ARM Code to Run on MIPS-based Processors

ARM Code to Run on MIPS-based Processors
By David Larner, Embedded Systems
October 15, 2001 (9:29 a.m. EST)
URL: http://www.eetimes.com/story/OEG20011015S0010

Transitive Technologies, a developer of CPU morphing software, and Alchemy Semiconductor, an Austin-based fabless semiconductor company has announced they are working together to enable application software written for ARM-based platforms to run on the Alchemy's family of high performance, low power MIPS microprocessors and evaluation platforms.

Transitive's Dynamite A/M is providing Alchemy with a "Synthetic ARM" CPU software engine that enables their family of products to translate ARM binary code to MIPS binary code. It will scale Alchemy's current family of products, which include the 400 MHz, 1/2 watt Au1000 and the PCI enabled Au1500.

This technology utilises a CPU configurable software platform that allows code written for a subject instruction set architecture (ISA) to transparently run a target ISA at native speeds or better.

The current implementation of Dynamite A/M runs on a Linux operating system. The company plans to develop future versions of Dynamite A/M next year, supporting WinCE as well as other relevant operating systems.

Transitive is demonstrating its ARM to MIPS platform, called Dynamite A/M, on Alchemy's reference design at the Microprocessor Forum in San Jose this week, October 15-17.