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MIPS Ecosystem

The MIPS® Ecosystem has evolved over many years in conjunction with the MIPS Architecture, which was originally developed more than 20 years ago at Stanford University. It is an industry-standard architecture and is one of the most widely supported of all processor architectures, with a broad infrastructure of standard tools, software and services to help ensure rapid, reliable, and cost-effective development.

Many best-in-class companies in the semiconductor and embedded industry form the basis for the MIPS Ecosystem by providing silicon IP, software, hardware solutions and services that support MIPS processors. MIPS Technologies also works closely with many companies, through its Ecosystem, to cultivate a diverse and robust support infrastructure.

Because the MIPS Architecture is openly licensable in both its 32- and 64-bit versions, as well as offered through synthesizable and hard macro versions, customers can implement MIPS-Based™ designs throughout a wide range of products and embedded market segments. Over a hundred licensees offer hundreds of MIPS-Based chips and cores implementations for a vast array of applications-from low-power smart cards to the most sophisticated high-end routers.

The MIPS Ecosystem

MIPS Technologies works with vendors in many areas of embedded design, including those that supply software development tools, operating systems, middleware, physical IP, EDA tools and related products.

Software Development Tools
Surveys have shown that the quality of tools available for a processor is a key criterion for choosing which processor to use in modern embedded designs. MIPS Technologies recognizes this by working closely with major tools vendors to ensure timely and optimized support for MIPS processors. As well as working with CodeSourcery to make available a GNU-based toolchain for MIPS MIPS Technologies has close relationships with Mentor Graphics' Embedded Software Division with its Eclipse-based Nucleus EDGE toolchain, Green Hills Software with its MULTI for MIPS Integrated Development Environment (IDE), Microsoft with Platform Builder and Wind River with the Eclipse-based Workbench IDE.

Operating Systems and RTOS
The leaders in today's embedded operating systems all work with MIPS Technologies to provide support for MIPS processors. These companies include Express Logic with ThreadX, Mentor Graphics' Embedded Software Division with the Nucleus Plus RTOS, Microsoft with Windows CE and Wind River with VxWorks. In addition, MIPS Technologies also works with MontaVista, TimeSys and Wind River to provide Linux solutions to the market.

Middleware
From its inception over 20 years ago, the MIPS architecture has represented innovation and performance. Today, MIPS Technologies and its licensees continue to lead in system performance and innovative solutions for established and emerging markets.

From the most power-sensitive smart card to the most performance-hungry networking and consumer applications, MIPS continues to be at the core of the user experience.

MIPS Technologies works with companies that provide solutions for many exciting applications and markets. These include:

Audio: Dolby, Fraunhofer, Sonic Solutions, SRS Labs
Broadband: Instant802, Interniche, Jungo
VoIP: D2 Technologies, Hellosoft Java: Esmertec, Skelmir
STB: OpenTV, Osmosys, Zentek

Electronic System Level Design (ESL)
A key ingredient in successfully designing SoCs is integrating the hardware design with the software design. This is especially important in reducing time- to-market and risk.

CoWare supports MIPS processors with its Platform Architect tool for SystemC simulation. This allows early system architecture designs to be simulated at a higher level of abstraction. For hardware/software co-verification, the Mentor Graphics Seamless CVE solution supports all MIPS processors. Also, to aid the software engineer in writing software before hardware prototypes are available, Virtio's (Synopsys) Virtual Platform MIPS Malta (VPMM) supports a wide selection of MIPS processors.

MIPS Technologies has joined The SPIRIT Consortium, a global organization focused on establishing multi-faceted IP/tool integration standards that drive sustainable growth in electronic design. Involving industry leaders in the IP supply chain, The SPIRIT Consortium includes major EDA tool vendors, IP providers and integrated device manufacturers among its members along with a number of innovative small and medium-sized supply-chain companies.

Hardware Tools
For hardware bring-up and other debug activities, major companies in the debug and probe ecosystem include Ashling Microsystems, EPI, Green Hills Software, Lauterbach, Magraigor and Wind River.

MIPS Technologies also provides support for on-chip debug tools with the MIPS System Navigator™ products.

Physical IP
Developing SoCs requires using robust physical IP available in a multiple foundries and processes. MIPS Technologies' cores readily support logic and memory libraries from Virage Logic.

EDA Tools
To aid in SoC design, MIPS Technologies has worked with the major EDA vendors to provide design reference flows for many MIPS processor cores. Flows are available from Cadence, Magma and Synopsys.

If you would like more information on the MIPS Ecosystem, please email map@mips.com.