Mentor Graphics Corporation (NASDAQ: MENT) today announced that its Mentor® Embedded Sourcery™ CodeBench product supports code generation for the Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. (QTI) Hexagon™ DSP architecture for control and signal processing. Mentor Graphics is the first vendor to provide a commercially supported GNU toolchain for the Hexagon DSP architecture, supporting a wide range of embedded applications, including microcontroller, signal processing and control applications, along with commercial services to support this product offering.
With thousands of downloads a month, the Mentor Sourcery CodeBench technology is the industry’s most popular embedded development toolchain. The Sourcery CodeBench product provides high-quality and free command-line tools, and a low-cost, integrated development environment (IDE), serving as a single global standard for the GNU toolchain to support QTI’s customers with a software development ecosystem.
Every Qualcomm Snapdragon™ processor contains multiple Hexagon DSPs, providing key programmable resources for real-time modem and multimedia functions such as gaming, media and user interfaces. QTI’s Developer Network (QDevNet) has added the Hexagon Access Program to expand developer access to the Hexagon processors’ C programmable computing resources within Snapdragon-based products. This enables QTI’s OEM customers and independent software vendors (ISVs) to create new power optimized, multimedia features or implement new compute paradigms.
“The role of DSPs is expanding dramatically in smartphone and tablet SoCs with an emphasis on enhanced user interfaces using voice, gesturing and imaging,” said Steve Brightfield, director of product management in QTI’s QCT division. “Enabling these advanced features in a C/C++ programming environment requires excellent tools with partners like Mentor in the development, distribution and support of our programming environments.”
Mentor is supporting QTI’s Hexagon DSP tools chain as part of its Embedded Hardware Enablement Program. The program provides a range of comprehensive services and training for embedded Android, Linux®, open source tools (GNU, GCC, Eclipse), user interface creation, and vertical markets, such as in-vehicle infotainment (IVI), smart energy, and retail applications designed specifically for hardware companies. More information can be found at http://go.mentor.com/mehep.
“Advanced processor architectures, such as QTI’s Hexagon DSPs, use complex instruction set architectures and place extraordinary demands on compilers and related tools,” said Glenn Perry, general manager of Mentor Graphics Embedded Software Division. “Mentor is the recognized leader in GCC commercial compiler products and support, ranging from microcontrollers to DSPs, so QTI’s customers should realize the performance gains required for device optimization as a competitive advantage.”
The Mentor Graphics Embedded Software Division comprises the Mentor Embedded family of products and services, including embedded software intellectual property (IP), tools, and professional consultant services to help embedded developers and silicon partners optimize their products for design and cost efficiency. The Mentor Embedded team continues to lead the industry with involvement in the open source community, with Inflexion 2D and 3D UI development, the Sourcery™ open source tools, and the Nucleus RTOS solutions. More information on Mentor Embedded products and services can be found at www.mentor.com/embedded.
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 of about $1,015 million. Corporate headquarters are located at 8005 S.W. Boeckman Road, Wilsonville, Oregon 97070-7777. World Wide Web site: http://www.mentor.com/.