Newsletter #2: September 2010

Welcome to Embecosm—home of open source services, tools and models for embedded software development.

Embecosm brings together the open source GNU tool chain and EDA modeling to boost embedded software productivity. Our unique technology allows your firmware engineers to start work earlier, debug faster and deliver robust embedded software reliably on time.

In this newsletter we look at how integrated modeling allows the GNU tool chain regression test suites to be used to verify hardware processor implementations, using tens of thousands of software tests. We also bring news of the latest MILEPOST work, with an invitation to join a new project to create the most optimizing version of GCC yet.

Using GCC Regression to Verify Processor RTL

Embecosm's technology allows the GNU tool chain to connect seamlessly to hardware models of all types. One consequence of this is that it allows the GNU regression suite, comprising tens of thousands of tests, to be run against those hardware models. These tests are particularly valuable, because they are the collective wisdom built from failures of many architectures over the past two decades.

By running comparative tests against a reference architectural model and a simulation model of RTL, we can identify differences which are down to failures in the RTL. A recent case study presented to the Design Verification Clubs of the UK and Netherlands by Embecosm founder, Dr Jeremy Bennett, showed how this technique was used and identified 76 discrepancies on a processor design.

Embecosm have deployed this technology commercially, with one customer reporting that 50-60 RTL bugs were identified by early use of this approach in the design cycle, with final silicon having no errors.

Faster Compiled Code for GCC

MILEPOST GCC uses machine learning techniques, to select the best optimization options for each program it compiles. The original EU HiPEAC funded project finished in 2009, with the release of MILEPOST GCC 4.4, supporting four architectures (Itanium, Xeon, Athlon-64 and ARC 725D). This compiler generated code that was up to twice as fast as that generated by standard GCC with -O3.

For the past year, Embecosm have been working with INRIA to keep the project updated, with a version for GCC 4.5 now available.

Our goal now is to turn this from a research project into a mainstream, commercially viable project. This is a relatively small task, mostly concerned with improving the documentation and portability of the existing work, while ensuring the key architectural features are integrated within mainline GCC.

Embecosm is now seeking partners for a 2-3 year project to complete this work. Partners will need to invest between €30k and €70k over the lifetime of the project. It is anticipated that the project will also be supported by the EU through the HiPEAC initiative.

More information, including details of the benefits to partners are available online, or contact Jeremy Bennett, jeremy.bennett@embecosm.com to register your interest.

Our Commitment to Open Source

Embecosm is a fully open source company. When we develop something new, we give it back to the community. Visit our download pages for application notes, software packages and articles, for you to freely download and reuse.

We can help you into the world of open source. We provide support and training packages for popular open source embedded and EDA tools. Most important we can help bring your tool chain into mainstream open source distributions, so that your products can have the widest possible exposure to the worldwide engineering community.

Find Out More

There's much more information on our website website. Take a look, and don't hesitate to get in touch if you'd like to know more.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Jeremy Bennett,
Chief Executive
jeremy.bennett@embecosm.com