With the growing of mobile device platforms, and even the momentum of replacing desktop platforms, the word \"ARM\" more and more appeared in people's vision, especially on mobile phones or tablet processors, but never ARM processors, but \"using ARM's latest architecture\" processors. In fact, ARM (Adanced RISC Machines) isn't just a generic name for a processor, it's also a company name, and it's a technology name.
ARM was founded in Cambridge, UK in 1991 to license chip design technology. At present, the microprocessor using ARM technology intellectual property (IP) core, that is, we usually say ARM microprocessor, has been widely used in industrial control, consumer electronics, communication systems, network systems, wireless systems and other product markets, microprocessor applications based on ARM technology occupy more than 75% of the market share of 32-bit RISC microprocessor. ARM technology is gradually infiltrating into all aspects of our lives.
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(ARM Ecosystem)
ARM company is specialized in RISC technology based chip design and development company, as an intellectual property supplier, itself is not directly engaged in chip production, rely on the transfer of design license by the partner company to produce each characteristic chip, the world's major semiconductor manufacturers (RFID radio frequency note: For example, PHILIPS, TI, Intel, BroadCom, ATMEL, etc.) buy ARM microprocessor cores designed by them from ARM and add appropriate peripheral circuits according to their different application fields, thus forming their own ARM microprocessor chips to enter the market. At present, dozens of large semiconductor companies around the world are using ARM's license, so ARM technology not only gets more third-party tools, manufacturing, software support, but also reduces the cost of the entire system, so that products are easier to enter the market and accepted by consumers, more competitive.
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If you say, \"embedded\" is one of the most talked about words in 2001 electronics engineers, 2002 the most talked about a word is \"ARM\". What exactly is ARM? It is the name of a British electronics company, whose full name means Advanced RISC Machine. The company was founded in November 1990 as a joint venture between Apple Computer, Acorn Computer Group and VLSI Technology. Acorn had introduced the world's first commercial single-chip RISC processor, and Apple wanted to use RISC technology in its own systems, which led to the new ARM microprocessor standard.
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In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the semiconductor industry chain has just emerged as a division of labor, TSMC, UMC and other semiconductor foundries are quietly rising, and some fabless companies in Silicon Valley in the United States have also sprung up, the so-called fabless company designs its own chips, but the production process is contracted to TSMC and other foundries. ARM is the first in the world, 12 years ago pioneered the chipless production model, that is, the company does not manufacture chips, nor design chips, but design efficient IP cores, licensed to semiconductor companies, semiconductor companies on the basis of ARM technology to add their own design and launch chip products. Finally, OEM customers use these chips to build system products based on ARM technology. This way is a bit like Qualcomm in the communications industry and RAMBUS in the semiconductor industry, they stand in the upper reaches of the semiconductor industry chain. Founded 12 years ago, ARM may have faced a lot of risks, because no one knew if this path would work, but now the facts have proved that ARM has taken a path that no one has ever taken, but it is the right path. As an add-on, he also introduced Chinese industry players to British electronics companies through this window, and the success of ARM led to the development of British company chipless.
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Because ARM's products are IP Core, without any physical hardware or software entities, it can only register as a \"consulting\" company in China, although consulting is only a small part of its business. ARM's core business is the sale of chip core technology IP, 103 giant IT companies in the world are currently using ARM technology, 19 of the 20 largest semiconductor manufacturers are ARM users, including Texas Instruments, stmicroelectronics, Philips, Intel and so on. The only big 20 not to buy ARM license is Intel's old rival AMD, because Intel portable processor is StrongARM, and AMD acquired Alchemy company to compete with it, using MIPS structure.
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(The iPad Air 2 uses an ARM-based A8X processor.)
Microprocessor core is the core of ARM technology, the current market has ARM7, ARM9, ARM9E-S, StrongARM and ARM10 series. The revenue of ARM's patented technology mainly comes from two aspects. One is the patent licensing fee, which is paid to ARM by customers when adopting ARM patents. The other part is to charge a certain percentage of the customer's product patent royalties, that is, every chip sold by the customer, the same percentage of the fee. These two revenues account for 70% of the company's total revenue. Currently in China, ZTE, SMIC and Shanghai Huahong have purchased ARM's core licenses to produce their own chips. Other priorities of ARM's China business include support for chip design companies (fables) and university programs. In addition, ARM also authorized Impact and Beijing Xuanji as authorized distributors of development tools with sales growth of more than triple digits (100%) in 2002.
In general, ARM partners fall into three categories:
1. EDA Partner program, which combines ARM's expertise in online system design, reusable IP generation and IP models with the expertise of leading EDA tool vendors to develop SoC products.
2. The ARM Technology Sharing Program, the result of the expansion and normalization of ARM's partnerships with external design services firms, now has more than 2,900 engineer members.
3. The manufacturer plans to enable Oems in emerging markets to share ARM processor technology to design and manufacture advanced SoC solutions.
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(Huawei hisilicon Kirin processor with ARM core)
In short, ARM is the UK's world famous 32-bit embedded RISC chip core design company, is also the product trademark of ARM, its products ARM embedded core has been adopted by the world's major chip manufacturers, ARM based development technology swept the global embedded market, has become one of the mainstream embedded system technology. As a bright bright in the embedded industry, the company is committed to innovation, committed to ARM technology, development and application and promotion, and once again walked in the forefront of the peer, took the lead in setting up the ARM R & D center, and opened the ARM-based embedded system development and application training in the country. In December 2001, Spinji officially became the only designated training center (ATC) and agent of its series products authorized by ARM in China.
ARM develops 32-bit CPU cores, and manufacturers around the world can be licensed to produce ARM chips. And the price is unexpectedly cheap, such as 4510 network applications only 45 yuan, so low-end products can use 8051 and other 8-bit single-chip computers, and high-end products using ARM is a very wise choice. Now many people begin to learn ARM, the beginning is to buy ARM experimental board and JTAG simulator.