ARM Announces PrimeCell Generic Interrupt Controller

CAMBRIDGE, UK --  May 12, 2008 -- ARM today announced the immediate availability of the ARM PrimeCell® Generic Interrupt Controller (PL390). The Generic Interrupt Controller (GIC) is a high-performance, area–optimized PrimeCell peripheral suCpporting the ARM Generic Interrupt Controller architecture. Highly configurable and programmable, the GIC is suitable for single and multi-processor systems, presenting a common Programmer’s Model accessible via AMBA® 3 AXI™ or AMBA AHB-Lite™ interfaces. It also provides a natural migration path for PL190/PL192 users.

GIC in a Multi-Processor System

Product benefits:

• Highly configurable - designed to satisfy user requirements in a variety of system applications.
• An interrupt type for every situation:
        o Software-generated Interrupts (SGIs)
        o Private Peripheral Interrupts (PPIs)
        o Shared  Peripheral Interrupts (SPIs)
• Rich and flexible inter-processor communication through multiple SGI broadcasting modes
• Advanced status tracking for interrupts through assertion, acknowledgement and ending
• Masking and prioritization of interrupts even at CPU-specific level in multiprocessor environments
• Interrupt pre-emption support
• Intelligent management of interrupt security for systems with TrustZone® technology support.

Intuitive configurability of the GIC is achieved through the AMBA Designer IP deployment flow.  Some of the configurable parameters include:

• Number of processors supported (1-8)
• Configurable support for TrustZone technology
• AMBA bus interface supported (AMBA 3 AXI or AMBA AHB-Lite)
• Number of interrupts
        o SGI - software generated interrupts SGI (0-16)
        o PPI - private peripheral interrupts (0-16)
        o SPI - shared peripheral interrupts (1-988)

Verilog RTL and IP-XACT component definition for a configuration can be quickly generated and added to the AMBA Designer component library, simplifying the integration of PL390 instance with other components and third party IP.

Availability: Immediate

For ordering and pricing information please contact your local ARM office.

About ARM
ARM designs the technology that lies at the heart of advanced digital products, from wireless, networking and consumer entertainment solutions to imaging, automotive, security and storage devices. ARM’s comprehensive product offering includes 16/32-bit RISC microprocessors, data engines, graphics processors, digital libraries, embedded memories, peripherals, software and development tools, as well as analog functions and high-speed connectivity products. Combined with the company’s broad Partner community, they provide a total system solution that offers a fast, reliable path to market for leading electronics companies. More information on ARM is available at http://www.arm.com.