Mentor Graphics Launches Comprehensive Solution for Heterogeneous Multicore Embedded Software Development

WILSONVILLE, Ore. -- July 16, 2013 -- Mentor Graphics Corporation (NASDAQ: MENT) today announced the embedded software industry’s first comprehensive solution for heterogeneous multicore system-on-chip (SoC) development. Heterogeneous architectures are those which combine two or more different types of microprocessors or microcontrollers. They enable the development of advanced embedded systems that consolidate functionality and connectivity to produce high-performance embedded devices. Mentor Graphics is delivering an integrated development solution that spans device configuration, deployment and system optimization for multi-operation system devices that include the Linux® platform, real-time operating system (RTOS), and bare-metal applications. This solution helps design teams to quickly develop high-performance applications for industrial, medical, automotive, telecommunications, networking, and consumer electronics products.

The Mentor Graphics® embedded development solution for heterogeneous multicore systems adds several new features that can execute natively or with a hypervisor. These features include:

• Support for the remote processor framework (remoteproc) for Mentor® Embedded Linux®, Nucleus® RTOS and bare-metal applications. This aids in the configuration, development, deployment and management of operating systems and applications across heterogeneous SoC cores
• Scalable implementations of VirtIO, rpmsg and the Multicore Communications API (MCAPI) across operating systems to provide efficient inter-processor communication (IPC) for separated device subsystems
• Graphical debugging and performance analysis tools that enable a system-wide, synchronized perspective across operating systems and functions

"Next generation SoCs enable the development of unique embedded systems by extending today’s multicore homogeneous architectures with heterogeneous cores," stated Markus Levy, president of the Multicore Association and chairman of the Multicore and the Internet of Things (IoT) Developers Conferences. “Mentor Graphics’ continued investment in embedded software and delivery of an integrated heterogeneous multicore development solution will enable embedded developers to more easily take full advantage of these complex heterogeneous SoCs.”

Successful use of heterogeneous multicore SoCs that combine multicore micro-processors and multicore micro-controllers extends beyond the traditional use of Symmetric Multi-Processing (SMP) and Asymmetric Multi-Processing (AMP) approaches. The new integrated solution from Mentor Graphics addresses many of the challenges designers face with heterogeneous systems including:

• Configuring and deploying multiple operating systems and applications across processors
• Booting multiple operating systems efficiently and in a coordinated manner across micro-processors and micro-controllers
• Communicating between isolated sub-systems on a multi-core processor or between heterogeneous processors
• Visualizing interactions between multiple operating systems

“Mentor Graphics’ market-leading embedded software technologies and advanced multicore devices from Texas Instruments create an ideal ecosystem so that our customers can develop leading-edge products with ease,” stated Adrian Valenzuela, marketing director, Texas Instruments. “Mentor has a unique and comprehensive solution to manage the complexities of multicore heterogeneous development.”

Product Availability and Additional Information
Mentor Graphics software products for heterogeneous multicore development are available now. A webinar titled “Debugging Multicore and Heterogeneous Systems” will be held on August 5, 2014 at 9:00 a.m. PDT. To register, go to: http://www.mentor.com/embedded-software/events/debugging-multicore-and-heterogeneous-embedded-systems.

About Mentor Embedded
The Mentor Graphics Embedded Software Division enables embedded development for a variety of applications including automotive, industrial, smart energy, medical devices, and consumer electronics. Embedded developers can create systems with the latest processors and micro-controllers with commercially supported and customizable Linux-based solutions including the industry -leading Sourcery™ CodeBench and Mentor Embedded Linux products. For real-time control systems, developers can take advantage of the small-foot-print and low-power-capable Nucleus RTOS. For more information, visit www.mentor.com/embedded-software/.

About Mentor Graphics
Mentor Graphics Corporation is a world leader in electronic hardware and software design solutions, providing products, consulting services and award-winning support for the world’s most successful electronic, semiconductor and systems companies. Established in 1981, the company reported revenues in the last fiscal year in excess of $1.15 billion. Corporate headquarters are located at 8005 S.W. Boeckman Road, Wilsonville, Oregon 97070-7777. World Wide Web site: www.mentor.com.