32-bit processor IP company Cortus, based in Montpellier, France, has said it plans to launch three new microcontroller IP cores over the next six months. The new cores will share common technology with the company’s highly efficient APS3 core but address complementary market segments.
Cortus says its APS3 has, since entering volume production in 2008, delivered industry-leading performance in terms of DMIPS/mW and DMIPS/mm2. Under the microcontroller core roadmap, the highly efficient APS3 will be complemented by two new integer and one floating point processor cores. The APS5 will support more complex processor sub-systems requiring caches, co-processors and multi-core architectures. The FPS6 single precision floating point microcontroller core will combine high floating point throughput with a small silicon footprint and low power dissipation.
For small microcontroller subsystems the Cortus will provide an entry-level 32-bit solution with the APS1 processor. This core, with a comparable silicon footprint to existing 8-bit cores such as 8051, will deliver greater computational performance and while dissipating much less power than 8-bit cores. APS1, like other Cortus processors, has been designed to be programmed with C or C++ without the need to use assembly code.
Michael Chapman, CEO Cortus, says: “Although APS3 has been very successful in low power embedded applications such as SIM cards, Bluetooth LE, smart meters, encryption/decryption and touchscreen controllers, customers have been asking for a wider range of performance and complexity options. By mid-2012, Cortus will be able to supply microcontroller cores for applications ranging from high throughput floating point control systems down to programmable finite state machines as well as everything in between.”
All Cortus cores share a common technology base with a modern RISC architecture and native 32-bit performance. They all can use the fast, low latency APS bus with Cortus peripherals. Cortus supplies a GNU-based APS toolchain and an Eclipse-based IDE which supports the entire product family. Ports of FreeRTOS, OpenRTOS and Micrium uC/OSII are available for the processor product range.
ECN Europe 