A Case for MCAPI: CPU-TO-CPU Communications in Multicore Designs

ABSTRACT

This paper offers an introduction to the MCAPI standard and illustrates its implementation within the framework of the Mentor Embedded™ Nucleus® operating system and Linux® open source software.

Embedded designs incorporating several CPUs – either multiple cores on a chip, multiple chips on a board, or a combination of the two – are becoming increasingly common. It’s no secret that software development for multicore systems has its challenges, but fortunately, the industry is working towards addressing these key issues and challenges. This paper begins with a brief introduction on multicore design, covering symmetrical multiprocessing (SMP)compared with asymmetrical multiprocessing (AMP) and the software implications, such as the use of multiple operating systems.

The primary focus of this paper is on the emerging standard from the Multicore Association, the Multicore Communications API, or “MCAPI.” MCAPI provides a rational way for software developers to implement communication between cores, even between multiple disparate operating systems.

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