Press Releases
CriticalBlue Joins Power.org Community
Cascade Coprocessor Synthesis Supporting IBM's Power ArchitectureTM, Ready for Evaluation in Q1 2006
San Jose, California - September 29, 2005 - CriticalBlue, a provider of tools for accelerating software in embedded microprocessor applications is pleased to announce its membership of the Power.org Community. CriticalBlue strengthens its leadership position in supporting a leading edge embedded systems design infrastructure by adding support for the IBM PowerTM microprocessor to its revolutionary coprocessor synthesis solution, Cascade. Coprocessor synthesis boosts embedded systems processing performance by creating a loosely coupled programmable coprocessor that accelerates the execution of compiled binary executable software code offloaded from the main processor in the system.
Optimal utilization of general purpose embedded processors, such as those based on the Power Architecture, is achieved through offloading certain compute intensive functions which are commonly found in today's embedded software. No only does this reduce system power consumption, but it also frees up the main Power microprocessor to perform other tasks. It is therefore essential that platform designers have a methodology and a tool set that allows them to quickly and easily create optimized loosely coupled coprocessors, which can accelerate the execution of embedded software running on Power devices.
"Power.org, the world's leading open hardware consortium, is not just about large multinational companies, but is very inclusive of emerging Venture-backed companies as well. It is the innovative and differentiated technology of all these companies that supports and brings together the Power Architecture design and implementation ecosystem," stated Dr. Juan-Antonio Carballo, Partner and Strategy Executive, IBM Corporate Strategy, Venture Capital Group. "Customer application platforms based on the Power Architecture often need accelerators or coprocessors to meet performance or power consumption constraints. CriticalBlue's Cascade solution will deliver a key capability by enabling designers to automatically generate the required coprocessor directly from compiled Power software."
Users of CriticalBlue's Cascade solution need not alter their methodologies of flows for software development or for hardware implementation. Cascade reads in the application executable code, which has been compiled, for the main Power microprocessor in the system. From here, the user can select which software routines are to be offloaded onto the coprocessor as well as setting performance and area constraints for the software synthesis stage inside Cascade. During synthesis, Cascade optimizes the coprocessor data cache architecture as well as sizing both data and instruction caches. It also optimizes the datapaths inside the coprocessor based on low level analysis of the software application itself. Finally Cascade produces RTL which is ready for logic synthesis, with its associated scripts and test benches, and the microcode which will be loaded into the coprocessor from main memory when the offloaded functions are executed. Cascade automatically deals with all the hardware and software interfacing issues between the main Power microprocessor and the generated coprocessor, via the system bus. The path from here to silicon follows the user's standard implementation flow, irrespective of whether the target silicon is an SoC or an FPGA.
Cascade will initially support the 405 and 440 Power Architecture cores. The underlying support will be for the Power instruction set so adding other Power cores in future will be straightforward. The CoreConnect OPB bus will also be supported in the Power version of Cascade. Users will be able to preserve the investments they have made on software development tools as well as hardware implementation flows.
"Increasing demand from the market and the ever wider range of application areas where the Power architecture is being used makes it very clear that Cascade is an ideal solution to support the development of Power based platforms," stated David Stewart, CEO, CriticalBlue. "Engineering work has already started on the Power version of Cascade and we are actively engaging with early adopter customers and scheduling evaluations for early in 2006."
About CriticalBlue
CriticalBlue delivers Cascade, a design tool that synthesizes optimized programmable coprocessors to accelerate embedded software within platform SoCs. Cascade analyses executable software code to accelerate identified functions by offloading those functions from the main processor onto a coprocessor. It then automatically creates a broad range of coprocessor architecture and implementation options to enable designers to achieve the requisite performance, area and power trade-offs, while minimizing project risk and development time. Cascade is used by both semiconductor and system design companies. For more information visit www.criticalblue.com.
About Power.org
Further information on Power.org can be found at www.power.org.
For more information, please contact:
David Stewart
CriticalBlue
+1 408 467 5091
Leslie Cumming
Skye Marketing Communications
+ 1 415 285 2352