New ARC Tangent-A4 Configurable Processor From ARC Cores Enhances System-Level Focus.

Business Editors and High-Tech Writers

Microprocessor Forum

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 9, 2000

New Platform Architecture, System-Level Enhancements,

Increased CPU Performance, and Powerful New Development

Tools Accelerate IP Integration and SoC Development for

Real-World Embedded Applications

At the Microprocessor Forum this week, ARC Cores will announce its new ARC Tangent-A4 processor architecture, the next generation configurable processor from the company. The new CPU/DSP, expected to be available next year, is one of the key components of the ARC Tangent platform, a framework enabling integration of hardware/software IP and related tools from ARC's subsidiary companies -- MetaWare, Precise Software Technologies, and VAutomation -- and third parties.

Key objectives in developing the Tangent platform were to accelerate SoC (system on chip) development by providing verified hardware and software building blocks for systems development, including Ethernet, USB, MP3, DSP functions and a range of real-time operating systems like VxWorks and MQX. Hence the Tangent platform allows customers to concentrate on their value-add activities.

The Tangent-A4 processor, sitting at the heart of the Tangent platform, facilitates this approach with increased system-level capability, peripheral integration, and development tools that provide engineers with relevant program performance quickly without having to do too much work in searching for it. The Tangent-A4's performance in real-world embedded applications has also been increased with the addition of a configurable data cache and enhanced DSP extensions.

Jim Turley, VP marketing at ARC Cores, says, "In embedded systems design, customers are looking to develop solutions for real problems in real-time. That's why we created the Tangent platform based around the Tangent-A4 processor. With software and hardware building blocks from ARC's subsidiary companies and third parties, powered by the high performance Tangent-A4 configurable processor, we're taking configurability to the system-level for applications requiring DSP and multimedia support."

Some of the key new features of the Tangent-A4 include a full-featured multi-way configurable data cache and a vastly improved configurable interrupt system. The latter is important in real-time systems with many peripheral devices requesting attention of the processor.

Development tools are the other key improvement available for Tangent-A4. A signal visualization tool has been added, a powerful debug capability that allows the developer to see a two- or three-dimensional graphic of program data as it is being computed; visualization is invaluable for programmers dealing with complex algorithms. In addition, application code can be targeted at a new cycle-accurate simulator -- enabling designers to work with HDL simulation accuracy but with greater execution speeds.

On these tools, James Hakewill, ARC Cores chief architect, comments, "There's been a big step forward in terms of the amount of data which can now be obtained from the cycle accurate simulator and displayed in the debugger. For example we can run a program and display a sorted list of the most frequently executed individual instructions, or the instructions where the most stall cycles were encountered."

He adds, "Not only do we have the signal visualization tool plugging into the debugger, but also peripheral displays -- for example, to display the Ethernet registers along with text interpretation of the contents of different status bitfields. The interface on the debugger which makes this possible is extremely flexible and useful -- it's been used for everything from the peripheral displays, the signal visualization tool, the Wind River integration, and also a customer's special to allow a CASE tool to update its display of the high-level program state as the program runs on the simulator. And all this is independent of whether the program is running on a real device, a development board, or a simulation."

"The golden point here is about being able to provide information about program performance at the application level, the RTOS level, the C source level, the assembly code level, and the individual signals, bits and bytes. This is important when one considers that the key objective for many new designs is accelerating time to market."

About ARC Cores

ARC Cores (a subsidiary of ARC International plc) is a leading designer and developer of customizable, high-performance microprocessor cores and related intellectual property solutions for integrating microprocessors with embedded systems applications. The ARC processor is an application specific processor or ASP, which can be customized for use in a wide variety of increasingly sophisticated products, including telecommunications, voice and data networking, and consumer electronics products. ARC's technology enables designers to rapidly develop prototype designs for validation of design concepts -- to reduce design, development, physical prototype and launch of a product.

With headquarters in Elstree, England, ARC International plc and its group companies employ over 200 people in research and development, sales, and marketing offices across North America and Europe. MetaWare, Precise Software Technologies and VAutomation are wholly owned subsidiaries of ARC International plc, providing software development tools, hardware and software intellectual property and real time operating systems offering a single source solution when required for system on a chip development. The company's website is located at: http://www.arccores.com or phone [phone] (UK) or +1.408.360.2120 (USA).

Note to Editors: ARC Cores is a trademark of ARC International (UK) Limited. All other brands or product names are the property of their respective holders.