Technische Universitat Dresden has licensed Tensilica's Xtensa processor generation technology for us in the Vodaphone Chair Mobile Communications group.

Research

Our Multi-Processor System-on-Chip TOMAHAWK containing two Xtensa DC 212GP processors besides other DSPs, accelerators and peripherals returned from fabrication by the end of July 2007. Unfortunately, all TOMAHAWK samples had a major fabrication defect at mask design: central vias between metal layer 3 and 4 needed functioning of the chip were missing. We had to wait for new, correct samples of the chip, which arrived in Dresden in January 2008. Since then, we have tested TOMAHAWK components step-by-step. The Xtensa processors are the control processors of our MPSoC and therefore, part of all of our test of the chip. Tensilica tools are essential for all of our tests and applications running on TOMKAHAWK. We developed programs for Xtensa processor for many different test cases in assembly, as well as C. Additionally, we changed Linker scripts, as well as, the reset vector for Xtensa program by hand in order to realized special initialization routines and modified target addresses for the unpack routine. An important and often used feature for debugging of OCDDaemon and Xtensa GDB, through a more detailed documentation about the commands useable with Xtensa debugger (set, x/4b,...) and xt-gdbinit scripting would be helpful.

The MPSoC shall be able to baseband processing for a 1GBit/s wireless transmission line. It is part of WIGWAM research project organized by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. Though our tests of the MPSoC are not complete, we can state that the 57M transistor chip with an area of 10x10mm2 and 480 pins works up to now free of bugs at 100MHz. The extension to 200MHs is planned as soon as all subcomponents of the chip are tested completely.

In spite of the delay in the TOMAHAWK project due to the fabrication defect, we intend to use the developed TOMKAHAWK chip in practical courses for students as soon as the chip and board work properly enough. Therefore, it will be necessary for students to work with Tensilica tools (compiler, assembler, debugger,...) in order to program the chip.

Outline of Curriculum and Courses

IC Related Courses

• Hardware/Software CoDesign (theoretical and practical), Digital Signal Transmission (practical), Digital Signal Processing I and II, Digital Systems, Digital Circuitry, Circuit Design, VLSI Architectures, VLSI Processor Design, Industrial ASICs, Design Automation, Logic Simulation and Test

Students/Assistants Outreach

There are 6 research assistants (Diplom-Ingenieur/Mast of Science), one higher assistant (Doctor) and one Professor, who will work with Tensilica tools.
We expect up to ten students in the course using TOMAHAWK with Tensilica tools.

We are interested in college recruiting programs with Tensilica.

Technische Universitat Dresden's URL link