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Overview of ARM Processors: History, Features, and Market Impact

The ARM (Advanced RISC Machine) architecture, originating in the mid-1980s at Acorn Computers, is a leading standard in the computing industry. Initially named Acorn RISC Machine, ARM has significantly influenced embedded systems due to its unique features such as load-store architecture and fixed-length instructions. With a strong presence in the market, licensed by major manufacturers like Intel and Texas Instruments, ARM has consistently evolved, demonstrating impressive performance through its derivatives like ARM7 and ARM9. The architecture promotes efficient execution and smaller chip sizes while maintaining extensive development tools for programmers.

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Overview of ARM Processors: History, Features, and Market Impact

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  1. Introduction to ARM Processors

  2. ARM History and Original Key Features • First ARM processor was developed in mid-eighties at Acorn Computers Limited in Cambridge, England • Originally, ARM stood for: Acorn RISC Machine • Later it changed to: Advanced RISC Machine • Primary features right from the beginning: • Load-store architecture • 32-bit, fixed length instruction • Many with single cycle execution • Where multiple cycles are required, memory access is minimized • 15 general purpose registers • Instruction pipeline • Originally, 3-stage pipeline • A 5-stage pipeline is available on some of the newer derivatives

  3. ARM Today – www.arm.com • All major chip manufacturers have licenses to one or several ARM cores75%of the market • Selection of license holders: • Analog Devices, Atmel, Cirrus, Fujitsu, IBM, Infineon, Intel, Mitsubishi, Motorola, National Semiconductor, NEC, Philips, Sharp, ST Microelectronics, Texas Instruments, Toshiba • The most popular ARM core for the use in embedded systems is the ARM7TDMI • TDMI stands for: • Thumb • Debug support • Multiplier (64-bit result) • In-Circuit Emulator interface

  4. RISC vs. CISC • ARM is a 32-bit RISC architecture(Reduced Instruction Set Computer) • Compared to the more traditional CISC architecture, a RISC architecture • Has a limited number of instructions • All instructions are of fixed length • Allows for faster execution (often single cycle) • Load-Store architecture:Most instructions require that either the input or the output is one of the general purpose registers

  5. RISC Performance and Drawback • RISC architectures can easily be optimized for best performance • Instruction set with fixed length allow for faster execution • Pipelining can be used more effectively • Chip die sizes get smaller for reduced instruction sets, allowing for faster clock rates • There is only one “real” drawback • Code sizes tend to get bigger • On a 32-bit RISC machine, every single instruction requires 4 bytes of code space

  6. ARM Derivatives: ARM7 • Supersedes the ARM6 • 3-stage instruction pipeline • Low voltage support (some derivatives below 1V) • Van Neumann memory layout with linear 32-bit address space (4 GByte) • Supports 8-bit and 16-bit data types • 32-bit data bus • Supports little- and big-endian

  7. ARM Derivatives: ARM9 • Supersedes the ARM8 • Roughly twice the performance of ARM7 • Harvard memory layout with two 32-bit linear address spaces, one for code and one for data • Improves overall memory access, as code AND data can be accessed in parallel • Double-bandwidth memory access • Making two memory accesses per cycle • 5-stage instruction pipeline • Reduced CPI (Clocks Per Instruction) • Separate memory ports for instructions and data

  8. ARM development tools ARM has one of the widest development tool ranges available on the market • A commercial product listing is atwww.embedded.com/directories/embedded/arm2001/ • C and C++ Compilers, Debuggers • ADS (Arm Developer Suite) • Gnu • gcc • Green Hills Software • Multi 2000 • MetaWare • MetaWare High C++ • Wind River • Diab C/C++

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