Technology Optimizes Multicore Systems

Synopsys Inc. has launched its Platform Architect with Multicore Optimization Technology, a new solution for performance analysis and early definition of multicore system architectures in SystemC. Using Platform Architect with Multicore Optimization Technology, designers of SoCs, chipsets and systems can capture hardware/software performance models of multicore system architectures in the early concept phase for robust performance measurement and trade-off analysis, months prior to software availability.

The new Multicore Optimization Technology enables Platform Architect users to create task-driven workload models of the end-product application, known as task-graphs, enabling analysis and optimization of hardware/software partitioning and system performance. After hardware/software partitioning is finalized, architects reuse the same task-graphs and task-driven traffic for SoC-level architecture exploration and IP selection, as well as interconnect and memory subsystem performance optimization. Benefits include optimized multicore system performance, shorter evaluation times and faster time-to-market.

"Developers of multicore SoCs, chipsets and systems often tell us how worried they are about the risks of over-design and under-design, causing either uncompetitive products or expensive re-spins. They are realizing that multicore architecture analysis needs to be much more robust and start much earlier," says Frank Schirrmeister, director of product marketing, System-Level Solutions, Synopsys. "The new Multicore Optimization Technology for Platform Architect allows our users to find and resolve multicore performance issues while architecture changes are still feasible, avoiding costly re-work to hardware and software implementations."

Interaction between providers of hardware and software IP, multicore SoCs, chipsets and systems have become increasingly complex. Multicore Optimization Technology for Platform Architect greatly improves the effectiveness and precision of this collaboration by replacing written and verbal specifications with executable performance models of multicore system architectures. These can be easily shared between design chain partners without depending on final software and hardware.

Synopsys