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Improv Systems and Wind River Partner to Provide Closer Connection Between Industry Leading RTOS and Configurable Jazz DSP Architecture
BEVERLY, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 9, 2001--
Improv Systems(TM) Inc., a pioneer in configurable DSPs for
communications and media, today announced that it has become a
WindLink(TM) partner of Wind River Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq:WIND). The
partnership will allow the two companies to tightly integrate their
technologies, most notably Wind River's VxWorks real-time operating
system (RTOS) and its Tornado integrated development environment (IDE)
with Improv's configurable Jazz DSP core and accompanying tool set.
The resulting integration addresses the exponentially rising
requirements for DSP performance imposed by advanced broadband,
wireless and multimedia standards such as xDSL, 3G and MPEG-4.
The companies demonstrated this integration at the
Networld+Interop trade show earlier in May 2001, showing a
voice-over-IP prototype running application software based on the
VxWorks RTOS with function calls directly to the Jazz DSP core through
a standard API. The use of the standard API communication between
WindRiver's VxWorks RTOS and the Jazz configurable processor benefits
system designers by abstracting the DSP code execution from the
application programming layer. This allows many software developers
and designers to use optimized DSP processors without making calls
that are dependent to specific configurations. For example, a DSP code
mode might be enhanced or modified, but its utilization and execution
in this programming environment is transparent to the application
programmer, providing a methodology for upgrading underlying DSP code
without requiring re-compilation and simulation of the application
layer.
``Developers of embedded systems want the efficiency and
reliability of standard RTOS's such as Wind River's for most of their
application development and also need to incorporate unique processor
architectures like Jazz in order to differentiate their end products,''
said Steve Brightfield, vice president of marketing for Improv. ``There
needs to be a tested integration path between the two products and
that is the major benefit of this relationship. Wind River is the
recognized leader in embedded software development and its VxWorks
RTOS is the virtual standard. We are pleased that the thousands of
designers familiar with Wind River's tools and methodology can use
that experience and investment in conjunction with a Jazz-based
configurable platform.''
Skyrocketing DSP performance requirements require many designers
to utilize multi-processor systems where a host processor executing on
VxWorks RTOS must manage multiple DSP processors in order to provide
the computational performance to meet these demands. These
multi-processor integrations can be difficult, time consuming and not
always provide optimal results needed in cost sensitive and battery
operated environments. The tight integration of Wind River's VxWorks
RTOS with multiple Jazz DSP cores provide a clear and consistent
approach to designing embedded systems with high complexity DSP
requirements in a demanding environment.
``Wind River is committed to working with our WindLink partners
like Improv to provide leading development solutions for key emerging
markets such as configurable computing,'' said Caroline Yao, group
manager of partner solutions for Wind River. ``Together our companies
can ensure integrated best-in-class development support for the most
popular and innovate processor architectures including Impov's
configurable Jazz DSP.''
As a WindLink Partner, Improv joins 600 other complimentary
technology providers that are connected to Wind River's products and
services. Among the benefits of the program, WindLink partners can
market their products through Wind River's TradeWinds Partner
Directory. TradeWinds allows developers and potential customers to
search an extensive database of partner products and services
available for leading Wind River products.
Improv's configurable Jazz DSP core is part of Improv's
Programmable System Architecture (PSA(TM)) -- a general purpose,
programmable multi-processor architecture used to implement
multi-processing chips. The Jazz PSA architecture is characterized by
16/32-bit VLIW processors coupled with a highly efficient
communication structure and high-speed access to on-chip and off-chip
memory. The Jazz PSA architecture takes an entirely different approach
to ``programming'' a system onto a collection of hardware resources. The
Jazz PSA 2.0 architecture and its accompanying tool suites introduce
lower power dissipation and smaller die size core solutions as well as
support for designing with legacy microprocessor host solutions such
as ARM's AMBA/AHB bus and MIPS PI bus interfaces.
About Wind River
Wind River, http://www.windriver.com, is a worldwide leader in
embedded software and services for creating connected smart devices.
Wind River provides software development tools, real-time operating
systems, and advanced connectivity for use in products throughout the
Internet, telecommunications and data communications, digital imaging,
digital consumer electronics, networking, medical, computer
peripherals, automotive, industrial automation and control, and
aerospace/defense markets. Wind River is how smart things think.
Founded in 1983, Wind River is headquartered in Alameda, California,
with operations in 16 countries worldwide.
About Improv Systems, Inc.
Improv Systems(TM), Inc. develops and licenses configurable
processors and platform solutions for Voice-over-IP, Networking and
Emerging Media. Improv's Jazz DSP is a programmable, scalable, and
configurable DSP, targeted to consumer electronics and
telecommunications markets. Improv's solution extends beyond the
hardware; it includes a complete tool suite to facilitate rapid,
system level design and state-of-the-art compilation technology to
efficiently map applications onto its Jazz DSP solution. In addition,
Improv offers pre-designed applications platforms for a complete
solution and software components to jump start product development
efforts. Improv Systems has development centers in Beverly, Mass.,
Santa Clara, Calif., and Rochester, N.Y., and direct sales offices in
Paris and Tokyo. Improv is headquartered in Beverly, Mass. (01915) at
100 Cummings Center Suite 343G and can be reached at 978/927-0555 or
at http://www.improvsys.com.
Contact:
Improv Systems, Inc., Beverly
Steven Brightfield, 408/517-4790 x224
steveb@improvsys.com
or
Wired Island, Ltd.
Mike Sottak, 649/941-4218
mike@wiredisland.tc
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