ASSET Supports Intel's Atom Processor With CPU Emulation Test And Diagnostics

Richardson, TX - ASSET InterTech's µMaster is a CPU emulation test and diagnostic system that support Intel's new Atom processor. ASSET provides boundary-scan (JTAG/IEEE 1149.1) systems for test, in-system programming (ISP) and design-for-test (DFT), as well as for advanced embedded instrumentation in design validation, test and debug applications.

Atom, which previously had several Intel codenames including Silverthorne and others, is a new low-power processor architecture that is targeting portable battery-operated applications such as mobile Internet devices (MID), low-cost laptop PCs and others.

"µMaster is capable of true CPU emulation, which means it takes control of the CPU and then asserts structural and functional test and diagnostic routines through the processor to other devices and to other nodes on the circuit board," said Alan Sguigna, ASSET's vice president of sales and marketing. "Because Atom is a new micro-architecture which Intel will carry forward into multiple chips and chipsets for years to come, many manufacturers are eager to begin developing their test and diagnostic strategies for Atom-based systems. µMaster lets them get started right away."

µMaster and ASSET's ScanWorks platform, which includes boundary scan (IEEE 1149.1 JTAG) capabilities, can help manufacturers identify faults early in the design cycle, improving prototype yields and accelerating time-to-market. And manufacturers can apply both CPU emulation functional tests and diagnostics, as well as extensive structural testing and diagnostics to production boards, substantially reducing manufacturing costs and improving quality.

In addition to Atom, µMaster supports many other Intel processors, including Centrino, Core Duo, Core 2 Duo, Core 2 Extreme, Core 2 Quad, and the entire Xeon family. Non-Intel processors supported include chips from AMD, Freescale, IBM, Marvell's XScale, TI's OMAP, ARM and others.

SOURCE: ASSET InterTech, Inc.