Surge in 64-bit computing with ARMv8-A

Date: 15/10/2013
The latest iPhone5S from Apple is powered by 64-bit SoC A7. A7 significantly boasts iPhone5S performance compared to previous iPhone models. The 64-bit computing is more of a need in high definition video and audio processing. 64-bit computing enables more human interface capabilities to computers and mobile phones, including the speech and visual interface. The 64-bit also makes computation faster in IPv6 networks powering Internet of Things (IoT). What is really pushing 64-bit computing is the availability of 64-bit processor IP core and architecture from ARM.

The 64-bit ARMv8-A architecture features larger registers, media instructions, security and cryptography related instructions, and increased addressing range. The two 64-bit processor cores from ARM includes Cortex-A57 and ARM Cortex-A53. Both Cortex-A57 and ARM Cortex-A53 were already popular in designing power efficient servers. They are now competing with x86-based 64-bit servers. Another important factor in driving ARM based servers is the Linux OS support from software companies. The not-for-profit Linaro is making toolchains and software images for AArch64 (the 64-bit execution state of ARMv8) available for Linux OS based server developers.

Broadcom has announced the architecture for a new generation of multicore processors based on 64-bit ARM processor cores and ARMv8-A architectural license, Broadcom is developing new CPUs for networking, communications, big data, storage and security applications.

Broadcom is also announcing its partnership with ARM to define and develop an open, standards-based NFV software environment for the ARM ecosystem.

Through this new architecture, Broadcom is supporting its customers to migrate designs based on Broadcom's XLP II family of multi-core processors to the new ARMv8-A processor architecture.

For more information on ARMv8-A architecture visit:
http://infocenter.arm.com/help/topic/com.arm.doc.ddi0487a/index.html

For more information on Linaro visit http://www.linaro.org/engineering/engineering-projects/armv8