I just heard from the folks at Sonics (specialists in intelligent on-chip communications solutions) that they are providing designers with tools and IP to help them layout and check their designs free-of-charge. Apart from anything else this eliminates the need to purchase a license, which is common with conventional IP evaluation.

This took a little effort to wrap my brain around at first, but here's the way I understand it. The folks at Sonics have something called SNAP, which stands for Sonics Network for AMBA Protocol.

Their new web-based SNAP evaluation environment offers SoC designers, free-of-charge, tools and IP for capturing and analyzing bus designs. This new product simplifies the evaluation process of Sonics IP, helps designers with their on-chip network designs and eliminates the need for complicated licenses inherent in conventional IP evaluations.

As a unique IP delivery system, SNAP features an intuitive design capture tool, downloadable from the Sonics Web site, to automate and enhance SoC design and evaluation. With little or no training, developers can capture and analyze their SoC bus designs and gain valuable insights into the performance, gate count and power early in the design stage.  Once the design is evaluated, the designer can license SNAP from Sonics to complete the process.

Announced last spring, SNAP is a cost-effective, turn-key solution designed to simplify the on-chip bus design for complex embedded SoCs by turning multilayer bus designs into an IP block. SNAP is well-suited for embedded wireless, home networking and automotive applications, including 3G/4G baseband and WiMAX baseband, gateways and wireless routers, and automotive control and telematics. 

As a complete platform solution, SNAP lowers development costs by reducing engineering costs for multi-layer designs.  For example, all arbitration, clocks, data width and protocol conversions are done automatically.  SNAP includes support for AHB and APB protocols along with optional upgrades for AXI and OCP.  Additionally, SNAP enables easy re-use and preserves legacy IP. The investment made in earlier generation cores is fully maintained as system upgrades become necessary. Click Here to download a free evaluation kit today or for more information on SNAP.