To take advantage of the cores multithreading capability, ThreadX/MT transparently maps application threads to individual thread contexts on the 34K. Each thread context has a virtual machine context which enables it to run concurrently with other threads on other thread contexts. This multithreading approach significantly boosts application performance, achieving a speed increase of up to 60% over a single-threaded RTOS, according to Express Logic.

The MIPS32 34K family of cores is a multi-threading solution for high-performance, cost-sensitive embedded applications. Single-threaded microprocessors today waste many cycles while accessing memory, which considerably limits system performance. The 34K cores are designed to minimize the effect of memory latency by increasing processor use of otherwise wasted CPU cycles. As one thread stalls, waiting for access to memory, other threads can feed instructions into the pipeline, resulting in a significant gain in application throughput.

Additionally, the 34K core family provides hardware support for real-time responsiveness in embedded applications. Users can allocate dedicated processing bandwidth to real-time tasks resulting in a guaranteed Quality of Service (QoS). MIPS Technologies’ benchmarks indicate that the 34Kc core running just two threads achieved a 60% speed increase over a single-threaded processor with only a 14% increase in area. It is this low-cost performance capability that ThreadX/MT delivers to applications, while managing the 34K’s MT resources transparently.

ThreadX/MT for the MIPS 34K is available now from Express Logic, with royalty-free licenses starting at $12,500.