ARC EM Processor Family

Unrivaled Performance Efficiency for Embedded Applications

The MIPS ARC® EM Family, based on the ARCv2 instruction set architecture (ISA) includes ARC EM4 and EM6, DSP-enhanced EMxD processors, and ASIL compliant EM functional safety processors.

The ultra-compact EM cores feature excellent code density, small size and very low power consumption, making them ideal for power-critical and area-sensitive embedded and deeply embedded applications.

The ARC EM processors are supported by a broad ecosystem of commercial and open-source tools, operating systems and middleware. This includes offerings from leading industry vendors who are members of the ARC Access Program as well as a comprehensive suite of free and open source software available through the embARC.org website.

Products

ARC EM4/EM6

For embedded applications requiring high performance with minimal power consumption, these solutions offer performance-efficient RISC cores, minimal power and area usage, and excellent code density.

ARC EM5D/EM7D

For embedded applications needing DSP performance and low power consumption, these solutions feature combined RISC + DSP processors, over 150 DSP instructions, and easy DSP programming support.

ARC EM9D/EM11D

For DSP-intensive functions like sensor fusion, voice detection, speech recognition, and audio processing, these solutions offer XY multi-banked memory, fixed-point vector/SIMD DSP support, and a low-power unified 32×32 MUL/MAC unit.

ARC EM22FS

Ultra-compact core designed for low-power, safety-critical automotive applications, featuring a dual-core lockstep processor, self-checking safety monitor, and support for safety levels up to ASIL D.

ARC Software Development Solutions

ARC Software Development Platforms:

ARC EM Software Development Platform (feature rich FPGA based platform)
ARC IoT Development Kit (silicon based platform)

ARC Development Tools and Software:

MetaWare Development Toolkit (compilers, debugger, and simulator)
MQX RTOS
embARC Open Software Platform (comprehensive suite of free and open source software)
ARC Access Program (portfolio of 3rd party tools, operating systems, and middleware)

Products and Licensable Options

Option	Supported ARC EM Processors
Floating Point Unit (FPU)	EM4, EM6, EM5D, EM7D, EM9D, EM11D, EM22FS
Memory Protection Unit (MPU)	EM4, EM6, EM5D, EM7D, EM9D, EM11D, EM22FS*
Real-Time Trace	EM4, EM6, EM5D, EM7D, EM9D, EM11D, EM22FS
uDMA	EM4, EM6, EM5D, EM7D, EM9D, EM11D, EM22FS
Overlay Management Unit	EM6,EM7D, EM11D
Performance Option	EM4, EM6, EM5D, EM7D
Enhanced Security Package	EM4, EM6, EM5D, EM7D
CryptoPack	EM4, EM6, EM5D, EM7D, EM9D, EM11D
ARConnect	EM4, EM6, EM5D, EM7D, EM9D, EM11D

Features

PPA Efficiency

ARC processors are optimized to deliver the best PPA efficiency in the industry for embedded SoCs.

Harvard architecture for higher performance through simultaneous instruction and data memory access
High-speed pipeline designed for maximum power efficiency
32-bit RISC engine offers a mixed 16-bit/32-bit instruction set for greater code density

Configurability

ARC processors are highly configurable, allowing designers to optimize the performance, power, and area of each processor instance on their SoC.

Add or omit hardware features to optimize the core for your target application – no wasted gates
The ARChitect wizard enables drag-and-drop configuration of the core

Extensibility

ARC Processors EXtension (APEX) technology enables users to customize their processor implementation.

Add user-defined instructions to accelerate software execution and reduce code size, reducing energy consumption and memory requirements
Tightly couple memories and peripherals to the processors to eliminate the need for additional bus infrastructure, reducing area and latency and increasing system-level performance