14 DAY TRIAL // ARM's v8 architecture supports 64-bit instructions, which means that it is just a matter of time before makers of servers, data centers and even PCs begin using it instead of Intel.
As it happens, Cavium, a processor manufacturer based in San Jose, California, has vowed to provide system-on-chip devices based on it.
The plan is called Project Thunder Initiative and will utilize custom-made cores made on the 20nm manufacturing process technology.
Besides 64-bit support, The AArch32 (32-bit) functionality has been improved on ARM v8 as well and there are NEON and advanced SIMD instructions on it also.
Add to that compatibility with ARMv7 and existing 32-bit code and all bases are covered nicely.
“The cloud and datacenter market is going through a discontinuity with rapidly changing requirements driving a convergence of computing, networking and security,” said Syed Ali, president and CEO of Cavium.
“Cavium’s core competencies and IP are uniquely matched to deliver a compelling value proposition to the cloud and datacenter.”
Cavium's SoCs will be available alongside the company's existing Octeon and Nitrox processor families.
The company is betting on the fact that, rather than high clock speeds, data centers, servers and cloud applications rely more on large number of processing cores. ARM v8 can respond in real-time just fine while running on much less energy than x86 units.
Unfortunately, Cavium did not release information on the chip’s names and specs. Those details will only come forward at an as yet unspecified later date.
What we do know is that the SoCs will have between 2 and 48 cores each, depending on how good at multi-core applications Cavium's software becomes. It should be a simple matter to scale the chip family over time and integrate all the “high-performance compute, networking, security, storage along with targeted workload application acceleration and high-speed industry standard IOs.”