A brand new PowerPC C compiler for automotive microcontrollers
Thanks to good experiences with our C compilers for other automotive microcontrollers, many customers have requested C compiler support from TASKING for the new Power Architecture automotive chips from Freescale (Qorivva/5xxx) and STMicroelectronics SPC56. Compiler compatibility with our VX-toolsets as well as robust and efficient code generation has been often asked for and not offered by other compiler vendors. Altium recognized this opportunity and developed a new C compiler to support the new automotive PowerPC processors, including the multi-core variants.
The C compiler is targeting ISO 26262 application development, with availability of a ISO 26262 compliant and certified compiler in 2013. This new toolset will also be contributed to our Altium Designer solution, enabling the huge user community to benefit from this new development.
With software development experience since 1977, the TASKING tools have build up a solid reputation in the industry in all areas. The following aspects enabled the TASKING compiler suite to reach a leading position in the automotive market with its compilers:
- Stable and reliable code-generation
- Industry-leading code-optimizations on both speed and size
- Versatile Linker Script Language, offering maximum configurability
- Fast (compile-link) build times of your project
- Long-term support arrangements, enabling you to support your customers for the life-time of your products and beyond
- Software security arrangements for guaranteed continuity
- Legacy version support of "frozen" compiler versions
- C compiler technology developed and fully owned by Altium, not relying on any third party IP or open source
- Very active and focussed compiler development
- Continuous compiler qualification against industry-standard test suites and real life applications, such as powertrain ECU code
The Power Architecture Software Development Toolset
The new PowerPC toolset naturally conforms to all appropriate and relevant standards and its code optimization techniques have been optimized continuously during the development, using two extensive powertrain applications from our partners. As the focus of this toolset is to automotive accounts with their own IDE and established debugger solutions, the new TASKING C compiler for PowerPC is initially available as a command-line based toolset without IDE and debugger GUI. It provides a highly efficient C compiler, multi-core ready linker/locator and a simulator. The toolset can easily be integrated in to your company's standard IDE platform, such as Eclipse.
- ISO/IEC 9899:1999(E), as well as ANSI-C X3.159-1989
- MISRA C guidelines supported: MISRA-C:1998 and MISRA-C:2004
- CERT C secure coding standard
- ABI standard as defined by semiconductor vendor
- ANSI/IEEE-754 floating point support
- ELF/DWARF support for tool interoperability
Supported Power Architecture core levels
| Vendor | Series |
| Freescale | Qorivva MPC55xx, MPC56xx, MPC57xx |
| STMicroelectronics | SPC56x |
Read more about the TASKING TriCore compiler solutions
Recommended reading
Press releases related to the PowerPC C compiler
Ordering code
The PowerPC toolset is available now and already under evaluation at various automotive Tier 1s and OEMs. Send us an email to request an evaluation version or for more information on availability to the broad market.
| 07-200-170-012 | Power Architecture C Compiler, Assembler, Linker/Locator, Simulator |
The TASKING Power Architecture tools are available for PC/Windows. Other platforms are supported on request.