Mentor Graphics introduces 8-bit processor core with on-chip debug of system-on-chip designs

Mentor Graphics (San Jose, CA) today announced the M8051E-Warp user-programmable 8051-based 8-bit microcontroller. It offers a built-in, on-chip debug feature and allows customers to perform at-speed, pre- and post-silicon validation of their system-on-chip (SoC) design concurrently with application development.

The M8051E-Warp uses on-chip instrumentation (OCI) technology, developed in collaboration with First Silicon Solutions (Beaverton, Oregon) to provide a JTAG-based debug solution. The OCI, working in concert with in-circuit emulation tools, enables in-situ, at-speed validation of a SoC and application program. Application developers can perform simultaneous application development and validation on a hardware platform based on multiple third-party IP. In addition, application developers gain comprehensive real-time control of the processor from a PC-based interface with access to step, trace, soft breakpoints, hardware triggers and read/write control of registers and memory.

Infineon Technologies is the first to adopt the new architecture for its next generation of customer-programmable products.

The M8051E-Warp is legacy tool and application code compatible, allowing users to use standard 8051 tool suites for development purposes. The device does not use instruction set extensions nor exotic clocking mechanisms that require extensive expert hand editing of design tools.

Today's customers need customizable IP solutions to differentiate their products in a competitive marketplace. To meet these requirements, Mentor's M8051E-Warp soft core provides extensive user configuration programmability and performance through synthesis options.

The M8051E-Warp can surpass 50-million instructions per second (mips) performance reliably. It has a frequency scaleable state machine and is silicon proven at 120MHz using 0.18- micron process technology. Using only 2 clocks per instruction cycle, the M8051E-Warp achieves six times the performance of a standard 8051 core at the same power consumption, while maintaining full functional compatibility with legacy devices.

The M8051E-Warp soft core is shipped with sample synthesis and scan insertion scripts, functional test bench (with over ninety-nine-percent coverage) and complete product documentation.

Mentor Graphics is a provider of electronic hardware and software design solutions, offering products and consulting services.

Mentor Graphics Corp., 8005 S.W. Boeckman Road, Wilsonville, Oregon 97070-7777. Phone: 503-685-1665

Edited by Paul O'Shea