Synopsys is expanding processor designs with the RISC-V ARC-V family

Synopsys has announced its plans to expand its processor intellectual property portfolio with the new RISC-V ARC-V family.

This means the company is providing next-generation ARC-V processor designs, using the RISC-V architecture, for chip applications in the automotive, storage and embedded IoT markets.

Synopsys said the new IP aims to provide customers with a versatile and expandable range of processors, ensuring optimal power performance efficiency tailored to their specific applications. The company made the announcement at the RISC-V North America 2023 event in Santa Clara, California, in the heart of Silicon Valley.

Leveraging its extensive experience in developing processor IP and software toolkits, Synopsys has designed the next generation of ARC-V IP processors, which build on the well-established microarchitecture of existing ARC processors, enriched by the expansive RISC-V software ecosystem.

Various options for different workloads

The Synopsys ARC-V IP processor comes in high-performance, mid-range, ultra-low power and functional safety versions, accommodating a wide range of application workloads. To facilitate software development, Synopsys has equipped the ARC-V processor IP with the powerful and proven Synopsys MetaWare development toolset, ensuring highly efficient code generation.

Synopsys.ai, a complete AI-based Electronic Design Automation (EDA) suite, co-optimized with ARC-V Processor IP, creates a comprehensive development and verification environment that improves the productivity and quality of results for systems-on-chip (SoCs) based to ARC-V.

Developing the semiconductor ecosystem

Once upon a time, Synopsys provided the tools needed to design chips. Now the ecosystem is changing and gaining more experience in chip design.

As the automotive industry and others seek flexibility within the semiconductor ecosystem, there is a growing move toward open standards such as RISC-V. The move is consistent with Synopsys’ safety-certified RISC-V-based IP processor certification, supporting high-performance automotive systems with functional safety. Major industry players, such as Infineon, are excited about this progress, and emphasize the need for open standards to build robust automotive solutions.

“The increasing numbers of chips in automotive systems require flexibility in the semiconductor ecosystem, and to this end, the industry is pushing for the adoption of open standards such as RISC-
“By developing a safety-certified RISC-V-based processor IP, Synopsys supports us to expand architecture options with an open standard to build high-performance automotive systems at the highest levels,” Thomas Böhm, senior vice president of automotive microcontrollers at Infineon, said in a statement. Job Security, we look forward to continuing to partner with them in our future products.

“The global adoption of the open-standard RISC-V ISA defines the future of semiconductor design, and through the commitment and advancement of technology innovators like Synopsys, RISC-V continues to accelerate the future of computing,” said Calista Redmond. CEO of RISC-V International, in a statement. “The Synopsys ARC-V IP, combined with the company’s enhanced EDA and verification solutions, contributes to increased flexibility and choice in the RISC-V ecosystem to the benefit of chip design across industries.”

Decades of experience

Synopsys has a history of delivering energy-efficient and scalable ARC processors used in billions of SoCs across automotive, storage, consumer and IoT applications. This expertise has allowed the company to support the RISC-V ISA with highly configurable and scalable processors that enable developers to differentiate their SoCs, optimizing power, performance and space balance.

Synopsys also offers a range of tools and technologies to accelerate the design and verification process of SoC chips using its RISC-V ARC-V IP processor. This includes Synopsys.ai, Fusion QuickStart Implementation Kits, verification solutions, and a Cloud SaaS platform to streamline design processes.

Synopsys has also taken an important step by joining the RISC-V International Board of Directors and Technical Steering Committee, underscoring its commitment to shaping the future of computing architecture standards and promoting industry adoption of the RISC-V ISA standards.

Availability

The Synopsys ARC-V Processor IP family is expected to be generally available in 2024. The 32-bit Synopsys ARC-V RMX embedded processor IP is scheduled to be available in Q2 2024, while the true 32-bit Synopsys ARC-V RHX The timing processor IP and host processor IP will follow Synopsys ARC-V RPX 64-bit in the second half of 2024.