CEVA Application Optimizer for C-based Development of DSP Cores
CEVA launched the Application Optimizer, which is an integrated optimizing toolchain that enables an end-to-end, fully C-based development flow for licensable DSP cores. Available as part of the CEVA-Toolbox Software Development Environment, the Application Optimizer enables application developers to easily develop software for CEVA’s DSPs purely in C-Level, eliminating any hand-written assembly coding. This results in significantly better overall performance and a shorter design cycle for SoC designs.
CEVA Application Optimizer Elements
- Project build optimizer
- Builds, simulates, and profiles multiple application scenarios
- Matches customer exact application and system conditions
- Creates ready-to-use near optimal project configuration(s) Based on pure C-code without having to use hand-written assembly
- Achieves near optimal results in C-level
- The entire process is fully automatic
- Smooth algorithm migration
- Connectivity with external tools enables smooth algorithm migration
- As an example, MATLAB can be connected to CEVA Debugger allowing parts of the code to run on MATLAB and parts on the Debugger
- DSP and Communication Libraries
- C-callable assembly optimized functions target the DSP architecture
- Native part of compilers standard libraries
- Can be automatically utilized by the compiler
- Enables near optimal performance using verified off-the-shelf code
- Application profiler
- Cycle accurate C-level application and memory profiler
- Takes into considerations full memory subsystem
- Scoring based compilation
- Multiple iterative compilation levels for cycle count and code size
- The compiler automatically checks and selects the best option based on speed/size scoring
- Post linker optimizer
- Linker level optimizations take into account a global view of the application
- Resolves cases that cannot be optimized at compile time
- Achieves significant reduction of application code size
- Test automation
- CEVA-Toolbox graphic operations can be recorded into scripts
- Enables automatic generation of full test suite
- Control of full IDE environment with standard Perl script
With the growing complexity of designing a modern SoC architecture, the burden of embedded software development poses the greatest challenge for IC vendors. The effort involved in writing and optimizing software for a given multifaceted system architecture has become the largest bottleneck in the design cycle. The Application Optimizer toolchain along with a number of other key elements in the CEVA-Toolbox Development Environment shifts the software design flow to pure C-level and reduces the burden of architecture-specific know-how traditionally required by application developers.
More info: CEVA
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