Actel announced SoftConsole, a free software program development environment for Actel’s CoreMP7, a soft 32-bit ARM7 microprocessor core for field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). Based on the open-source Eclipse Integrated Design Environment (IDE) and ARM7 GNU compiler and debugger, SoftConsole provides a way to write and debug software programs for CoreMP7. The free tool enables designers to develop embedded system applications based on Actel’s single-chip, flash-based FPGAs. SoftConsole seamlessly integrates with Actel’s complete FPGA development tool environment, including the CoreConsole IP Deployment Platform (IDP) and Libero IDE, also available for free. Users can download CoreMP7 via the CoreConsole IDP, then write and debug software programs to run on the core with SoftConsole. Together, the three tools give Actel customers everything they need to develop their CoreMP7 applications in the mixed-signal Actel Fusion Programmable System Chip (PSC) and low-cost ProASIC3 FPGA families.

In addition to the Eclipse IDE and ARM7 compiler, SoftConsole includes a GNU debugger and simulator for CoreMP7. The tool also supports the import of memory map and drivers from Actel’s CoreConsole IDP. The tool works with Actel’s FlashPro3 programmer to program and debug memory. Initially supporting CoreMP7, SoftConsole support for Core8051 as well as other Actel-supported processor and microcontroller cores will be added in the future. SoftConsole is available for free via download.