ARM Cortex-A8
Encyclopedia
The ARM Cortex-A8 is a processor core designed by ARM Holdings
implementing the ARM v7
instruction set architecture. Compared to the ARM11
core, the Cortex-A8 is dual-issue superscalar
, achieving roughly twice the instructions executed per clock cycle
.
(SoC) have implemented the Cortex-A8 core, including:
ARM Holdings
ARM Holdings plc is a British multinational semiconductor and software company headquartered in Cambridge. Its largest business is in processors, although it also designs, licenses and sells software development tools under the RealView and KEIL brands, systems and platforms, system-on-a-chip...
implementing the ARM v7
ARM architecture
ARM is a 32-bit reduced instruction set computer instruction set architecture developed by ARM Holdings. It was named the Advanced RISC Machine, and before that, the Acorn RISC Machine. The ARM architecture is the most widely used 32-bit ISA in numbers produced...
instruction set architecture. Compared to the ARM11
ARM11
ARM11 is an ARM architecture 32-bit RISC microprocessor family which introduced the ARMv6 architectural additions. These include SIMD media instructions, multiprocessor support and a new cache architecture...
core, the Cortex-A8 is dual-issue superscalar
Superscalar
A superscalar CPU architecture implements a form of parallelism called instruction level parallelism within a single processor. It therefore allows faster CPU throughput than would otherwise be possible at a given clock rate...
, achieving roughly twice the instructions executed per clock cycle
Instructions Per Cycle
In computer architecture, instructions per clock is a term used to describe one aspect of a processor's performance: the average number of instructions executed for each clock cycle...
.
Features
Key features of the Cortex-A8 core are:- Frequency from 600 MHz to 1 GHz and above
- SuperscalarSuperscalarA superscalar CPU architecture implements a form of parallelism called instruction level parallelism within a single processor. It therefore allows faster CPU throughput than would otherwise be possible at a given clock rate...
dual-issue microarchitecture - NEON SIMDSIMDSingle instruction, multiple data , is a class of parallel computers in Flynn's taxonomy. It describes computers with multiple processing elements that perform the same operation on multiple data simultaneously...
instruction set extension (optional) - VFPv3 Floating Point Unit (optional)
- Thumb-2 instruction set encoding
- Jazelle RCT
- Advanced branch prediction unit with >95% accuracy
- Integrated level 2 Cache (0-4 MB)
- 2.0 DMIPS / MHz
Implementations
Several system-on-chipsSystem-on-a-chip
A system on a chip or system on chip is an integrated circuit that integrates all components of a computer or other electronic system into a single chip. It may contain digital, analog, mixed-signal, and often radio-frequency functions—all on a single chip substrate...
(SoC) have implemented the Cortex-A8 core, including:
- Apple A4Apple A4The Apple A4 is a package on package system-on-a-chip designed by Apple and manufactured by Samsung. It combines an ARM Cortex-A8 CPU with a PowerVR GPU, and emphasizes power efficiency. The chip commercially debuted with the release of Apple's iPad tablet; followed shortly by the iPhone 4...
- Freescale SemiconductorFreescale SemiconductorFreescale Semiconductor, Inc. is a producer and designer of embedded hardware, with 17 billion semiconductor chips in use around the world. The company focuses on the automotive, consumer, industrial and networking markets with its product portfolio including microprocessors, microcontrollers,...
i.MX51 - Samsung Hummingbird
- RockchipRockchipRockchip is a series of integrated circuits manufactured by Fuzhou Rockchip Electronics Company. These integrated circuits are mainly for applications in mobile entertainment devices such as MP3 players and personal video players.-Rockchip 27xx series:...
RK29xx - TI OMAP3
See also
- ARM HoldingsARM HoldingsARM Holdings plc is a British multinational semiconductor and software company headquartered in Cambridge. Its largest business is in processors, although it also designs, licenses and sells software development tools under the RealView and KEIL brands, systems and platforms, system-on-a-chip...
- ARM architectureARM architectureARM is a 32-bit reduced instruction set computer instruction set architecture developed by ARM Holdings. It was named the Advanced RISC Machine, and before that, the Acorn RISC Machine. The ARM architecture is the most widely used 32-bit ISA in numbers produced...
- ARM Cortex-A9 MPCoreARM Cortex-A9 MPCoreThe ARM Cortex-A9 MPCore is a 32-bit multicore processor providing up to 4 cache-coherent Cortex-A9 cores, each implementing the ARM v7 instruction set architecture.-Features:Key features of the Cortex-A9 core are:...
- ARM Cortex-A15 MPCoreARM Cortex-A15 MPCoreThe ARM Cortex-A15 MPCore is a multicore ARM architecture processor providing an out-of-order superscalar pipeline ARM v7 instruction set running at up to 2.5 GHz. ARM has confirmed that the Cortex A15 core is 40 percent faster than the Cortex-A9 core, all things equal...
- Computer-on-moduleComputer-on-moduleA computer-on-module or System on Module is a type of single-board computer , a subtype of an embedded computer system. An extension of the concept of System on Chip , COM lies between a full-up computer and a microcontroller in nature.- Design :Today's COM modules are complete embedded computers...