Freescale selects Mentor Graphics to develop software libraries for enhanced AltiVec engine

AUSTIN, USA: Freescale Semiconductor has selected Mentor Graphics Corp. to develop a software library of advanced mathematical and signal processing functions optimized for the latest version of Freescale’s AltiVec processing engine.

The Mentor Embedded Performance Library for Freescale’s AltiVec technology is designed to help Freescale’s recently announced QorIQ Advanced Multiprocessing (AMP) processors achieve maximum performance from the newest AltiVec engine while simultaneously supporting software developer productivity.

Freescale’s AltiVec technology addresses high-bandwidth data processing and algorithmic-intensive computations, delivering DSP-level floating point performance. AltiVec technology is built into Freescale’s new multithreaded, 64-bit Power Architecture e6500 core, which is a key element of Freescale's next-generation QorIQ AMP series of multicore processors.

“The enhanced version of our proven and highly successful AltiVec vector processing technology is a key advantage for Freescale, and we are pleased to help enable world-class software that fully leverages its benefits,” said Raja Tabet, VP, Software and Systems, Networking and Multimedia Group, Freescale Semiconductor. “We look forward to working with our strategic Linux partner, Mentor Graphics, to deliver advanced software designed to help customers differentiate and win in the marketplace.”

The solution’s low-level library is expected to provide a robust embedded software foundation for enabling fast, reliable development of end-user software. It is planned to include more than 800 math and signal processing functions such as Fast Fourier Transforms (FFT), convolutions, correlations, FIR filters, IIR filters, element-wise vector functions, and linear algebra functions.

This rich set of functionality is expected to speed and simplify the development of products targeting a wide variety of applications such as radar/sonar image processing, target tracking, navigation systems, medical diagnostic imaging, video surveillance systems, printing and many other computationally intensive embedded applications. In addition, support is planned from Mentor Embedded high-performance computing services.

“Applications with high data throughput requirements will greatly benefit from the incorporation of enhanced AltiVec technology into QorIQ products,” said Paul Virgo, marketing director for Embedded Computing business, Emerson Network Power. “The addition of advanced software on Freescale’s QorIQ AMP series products will help our OEM customers boost performance and streamline development with our market-leading embedded solutions.”