TTE®32 high-integrity "soft" processors (FPGA targets)
Building on our TTE32 core, we can provide a wide range of complete “soft” processors and microcontrollers on an FPGA platform which are suitable for use in high-integrity applications.
We can match ‘RAM’, ‘Flash’ and ‘Anti-fuse’ FPGAs from any manufacturer.
Where required:
- We can provide fully-documented designs with full VHDL source and complete verification data which are suitable for use in DO-254 / ED-80, DO-178b, IEC 61508 and similar projects.
- We can provide a matched set of RapidiTTy development tools. These tools support the full code development and verification process (coding in C or Ada, debugging, static timing analysis, etc).
Why use a TTE32 processor in your next FPGA project?
- We’ll do the hard work. When you opt for a TTE32 processor, our team of experienced hardware designers will create and verify a complete design for you according to your precise requirements. You’ll be provided with the design and full documentation. If required, you will also receive full verification details (at DO-254 level or equivalent) along with full VHDL source. This will ensure that you can get your product to market on time and within budget – and you won’t need to juggle a complex suite of IP licences from different vendors to do so.
- You’ll be able to choose from a wide range of high-quality software tools. Because TTE32 processor designs are based on a standard ISA, you’ll be able to use a wide range of off-the-shelf development tools. You’ll also – of course – be able to use our tightly-integrated RapidiTTy tool suites to support your development team through coding, debugging and verification activities.
- You’ll be in safe hands. Our TTE32 processors offer hardware support for high-integrity schedulers and related safety (task guardian) mechanisms. Full software support for these features is, of course, provided in RapidiTTy tools.
- You’ll have flexibility in the choice of FPGA targets. TTE32 processors can be provided to support FPGA targets from any vendor.
- You’ll have an easy upgrade path for future systems. With advanced hardware FPUs and multi-core support available (all matched to RapidiTTy tools), your processor architecture can provide all of the performance you require, now and in the future — and with access to complete VHDL source, you can be confident that (even in 50 years time) it will be possible to implement your design on future FPGA technology.
- We’ll provide you with a practical and cost-effective solution. Whatever options you choose, you’ll pay a single, cost-effective licence fee: this fee will include all RapidiTTy and RTOS licences, if these are required.
Software support for TTE32 processors
We take great pride in our TTE32 designs — but we never lose sight of the fact that a processor is simply a device which is intended to run software as part of a complete embedded system.
We therefore provide RapidiTTy software tools with our processor designs which support some or all of the following activities:
- Basic code creation and debugging (in C and / or Ada).
- Static analysis of executable code to determine worst-case execution time (WCET).
- Predicting, measuring and reporting maximum CPU loading values.
- Automated schedulability analysis and scheduler configuration.
- Appropriate test and verification strategies (incl. “modified condition / decision coverage” - MCDC).
Please contact us for further details.
The TTE32-HR2 “evaluation processor”
As an example of the capabilities of the TTE32 “soft” processor family, we have released the TTE32-HR2 evaluation processor.
The TTE-HR2 is distributed with RapidiTTy Lite and is fully supported by this tool suite.
A programming guide for the TTE32-HR2 is also available.
Need floating-point (IEEE 754) support?
Full hardware support for floating-point operations is available in TTE32 processor designs via the TTE32-FPU. The TTE32-FPU is IEEE 754 compliant.
The TTE32-FPU supports:
- addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, conversion, comparison, moving, negation and absolute value calculation
- both single and double precision operands (32-bit and 64-bit IEEE-754 floating point values respectively)
- all four rounding modes (round to nearest even, round up/down to infinity and truncate)
Please note that the TTE32-FPU does not support remainder or square-root functions (as these operations are not included in the TTE32 ISA).
In its standard configuration, the TTE32-HI3 microcontroller design incorporates a TTE32-FPU. Support for this FPU can also be added to any TTE32 processor or microcontroller design.
Please contact us for further details.
Need a multi-core solution?
Even on FPGA platforms, TTE32 cores can operate at up to approximately 250 MHz (at approximately 1.32 DMIPS / MHz). However — as with any processor — memory bandwidth limitations start to have an impact on both performance and temporal predictability at frequencies of around 100 MHz (or even less in Flash-based designs).
To provide high levels of performance, maintain temporal predictability and (in many cases) improve system power consumption, we offer a range of multi-core solutions, including the TTE32-HI3mc microcontroller.
Our multi-core hardware designs are the result of several years of R&D activities and we believe that their combination of performance and temporal predictability is “best in class”. However, we are also very well aware that the programming of multi-core designs (as with any form of “parallel programming”) can present enormous challenges. We therefore provide our multi-core hardware matched RapidiTTy toolsets, in order to simply software development activities for this platform (including the issues of task scheduling and data transfers between cores). The end result is that — from the perspective of a software developer — it makes very little difference whether a single-core or multi-core target is employed: crucially, code can be migrated between single- and multi-core designs (and vice versa) with great ease.
Please contact us for further information about our advanced multi-core hardware and matched RapidiTTy toolsets.
Need CAN support?
Full support for the Controller Area Network protocol will be available in TTE32 designs from Q3 2011.
Please contact us for further information.
Working in ‘hostile’ environments?
We can provide processor designs which are suitable for use in environments where radiation may lead to single-event effects (including SEUs).
Our first public releases of processors for use in such hostile environments will be the TTE32-Aero and TTE32-Space families.
The first public release in the TTE32-Aero family — the TTE32-Ae3 processor — (matched by the RapidiTTy Aero tool suite) will be in Q4 2011. A full development kit will be available at this time.
Please contact us for further details.
Need a reliable and cost-effective custom processor design?
The TTE32-HR2 is just one example of the type of processor design that we can provide.
We can develop such designs to meet your precise specifications very quickly and cost effectively.
All designs are provided with comprehensive suites of matched development tools.
Further information is available.