Linux for Synopsys ARC Processors

Linux for Synopsys ARC® processors (ARC Linux) offers all of the benefits of open source software, including complete source code and a large install base. ARC Linux allows software developers to leverage a large amount of Linux-compatible application software to quickly build complex systems using open source components. It runs on the ARCv2 and ARCv3 ISA-based processors including ARC HS38, HS48, HS58 and HS68 processors. The latest version of ARC Linux is available from the official Linux Kernel Archives at kernel.org and older versions are available from Synopsys via GitHub.

ARC Linux is tested and verified on Synopsys ARC development platforms as well as on Synopsys ARC nSIM and open-source QEMU simulation platforms.

ARC Linux supports:

• Multiple open-source build systems: Buildroot, Yocto/OpenEmbedded and OpenWrt
• Standard development tools including Strace and Linux Perf
• Many architecture-independent features of the Linux kernel, including high-resolution timers, tickless idle (for lower power), device tree support and others

The following features of ARC processors are supported in ARC Linux:

• ARC core performance counters (configurable hardware extension)
• Automatic detection of instruction cache and data cache configuration
• ARC SIMD, DMA and extensions
• ARC architecture-specific features and optimizations for efficient ARC hardware use

ARC Linux is integrated, built and tested with the GNU Tool Chain for Synopsys ARC processors (ARC GNU Tool Chain). This tool chain is provided pre-built and as source packages that can be built to run on the user’s host system. Synopsys maintains and supports the Synopsys ARC Linux kernel and ARC GNU Tool Chain.