Dev kit accelerates software development for ARC-based systems

The ARC HS Development Kit includes a multicore ARC HS-based chip, implemented in a TSMC 28 HPM process, that integrates a wide range of interfaces including Ethernet, USB, SDIO, I2C, SPI, UART, and GPIO, as well as a Vivante GC7000 Nano Ultra GPU. The kit also features an on-board WiFi and Bluetooth module. This combination of ARC HS processors and the comprehensive set of peripherals allow developers to build and debug complex software on a fully-featured hardware platform.

The ARC HS Development Toolkit is configurable to support single-core and dual-core ARC HS34 processors and single-, dual- and quad-core ARC HS36 and HS38 processors, giving developers the flexibility to use a single development board for multiple ARC HS processor configurations. The kit offers an ARC HS processor running at 1GHz and includes 4GB of DDR memory to run full software loads. The ARC HS Development Kit is ready for immediate software development and with support for the Linux kernel, Yocto, and Buildroot systems, developers can immediately begin Linux application development.

For bare-metal and RTOS-based development, the freely available embARC Open Software Platform (OSP) provides drivers, FreeRTOS and middleware for embedded and IoT application development. All software for the ARC HS Development Kit is available on the embARC website, a comprehensive resource for embedded developers that provides a single point of access to free and open source software (FOSS) and tools to accelerate the development of embedded applications for ARC Processors.

The ARC HS Development Kit is supported by Synopsys' ARC MetaWare Development Toolkit, enabling the development and debugging of highly optimised, high-density code. The GNU Toolchain for ARC also supports the ARC HS3x family of processors. A HapsTrak connector, enabling designers to easily connect the ARC HS Development Kit to Synopsys' HAPS FPGA-based prototyping system, extends the platform so that it can be used for prototyping of new IP and associated driver development. The ARC HS Development Kit is extensible through the available Digilent Pmod, mikroBUS, and Arduino connectors.

"Embedded designs are becoming increasingly complex, making integrated hardware and software solutions necessary to help designers speed their SoC development," said John Koeter, Vice President of marketing for IP at Synopsys. "Synopsys' ARC HS Development Kit provides developers with a ready-to-use platform and access to a comprehensive set of free and open source software, drivers and operating systems to reduce development time and effort."