Hewlett-Packard Company today announces that it is working closely with Advanced RISC Machines, Inc. (ARM) to develop design tools for the ARM architecture.

ARM has licensed its technology to several industry-leading silicon manufacturers that use the ARM7TDMI core in their application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) and application-specific standard parts (ASSPs). For these manufacturers -- and for their customers, who use the ARM core to design other products -- the availability of design tools is critical to success in implementing new designs quickly.

The ARM7TDMI core is a small, high-performance, power-efficient 32-bit reduced-instruction-set-computing (RISC) processor with ARM's Thumb code compression extension, advanced EmbeddedICE in-chip debug system and enhanced DSP-capable multiplier. The Thumb core delivers 32-bit RISC performance at 16-bit system cost through efficient use of a compressed set of 16-bit instructions, reducing memory use by a third and minimizing overall system costs.

HP intends to produce emulation and logic analysis tools that will aid users developing systems based on ARM's CPUs.

"We are pleased to be working with HP," said Joe Barrett, manager, ARM's Development Systems. "HP's decision to support ARM architecture with its tools strengthens the quality and capability of the development tools available to users of ARM cores."

HP's initial offering for the ARM product family is an inverse assembler, which disassembles address and data-bus binary information captured by an HP logic analyzer and translates it into assembly code and symbols, making it easier to read. When augmented by HP's software analyzer, the corresponding source-code line also can be displayed.

HP also is adapting its LAN-based processor probe, which provides JTAG-based emulation, to operate with the ARM7TDMI, which contains ARM's EmbeddedICE debug module.

"Our customers are telling us about their needs for developing complex, real-time products," said Sam Lee, product manager at HP's Colorado Springs Division. "The combination of compiler/debugger tools from ARM with logic analysis and emulation tools from HP gives users of ARM CPUs a broad and capable tool set for real-time development."

"As we have worked with customers embedding CPU cores, we have seen an increasing need for support of real-time trace and analysis technology," said Jim Jacot, product manager for embedded software development at VLSI Technology, Inc. "We are excited to see HP bringing its test and measurement expertise to bear on the ARM architecture, an emerging standard for embedded-processor designs. The HP products will facilitate our customers' timely product introductions in the areas of communications, computing and digital entertainment."

Arm and HP expect to extend this cooperation to include future CPU cores offered by ARM.

U.S. Prices and Availablity

An HP E2493A multimode inverse assembler for ARM CPU is $1,950. HP benchtop logic analyzers start at $9,900. HP modular logic analysis systems start at $18,000.

About Advanced RISC Machines (ARM)

ARM is a leader in microprocessor Intellectual Property. ARM designs and licenses fast, low cost, power efficient RISC processors, peripherals and "system-chip" solutions for embedded control, consumer multimedia, DSP and portable applications. ARM supports its processor offerings with Development Hardware and Software and contract Design Services. ARM licenses its technology to leading semiconductor, software, and OEM partners worldwide who focus on applications, design and manufacturing. Each partner offers unique ARM-related technologies and services, which together satisfy a broad range of end-user needs. ARM has offices in Cambridge and Maidenhead, UK; Austin, Texas; Los Gatos, California; Munich, Germany; Seoul, Korea; and Tokyo, Japan. To learn more about ARM, visit the web site at http://www.arm.com/ .

About HP

Hewlett-Packard Company is a leading global provider of computing, Internet and intranet solutions, services, communications products and measurement solutions, all of which are recognized for excellence in quality and support. HP has 120,500 employees and had revenue of $38.4 billion in its 1996 fiscal year.

Information about HP logic analyzers is online at http://www.hp.com/go/logicanalyzer/. Information about HP emulation solutions can be found at http://www.hp.com/go/emulator/.

Source: Hewlett-Packard