The SPIRIT Consortium

The SPIRIT Consortium was formed in 2003 to develop a standard to allow Intellectual Property (IP) to be readily exchanged, configured and deployed within multi-vendor tool flows.  The standard which evolved is called IP-XACT.

From the Spirit Consortium: "The SPIRIT Consortium supplies, and will further develop, specifications that enable increased design automation for IP re-use methodologies built on multi-vendor tool flows. This is achieved through unifying ways to describe and provide IP to enable rapid import into tools, automated design configuration and integration, and consistent architectural design refinement from system-level design through to chip layout. By adhering to the specifications, IP suppliers will be able to target their designs automatically to multiple tools, tool vendors will have the ability to rapidly import IP- libraries and designs, and systems-on-chip designers will be able to develop complex 'first- time-right' designs on multi-vendor tool and IP flows customized to their specific needs."

For more information visit www.spiritconsortium.org

IP-XACT component entry

Scarlet has considerable experience in preparing IP-XACT descriptions from existing (legacy) component sources such as component datasheets or verilog.  A variety of techniques may be used ranging from the fully automated to the fully manual.  Our skill is in assessing which technique applies where!

How is Scarlet involved?

Scarlet experience with IP-XACT stems from the very start of the SPIRIT Consortium. More recently, Scarlet staff have gained significant, practical experience of working with the standard both through product developement and through third-party IP preparation. Scarlet is a reviewing member of the Spirit Consortium, and is actively working with Consortium members to improve the standard with practical experience.