feature article
Subscribe Now

CriticalBlue Provides Multicore Software Development Analysis Environment for OCTEON and OCTEON II Processors

CriticalBlue, a pioneer in embedded multicore software analysis, exploration and verification tools, and Cavium Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ: CAVM), provider of semiconductor products that enable intelligent processing for networking, communications and the digital home, announced today immediate support for the OCTEON® and OCTEON II architectures within CriticalBlue’s Prism software analysis, exploration and verification product. Prism can now b e used by software developers building applications on multicore OCTEON and OCTEON II processors. A free 30 day evaluation copy of the Prism Core PSP for cnMIPS can be downloaded from the CriticalBlue website: http://www.criticalblue.com/prism/platforms/cavium/cavium.htm

Going beyond purely mapping software to multicore hardware, with this release users are able to quantify the benefit of software migration to the dual issue superscalar OCTEON and OCTEON II families. Users are able to analyze data cache misses and pipeline stalls on a thread, function or source line level, resulting in an ability to see the impact of such cache misses on the overall concurrent schedule. All of this can be done on an existing unmodified software application running on a single core model or development board. Beyond that, experienced multicore software programmers will benefit from Prism’s capabilities in the area of performance tuning and multicore software verification. View a 3 minute demonstration of Critical Blue’s Prism capability on OCTEON by visiting: http://www.criticalblue.com/prism/platforms/cavium/media/cavium_controller.swf

Prism is an award winning Eclipse-based embedded multicore programming system which allows software engineers to easily assess and realize the full potential of multicore processors without significant changes to their development flow. Prism analyzes the behavior of code running on hardware development boards, virtual machines or simulators. It allows engineers to take their existing sequential code, and before making any changes, explore and analyze opportunities for concurrency. Having identified the optimal parallelization strategies in this way, developers implement parallel structures, and use Prism again to verify performance efficiency and thread-safe operations.

Cavium Networks’ OCTEON family of Multi-Core MIPS64 processors is the industry’s most scalable, highest-performance, and lowest-power solution for intelligent networking applications ranging from 100Mbps to 40Gbps. These software-compatible processors, with one to thirty-two cnMIPS cores on a single chip, integrate next-generation networking I/Os along with the most advanced security, storage, and application hardware acceleration, offering unprecedented throughput and programmability for the Layer 2 through Layer 7 processing requirements of intelligent networks.

About CriticalBlue

CriticalBlue is a pioneer of flexible, automated system design solutions that meet the increasing performance, power, and cost demands associated with the delivery of advanced electronic products within today’s demanding design schedules. The increasing use of complex, multicore processor architectures has accelerated demand for CriticalBlue’s technology and expertise throughout all electronic industry sectors. Headquartered in Edinburgh, Scotland, with offices in San Jose, California, and Tokyo, Japan, the company has delivered multiple solutions for key aspects of embedded software design, including Prism, a multicore embedded software design environment, and Cascade, a software accelerator synthesis technology. The company is funded by European, US Silicon Valley, Japanese venture capitalists and corporate investors. To learn more, please visit www.criticalblue.com

About Cavium Networks 

Cavium Networks is a leading provider of highly integrated semiconductor products that enable intelligent processing for networking, communications and the digital home. Cavium Networks offers a broad portfolio of integrated, software-compatible processors ranging in performance from 100 Mbps to 40 Gbps that enable secure, intelligent functionality in enterprise, data-center, broadband/consumer and access and service provider equipment. Cavium Networks processors are supported by ecosystem partners that provide operating systems, tool support, reference designs and other services. Cavium Network’s principal offices are in Mountain View, CA with design team locations in California, Massachusetts, India and Taiwan. For more information, please visit: http://www.caviumnetworks.com.

Leave a Reply

featured blogs
May 6, 2026
Hollywood has struck gold with The Lord of the Rings and Dune'”so which sci-fi and fantasy books should filmmakers tackle next?...

featured paper

Want early design analysis without simulation?

Sponsored by Siemens Digital Industries Software

Traditional verification methods are failing today's complex IC designs, which require a proactive, early-stage analysis approach. A shift-left methodology addresses IP block integration challenges and the limitations of traditional simulation and ERC tools. Insight Analyzer detects hard-to-find leakage issues across power domains, enabling early analysis without full simulation. Identify inefficiencies earlier to reduce rework, improve reliability, and enhance power performance.

Click to read more!

featured chalk talk

Analog Output, Isolated Current, & Voltage Sensing Using Isolation Amplifiers
Sponsored by Mouser Electronics and Vishay
In this episode of Chalk Talk, Simon Goodwin from Vishay and Amelia Dalton chat about analog output, and isolated current and voltage sensing using isolation amplifiers. Simon and Amelia also explore the fundamental principles of current and voltage sensing and the variety of voltage and current sensing solutions offered by Vishay that can get your next design up and running in no time.
Apr 27, 2026
9,632 views