Free Controller Cores from Actel

Actel Corporation introduced two free controller cores; the small CoreABC and the configurable Core8051s. These cores complement the company's existing library of industry-standard options, including a variety of ARM, 8051 and LEON processor solutions, optimized for Actel's FPGAs. To enable Actel customers to market quickly and reduce cost and risk, Actel also offers a development environment, boards and reference designs to support the processor.

Rich Brossart, Actel, said:

The abundance of software and support available for industry-standard architectures eliminates the pain typically associated with adopting proprietary technologies…

…Our growing processor portfolio enables embedded systems designers to select the best processor for their application and combine it with the core benefits offered by Actel's flash-based FPGAs…

Processor Library with Free Cores
Actel's CoreABC is the small and RTL- programmable soft micro for FPGAs. The free controller features deterministic operation, very fast I/O response (<100 nanoseconds) and supports the advanced peripheral bus (APB) interface. Designers are able to use CoreABC in small Actel devices, such as the flash-based, low-cost A3P030 ProASIC3 device, because the free controller can be implemented in as few as 241 tiles and used without RAM or ROM resources. Implementation starts at less than 10 cents per instantiation.

Compatible with 8051 ASM51 instruction set, Core8051s allows designers to take advantage of the vast array of existing industry tools, knowledge and application software for the 8051 architecture. The controller features one clock per instruction. using Actel's CoreConsole tool, Core8051s can be connected to the APB bus for integration with other APB peripherals .

Development Tools
Actel delivers a comprehensive development environment, including the Libero IDE, CoreConsole IP deployment platform, and SoftConsole software program development environment, boards and reference designs. The processor cores are also supported by third-party tools and capabilities — from highly efficient C-compilers and co-verification solutions to advanced hardware acceleration. Key partners and third-party suppliers include Aldec, CriticalBlue, IAR, ImpulseC, and Keil.

The cores operate with the industry-standard AMBA bus interface. Intellectual property (IP) vendors worldwide support the AMBA bus with a large number of peripheral IP cores

Pricing and Availability
CoreABC and Core8051s are available free of charge via Actel's CoreConsole software. The cores can be used in Actel single-chip FPGAs, including the Actel Fusion, IGLOO and ProASIC3 families.

For more information, visit Actel.