Synfora, Inc. (Synfora) said that its PICO Extreme has been selected by Olympus Digital System Design Corp. (ODS), a subsidiary of Olympus Corporation, to develop advanced image processing system-on-chips (SoCs). With these tools, ODS can improve performance of imaging SoCs, and reduce design and verification time and cost. It is projected PICO Extreme will enable up to 30% reduction in design and verification time, from algorithms in ANSI C to verified Register Transfer Language (RTL).

Additionally, the ability of PICO Extreme to perform design space exploration can provide area and power reduction of as much as 30%.

“PICO Extreme is a key to reducing the cost and time of developing and verifying advanced image processing devices,” said Keiichi Nakano, director of ODS and Manager of the Planning and administration group, Imaging Platform Technology Division of Olympus. “We evaluated multiple tools, and found that PICO Extreme is capable of performing complex designs, has the highest capacity, and delivers the best area and performance results. Synfora has unique technology, and provides expert training and support that allows us to be successful from the start.”

“We’re proud that ODS has selected PICO Extreme for its advanced image processing SoC design program,” said Simon Napper, president and CEO of Synfora. “The ODS team are great to work with, and we watched them go through the ‘PICO aha moment,’ when the designer realizes that, unlike traditional HLS tools that allow them to do the same job faster, PICO Extreme enables them to do a better job faster and easier.”

PICO Extreme

The PICO Extreme is an advanced optimizing compiler that uses a recursive system composition methodology to convert a sequential, untimed C algorithm into highly efficient RTL, creating a complete application from a single C program and allowing the designer to deliver better results faster. The C program describes the functionality, and PICO Extreme builds the entire hardware subsystem that “drops in” to the rest of the IC. It allows use of familiar design styles, reduces runtime and achieves unprecedented quality of results that compete with hand design.

Recursive system composition is enabled by Synfora’s tightly coupled accelerator block (TCAB) technology, enabling users to designate parts of their algorithms as application-specific building blocks, which are C procedures that can be developed and verified standalone. The PICO Extreme compiler automatically integrates and schedules these blocks as if they are primitive computing elements. In addition, advanced power exploration and power saving modes give designers the ability to rapidly explore and measure multiple power saving strategies to find the best power, performance and area (PPA) tradeoff.

PICO Extreme is in use at number of companies for new SoCs and FPGAs in video, wireless, imaging and security applications. It is anticipated to achieve 30% more design functionality, differentiation and power efficiency with 30% less verification time, design resource commitment and silicon cost.

Synfora is a US-based provider of algorithmic synthesis tools used to design SoCs and FPGAs.