ARM FPGA Solutions
ARM offers a wide range of FPGA solutions. Today, optimized versions of the ARM7 family and the ARM9 family are available
for FPGA usage. This is in addition to the ARM Cortex-M1, a high frequency, low area processor designed specifically for FPGA.
- A standard processor architecture for all
- ARM processors offer vendor independence
- Software and tools can be re-used across FPGA and ASIC/ASSP
- Easy migration path from FPGA to ASIC
- ARM processors supported by the largest ecosystem - the ARM Connected Community
- Easy to migrate designs to newer and more efficient
- Strong processor roadmap offering solutions at various performance points
- ARM architecture proven in billions of ARM powered products
ARM CortexTM-M1
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The ARM Cortex™-M1 processor addresses the need for a high-quality, standard processor architecture for FPGA applications,
supporting a wide range of FPGA devices, including those from Actel, Altera, and Xilinx.
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The ARM Cortex-M1 processor brings the broad ecosystem of tools and operating systems of the ARM Connected Community to FPGA
users, as well as software compatibility with ASIC optimised processors such as the ARM Cortex-M3 processor. Developers can standardize on a single architecture, supported by the largest
eco-system in the industry, to reduce their hardware and software engineering costs.
The ARM Cortex-M1 Development Kit is a natural extension to the Cortex-M1 processor, enabling developers to reduce engineering
costs through the standardization of products on a single architecture spanning FPGAs, MCUs, ASICs and ASSPs.
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The Cortex-M1 Development Kit, is a complete ARM design solution optimized for Altera Cyclone III Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) devices offering an easy route to deploying FPGAs, enabling developers to benefit from seamless integration of ARM processor technology using the Altera Quartus II and Altera SOPC tools.
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The introduction of the ARM Cortex-M1 Development Kit, comprised of the ARM Cortex-M1 processor
netlist and ARM
RealView Microcontroller Development Kit, offers FPGA developers a plug-in to
Altera’s development environment, as well as access to the ARM processor architecture at an affordable price. The Cortex-M1 Development
Kit will be distributed throughout Europe and the
US
by
Arrow Electronics. The Example System Tutorial (EST), User Guide (UG) and the Installation Guide (IG) for the Cortex-M1 Kit are available on
the
ARM Info Center.
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Actel have announced they are the first licensee of the Cortex-M1 processor, and has made the Cortex-M1 processor available to their customers license fee free for use on Actel FPGAs.
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The Cortex-M1 is available for use in M1 Flash family devices, which have been made ARM-enabled for seamless use of the processor
core. The devices are based on Actel nonvolatile Flash ProASIC®3 (M1A3P1000) and Fusion (M1AFS600) devices. Contact Actel for further details and availability.
Evaluation Programs
ARM has now made it possible to evaluate the Cortex-M1 before acquiring a license to it. There are two evaluation methods
available.
The OpenCores Plus program is available through Arrow Electronics. A free evaluation download is available from Arrow. For
more information on this program please visit the
Arrow website.
The Cortex-M1 is also available for evaluation through the Synopsys ReadyIP program. The Synopsys ReadyIP flow for ARM’s Cortex-M1
processor allows you to integrate the evaluation core within your design and target your choice of FPGA vendor devices from
Actel, Altera and Xilinx. Access to an evaluation version of the core is quick and is provided using clickthrough licensing
and online registration. More information on this program can be found
here.
ARM7 and ARM9 family Solutions
ARM in collaboration with Arrow Electronics now provides optimized ARM7 and ARM9 based FPGA solutions. These optimized solutions
are available on
Altera devices from Arrow. Arrow has licensed the ARM7 and ARM9 family of processors from ARM. Arrow can now provide an optimized
version of these processors along with the customer's SOC on FPGAs with encryption capability. More information on these
solutions can be found
here
The Cortex-M1 and other ARM processors can be licensed directly from ARM for implementation on any FPGA device. To get more
information on this, please complete the form given below.