Date: 22/09/2009

New Firmware Catalog for Actel's embedded processor development tool suite

Actel has released its new Firmware catalog. This new tool streamlines the locating and generating of firmware that is compatible with Intellectual Property (IP) cores used in Actel embedded processor based low-power IGLOO, ProASIC3 or Fusion mixed-signal FPGA designs.

The Firmware Catalog is a standalone executable program that enables the browsing, selection, and GUI configuration of firmware drivers, hardware abstraction layers and design examples. Through a web connection to a remote repository, the Firmware Catalog reminds the user of new cores or core versions available for download. It also provides detailed descriptions and direct access to user guides. When used with Actel's SoftConsole Eclipse-based embedded software development environment that features a system for rapid production of C and C++ executables for Actel's ARM Cortex-M1 and Core8051s soft processor designs. The Firmware Catalog can also be used with other software IDEs.

"The new Firmware Catalog gives embedded system designers an intuitive and streamlined approach to accessing drivers and other firmware source code that is compatible with IP cores used in Actel FPGA design," said Jim Davis, vice president of software and systems engineering. "The combination of Actel's Libero IDE and IP library for FPGA hardware design plus the Firmware Catalog and SoftConsole for software design provide a powerful design tool system enabling our customers to quickly bring their embedded systems to market."

For more details visit www.actel.com