Cradle Technologies, a fabless semiconductor company, Releases Multi-Processor Development Tools

Delivers easy multiprocessor DSP design and debug environment

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. - February 25, 2004 - Cradle Technologies, a fabless semiconductor company pioneering the highest scalable performance and most flexible multiprocessing DSP solutions for real-time video, audio and imaging applications, today announced that they have released V4.1 of their industry leading RDS-SDK multiprocessor development tools.

"Cradle's multiprocessor development tool suite shatters the conventional view that multi-processor and multi-core DSP design is complex and difficult to debug. The Cradle RDS-SDK tool set supports a proven simplified multi-processor programming model for our CT3400 multiprocessor DSP products," said David Harrison, VP of Software at Cradle Technologies. "This tool set enables our customers to achieve fast time-to-market for high performance DSP applications without the complexity and inefficiency of the current generation Very Long Instruction Word (VLIW) DSPs."

The RDS-SDK tool suite consists of the familiar C programming environment, the INSPECTOR T graphical debug environment and an extensive library of modules for video, image and I/O processing. The tool suite includes a GNU-based optimizing C compiler coupled with the Cradle DSP C language for timing critical code optimizations.

"The Cradle DSP C language provides a more productive design interface for timing critical DSP code than a conventional assembler", said Arvind Savargaonkar, CEO of Concept Embedded Systems, an India based Cradle Alliance Partner. "Their C-syntax allows user defined variables, is cycle accurate and provides unusual design productivity for high performance DSP code. We were surprised at the simplicity of the tool suite."

The INSPECTORT graphical debug environment is the primary design console breakthrough that enables improved design productivity and faster time-to-market. The debugger is integrated with a cycle-accurate simulator and advanced software and hardware code profilers that dramatically simplify performance analysis and code debug. Unlike conventional VLIW approaches, the INSPECTORT console allows complete source code single stepping and breakpoint control coupled with viewing of all system variables, memory and registers on all of the fourteen processors in the CT3400 MDSP device. Performance analysis using detailed cycle counts of any code segments on all processors is achieved using both the included cycle-accurate simulator and in real-time using the Cradle RDS3400 development board. This improves design and debug productivity allowing customers to realize the true performance advantage of the CT3400 multiprocessor DSP.

Availability and Pricing

The RDS-SDK development tool suite is available immediately via download on the Cradle website. A 30-day evaluation license is available for free. The Windows tool suite is priced at $995 and includes a full-year of product updates and technical support.

About Cradle Technologies

Cradle is a fabless semiconductor company providing the highest scalable performance, most flexible multiprocessor DSP solutions for real-time video, audio and imaging applications.

Cradle's multiprocessor DSP architecture innovation delivers high performance scalable DSP processing with the flexibility and time-to-market benefits of processor-based programmable platforms. Coupled with a Rapid Development System and suite of IP software functions, Cradle provides OEMs with all the building blocks necessary to enable flexible yet high performance DSP designs.

Cradle's corporate headquarters are located in Mountain View, California. For more information about the company call 650-210-3600 or visit www.cradle.com.

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