In March 2008, Imperas (Thame, England) announced it had donated technology for an open-source infrastructure to support developers willing to simulate software running on system-on-chip designs. Imperas is providing some high-level processor models, APIs for building platform verification infrastructure and developing behavioral and processor models, and OVPSim, a reference simulator. These are downloadable for free from the OPVworld.org website or from SourceForge, an open-source code repository.

Tensilica specified that wrapper files enabling integration of the Tensilica processor models can be downloaded, for free, from the OPVworld.org website. These models will run with Tensilicas TurboXim fast functional simulator, which is claimed to simulate at speeds 40 to 80 times faster than a traditional instruction set simulator.

In a commentary, Chris Jones, Tensilicas director of strategic alliances, noted that open source, non-proprietary tools, such as those available from OVP, have become key components for the growth of multicore design.

Since the launch of OVP, claimed Imperas, more than 250 people have registered on the OVP discussion forum, and over 100 unique companies and institutions have downloaded nearly 1,000 OVP files.