New Agreement Bridges the Gap Between Conventional Design Flows for DSP and FPGA Systems using ESL Tools

– In a new agreement, Sundance Multiprocessor Technology and Celoxica will combine their expertise to offer out-of-the-box digital signal processing (DSP) and FPGA system design solutions. These will be backed up by their established partnerships with Texas Instruments Inc and Xilinx Inc. Sundance is the leading supplier and manufacturer of advanced DSP and reconfigurable FPGA systems. Celoxica is the leading provider of C-based electronic system level (ESL) design and synthesis solutions. The joint approach offers users real progress in complex signal processing implementation.

Typically performed by system and software engineers, DSP programming relies on a software-oriented approach. FPGA devices are often programmed using design tools evolved from hardware-centric techniques. The different approaches and levels of abstraction make it difficult to combine the two technologies. The joint solution made possible by today’s agreement from Sundance and Celoxica uses C-based ESL tools. These enable system optimizations employing a comprehensive array of off-the-shelf modules and systems to address the critical issues of hardware/software co-design, DSP/FPGA integration, power utilization and cost reductions from design conception through to deployment.

"System designers commonly choose between DSP for signal processing systems and FPGAs to implement complex algorithms and signal processing systems," said Phil Bishop, president and CEO of Celoxica. "Combined they can offer a compelling solution for optimization of power, performance and flexibility. The key to unlocking this potential is providing design ease-of-use from both the DSP and FPGA perspectives."

"Many of our customers have already moved to model-based design and IP reuse to help streamline design and boost productivity," said Flemming Christensen, managing director of Sundance. "With more and more effort now being placed on value-added IP and customization inside a mixed DSP/FPGA system, the addition of C-based design that tackles complex algorithm development in hardware and software is inevitable."

The result of this partnership is the development of algorithm acceleration solutions for vertical applications. These include C-based IP modules, optimized FPGA hardware accelerators, and reference board prototypes built on Sundance boards programmed using Celoxica software tools. The companies will initially focus their efforts on software-defined radio (SDR) and complex image processing, and will begin rolling out solutions in Q4/05 at the Global Signal Processing Expo (GSPx) in Santa Clara.

"With this improved design flow for DSP plus FPGA based systems, customers can more easily integrate the performance of TI DSP with FPGA based co-processors," explained Ram Sathappan, SDR business development manager, Texas instruments. "C-based design and synthesis for hardware and software in DSP/ FPGA based COTS systems will address the needs of a wide range of designers."

"Xilinx and our Alliance Program members are seeing increasing market acceptance of our FPGAs for a broad range of DSP applications. We are gratified that Celoxica and Sundance have combined their expertise to make DSP development more accessible to design engineers to further accelerate this growth." said Robert Bielby, Xilinx senior director for vertical markets and partnerships.

About Sundance

Sundance designs, develops, manufactures and markets high performance signal processing and reconfigurable systems for original equipment manufacturers in the wireless and signal processing markets. Leveraging its multiprocessor expertise and experience, Sundance provides OEMs with modular DSP and FPGA-based systems as well as data acquisition, I/O, communication and interconnectivity products that are essential to multiprocessor systems where scalability and performance are vital. With over fifty different modules and carriers for PCI, cPCI VME and stand-alone platforms, Sundance is a solution provider to semiconductor, pharmaceutical and factory automation industries. The company was founded in 1989 by the current directors, is a member of the TI Third Party Network, Xilinx Xperts and MathWorks' Connection programs. For more information visit: www.sundance.com.

About Celoxica

An innovator in Electronic System Level (ESL) design, Celoxica is turning software into silicon by supplying the design tools, boards, IP and services that enable the next generation of advanced electronic product design. Celoxica technology raises design abstraction to the algorithm level, accelerating productivity and lowering risk and costs by generating semiconductor hardware directly from C-based software descriptions. Adding to a growing installed base, Celoxica provides the world's most widely used C-based behavioural design and synthesis solutions to companies developing semiconductor products in markets such as consumer electronics, defence and aerospace, automotive, industrial and security. For more information visit: www.celoxica.com.