Developers can create a complete prototype of their ARC-based SoC design on Aptix's System Explorer reconfigurable prototyping platform. Developers can add custom hardware by using the Aptix hardware prototyping modules. Software engineers can debug, integrate, and test software components at near real-time speeds under conditions similar to the target application environment. We have often extolled the benefits of an FPGA-based rapid prototyping approach for ASIC design. The ability to emulate at near system speed and to concurrently develop the processor software are two of the primary benefits.
Designers can of course fabricate their own rapid prototype.
System Explorer can combine RTL code, FPGA macros, hardware components, and hardware modules to create the hardware prototype. The advantages of the Aptix's approach are the ability to use C test benches, an established debugging environment, the flexibility of the system, and a hardware environment that can be used on multiple projects. Support for the ARC Tangent configurable processor makes a great deal of sense. It allows the designer to emulate the effects of different processor configurations along with various associated logic implementations. The flexibility provided and the ability to start the early development of the software will be a plus to most design efforts, even though the prototype may not work at SoC speeds.