm-cortex-m3-processor-ieee-802-15-4-soc.html