NXP deploys integrated CoWare and ARM Cortex processor-based solution in VPE

SAN JOSE, USA & CAMBRIDGE, UK: CoWare, Inc., the leading supplier of Electronic System Virtualization™ software and services, and ARM, announced that NXP has successfully deployed their joint software development solution, integrating Fast Models from ARM for Cortex™ processors™ in CoWare’s Virtual Platform technology.

NXP uses the joint ARM-CoWare offering in their own SystemC based Virtual Prototyping Environment (VPE). The software development solution is enabling NXP to reduce development costs, improve software developer productivity and achieve faster time-to-market.

VPE is NXP’s internal development environment utilizing the virtualized representation of an electronic system. It removes the dependency on the availability of expensive hardware prototypes and development test benches and provides cost-effective software development capabilities for debugging and analysis.

NXP’s VPE is based on CoWare’s technology. Using their VPE with the ARM® Cortex-A9 processor-based Fast Model, NXP ported Linux in record time, ahead of RTL availability and faster than with traditional emulation based development methods. Support by CoWare’s services organization combined with key VPE features enabled this productivity boost. Key VPE features include:

* Enhanced debug visibility combining CoWare Virtual Platform Analyzer with a software debugger.
* Reproducibility and predictability through full scripting environment.
* High-speed simulation performance for the Cortex-A9 subsystem, including higher performance than traditional emulation methods.
* Ease of deployment across multiple engineering sites around the world.

“NXP is a world leader in developing advanced digital products -- from portable media players, TVs and set-top boxes, to identification applications, cars and a wide range of other electronic devices,” said Barry Dennington, Senior Vice President, CIT Design and Flows, NXP Semiconductors.

“The co-operation between ARM and CoWare to enable VPEs for software development on Cortex processor-based designs made it possible for us to significantly save on the software development and validation effort for our next-generation consumer device, thus reducing cost while at the same time accelerating the time-to-market of the device.”

“ARM is dedicated to enabling developers to get the most out of their ARM processor-based designs,” said John Cornish, Executive Vice President and General Manager of ARM, System Design Division. “In a close collaboration with CoWare, we have been able to combine the value of the Virtual Platform technology and Fast Models enabling NXP to distribute fast, trusted, and reliable virtual prototypes for software development.”

“Last year, NXP successfully established its powerful VPE environment based on CoWare technology and deployed it company wide for the development of its leading designs,” said Marc Serughetti, Vice President, Marketing and Business Development, CoWare.

“The tight partnership between CoWare and ARM, through the integration of the Fast Models for the ARM Cortex processors in CoWare Virtual Platform combined with expert support, has provided NXP with quantifiable results showing the benefits of electronic system virtualization.”