ARM: Processor Power Can Be Cut by 60%
By David Manners -- 5/26/2006
Electronics Weekly
reed-electronics.com
The sheer complexity of finding solutions to the problem posed by the power ceiling on IC design means that it has taken some three years from when ARM started its Intelligent Energy Management (IEM) project to when IEM will be used in a product toward the end of this year.
The work has involved ARM, Artisan (now part of ARM), National Semiconductor, Synopsys, Cadence, other EDA manufacturers and Symbian.
“By the end of 2006, we will see products in the shops with chips inside them which use IEM,” said John Cornish, vice-president for marketing in ARM’s microprocessor division.
IEM works at adjusting the frequency and voltage of a device to the minimum levels needed to accomplish any particular task. ARM reckons that IEM allows a 60 percent reduction in power and delivers a 30 percent energy saving at the system level.
Another approach to the power problem is multiprocessing (MP). “OEMs say the power budget is fixed. Batteries aren’t going to get better quickly. The form factor and the cost envelope are fixed. They tell us: ‘We want you to deliver the maximum performance within that spec.’ If we don’t, someone else will,” said Cornish.
ARM has an MP offering and sees it becoming mainstream. “We’re working with major operating system vendors to get them ready for MP,” added Cornish. “ARM’s MP core has five licensees, all of which are in the development phase, but they are looking at having their first products on the street either later on this year, or early next year.”
As well as getting OEMs, OS vendors and EDA people on board, ARM has to encourage other parts of the MP supply chain such as tool developers. The mills of multi-processing may be grinding slowly, but they are grinding with assiduous precision.
Electronics Weekly is the London-based sister publication of Electronic News. |
