AMD has released source code aimed at making it easier to build media applications for x86 multicore processors.
The AMD Performance Library, which is now called Framewave, is available on SourceForge.
Credit: CNET News.com
The framework is a collection of routines that optimise performance of media-oriented applications on multicore processors. For example, a developer could link to a library that optimises video display on a specific graphics card.
By starting a project at SourceForge.net, the chipmaker will allow programmers to customise and further optimise the software, which will work with compilers for Linux, Windows, and Solaris, said Margaret Lewis, AMD's director of commercial solutions and software strategy.
Experts say creating tools for developers to optimise their work for multicore processors is one of the biggest challenges the semiconductor industry faces.
Multimedia applications, in particular, get a relatively big performance boost by optimising the code, Lewis said.
"Those particular applications are demanding and very complex, and a lot of the time, those routines are used repetitively," Lewis said.
AMD will continue contributing to the software and take outside contributions through the Framewave project, she added.
