AXYS Design Delivers Software Development Support For ARM Powered Multi-Core Designs

Integration of the ARM RealView Debugger and Cycle-Callable Models with AXYS' MaxSim tool provides unified multi-core simulation and debugging on Windows and Linux platforms.

March 3rd 2003, IRVINE, CA. AXYS® Design Automation, Inc., the technology leader in multi-core System on Chip (SoC) simulation, debugging and verification solutions, today announced the integration of the ARM® RealView® Debugger product with the MaxSimTM, Developer Suite for multi-core debugging, simulation and verification. This integration enables designers for the fist time to utilize 'OS-aware' multi-core debugging for systems based on mixed architecture designs that use combinations of ARM and DSP architectures in conjunction with MaxSim platform models and SystemCTM language support on Windows and Linux platforms.

"The combination of ARM Realview debugging technology in conjunction with AXYS MaxSim synchronous multi-core simulation enabled us to build system-level virtual prototypes of our SoCs for delivery to our customers", said Yoshihiro Adachi, Manager at Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. "The delivery of an integrated solution on Windows platforms is important for MEI and efficiently implemented in this integrated solution"

The MaxSim Developer Suite combines the performance of cycle based C++ simulation at the transaction level with the flexibility of SystemC - unlocking the potential of SystemC by integrating it in a single unified simulation engine with more than 20 processor models, debuggers and platform components. Designers can use the MaxLib(r) model library to develop and verify SystemC-based SOC designs with Micro-controller and DSP families from ARM, Adelante, Improv Systems, Infineon, LSI Logic and ParthusCeva. The ARM RealView Debugger is the first ever debugger to allow a truly synchronized, high-integrity debug for multiple ARM and DSP cores. It uses a single kernel for multi-core debugging and provides operating system awareness for Symbian, ThreadX, and Nucleus. Support for additional DSPs and operating systems is planned.

"In an era when consumer applications continue to converge into single devices, ARM core-based solutions are more frequently using a combination of CPU and DSP cores," said Carl Swanson, product manager, RealView Debug Tools, ARM. "The combination of AXYS' MaxSim technology-based high-performance system-level virtual prototypes with the ARM RealView debug and modeling solutions addresses the requirements of today's developers for simulation, verification and debugging of this type of multi-core hybrid ARM/DSP systems."

As part of the new business agreement AXYS Design and ARM extended the value added reseller relationship for ARM CCM models to include the new ARM Realview debugger and related support services. With this agreement AXYS Design is established as the single vendor offering the complete line of solutions for debugging and simulation of ARM-based platforms.

"Today's dual-core CPU-plus-DSP designs for PDAs, mobile phones, digital cameras and other digital devices make transparent software development across the CPU-DSP divide crucial to achieve optimum efficiency under heavy time-to-market pressure. With the integration of ARM's RealView debugger and AXYS Design's MaxSim tool the designers receive a truly homogeneous software development environment for ARM-plus-DSP designs.", said Vojin Zivojnovic, President and CEO of AXYS Design Automation, Inc. "For the first time they can build SystemC platforms around the ARM and DSP core models with full debugging support for true hardware-aware software development."

About MaxSim Developer Suite
MaxSim Developer Suite 3.1 addresses the needs for efficient model development and delivery between SoC developers and their users. In the design space SoC development teams use the MaxSim Developer Suite to develop, debug and verify cycle-based multi-core systems at the transaction level. In the platform space embedded software developers and verification engineers use standalone platforms exported from MaxSim for hardware-aware embedded software development and verification. At significantly lower price and with more flexible access through quarterly time-based licenses, the MaxSim Platform Control Center allows platform configuration, platform simulation and connection to embedded software debuggers like ARM RealView. In addition, MaxSim Platform Explorer enables system-level visibility and debugging within the platform.

Pricing and Availability
The release 3.1 of MaxSim Developer Suite and the accompanying platform tools are available today. Pricing starts at $12,000 per year for the MaxSim Developer Suite. Platform Explorer and Platform Control Center are available at flexible quarterly license fees starting at $2000 and $500 respectively. Supported platforms are Windows, Solaris, Linux and HP-UX.

About AXYS Design Automation, Inc.
AXYS® Design Automation, Inc. is a provider of fast, accurate, and integrated processor and SoC (System-on-Chip) C/C++ modeling and simulation solutions for the development of high software content SoC devices. The use of AXYS Design's tool suites in the pre-silicon phase substantially shortens the SoC design cycle by enabling early system integration and embedded software development, thus reducing NRE cost and time to market.

AXYS Design's customers and partners are companies involved in cutting edge technologies for the electronics industry and include Adelante Technologies, ARC (LSE:ARK), ARM Ltd. (NASDAQ: ARMHY), Conexant Systems (NASDAQ: CNXT), DSP Group (NASDAQ: DSPG), Improv Systems, Infineon Technologies (NYSE: IFX), LSI Logic (NYSE: LSI), Mentor Graphics (NASDAQ: MENT), MIPS Technologies (NASDAQ: MIPS) and STMicroelectronics (NYSE: STM).

The MaxSimTM Developer Suite is a tool enabling the modeling and verification of multi-core SoC designs. The MaxCore® Developer Suite is a toolset for the automatic generation of processor models and software development tools. MaxLib® is AXYS Design's growing library of models for popular SoC components. For more information, visit the AXYS Design web site at http://www.axysdesign.com.

ARM and Multi-ICE are registered trademarks of ARM Limited. ARM Developer Suite and RealView are trademarks of ARM. "ARM" is used to represent ARM Holdings plc (LSE: ARM and Nasdaq: ARMHY); its operating company ARM Limited; and the regional subsidiaries ARM INC.; ARM KK; ARM Korea Ltd.; ARM Taiwan; and ARM France SAS.

AXYS, MaxCore and MaxLib are registered trademarks and MaxSim is a trademark of AXYS Design Automation, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owner.