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Nov. 21, 2007

ARC International is offering in-house Linux support for its configurable CPU cores and multimedia subsystems. The configurable-core design firm plans to optimize, deliver, and directly support versions of Embedded Linux 2.6, and GNU tools based on GCC 4.2 and future versions.

St. Albans, England-based ARC develops configurable, licensable CPU/DSP core IP (intellectual property) for system-on-chip (SoC) processors. Its Open Source Software Program, says ARC, will accelerate Linux development based on ARC-based processors, especially for home media servers and mobile handsets.

Previously ARC partnered with Codito Technologies on Linux support. Now, the company has apparently decided to handle ports of Linux to its ARC architecture in-house.

ARC Core Family Roadmap
(Click to enlarge)
Stated Derek Meyer, chief operating officer of ARC, "There is an increasing trend by semiconductor companies to leverage the benefits of the GNU/Linux environment for software development. This is particularly evident in applications such as personal media players, set top boxes, and mobile phones, as well as with SoC designers throughout Asia."

According to ARC, vendors of mobile handsets with an embedded operating system increasingly prefer GNU/Linux due to low development costs, flexible licensing, and the large selection of application-level software and middleware. Fellow British core-design firm, ARM, which operates in many of the same markets as ARC, made a similar commitment to open-source Linux development recently, launching an initiative to port Web browser technologies to ARM Linux.

For a membership fee, Linux developers can now download supported and regularly maintained Linux kernel and GNU tools distributions directly from ARC, says the company. Updates will be made available to the open source community on an ongoing basis, as will utilities, applications, documentation, and support, ARC promises.

ARC 750D diagram
ARC boasts over 140 customers worldwide representing shipments of some 200 million ARC-based chips annually, it claims. Its configurable CPU/DSP cores can be easily customized and optimized to achieve "the highest performance, smallest size, and lowest power consumption of any 32-bit processors in their class," ARC boasts.

ARC processors are built on a 16-/32-bit ISA (instruction set architecture) said to unify RISC and DSP capabilities. Custom versions can be assembled to include "ultra small" task-specific processors, and programmable application processor subsystems.

ARC provides 600- and the faster 700-family cores, as well as compatible DSPs and floating point processors. The 700 family is particularly suitable to embedded Linux systems, says the company, with the 700MHz 750D targeted at Linux-based home entertainment systems, smartphones, PDAs, and automotive telematics systems.

Availability

The ARC Open Source Software Program is now available for an undisclosed annual fee. A free seminar on ARC products, ConfigCon Silicon Valley, will be held December 4th at the Hyatt Regency Santa Clara, Calif, with registration available here.

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