ARM and Esterel to Deliver Software Development Tools for Safety-Critical Systems

ARM RealView Compilation Tools and Esterel SCADE Drive provides toolchain for IEC 61508 certification

CAMBRIDGE, UK AND ELANCOURT, FRANCE – Dec. 4, 2007 – ARM [(LSE:ARM); (Nasdaq:ARMHY)] and Esterel Technologies, a leader of model-based design and verification tools for critical embedded systems, today announced their collaboration on a toolchain for safety-critical systems requiring IEC 61508 certification. Under the agreement, work has been done to ensure that Esterel SCADE Suite and ARM® RealView® Compilation Tools can be combined to provide a seamless software development flow, from modelling and code generation to compiling and debugging, for safety-critical systems in automotive, transportation and industrial control.

The SCADE Suite KCG has been certified for IEC 61508 at SIL3 level, the international standard covering functional safety of electrically-based, safety-related systems. The SCADE Suite automatically generates code that is compliant with IEC 61508, as well as the Motor Industry Software Reliability Association (MISRA) rules for software development in the C programming language. By using SCADE Suite together with ARM RealView Compilation Tools, an integral part of the RealView Development Suite and the RealView Microcontroller Development Kit, automotive system design engineers will be able to significantly reduce the time it takes to develop software, remove errors, and optimize the speed, memory and code size for ARM Powered® embedded systems based on the Cortex™-M3 and Cortex-R4 processors.

“Safety always comes first in the automotive industry,” said Eric Bantegnie, president and CEO, Esterel Technologies. “SCADE Suite is a proven solution for generating and verifying IEC 61508-compliant code for safety-critical embedded systems. Through extensive testing, we have also verified that SCADE Suite and ARM RealView Compilation Tools together can vastly simplify the process of compiling and debugging code, and significantly accelerate our customers’ time-to-market. This evidence is provided within the SCADE Suite Compiler Verification Kit (CVK).”

“From processors to system design tools, ARM is committed to helping our Partners build the most reliable, efficient embedded systems possible,” said John Cornish, vice president, Marketing, System Design Division, ARM. “Together with Esterel, we are providing a consistent environment for the development of safety-relevant software, using SCADE Suite for simulation and code generation along with RealView Compilation Tools for embedded systems based on the ARM Cortex-M3 and Cortex-R4 processor platforms.”

The integrated software development flow from Esterel and ARM will complement the enhanced safety features of the ARM Cortex-M3 and Cortex-R4 processors. The Cortex-R4 processor in particular has been designed specifically for fault-tolerant automotive applications, featuring safety-critical features such as Error-Correction Coding (ECC) technology and a Memory Protection Unit (MPU). 

About ARM

ARM designs the technology that lies at the heart of advanced digital products, from wireless, networking and consumer entertainment solutions to imaging, automotive, security and storage devices. ARM’s comprehensive product offering includes 16/32-bit RISC microprocessors, data engines, graphics processors, digital libraries, embedded memories, peripherals, software and development tools, as well as analog functions and high-speed connectivity products. Combined with the company’s broad Partner community, they provide a total system solution that offers a fast, reliable path to market for leading electronics companies. More information on ARM is available at http://www.arm.com.

About Esterel

Esterel Technologies is the worldwide leader of model-based design and verification tools for critical embedded systems.

SCADE Suite™ is the market leading, model-based development environment dedicated to safety-critical embedded software:

• DO-178B qualified up to level A for Military and Aerospace Industries

• IEC 61508 certified at SIL level 3 by TÜV for Automotive, Heavy Equipment, and Energy

• EN 50128 certified at SIL level 4 by TÜV for Rail Transportation

SCADE Display™ is the leading edge embedded graphics design environment dedicated to safety-critical display systems, DO-178B qualified up to level A for Military and Aerospace Industries.

SCADE Suite and SCADE Display combined in the SCADE Certified Software Factory form the only integrated and industrialised tool suite spanning algorithm, logic and displays design, merging formal verification and certified code generation.

Esterel Studio™ is the market leading, front-end design and verification suite for control-intensive hardware IP. Esterel Studio™ delivers the full benefits of ESL synthesis with automated RTL/C/SystemC code production from a single and formally verified Esterel Studio IP executable specification.

Esterel Technologies is a privately held company with headquarters in Elancourt, France and Mountain View, California, USA, and with direct sales offices in Germany, the United Kingdom, and China.

For additional information, visit the Esterel Technologies website at www.esterel-technologies.com and www-esterel-eda.com.