What kind of processor is arm?

With the growing number of mobile device platforms, and even the momentum to replace the desktop platform, the word "arm" is increasingly appearing in people's eyes, especially on mobile phones or tablet processors, but never see arm's processor, but "the adoption of ARM's latest architecture" processor. In fact, ARM (adanced RISC machines) is not only a generic term for a processor, but also a company name, which can also be considered a technical name.

1991 ARM Company was established in Cambridge, UK, mainly selling wafer design technology authorization. At present, the use of ARM technology intellectual property (IP) core microprocessor, that is, we usually say arm microprocessor, has been all over the industrial control, consumer electronics products, communication systems, network systems, wireless systems and other products market, based on ARM technology microprocessor applications occupy 32-bit RISC microprocessor 75% The above market share, ARM technology is gradually infiltration into all aspects of our lives.

(Arm ecological system)

ARM Company is specialized in technology based on RISC chip design and development companies, as intellectual property suppliers, not directly engaged in wafer production, by Transfer design license by the company to produce the unique chip, the world's major semiconductor manufacturers (RFID RF Express Note: such as Philips, TI, Intel , BroadCom, Atmel, etc.) from arm company to buy its design arm microprocessor core, according to their different application fields, add appropriate peripheral circuit, thus forming their own arm microprocessor chip into the market. At present, dozens of large semiconductor companies all over the world use the arm company's authorization, so that the arm technology to obtain more third-party tools, manufacturing, software support, and the whole system cost reduction, make the product easier to enter the market by consumers and more competitive.

The origins of ARM, if said, "embedded" is the 2001 electronic engineers talk about the most of the words, the 2002 most talked about the word is "ARM." What exactly is arm, he is the name of a British electronics company, the full name means Advanced RISC Machine. Founded in November 1990, the company is a joint venture between Apple Computer, Acorn Computer Group and VLSI technology. Acorn once launched the world's first commercial single chip RISC processor, and Apple Computer was hoping to apply RISC technology to its own system, the new arm of the microprocessor standards came into being.

In the late 80, the semiconductor industry in the early 90 industry chain just appeared division of labor, TSMC, UMC, such as semiconductor foundry is quietly rising, some of the U.S. Silicon Valley fabless companies have sprung up, the so-called fabless companies to design their own chips, But the production process is a package to the production of TSMC and other generation plants. And arm is for the world first, 12 years ago pioneered the chipless production model, that is, the company does not produce chips, nor the design of chips, but the design of an efficient IP core, authorized to use semiconductor companies, semiconductor companies in the ARM technology to add their own design and launch chip products, Finally, the OEM customers adopt these chips to build the system products based on ARM technology. This is a bit like the telecommunications industry's Qualcomm and semiconductor industry Rambus, they stand in the semiconductor industry chain upstream. ARM, which was set up 12 years ago, may be at risk because no one knows if it will work, but now it has proved that arm has gone the right way without anyone walking through it. As an add-on, he has also made it known to the Chinese industry from the window that the UK's electronics company, ARM's success, has led to the development of Britain's chipless company.

Because arm's product is IP Core, there is no physical hardware or software entity, so can only be registered in China as a "consulting" company, although the consultation is only a small part of its business. ARM's core business is the sale of chip core technology IP, the world has 103 giant IT companies in the use of ARM technology, 20 of the largest semiconductor manufacturers have 19 are arm users, including Texas Instruments, Italian and French semiconductors, Philips, Intel and so on. The only one of the 20 giants that did not buy arm authorization was Intel's old rival, AMD, because the Intel portable processor was StrongARM and AMD bought the alchemy company to contend with the MIPS structure.

(IPad Air 2 uses a A8X processor based on the arm core)

The microprocessor core is the most important of arm technology, and the current market-oriented ARM7, ARM9, Arm9e-s,strongarm and ARM10 series. ARM patented technology revenue mainly from two aspects, one is the patent licensing costs, customers if the use of arm patents one-time pay arm costs; The other part is according to a certain percentage of the customer's product royalties, that is, customers each sell a chip, on the charge of the same proportion of fees. These two revenues account for 70% of the company's total income. At present, China has ZTE, SMIC and Shanghai Huahong bought ARM's kernel authorization to produce their own chips. Arm China's other focus is also on the support of chip design companies (fables), the development of university programs. In addition, ARM also authorized the Branch Hui Hongsheng (Impact) and Beijing spin extremely development tools Authorized distributors 2002 years of sales growth in three digits (100%).

In general, ARM's partners are divided into three kinds:

1. EDA Partner Program integrates the expertise of ARM online system design, reusable IP generation and IP model, and develops SOC products with the expertise of leading EDA tool manufacturers.

2. Arm technology Sharing program, for ARM and external design services company Partnership expansion and standardization results, now has more than 2,900 engineers members.

3. The manufacturer plans to enable emerging market OEMs to share arm processor technology for the design and manufacture of advanced SOC solutions.

(Huawei HiSilicon Kylin processor with arm core)

In short, ARM is the UK's world-renowned 32-bit embedded RISC Chip core design company, but also arm's product trademark, its product arm embedded core has been the world's major chip manufacturers, based on arm development technology swept the global embedded market, has become one of the mainstream embedded system technology. Rotary Polar Company as an embedded industry Jiaojiao, is committed to innovation, commitment to arm technology, development and application and promotion, and once again walked in the forefront of the peer, the first set up the ARM research and Development center, and in the country opened the arm based on embedded system development and application training. December 2001, the Rotary pole officially became arm authorized China's only designated training center (ATC) and its series of agents.

ARM development of the 32-bit CPU core, the world's manufacturers can be authorized to produce arm chips. And prices unexpectedly cheap, such as doing network application of 4,510 only need 45 yuan, so low-end products can be used 8051 8-bit single-chip, and high-end products using arm is very sensible choice. Now many people begin to learn arm, start to buy arm test board and JTAG emulator.