Product category:
Microprocessors, Microcontrollers and DSPs
News Release from: PMC-Sierra
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 09 September 2002
Verification system accelerates
processor
PMC-Sierra has selected Axis Systems' Xtreme verification system to accelerate the development of its next-generation MIPS-based processors.
PMC-Sierra has selected Axis Systems' Xtreme verification system to accelerate the development of its next-generation MIPS-based processors Xtreme, which integrates software simulation, accelerated simulation, and emulation in one system, enables designers to simultaneously verify the hardware design and develop software for target hardware, resulting in reduced verification time
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 24 Jan 2008 at 8.00am (UK)
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Xtreme is being used to design and verify hardware and software for PMC-Sierra's RM9000x2 1GHz multiprocessor, the first next-generation family of high-performance, integrated processors targeted at networking applications such as edge and core routers, remote access products and enterprise servers, high-end laser printers and consumer appliances.
The RM9000x2's complex architecture is the foundation for future products that will provide greater processing power through additional CPU cores and higher performance I/O interconnect designed for networking equipment.
Previously, running a simulation of the application programs in addition to the operating system required weeks; however, with Xtreme, verification can be achieved in a matter of hours.
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"To verify PMC-Sierra's newest designs, we require the best hardware and software debugging tools on the market.
Xtreme is powerful enough to verify the design of a processor with multimillion gates and offers the added benefit of enabling us to test software applications on the target hardware design", said Ray Kunita, vice president of product development of PMC-Sierra's MIPS Processor Division.
"We are committed to delivering the industry's most comprehensive and cost-effective family of 64bit MIPS-based processors with the highest speed and performance, lowest power and smallest footprint".
"By offering hardware and software verification in a single platform, we can provide customers such as PMC-Sierra the speed and flexibility they need to get these chips to market faster", said Mike Tsai, Axis Systems' president and CEO.
The RM9000x2 is a scalable multiprocessing architecture that solves the industry-wide problem of slow data transfers between processors in cache coherent systems and offers greater throughput efficiencies over single CPU products.
Anchored by dual CPU cores running at 1GHz, the RM9000x2 achieves maximum performance while drawing only five watts of power.
The gigahertz CPU speed and low power is achieved using 0.13-micron high performance process.
The twin CPUs connect to high-speed memory and I/O interfaces through a multiport, shared memory fabric.
High speed I/O connectivity, which includes a very high performance 500MHz HyperTransport bus interface, positions the RM9000x2 to target key applications such as core routers, edge routers, remote access products and enterprise servers.
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