<p>The fast-changing communications market requires high-performance yet flexible network-processingplatforms. StepNP is an exploratory network processor simulation environment for exploring applications, multiprocessor network-processing architectures, and SoC tools. Supporting model interaction, instrumentation, and analysis, the platform lets R&D teams easily add new processors, coprocessors, and interconnects.</p>

Essaid Bensoudane, Chuck Pilkington, Pierre Paulin, "StepNP: A System-Level Exploration Platform for Network Processors", IEEE Design & Test of Computers, vol. 19, no. , pp. 17-26, November/December 2002, doi:10.1109/MDT.2002.1047740