RTL Bundles Preconfigured Arm CPU Subsystem

Nov. 15, 2004

The PrimeXsys platform from Arm Ltd. makes it easier to implement an ARM11-based system-on-a-chip (SoC) solution. This "predesigned" CPU subsystem available in RTL form includes the ARM1176-JZF-S processor core. It also packs a level 2 cache controller, the ARM AMBA 3 AXI configurable interconnect, a memory controller, the intelligent energy manager for dynamic voltage and frequency scaling, the CoreSight debug support, and Arm's TrustZone security architecture.

Assembling the various blocks of intellectual property (IP) and then verifying the combined blocks as a full subsystem significantly reduces the SoC's overall design time. The PrimeXsys platform provides a reference design, including the most commonly required functions that support the CPU.

The TrustZone technology in the core ensures that the platform offers bulletproof security for mobile operating systems. It also enables secure wireless transactions as well as digital rights management to protect downloaded multimedia content.

Arm Ltd.www.arm.com

About the Author

Dave Bursky | Technologist

Dave Bursky, the founder of New Ideas in Communications, a publication website featuring the blog column Chipnastics – the Art and Science of Chip Design. He is also president of PRN Engineering, a technical writing and market consulting company. Prior to these organizations, he spent about a dozen years as a contributing editor to Chip Design magazine. Concurrent with Chip Design, he was also the technical editorial manager at Maxim Integrated Products, and prior to Maxim, Dave spent over 35 years working as an engineer for the U.S. Army Electronics Command and an editor with Electronic Design Magazine.