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The MCA working group will focus on the OpenAMP specification to create a standardized application program interface (API) for communication and synchronization between homogeneous and heterogeneous multicore embedded systems. The OpenAMP framework, provided by Mentor Graphics, is the embedded software industry’s first comprehensive solution for heterogeneous multicore system-on-chip (SoC) development.
Heterogeneous architectures are those which combine two or more different types of microprocessors or microcontrollers, enabling the development of advanced embedded systems that consolidate functionality and connectivity for high-performance embedded devices. The MEMF is an integrated development solution spanning device configuration, deployment and system optimization for multi-operation system devices. This can be used for the Linux® platform, the Nucleus® real-time operating system (RTOS), and bare-metal applications. This solution helps design teams to quickly develop high-performance applications for industrial, medical, automotive, telecommunications, networking, and consumer electronics products.
The MCA’s mission is to establish a consortium based on common initiatives and resources for effective multicore development. “The OpenAMP open source project enables companies to adopt OpenAMP as a framework to address inter-process communications and core lifecycle management between cores and operating systems,” says Markus Levy, chairman of the Multicore Association. “The adoption of OpenAMP from multiple vendors will result in greater product innovation and differentiation and the use of OpenAMP as a common framework will provide interoperability and reduce risk for developers.”
Successful use of heterogeneous multicore SoCs that combine multicore micro-processors and one or more micro-controllers or soft cores extends beyond the traditional use of Symmetric Multi-Processing (SMP) and Asymmetric Multi-Processing (AMP) approaches. The OpenAMP standard addresses many of the challenges designers face with heterogeneous systems including:
• Configuring and deploying multiple operating systems and applications across cores.
• Booting multiple operating systems efficiently and in a coordinated manner across micro-processors and micro-controllers.
• Communicating between isolated sub-systems on a multi-core processor or between heterogeneous processors.
“The MCA and Mentor’s initiatives to improve industry adoption of multicore architectures with OpenAMP are critical to the success of heterogeneous multicore and multi-OS systems,” says Glenn Perry, vice president and general manager of Mentor Graphics Embedded Systems Division. “A fully open-source solution for OpenAMP ensures a common platform for anyone to build the next generation of heterogeneous multicore embedded devices. Our commitment to embedded open source is substantiated with OpenAMP, which will continually be enhanced and maintained by our engineering team, with the help of others in the open source community."
The Mentor Graphics embedded development solution for heterogeneous multicore systems adds several new features that can executed natively or with a hypervisor. These features include:
• Support for the remote processor framework (remoteproc) for Mentor® Embedded Linux®, Nucleus RTOS and bare-metal applications is designed to be easily ported to other environments such as Mentor® Automotive Connected OS™, Volcano™ VSTAR AUTOSAR, and Android.
• Scalable implementations of VirtIO, rpmsg and the Multicore Communications API (MCAPI) across operating systems to provide efficient inter-processor communication (IPC) for separated device subsystems.
• Graphical debugging and performance analysis tools that enable a system-wide, synchronized perspective across operating systems and functions
• Supported platforms currently include Xilinx Zynq SoC, Xilinx UltraScale+ MPSoC, NXP i.MX 6Quad/6SoloX, Altera Cyclone V, and TI OMAP5.
About Mentor Embedded
The Mentor Graphics Embedded Systems Division (mentor.com/embedded) enables embedded development for a variety of applications including automotive, industrial, smart energy, medical devices, and consumer electronics. Embedded developers can create systems with the latest processors and micro-controllers with commercially supported and customizable solutions including the industry-leading Sourcery™ CodeBench and Mentor Embedded Linux products, plus the Mentor Embedded Multicore Framework and Mentor Embedded Hypervisor. For real-time systems, developers can take advantage of the small-foot-print and low-power-capable Nucleus RTOS.
(Mentor Graphics, Mentor and Nucleus are registered trademarks and Sourcery and Volcano aretrademarks of Mentor Graphics Corporation. All other company or product names are the registered trademarks or trademarks of their respective owner.)
The registered trademark Linux® is used pursuant to a sublicense from LMI, the exclusive licensee of Linus Torvalds, owner of the mark on a world-wide basis.
Mentor Embedded Linux
Linux brings new approach to create product platforms that maximize developer productivity, all backed by commercially supported linux embedded with bitbake.
Multicore Framework
The Mentor Embedded Multicore Framework allows developers to configure and deploy multiple operating systems and applications across homogeneous or heterogeneous processors, whether device requirements call for native, trusted or supervised system configuration.
Nucleus RTOS
Nucleus RTOS is a proven, stable, and optimized real time operating system deployed on over 3 billion embedded devices Learn More
About Mentor Graphics
Mentor Graphics Corporation (mentor.com) is a world leader in electronic hardware and software design solutions, providing products, consulting services and award-winning support for the world's most successful electronic, semiconductor and systems companies. Established in 1981, the company reported revenues in the last fiscal year in excess of $1.24 billion. Corporate headquarters are located at 8005 S.W. Boeckman Road, Wilsonville, Oregon 97070-7777.
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