LEON

LEON is a family of 32 -bit processors, based on the SPARC architecture V8. Originally designed by the ESA processor design is now developed and distributed by Aeroflex Gaisler.

The LEON was the first released under an Open Source license complete microprocessor design, the LEON processors are available as VHDL designs for use for example in FPGAs or ASICs.

All versions of LEON2 Leon3 and are fully compatible with SPARC V8. The designs of Leon1 and LEON2 were available under the GNU Lesser General Public License, Leon3 is released under the GNU General Public License. The IP core of the presented in January 2010 further leon4 is not published under a free license.

The Leon3 is also available as a fault-tolerant version Leon3 -FT, in conjunction with a radiation-resistant Actel FPGA, the processor in the Chandrayaan-1 satellite, prism and the Taiwanese Argo is being used.

In addition to the two free software packages GRLIB IP Library with all the necessary components of a system on a chip and the Eclipse-based debugger GRMON the manufacturer also offers paid support, development boards and complete systems.