ARM处理器2012杀手锏：战神与巨人

ARM日前揭示2012年核心发展蓝图，今年这家处理器核心巨擘的产品发展重点包含高性能处理器、低功耗微控制器和绘图核心。ARM首先揭示下一代绘图核心代号── Skrymir和Tyr 。 Skrymir的意义是北欧神话中的巨人；而Tyr则是北欧神话中的战神，英语中的星期二(Tuesday)其实便是以和 Tyr 读音类似的古英语 Tiw 来命名。 在说明新的绘图核心时，ARM将Skrymir/Tyr 放在同一张投影片上做说明。这或许意味着ARM在绘图领域也将采取big-little的大小核心配对处理方式。 在处理器部份，ARM提出是大、小核心配对使用的A15和A7核心。对大多数处于轻运算负载的应用而言，将可仅执行较小的A7核心，有需要时才切换到A15 核心。A15核心负责运算负载较重的应用，因为这类应用需要更多时脉频率，在切换到A15核心时，A7核心便会关闭。在A7和A15核心之间的任务转移都 是由可驱动动态电压和频率调节的相同系统所触发。 ARM公司CEO Warren East表示，Skrymir和Tyr核心的细节将在今年稍晚公布。这些核心的应用范围将包含手机、行动运算到消费电子设备，他并表示ARM已经和业界领先伙伴合作就新核心展开开发工作。当被问及Skrymir/Tyr的命名方式是否意味着新产品也会采取big-little的大小芯片配对方法 时，East并未正面回答，但他表示，该公司打算将big-little概念带到绘图产品领域中。 在此同时，ARM也以古代神话中的巨人和神祇──Atlas和Apollo──为其下一代高阶处理器核心命名。ARM支持64位运算的全新ARMv8-A架构产品将会以Atlas和Apollo命名。这些新的芯片可能会采用20nm制程技术，应用范围涵盖服务器到智能手机。包括AppliedMicro和Nvidia在内，已有四家与ARM签署架构授权，另外ARM也表示，已经与两家领先的合作伙伴签署下一代处理器核心授权协议。 ARM的Atlas/Apollo处理器可能也意味着Atlas将会是‘big-little’中的‘big’，而Apollo则化表着‘little’。“我们预计2014年量产Atlas和Apollo芯片，届时20nm技术将会是主流，”East说。 在 ARM的2012年产品发展蓝图中，第五颗芯片的名字既不是神祇，也不是巨人，而是以‘Flycatcher’作为代号──这是ARM Cortex-M系列的新产品，据称将会是ARM处理器核心中体积最小、功耗最低的产品。ARM透露，目前已经和一家领先的伙伴合作就新核心进行开发。 East 表示，超低功耗的Flycatcher将能满足智能型传感器的应用需求。在无线传感器网络(WSN)中，智能型传感器是构成网络节点的关键。“之前推出的 ARM7 Thumb是低功耗核心；下一代的Cortex-M0则是Thumb2产品，功耗更低，但Flycatcher的更耗比它们还低，”East说。 编译： Joy Teng 本文授权编译自EE Times，版权所有，谢绝转载 参考英文原文： ARM tips 'gods and giants' roadmap ，by Peter Clarke

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{pagination} ARM tips 'gods and giants' roadmap Peter Clarke LONDON – Processor and related IP licensor ARM Holdings plc has disclosed the names, but little else, on the roadmap of cores it is working on in 2012 and revealed a gods and giants theme. The roadmap includes high performance processors, a low power microcontroller and graphics cores. The codenames for the next-generation graphics cores are Skrymir and Tyr. Skrymir is a giant in Norse mythology and Tyr was a god of war and single combat and whose day is Tuesday. ARM paired these two cores together in a slide set shown to analysts as it presented its financial results for 4Q11. This might suggest that Skrymir/Tyr will be the means by which ARM will deliver its big-little processing approach in the graphics domain. In the processor domain ARM offers paired A15 and A7 cores as the big and little elements. For most of the time light computational load applications run on the A7 while the A15 is switched off. As the computational load increases clock frequency is wound up until eventually the application moves to the A15 and the A7 is switched off. The movement of tasks between paired A7 and A15 cores is triggered by the same system that drives the dynamic voltage and frequency scaling. Warren East, CEO of ARM, described the Skrymir and Tyr cores as being about high performance and energy efficiency, but said further details would be released later in 2012. The cores are intended to cover a range of applications from phones though mobile computing to consumer electronics and ARM has signed lead partners for the development of the cores. When asked if the close coupling of the names, in the form Skrymir/Tyr, indicated a big-little pair East declined to answer directly but said: "The plan will be to bring the big-little approach to graphics." ARM has chosen a classical giant and god for the names of its next-generation high-end processing cores. Atlas and Apollo will implement the ARMv8-A architecture which supports 64-bit computing. The chips are being designed for likely implementation in 20-nm manufacturing process technology and to address applications from servers down to smartphones. Four architecture licensees, including AppliedMicro and Nvidia, are signed up and ARM has two lead partners signed for next generation processor cores, ARM said. ARM's linking of the names as Atlas/Apollo could again suggest that Atlas is intended to be the "big" and Apollo the "little" in a big-little pairing. "We expect Atlas, Apollo to come into volume in 2014 and at that time it will be a 20-nm world out there," said East. The fifth chip in the 2012 roadmap is neither god nor giant. The chip, codenamed Flycatcher, is part of ARM's Cortex-M series and will be the smallest and lowest power ARM processor core available. ARM has one lead partner signed up to help the company develop the core. East said the ultralow power Flycatcher would be a natural fit in intelligent sensors and for nodes in wireless sensor networks. "ARM7 Thumb was a low power core back in the day. Cortex-M0 is Thumb2 product and even lower power and Flycatcher will be even lower power; inherently low power," said East.