Xilinx Launches New Embedded Processing Platform

November 23, 2007 // Published as a news service by IHS

Anchored by a 32 b to 128 b processor local bus (PLB), the platform delivers increased performance and scalability for future performance and feature requirements from Xilinx, the company said.

The MicroBlaze 32 b processor now includes a configurable memory management unit (MMU) that enables commercial-grade operating system (OS) support and is supported by upgraded Internet protocol (IP) and design tools delivered with the embedded development kit (EDK) version 9.2.

Version 7 of the MicroBlaze processor builds upon previous versions while maintaining instruction set backward compatibility.

With the new MMU, designers can use commercial-grade embedded operating systems when implementing their designs in the Spartan family of field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) for high-volume applications, as well as the Virtex family.

To enhance system performance in designs targeting Virtex devices optimized for embedded applications, a direct interface to the enhanced PLB is included to extend peripheral reuse with the on-board PowerPC processor, Xilinx said.

Xilinx also included new instructions to boost performance of the configurable MicroBlaze processor's floating point unit. All of these new features are prebuilt, verified and ready to use with configuration options that enable developers to customize the processor features as required, Xilinx said.

Enhancements to the PLB architecture enable scaling from 32 b, 64 b and 128 b interfaces to give designers more flexibility and performance that can be applied to current system designs while providing headroom for future designs, according to Xilinx.

The PLB can also be configured for both shared and point-to-point connections to memory controllers.

Xilinx's Platform Studio (XPS) provides a common, integrated hardware/software development environment that supports the range of Xilinx processing tools. Included in the EDK, the scalable XPS enables designers to develop, integrate and debug the embedded system.

The EDK includes the XPS tool suite, the MicroBlaze processor, a library of peripheral IP cores, an integrated software development environment based on the Eclipse framework, debugger and other tools for a range of applications.

In addition, Xilinx and its partners provide reference designs, development boards, tools and operating systems. A variety of embedded design services, training and support are also available from Xilinx.

"The version 9.2 release of our embedded development kit delivers unparalleled flexibility in the development and delivery of embedded systems," said Vincent Ratford, vice president and general manager of the Xilinx processing solutions group.

"By delivering a broad range of system performance options built around enhanced IP and development tools, along with a well established ecosystem support, Xilinx embedded solutions enable our customers to rapidly deliver value added and differentiated products to their customers," Ratford said.

Source: Xilinx Inc.