The ARM Cortex-A8 is a
32-bit
In computer architecture, 32-bit computing refers to computer systems with a processor, memory, and other major system components that operate on data in 32- bit units. Compared to smaller bit widths, 32-bit computers can perform large calculati ...
processor core licensed by
ARM Holdings
Arm is a British semiconductor and software design company based in Cambridge, England.
Its primary business is in the design of ARM processors (CPUs). It also designs other chips, provides software development tools under the DS-5, RealView ...
implementing the
ARMv7-A architecture.
Compared to the
ARM11, the Cortex-A8 is a dual-issue
superscalar
A superscalar processor is a CPU that implements a form of parallelism called instruction-level parallelism within a single processor. In contrast to a scalar processor, which can execute at most one single instruction per clock cycle, a sup ...
design, achieving roughly twice the
instructions per cycle
In computer architecture, instructions per cycle (IPC), commonly called instructions per clock is one aspect of a processor's performance: the average number of instructions executed for each clock cycle. It is the multiplicative inverse of ...
. The Cortex-A8 was the first Cortex design to be adopted on a large scale in consumer devices.
Features
Key features of the Cortex-A8 core are:
* Frequency from 600 MHz to 1 GHz and above
*
Superscalar
A superscalar processor is a CPU that implements a form of parallelism called instruction-level parallelism within a single processor. In contrast to a scalar processor, which can execute at most one single instruction per clock cycle, a sup ...
dual-issue microarchitecture
*
NEON
Neon is a chemical element with the symbol Ne and atomic number 10. It is a noble gas. Neon is a colorless, odorless, inert monatomic gas under standard conditions, with about two-thirds the density of air. It was discovered (along with krypt ...
SIMD
Single instruction, multiple data (SIMD) is a type of parallel processing in Flynn's taxonomy. SIMD can be internal (part of the hardware design) and it can be directly accessible through an instruction set architecture (ISA), but it shoul ...
instruction set extension
[Cortex-A8 Specification Summary; ARM Holdings.](_blank)
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* 13-stage integer pipeline and 10-stage NEON pipeline Thumb-2
ARM (stylised in lowercase as arm, formerly an acronym for Advanced RISC Machines and originally Acorn RISC Machine) is a family of reduced instruction set computer (RISC) instruction set architectures for computer processors, configured ...
instruction set encoding
* Jazelle RCT
ARM (stylised in lowercase as arm, formerly an acronym for Advanced RISC Machines and originally Acorn RISC Machine) is a family of reduced instruction set computer (RISC) instruction set architectures for computer processors, configured ...
(Also known as ThumbEE instruction set)
* Advanced branch prediction unit with >95% accuracy
* Integrated level 2 Cache (0–4 MiB)
* 2.0 DMIPS/MHz
Chips
Several system-on-chips (SoC) have implemented the Cortex-A8 core, including:
* Allwinner A1X
* Apple A4
The Apple A4 is a 32-bit package on package (PoP) system on a chip (SoC) designed by Apple Inc. and manufactured by Samsung. It was the first SoC Apple designed in-house. The first product to feature the A4 was the first-generation iPad, follo ...
* Freescale Semiconductor
Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. was an American semiconductor manufacturer. It was created by the divestiture of the Semiconductor Products Sector of Motorola in 2004. Freescale focused their integrated circuit products on the automotive, em ...
i.MX51
* Rockchip
Rockchip (Fuzhou Rockchip Electronics Co., Ltd.) is a Chinese fabless semiconductor company based in Fuzhou, Fujian province. Rockchip has been providing SoC products for tablets & PCs, streaming media TV boxes, AI audio & vision, IoT hardware ...
RK2918, RK2906
* Samsung Exynos 3110
* TI OMAP3
* TI Sitara ARM Processors
* Conexant
Conexant Systems, Inc. was an American-based software developer and fabless semiconductor company that developed technology for voice and audio processing, imaging and modems. The company began as a division of Rockwell International, before b ...
CX92755
See also
* ARM architecture
ARM (stylised in lowercase as arm, formerly an acronym for Advanced RISC Machines and originally Acorn RISC Machine) is a family of reduced instruction set computer (RISC) instruction set architectures for computer processors, configured ...
* List of ARM cores
This is a list of central processing units based on the ARM family of instruction set
In computer science, an instruction set architecture (ISA), also called computer architecture, is an abstract model of a computer. A device that executes ...
* List of applications of ARM cores
This is a list of products using processors (i.e. central processing units) based on the ARM architecture family, sorted by generation release and name.
__TOC__
List of products
}
, Broadcom BCM2837: ''Raspberry Pi 3'',
HiSilicon Kirin Series: ' ...
* Comparison of ARMv7-A cores
This is a comparison of processors based on the ARM family of instruction sets designed by ARM Holdings and 3rd parties, sorted by version of the ARM instruction set, release and name.
ARMv6
ARMv7-A
This is a table comparing central proc ...
* JTAG
JTAG (named after the Joint Test Action Group which codified it) is an industry standard for verifying designs and testing printed circuit boards after manufacture.
JTAG implements standards for on-chip instrumentation in electronic design aut ...
References
"ARM Cortex
The force that drives mobile devices"
External links
;ARM Holdings
*
{{-
Cortex-A8
The ARM Cortex-A8 is a 32-bit processor core licensed by ARM Holdings implementing the ARMv7-A architecture.
Compared to the ARM11, the Cortex-A8 is a dual-issue superscalar design, achieving roughly twice the instructions per cycle. The Cortex- ...
ARM Holdings IP cores