EEMBC(R) Opens New CoreMark(TM) Embedded Processor Benchmark to the Industry

CoreMark(TM) Delivers the First Industry-Standard Benchmark Community

EL DORADO HILLS, Calif., June 1 /PRNewswire/ -- The Embedded Microprocessor
Benchmark Consortium today announced the availability of CoreMark 1.0, the
first openly-available benchmark from EEMBC. While traditional EEMBC
benchmarks focus on specific embedded market segments and are exceptional at
approximating real-world performance of embedded processors, CoreMark provides
a starting point for measuring a processor's core performance and basic
pipeline structure and can be used to evaluate processors ranging from 8-bit
microcontrollers to high-end 32-bit devices and architectures.

To establish an industry standard, all EEMBC benchmarks, including CoreMark,
are defined by EEMBC members and are thoroughly tested on a wide variety of
platforms prior to release. Also, similar to other EEMBC industry-standard
benchmarks, the portability of CoreMark is a key requirement to ensure
wide-ranging usability.

The CoreMark workload contains several commonly used algorithms that include
matrix manipulation to allow for the use of MAC and math operations,
linked-list manipulation to exercise the use of pointers, state machine
operation (common use of data dependent branches), and Cyclic Redundancy Check
(CRC). These algorithms deliver a realistic mixture of read/write operations,
integer operations, and control operations.

"As a service to the entire embedded processor industry, one of our primary
goals for CoreMark was to create a free CPU benchmark standard," stated Shay
Gal-On, EEMBC Director of Software Engineering. "Similar to the infamous
Dhrystone benchmark, CoreMark is free, small, and easily portable to most
systems. However, unlike Dhrystone, CoreMark is not susceptible to a
compiler's ability to optimize the work away and is governed by consistent run
and reporting rules."

EEMBC has set up a specific website (www.coremark.org) for the distribution of
CoreMark source code and the publication of scores. All CoreMark users are
encouraged to enter their scores and platform configurations on this website.
This publicly available list of scores will allow users to make quick
comparisons between processors. Although CoreMark contains its own
self-verification software, to ensure that extra level of credibility, the
EEMBC Technology Center will offer score certifications on CoreMark for EEMBC
members.

"The accessibility of CoreMark will make it easier for embedded industry
cohorts to challenge submitted scores," elaborated Markus Levy, EEMBC
president. "In support of these challenges, and for other topics related to
embedded processor benchmarking, we have set up a discussion group, also
available through our new website. Additionally, the website contains a blog
section to allow EEMBC members to provide more in-depth explanations and
analysis relative to their CoreMark results."

An EEMBC(R) EnergyBench(TM) enabled version of CoreMark is available to all
EEMBC members and may also be licensed separately by non-member companies.
EnergyBench(TM) provides data on the amount of energy a processor consumes
while running EEMBC's performance benchmarks. Further information on
EnergyBench is available at eembc.org/benchmark/power_sl.php.

About EEMBC

EEMBC, the Embedded Microprocessor Benchmark Consortium develops benchmark
software that helps processor architects and embedded system designers better
understand the capabilities of embedded microprocessors and the systems in
which they are used. Currently available benchmark software allows users to
predict unicore and multicore processor performance and its associated energy
cost in digital entertainment, digital imaging, networking, and office
automation applications. Additional suites address automotive, embedded Java,
and telecom applications. The consortium's operations include an EEMBC
Technology Center that provides a full range of benchmarking and benchmark
score certification services in addition to serving as EEMBC's R&D center for
benchmark software development.

EEMBC's members include AMCC, AMD, Analog Devices, ARM, Broadcom, Cavium
Networks, Centaur Technology , Code Sourcery, Cypress Semiconductor, esmertec,
Faraday, Freescale Semiconductor, Fujitsu Microelectronics, Green Hills
Software, IAR Systems AB, IBM, Imagination Technologies, Infineon
Technologies, Intel, LSI, LynuxWorks, Marvell Semiconductor, MediaTek, Mentor
Graphics, Microchip Technology, MIPS Technologies, National Instruments, NEC
Electronics, Nokia, NXP Semiconductors, OKI Semiconductor, Open Kernel Labs,
Qualcomm, Realtek Semiconductor, Red Hat, Renesas Technology, RMI, Samsung
Electronics, Sony Computer Entertainment, ST Microelectronics, Sun
Microsystems, Texas Instruments, Toshiba, VirtualLogix, VMware, and Wind River
Systems.

EEMBC is a registered trademark of the Embedded Microprocessor Benchmark
Consortium. All other trademarks appearing herein are the property of their
respective owners.

SOURCE Embedded Microprocessor Benchmark Consortium

Markus Levy, +1-530-672-9113 (voice), +1-530-672-9439 (fax),
markus.levy@eembc.org, of Embedded Microprocessor Benchmark Consortium; or Bob
Decker, Wall Street Communications, +1-415-409-0233 (voice), +1-650-618-1512
(fax), bob.decker@wallstcom.com, for Embedded Microprocessor Benchmark
Consortium