ARM Community: Trends in Mobile Computing Applications: Part 2 - ARM Community

In last week’s blog I discussed that mobile computing applications now all rely on multiple processors or “cores”. They’ve essentially become portable computers running very demanding applications (e.g., video playback, GPS, facial recognition) and their users now expect near instantaneous responsiveness. Only by employing multi-core designs can these performance requirements be met within the constraints of available SoC silicon real estate.

Multi-core Design Implications
The multi-core trend has significant design implications. To optimize performance they generally use cached and shared memories. Maintaining system coherency (i.e., ensuring that only up to date information is used) requires a cache management scheme. These schemes are most commonly implemented in software running on one or more of the main processors.

Moving Beyond Software Based Coherency Schemes: ARM Rides to the Rescue
As discussed in part 1 last week, such software based cache coherency management schemes consume significant processor cycles and create an extra drain on power, thus reducing battery life. Anticipating this need ARM has now introduced the AMBA® Coherency Extensions, or ACE. The ACE protocol, a member of ARM’s AMBA architecture (Advanced Microcontroller Bus Architecture allows designers to now implement cache coherency management in hardware. By freeing processor cycles and reducing power consumption ACE provides major benefits for mobile computing applications.

Of course, nothing valuable comes for free. There are implications associated with adding new functionality to the hardware of these already complex systems. In part 3 of this blog next week, I’ll identify the key functional verification challenges associated with ACE-based designs and review the best practices for tackling them.

Guest Partner Blogger:
Pete Heller is Senior Product Line Manager for Verification IP (VIP) and Interconnect at Cadence and has played a key role in the growth of Cadence's VIP business. Mr. Heller holds both a BA in Computer Science as well as an MBA from Indiana University's Kelley Graduate School of Business.



ARM welcomes its wealth of Partners in the ARM Connected Community (CC) to submit guest blogs to be published on our multiple community blogs. If interested in participating please submit email inquiries to Tell.Us@arm.com.

The ARM Connected Community (CC) is an extensive ecosystem covering all aspects of ARM-based design, from chip implementation through to system and device design. The CC provides a platform for collaborative innovation, with multiple types of forums for members to work with one another, and with customers, to solve industry challenges, all with the purpose of enabling designers to focus on differentiating features and an accelerated time-to-market for ARM powered solutions.